The Washington times., 1922-05-09
CIRCUS PEOPLE
FOUND FRUGAL,
HARD WORKERS
Dinner Guest Finds Headliners
interested in PoIitics-1f,-
900 See Big Exhibit.


night hit the sawdust trail" made
famous in Washington by Billy Sun.
day and his gymnastics.
Yes, you guessed It! 'Tis only a
sleepy reporters getaway at 6
o'clock this morning on a column
story of yesterdays showing Of Sells
Floto's three-ring sawdust trail.
which is exhibiting at Camp Meigs.
Fifth street and Florida avenue
northeast.
As the guest OF the circus man.
agement, the writer was permitted to
see the ins and outs of circus life
yesterday afternoon and last night
as few outside those OF the big top
glamour see IL.
Dinner with the performers, and
an hours chat with them after
wards, was probably the most inter
esting feature, outside OF the big
show. Dinner was served at $40
o'clock. Without a particle Of con-
fusion, nearly a thousand people
were served in a remarkably short
time in an atmosphere conducive to
an enjoyable meal and camradiere
found in few metropolitan clubs.
Contrary, possibly, to the general
belief, circus performers and work
ers are probably the best nurtured
people in the world. The constant
outdoor life and attendant exercise
in connection with their work put so
keen an edge on appetite that u Is
not appeased by a short or meager
meal.
Barbecued M ats. deliciously
Drowned: roast beef, boiled potatoes,
two other vegetables. canned peas.
bread, coffee and a pudding for des'
sert, all excellently cooked and appe-
tizingly served, constituted last
nights dinner menu.
Health Is First Principle.
Everything is extraordinarily
clean. The circus physician is also
health inspector, and the success Of
a circus depends upon the health of
it's people and animals. An inspec'
ton is made OF the entire grounds
twice a day. and anything that II
likely to affect the health OF the per.
formers is Immediately corrected.
The dining tent is always pitched
on high ground and each day sees "a
new and clean sight for the perform
ers' daily meal The hour following
Gus people. From to : there is little
for the performers TO do. before they
go to their dressing rooms. During
that hour they are human, without
tights and paints.
As the guest Of Jerry" A. Fitzpat.
rick. publicity man for the show, the
writer was introduced to twenty-five
or thirty OF the performers. who
nfg
and chat. Out of a group OF twelve
women who SAT chatting, but one Of
them smoked.
The writer commented on 1t and
was told that a circus acrobat's ca
reer in the big top depended on his
healthful living and that smoking
did not do them any good. There
are, however, no snobs in the circus
game. and you are Just as welcome
whether you smoke little or much.
well. how is the tariff coming
along?" was the rather unexpected
question OF "Saida," a miss Of maybe
twenty-four summers, who In moth
ing but a beautiful slave OF Pha-
roah's court and the star OF "A Night
in Cairo"
That was an easy one but the
writer muffed the next question,
coming from "Poodles" Hanneford
who is one less than nothing If he
isn't as the bill says he Is, the
worlds cleverest bare back riding
comedian" and probably draws the
highest salary in the circus.
When do the soldiers get their
bonus" Poodles asked.
Are Thrifty Set.
TLo kooa. aod a aanIrat;nna ~ cir.
Gus performers are probably more
zealously guarded than any other
class of people. All of them aspire
to provide for the inevitable rainy
day. In the group of twenty-five
or thirty who sat chatting about
commonplace things, more than half
of them cherish somewhere a little
farm, already bought and now being
paid for, or revealed plans of buying
a little estate in some chosen spot
where they will some day spend
the rest of their lives--they hope.
For a circus performer. their life
In the open. seems to breed within
them a love and longing for the
great outdoors, and this is reflected
in their desire for home In the coun.
try in their declining years.
At 1880 the performers are warned
by bugler tnat IL IL time 10 get
ready for their makeup. They troop.
ed off in threes and fours with adieux
of light pleasantries and a farewell
that they would see me inside.
inside" as the big performance is
termed, the sight Is a familiar spec
tacle to everyone. This years show
Of Sells.Floto, however. is a marvel
of beauty, mixed with q combination
Of daring and cleverness that give
YOU a two hour and thirty minute
succe ession of thrills that cannot be
washed down by the tasteless, but