The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-18

Three other railroad shows, look ing for better business, have fled to Canada. At present there are only two railroad shows in the entire United States, Al c. Barnes-Sells Floto and Ringing Brothers-Barnum and Bailey, and the latter, with noverhead cost of $14,000 a day, is doing spotty business.
 Faced with the double disaster of depression plus cold, rainy spring, the circus managers of the country, especially in the east turn to a man in Washington who is probably the worlds foremost fiernd of the circus.
 HE IS MELVIN D. HILDRETH, A WASHINGTON LAWYER, PRESIDENT OF THE CIRCUS FANS OF AMERICA.
 The D. stands for Davis, and it it was this name which Hildreth used as a young boy in Fargo, N. D., when he and pal founded and managed for five years the Davis and Upshaw circus, begin ming with an admission charge of pins and graduating to pennies, then nickels.
 At the height of the Davis and Upshaw business there were as many as twenty boys taknig part, and almost as many in the audi ence. Their stunts were chiefly gymnastic, with few stuffed ani- mals. Hildredth's job was that of announcer, and he has been bally- hooing circuses from the side lines ever since. Routing Circuses
 Hildreth never has been on the payroll of any circus, has nothing to gain, not even pass, from heading the Circus Fans of Amer ica. But there is no circus man. ager or old-time performer who does not know him, and this year his office has bene deluged with long distance calls from frantic managers wanting Hildreth to help re-route them through more prosperous territory.
 Ringing Brothers had to can eel Detroit and Cleveland be- cause of serious unemployment there. Three circuses, Robbins Brothers, Cole Brothers and Hagenbeck- Wallace, were routed through Canada on the advise of Hildreth; while he tried to save DOwney Brothers by bring ing it down through the more prosperous ship building towns along the Delaware and Chesa- peake-without success. Downey Brothers has now returned to Alabama and winter quarters at the height of the midsummer, its animals rented out to filling stations to save the expense of feeding them.
 Hildreth has lent helping hand to many laundering circus, twice to get loans for them from the REC. But Jesse Jones' interest is in railroads Gone of which sup piled him with private car to the Kentucky Derby), and the only government official who re- alizes that circus performers must seat is Harp Hopkins. His WPA circus runs all winter and now has taken to the road.
 Amateur Drummer
 Last May the Tim Mccoy Wild West Show, outfited in new cars and the most modern wagons, was stranded in Washington. Mccoy had spent $400,000 to equip the show, of which he put up $100,- 900 personally. He was forced to close down because of an unpaid debt of $l4,000.
 As a result several hundred perfermOres were left stranded in Washington without food or roof. They had not been paid for days, yet according to Hil- dreth there was not pam handler in the lot.
 Once the Charles T. Hunt (noW Eddy Brothers) circus was hay ing hard time in New Jersey and to keep it going, Hildredth presented the management with two trucks, new marquee, and paid the bills Tor fresh job of painting on all equipment.
 Later at Salem, N. J., the Hunt show was playing outside the town limits to avoid high r license fee, but wanted per- mission to send band into the town to drum up trade. Hil- dredth himself was pinch hit ting as snare drummer in the band.