South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-07
FIREMEN'S BALL
HOLDS RECORD FOR
LARGEST CROWDS
Gathering in Chicago in 1905
Showed $4,000 TabulatiOns
During Session.


scum including five republican ma
tional CONVENTIONS the biggest tab
uiat.On We ever made was 40 fire.
mans ball back around 1903" re-
marked Charles 4. Hall managing
director o. the Coliseum today
'The fireman sold 1900 tickets for
the ball and u 900 came
Next month wiz briug the
twentieth anniversary ~ Chicago s
largest convention place. and Mr.
Hall who has been with the Coli
scum since BE- began its business.
grew reminiscent.
Draws Big Crowds.
THE largest crowds though that
We ever had here" he added. were
those gathered Tor the return Of the
first coiOred regiment from France.
We didn't try 20 count them. They
filled the Coliseum as tight as II
would hold and jammed the streets
with thousands and thousands more.
There were a thousand less peo-
pie IN the Coliseum for the last re-
publican convention on its biggest
day thar az the 1916 convention.
This was because the police we're on
tn. door al the 1915 convention and
Z ey left hundreds Of their friends
in.
a large. part OF the business we
do here is fitting the hail up for
conventions. The business OF build
Ing the shows here runs around
5000, 900 a year. ] spent $500 more
than my contract Of $50, 900 for the
repu blican arrangements but VIII
get my profits in time as we use
up the materials left over.
Putting in circuses-and the
biggest Of them-is a part OF the reg
ular work. The circus men leave
IL 10 us 10 do, because we can do II
faster than they can. Under canvas
the, could beat us Of course.
sometimes we have 10 clear
them out quicker than they come In.
I have had a circus close after Civ
ing its regular performance finish
ing at 1880. have moved them out,
put the pillow into the dirt, carted
IL away. cleaned the whole place
up and manicured it, and waxed the
floor and installed coat rooms Tor
a ball the next evening at 1880. We
have gone from a circus TO dance
in Is hours.
Many Circuses Come.
so many circuses have come
here that have gotten more or less
used 10 the animals. In the case or
elephants, less.
Fifteen years or so ago a club
nut on a French ball here. They
had a throne for I. cir king and
queen. and 1 proposed to them, IN
planning out the settings, that they
have a couple Of elephants. one on
each side Of the throne. circus
was leaving just before the ball and
borrowed a couple Of elephants.
We got them in and stood them be
side the throne. The poor elephants
were so scared they shook all over
The ball began 10 get rough and
fights broke out. Pretty soon the
men we're fighting all over the floor.
IL was ny lob 10 keep the peace and
a fine prospect IL was. me tied 10 an
elephant and a friend holding the
other. Finally ! hOllored 10 him
TO ask II he would take his ele
phant and follow me - he didn't
know any more about elephants
than / did. He answered yes. and
sang out "Gangway" and steered
my elephant into the nearest fight.
with the other elephant close beside
IL broke up that row. and all the rest
OF the night when any fighting
broke out we cleared the floor with
our elephants.
Do you remember when they put
through LOO Shriners down here
when Mayor Busse was In office?
They hired an elephant for the
occas sion, and brought him down
with his trainer. But the trainer
wasn't a Shriner and at the door the
elephant baked.
Wasn't a Member.
'sThey sent word 20 me. What's
the matter with the elephant? and
I told then the trainer wasn't a
Shriner. Cant you bring the Gle
phant in7' they asked, and said I
would. There was lot OF candy
and popcorn around for the dolnss,
and ] got a couple handfuls and
fed IL TO him. That pleased the ele-
plant and he started in.
lust then along came Mayor
Russe and the thousand or more
Shrfners outside let out wild yell
The elephant got scared. turned
around and started 20 run down the
street.
IT got mighty scared too. but the
circuses had been around enough
for me 20 know an elephants weak
spots and I threw the hook into him
hard and ran my hand into his
throat and grabbed his tongue.
hauled him down 20 his knees and
hung on.
Pretty soon somebody noticed
I was looking shaky end got close
enough 20 ask what was ire mat
ter. ] told him for the love OF mike
20 make the mob stop hollering.
Finally he got them quiet and
brought the elephant I'm.
While I was holding on o. him
tight. later on. John Ringing came
up 20 me. say do YOU know what
elephant you've got there2' he ask
ed me Never saw 10 before 7 told
him. Why said Ringing. that's
an elephant 7 sold last year for $500
because 90 was mean and would run
away
NV knees almost caved in. But
tnat elephant took a fancy 20 nc
and wrapped It's trunk around me
and talked 20 me
GERMAN FARMERS 4SK
10 KEEP ERE 1RlIS