The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-26
BY JOE WILLIAMS

Sarasota, Fla, Feb. 26.-Less than a two base hit from the sandy stretches where the Boston Red Sox baseballers lubricate their soup bones and sharpen their batting eyes, i1l spring training, lies the rambling, tent-cluttered field where the Joe DiMaggios, Paul Derringers and Bob Fellers of "the greatest show on earth" put in spring train ing licks of their own.
 This would be the winter quar- ters of the Ringing Brother Bar mum and Bailey Circus. It is so much like a baseball training camp in character, purpose and pattern we thought you'd like to hear about it. The popular impression is that this is merely where the circus people house the live stock during the of season. That would be only partly true.
 With exceptions here and there this is where the performers come to revamp and refine their num- bers. With most of them it is a con- tractural obligation. They must be on the grounds four weeks ill ad- vance of the tradition opening in Madison Square Garden. And like the ball players they receive no pay until the first ball. or the first clown, is thrown out on opening day.
 Mixup
 A circus fan-and who isn't -- would find a trip through the win ter quarters of a great circus in- tensely absorbing, perhaps even more so than the finished, colorful, fast moving panorama itself. The whole circus is here but it is Scat- tered over two hundred acres and under dozens of big and small tents and several permanent structures of stone, brick and wood. It makes for what appears to be a mad scrambled, aimless incoherency and unles sscme one from the press de- partment, like Roland Butler oI Frank Braden, takes oyu by the hand and leads you through the miscellaneous maze you aren't like ly to see much that you will un- QerSIdIlu or dppIcCldIc.
 Possibly the first thing that will strike you is the informality of the circus in repoSe. All your life you have seen the circus in it's finished form a garish kaleidoscope of gilt ter and tinsel, silk tights and paint ed clowns, high stepping horses with satiny coats, freshly scrubbed ele- phants waddling along under blan- ketS of velvet and ornate stones That's the circus as you would know it. To see it in any other form would be almost certain to evoke astonishment.
 Yet it's all quite different down here. Everybody looks alike. Only the show intimates can tell the Stors from the laborers. There is nc glitter at all. If it weren't for the big red wagons with the gold em- bossed gimcrackery on the sides rolling in and out of the paint shop you might readily be betrayed into thinking this was some vast indus trial works under canvas.
 Of course. this impression would not stay with you long. AS you con- tinued to wander around you would see sights that scarcely tie up with industrial activities. Over there to the left you would see tall, bushy haired, blond young man racing back and forth on a tight wire pitched not more than four feet from the sandy floor. At intervals he will pause near the center of the wire, throw his lean body into the air and slide through a hoop, the only performer in the world who deos the trick This will turn out to be Hubert Castle (real name Smith) who started his career on a clothes. line in his mothers back yard in Dallas, Texas. at the age of eight You've seen him dozens of times but here in pair of begrimed slacks and an open neck sports shirt and a stubble beard he might be any laborer on the lot who took time out from his regular chores to in- dulge an eccentric whim.
 Seems Unreal
 And back over there near those tall pines you would see a dainty little blonde In shorts, her hair tied h Q gypsy handkerchief, swing and twisting incredibly on high tra' peze. Against the gray horizon Of Q dull Florida day you are moved to rub your eyes and look twice, Somehow the scene doesn't look real. And fl you sold tO yourself, sthat's . strange thing for q woins an to be doing out here iD the country" lt would be undeFRtAnds able, ib certainly would look strange and seem strange f, by now, you