Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-09-30
With ORIGINAL
RINCLINC SHOW
Fred Bogardus, Pasadena, CalifOr-
mia, an OIdtimer m the Amuse-
ment Purveying Werld
TELLS OF CIRCUS KINGS
EARLY DAYS ON THE ROAD
He and Father Of Clara Kimball
Young Trouped With Al. Ring
ling Years and Years Ago

A recent issue of the Pasadena Star
News contains an article about Fred
Bogardus, formerly of BarabOo. The
item was sent by George Raymer, for
merly of Madison, to O D. Branden-
burg of the Capital City. Mr.. Bran
denburg tays he knew Bogardus well.
Many a time he performed on the
Brandenburg turning bar in Baraboo
in the 7O's, and he was the best OF
any that gave vent to their youthful
energies in that way. He was slight
in build, possibly the slightest. Mr..
Brandenburg says this is the first he
has heard of Bogardus for 80 years!
J. r. Hofstatter and others in Baraboo
will no doubt will recall the Snowman.
The article in the Pasadena Star
News reads as follows:
Who does not know Of Ringing
brothers circus, the biggest OF them
ell?
Since the death, ten or dozen years
ago of James A. Bailey of the Bar
mum & Bailey show, Ringing Brothers
have been the undisputed kings of the
circus world. They bought the Bar
mum & Bailey show and haYe conduct
ed it many years even as they, had
bought the Forepaugh & Sells Brothers
show
There is in Pasadena though, a
man who was with the Ringing show
before it was a circus. In fact he was
with the Ringing show before all
the Ringing brothers were in it.
lives at SO North Fair Oaks avenue
in those days Mr. Bogardus was a
trouper, doing blackface song and
dance act under the professional name
of Fred Hart.
"The real father OF the Ringing
brothers show and the founder of
the greatest circus fortune in the
history of the world was Al. Ring
ling" said Mr.. Bogardus, chatting to-
day Of the show business of yesteryear
Hall Show Then
81 was with the first Ringing
show in 1877" continued Mr.. Bogar-
dus. 1T was hall show rather than
a tent show and AL Ringing owned
it,
"There were four of us in that
original Ringing hall show-Al. Ring
ling, who did juggling and balancing
act; Ed M. Kimball, father Of Clara
Kimball Young and now in the mo-
ton picture business in Hollywood;
Harry Wallace and myself. Al. Ring
ling, Ed. Kimball and Harry Wallace
were all fine men and we have been
warm, lifelong friends Al. Ringing
fine man, is now dead
"All the Ringing brothers lived
in Baraboo, Wis. which has always
been the winter quarters Of their
show. Their father was a harness
maker in the town Ed. Kimball was
also a Baraboo boy. I knew all the
Ringing boys and Ed Kimball before
we went trouping with AL. Ringing.
"A. Ringing was born Snowman.
He was a carriage trimmer by trade
but every time he saved up a little
money he started a show on the road.
He had discouragements but how he
finally succeeded the world knows in
the success of the Rinling Brothers
enterprises.
''I was with AL Ringling's hall
show five seasons. three seasons in
halls and two under canvas. In 1882
Al's brothers John, ALI. T. and Charles
Ringing, joined him in the show The
other brothers, Gus, Otto and Henry
Joined later.
'Tn the spring Of 1883 al. Ringing
bought small second hand side-show
tent. called "kid show top on the lots
and that was the beginning Of Ring
ling brothers show as tented amuse
ment enterprise.
Doubled in Brass
Everybody in the troupe 'douO
led in brass in this days. That is tc
say, whatevere the members Of the
company including All and his brothers
did, they also played in the band. The
feature of the show was the uniformed
band in little towns in those days.
"John Ringing. who became thu
greatest railroad contracting agent
in the world, was Is yers old then
He did an Irish specially on the mig
ger board as it was called in thos,
davs In circuSps today If ia called TN