Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1896 — UNDER THE BIG TENT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UNDER THE BIG TENT

THE CIRCUS AND ITS MARVELOUS ACCOMPANIMENTS The Traveling Show in City and Country—Scenes When the Aggregation Stopa for a One-Hay Stand Showmen as Benefactors. The Circus. Tradition keeps the memory of the •Id one-ring circus green. It is like “the pie that mother used to make,” «nd many a patriarch who visits the •hows that come along oocasionally »nd camp on a corner lot or the village yteen recalls a resemblance to the circuses that were rare, but delightful, twhen he was a boy. The clown, the tringmaster, the bespangled lady rider, )*he intelligent donkey, the tumblers, the trick elephant, the ferocious lion, dhe marvellous freak side teht—all ■come and go with the season, practically unchanged, yet new to the young generation, and fascinating as ever to Ihe old fellow who so unselfishly attends every show that comes along, '“for the children’s sake,” and for the -memory of past days, j If you cultivate the proper spirit you

can have an excellent time at the circus, even the little one-ringed one, and That spirit is the broad one prepared to •pplaud and enjoy; the intention of

haring a good laugh, the resol re not to pick flaws. You will find the riding lively, the dresses smart and dazzling. looking at it with wondering little Johnny’s eyes, you will get your tfnll money’s worth. These small circuses set themselves up in a night, /wherever there is room for a two-pole tent and two long tents for performers ahd animals. Narrow blue seats

•re forced info duty as steps. The single,;,gilded wagon of the outfit furaishesa stuffy cubbyhole for the ticket •eller,'“and the small crowd pushes

: *galust the closed end In the good old iwtty until the window opens. But then • ene does not see- that lightning work by ambidextrous rneu that one has seen at bigger shows. There is a difference fbetweea taking care of 20,000 sales at SO cents and selling a thousand tickets at a dime. ’ •, . children, gaze ip amazement at "the dazzling cavalcade .of fine gentlejmeu and beauteous ladies, and do not •redpgnize in the men of bright feathers j-thc bustle^?jjijf .“props” In the ring 'work. Tlien comes tlig arena work. iThc principal acts’lead. The riders do itbe common,things with the grace of. long practice,-and its Champion So-and-iao leaves flit ring he stops to talk a raoimeut With the tripping beauty who is ’about to essay the trapeze. The traiyezists' slow music by the >*aud, which consists of a half dozen ianiformed mnaigians stationed by the gentry. Tbc children. < who make up ( tiro-tbirds of the audience, cheer as daring people In fleshings “skin Jtbe cat" and perform other wondertiut feats thirty feet above ground fMtmstimes t vpitfaftpra ty-b rot it ers, rare- % three of i family, poise themselves

on the bars. The horizontal bar acts, the tumbling over the "backs of stooping men. the jockey riding and the trained pigs, dogs and horses make up the rest of the program. The advent of the big tent of the big show, with its marvelous accompaniments, Is, of course, an event that comes to the rural districts somewhat

infrequently, but It is appreciated there as nowhere else. The city, with its free shows, its constant excitement, cannot find the novelty in one of these exhibitions that appeals to the village lad, who ordinarily leads a quiet life. Yet the latter is critical. He knows a genuinely good show when he sees it. The procession must bo up-to-date, the menagerie must contain real wild beasts, the ring specialties must be new, or at least artistic and ingenious. A peep behind the scenes, in which he discerns the lady rider practicing for a Mazoppa ride; the leading horseman teaching his boy to accompany him in a daring flight; the trainer educating the monkey to turn somersaults; the ringmaster painting spots in his favorite charger, all these give zest to the real finished entertainment, and the youthful spectator enjoys every act,

from the hoop performance of the bespangled girl rider to the antics of the educated pig. Few people, however, who see tlio grand aggregation of curiosities and varied talent displayed by a first-class circus have any idea of the trouble and labor of bringing such a display into working order and starting it out in the spring. The. more important animals.

suc-h as lions and tigers, must of necessity be genuine, and, of course, if they /survive the winter are ready . for the spring trade. -There must nlso be a real [giraffe, for even the ingenuity 6f a showman has not yet succeeded In contriving an imitation of a giraffe that will pass muster with even the most guileless small' boy, and a bogus elephant would be quite as difllculv to palm off as a manufacture*} gUaffj» or hippopotamus. ' 1 Then the business of handling a great aggregation of men, animals and curiosities is of Itself a specialty. lh which very few become adept. Nor is it any small task to keep improper sublection the conflicting interests and inclinations of the swarm of specialties, freaks, performers, and the like, who form an Integral part of every show, i They are always quarreling about nothing, and require constant manipulation to pretent them from causing

disturbances that would injure the success of the organisation. It Was an old showruau who sal*}: “As much brains arc required to btsep a set of

freafcs la order as to govern an empire.” He was not far wrong, for the jealousies and bickerings of these people go on forever. The amount of money required to pnt a first-class show on the road is enormous. in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars are laid out in animals, in wagons, tents, in advertising and

other expenses before a cent’is realized. This of itself is a matter of no small consequence, for a bad season means financial ruin to all concerned, and a

succession of rniny days so seriously reduces the receipts that even a strong show may be crippled. At any moment the manager may be summoned

to suppress a first-class riot in the freak department. Add to the business and financial cares the dissensions that constantly arise within the organization, and between its various members and outsiders, the possibility of something going wrong at any moment during the performance, the chance of a snake getting loose or a lion escaping from liis cage, or the gorilla striking for higher pay during the hottest part of the season because bis clothing of hide and fur is too warm for comfort, and the manager’s lot is far from being a happy one. But he gives the world a deal of pleasure, such as It is; if the season is good he makes money; for mouths ho and his are the admiration of all that

portion of mankind that patronizes the circus, and these facts go far to recommend him to the hardships of his lot.

THE CLOWN'S BEST FRIEND.

“WE WERE COMRADES.”

EDUCATING THE MONKEY.

THE SHOW IN FULL OPERATION.

A FAMILIAR SCENE.

TRAINING THE LION.

THE USUAL WAY.

LEARNING TO RIDE.