New Britain herald., 1929-07-06
OLD TIME CIRCUS
 VISITS RECALLED
Barnunl, Buffalo Bill and Paw nee Bill Shows Stopped Here

New Britain of 1929 with it's great industries and a population heading abitiously towards the 100000 mark is not on the circus map. At least not on the route of the greatest shows and yet New Britain of the eighties and gay nineties with q scant population of 10000 saw them all. At least one and some times two big circuses played the Hard ware City in those days Barnum's, Forepaws. Ringing Brothers and Buffalo Bills Wild West each in time" to the barefooted youngsters of those remote days, remote as one measures modern progress.
 Ride in With Dawn
 Old timers tell of travelling road shows that came into town in the grey of dawn after an all night haul from New Haven or Waterbury. They were small one ringed affairs green, Corbin's lot in the rear of Church street opposite the depot or other vacant spots about town that might be hired for a day or two. But the big grounds were on South Main street, Bassette's lot opposite the end of Ash street The lot cov- cred many acres and dropped off into a ravine and wooded swamp towards the southwest. The whole region is largely occupied by three Trinity, Buell. and Roberts streets. Circus day was a day advertised weeks ahead in amazing Autographs and bill board displays. Far out in- to the country the advance men went posting their tremendous an- nouncements of droves of elephants, menageries of ferocious and un- heard of animals. Church horse sheds and wayside barns were fla orite display spaces for these gaudy announcements illustrating the greatest and most daring bare back riders and trapeze artists the world had ever known.
 The day before the big event fond parents were pestered to death with pleas from their young hopefuls to be allowed to get up at a. m. and watch the circus unload. The Com mercial street siding was usually the focal point for every red blooded kid in town and the first arrivals Were usually on hand long before dawn. Long drawn out whistles announced the approach of the first train bear ing tent wagons and poles. Yellow was the standard color of circus cars and they were longer, higher and altogether more imposing than any ordinary freight and it surely was thrilling to watch one pull into town in the grey of the morning, the gaudy wagons swathed in tar paulins and dirty canvass. Groups of roustabouts huddled on top of the cars awaiting the moment for the train to halt on the siding when without a moments delay but seem- ingly unhurried the whole circus world would. suddenly awaken to life and with machne-like preci- sion proceed to unload"
 off for Circus Grounds
 In no time runways were in place and the big canvassed covered trucks were rolled 10 the ground and soon on the way to the South Main street grounds. The menagerie train soon followed in the wake of the tent cars. Great interest attach ed to the unloading of the anima, wagons and to speculate whether the boarded in cages contained lions tigers or perhaps polar bears. The elephant cars quickly drew crowd of eager youngsters envious to see the big pachyderms work their pom derous bulk down the runwayS. Long practice coupled with the great sagacity of these huge beasts made it an easy job though one was always amazed at the skill and ease of the performance.
 The performers were rarely 10 be seen, but you knew they were ali abed in the long shade drawn sleep CTS. Once the elephants started for the grounds the juvenile element deserted the freight yards for the new scene of activity. Tent men and teamsters and roustabouts were scattered all over the place but With every man engaged on an as. signed task and knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. T. was an intensely interesting scene but an orderly confusion reigned. Experienced youngsters who knew the ropes landed jobs carrying water for the elephants. It was a sure way or Whining a pass to the big show and they were at once the envy Of less fortunate companions perhaps attending their first unloading and lacking the nerve to ask for a jo1. The next time they would be in on the know"
 Barnum and "Jumbo" Here
 Back in the early eighties before BaSsette's lot became the recognized grounds for the big shows, the cir cuses showed back of Walnut Hill About this time Barnum came here with the famous elephant Jumbo huge East Indian elephant highly touted as the largest ever held in captivity. With "Jumbo' was the baby elephant and they were 3 great drawing card. Jumbo" was killed in a grade crossing accident in Canada a few years later and {, was told that the big beast herocaI- ly saved the life of the baby by toss ing il to one side an instant before q freight engine struck and fatally injured the great animal.
 There was great rivalry in the circus business in those days and ii Barnum's failed to show hers one year, Adam Forepaw came with a big circus. Forepaw had Bolivar, a huge elephant, as a counter attrac- tion and rival of Barnum's Jumbo '