The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1924-04-26
HUBIN ON CLEAN SHOWS.
Wrote Interesting Article for The
Billboard Twenty-Five Years Ago.

MANY years The Billboard mas pliheoN
articles encouraging clean amusements
and business tactics in the outdoor
show field. 1t is needless to recount
the years successfully they nave
been continuously.
While recently looking in a trunk
among keepsakes. George f. Steele
veteran Snowman of the Sells-tloto
Circus and other organizations. came
across a copy of The Billboard dated
March %. 1902. On page TO of that
issue appeared an article by FRANK b.
Hubin. with a large cut of Mr.. Hupln.
II was headed. Keep Your Show
Clean. and read as follows;
with pleasure l will write you a
few lines regarding the commercial,
amusing and advertising value ana
prominence a city, town or village
gains by having a street fair, carnival
or outdoor exhibition. In the first
place the street fairs have come TO
stay. and when properly managed and
free from all Objectionable shows ana
conducted properly they benefit every
one. NY experience has been that the
average street fair is not properly adj
vertised. A street fair, to be a sue
cess. should be doomed away ahead,
so as to give the people and merchants
time to talk about it. l will call the
readers attention TO a street falr that
/ helped to make a success IN a prom
inent town in Indiana. | arrived IN
town. loaded with credentials from the
se-eral street fairs l had promoted,
and went among the local merchants
and got their opinions. Some laughed
when I approached them on the sub
iect others said: oh, we don't want
ANYTHING like that in our town. Well,
7 agreed with them that some street
fairs had exhibitions which were not
right. but that evening l met the COM
mittee and all local merchants. After
lengthy discussion we all decided on
the street fair proposition. They went
10 work and appointed their commit
tee. raised the necessary amount of
lumber. advertising and fireworks dis
plav. while we arranged excursion
rates and had the town billed for near
" 100 miles on four different railroads.
The Sunday before the fair the shows
came. as did the knife boards, cane
racks, balloons, popcorn n confettl
men, etc.
THE people remained over for the
fireworks display at night. They then
vent home, told friends and neighbors
about the great time they had at the
fair, told who they saw there, told
about the shows. brought home pres
ents for the children, and, during the
week. they anne again and their
friends We're there.
sWho got the most benefit? Why,
the merchants, Of course. The butch
er. baker. grocery stores. dry goods
stores. hotel keeper. feed merchants,
etc. and a hundred others. There was
more business done in that town dur
ing street fair week than they ever
did in three 10 six months before.
ii so happened thar this winter l
passed through The same Town and
laid over for about TWO hours Tor rail
road connections. | called on some of
the merchants who did not favor the
street lair project at the start. They
wanted me 10 come again next year.
One Of the fellows who did all the
kicking and complained of the Shows
taking all the money out OF town
said Say, when are you coming back?
Do you know during the street fair l
nearly cleaned out my place? l sold
goods standing on my shelves for the
past six years. l do wish you would
bring those shows here again Now
this goes 10 show that, when street
fairs are properly conducted and the
gentlemen with different shows and
privileges conduct themselves and
their business legitimately, the mer-
chants and people will always welcome
their return That is why I claim the
street fairs are here 10 stay and will
from year 10 year get bigger and bet
ter than ever.
The reason some streets fairs are
failures is that people who merely
claim to be street fair promoters drop
into town. IeIl merchants that they are
going TO ger rich in a week. don't ad-
yerrise it properly, bring in a lot OF
inferior shows and Legitimate priyi-
lege people have disgusting shows and
a bad appearance in general. People
who come The first day tell their
friends not 10 go. as they have been
there and sot roped IN. What is the
resuits The street fair fails fiat. and
the suuposed-to.De carnival company
reports The town is no good and a
'bl9omer. on the other hand, if a
hrsr-clsss carnival company came 10
town and the promoter in advance had
literally advertised its coming and the
street fair as well, the shows with
their neat appearance and the privi-
lege people with their neat stock and
courteous treatment 10 patrons, would
cause the people TO 20 home and tell
their friends about il. They would in
duce hem o visit the fair. They
would come again. The merchants
would be commended Tor furnishing
such d holiday week of pure. clean
pleasure. Jun and amusement, and the
merchants IN return would sell their
goods The carnival company would
leave r0wn. and while fhe other would
be company would call il a bloomer
this company would say. A great
toWn, made big money there The Sc
cret of success for all VINO are con
nected with street fair and carnival
companies Is that they must learn 10
treat their patrons kindly. keep their
different shows and exhibitions in
clean and drst-class order. cut out vul-
sarity, give q clean and wholesome
week of pure tun and amusement,
treat the merchants and city officials
and citizens with the greatest OF re-
spect. then whenever you intend 10
ONE back your work viii be all the
easier. and by all means never con
tract any debts unless you pay them,
as everyone knows the old saying,
when you touch a mans pocketbook
you touch his heart
SPONSOR MARBLE CONTEST.