Variety (March 1909)

12 VARIETY START WORK TOR OPENING. The preliminaries for the opening of the Ringling Bros. Circus were commenced this week, when three of the Ringling firm came to New York. Alt T. Ringling started the publicity department to work. In the New York headquarters, a fenced- off corner of Joe Mayer's offices in the Bailey Building, Guy Steeley, contracting press agent, Mr. Ringling himself and James J. Brady, general press represent- ative for all the Ringling enterprises, were all hard at work Monday. Charles Horton was in charge of the billposters for the New York work. The assignment of the advance for the coming tour will be about as follows: Ringling shows as above; Barnum- Bailey Show, Roy Feltus, contracting press agent; J. Rial, Dexter Fellows and Tom Namack, relay of story men. The system of press agent work tried out by the Ringlings for the first time last summer, will be continued. Instead of having three publicity men arranged three and two weeks in advance and with the show, the Ringling .representatives work in rotation. Each of the three relay story men jumps three weeks in advance, takes up a group of towns—for example, two small stands and a large one—and remains to work them until the arrival of the show. When the show departs Into the territory handled by the next agent ahead, the man with the show again jumps ahead of the other two relays. J. Rial left for Chicago this week, to start the press campaign for the opening at the Coliseum there of the Barnum show. MOROK INJURED. Marok, owner and inventor of the double somersault apparatus which was with the Barnum-Bailey Circus, returned a few days ago from Cuba, where his act' has been a feature with the Pubillones Circus. Morok made his first appearance on Broadway after his return propped up on crutches. During the last exhibition of the apparatus in Cuba the automobile ran off the tracks and in its fall struck Morok, who was standing near the tracks. He was thrown down and his ankle broken. The rider was badly shaken up, but not seriously injured. "MISS TONY" DEAD. Orryille, 0., March 4. "Miss Tony," the $6,000 educated chim- panzee which Has been exhibited all over the world by Mr. and Mrs. Gus Lambrig- ger, died here Feb. 8. Three physicians were called into consultation and tried to cure the animal, which was suffering from pneumonia. Miss Tony laid in state in a $100 casket and was finally cremated. Paicntbologists who made a post-mortem examination declared that Miss Tony had the skull measurements of a four-year-old child, and in weight and size the brain corresponded to that of a three-year-old youngster. The simian could play upon a toy piano, typewriter, play hide-and- seek, skip the rope, dress itself and eat with knife, fork and spoon. Ella Bradna and Fred Derrick open at the New York hippodrome March 8 and will remain there until called upon to rejoin the Barnum-Bailey circus at Chi- cago April 1. GIRGUS NEWS CIRCUS PHYSICIAN BREAKS DOWN. Dr. R. M. Ivers, who traveled for many years with the Barnum-Bailey Circus as physician, is in a sanitarium, said to be suffering from a nervous and mental disorder. Dr. Ivers was at one time city physician in Bridgeport, Conn. He resigned that post to tour with the circus. Last year he gave up the connection and, returning to Bridgeport, Conn., resumed his prac- tice. His removal to the sanitarium oc- curred only recently. PONY THROWS JIM ASBURN. St Paul, March 4. A bucking broncho threw Jim Asburn, the crack rider of "The Round-Up," at the Metropolitan Theatre last Saturday night, where the show was appearing. Asburn is reported to be one of the best wild riders in the country. He has been with the "Buffalo Bill" and "101 Ranch" shows. The pony unseated Asburn, however, under a peculiar circumstance. A bucking pony generally holds its head downward while contorting. This one, though in the <nidst of a "double buck," threw its head apwards, striking Asburn on the point of the chin, "knocking him out" completely. Recovering some time afterward, Asburn wanted to return to the stage. He left town with the troupe. BIKE TROUPE OF 16. The Famous Jackson Family of trick cyclists have postponed all European time for 1900 in order to accept an engagement to travel with the Ringling Brothers' Circus. The troupe will be increased from eight to sixteen members, said to be the largest troupe ever formed. Leo Jackson, of the act, has perfected himself in a sen- sational feat, that of a triple spin around the handle hare.. In the turn the troupe will use twenty- eight bicycles of different styles, including unicycles, tandems, "giraffes," etc. A clause in their circus contract forbids the appearance of the turn in New York previous to the opening of the Ringling organization at Madison Square Garden. ADVERTISES FOR "CROOKS." Cleveland, March 4. Harry Daniels, of the Hippodrome, has advertised in the local newspapers for "grafters" and card sharpers. He says he wants to employ several real professional gamesters to work the "three shell" and "monte" games as part of the indoor circus which will open at the Hippodrome in April. , Circus people visiting New York will do well to warm up to Johnny Baker, arenic director of the "Two Bills" show. Baker has just completed his new home in New Rochelle and Sunday dinner par- ties have been inaugurated. Mrs. Baker personally conducts the kitchen arrange- ments, and a dinner at the Baker estab- lishment is a thing to be remembered. Annie Oakley and her husband, Frank Butler, were guests recently at the Baker home. Miss Oakley presented the couple with a mounted elk's head for the chim- ney corner. Petrof's Animals will be with the Hag- enbeck-Wallace Circus this summer. Last year the act played with Ringlings. Louis E. Cooke and Major John Burke were in Washington this week, attending the inaugural ceremonies. Steve and Al Miaco's Pantomime Co. will play during the summer in. the parks. Steve Miaco will not return to the saw- dust this season. L M. Southern, head of I. M. Southern & Co. left for California this week to at- tend the opening of the Norris & Rowe Circus at Santa Cruz, March 11. The firm is han dlin g the program privilege of the show. Other tent organizations for which the same firm is furnishing programs are the Hagenbeck-Wallace, Sells-Floto, Miller Bros.' "101 Ranch," John Robinson Big Shows, Frank A. Bobbins Show, Campbell Bros., and Gollmar Bros. George Clarke will be solicitor ahead of the Norris & Rowe show. Fred Farrar will travel in ad- vance of the Wallace outfit, and the Sells- Floto program will be attended to by Gene Carpeles. Joseph Hossock will be in ad- vance for the "101 Ranch" Wild West. George Arlington left New York this week for Ponca City, Okla., where he will remain until he goes on tour as general representative and manager of the Miller Bros/ Wild West. Three of the Ringling Brothers were in New York this week. Alf T., Charles and John. Otto Ringling is in Bridgeport. J. Harry Allen and Reg. Marryat have moved to the Astor Theatre Building, Broadway and 45th Street. Joe Mayer has appointed his agents to travel with the three shows for which he is program man, Barnum-Bailey, Ringling and Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill exhibi- tions. Here is the list: Barnum-Bailey, Arthur Hirschler (advance), William Baker (with show); Buffalo Bill, Heyman Mayer (ahead), Thomas Burke (with show); Ringling, Louis Kusel (ahead). The man ahead travels with the No. 1 car of the show to which he is assigned, acting as solicitor. The man with the show does the collecting on the advance man's contracts and also attends to the sale of the programs. Mae Barry will re- main in charge of the New York offices during the summer. Gadbin, the foreign high diver, who lands upon a spring-board instead of in water, will not come over here to appear with the Barnum-Bailey Circus, as ex- pected. The Marinelli office booked the feature, and has submitted to the Ring- lings a woman who will guarantee to per- form the Gadbin feat twice daily. The baby elephant which was exhibited as a freak in the Barnum-Bailey curio hall last spring is sick in Bridgeport. Veterinaries fear it may die. Marie Meers, formerly one of the'Mecrs Sisters, the principal Tiding act with the Barnum-Bailey Circus last season, left for Denver this week with her husband, George Brown. Miss Meers rides in the Sells-Floto show this year. Mr. Brown will do his clown act. The sisters sepa- rate at the end of the 1008 tour. Ed. Burke, who has been engaged as one of the contractors for the Barnum- Bailey Circus, has been given permission by the Ringlings to work for the Norris & Rowe show closing up California towns, as he can accomplish this work before time to report at Chicago for his regular assignment. Sam Fiedler, local contractor for the Two Bills' show, is several weeks ad- vanced in his work for the coming season. He is working in the east and runs into New York occasionally. The Ringling Circus plays Brooklyn this year immediately after the close of the Madison Square Garden engagement. The Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill outfit will follow the circus into the Baby Borough. This will be the first showing of the Ring- ling outfit across the East River. Fitting of the Barnum-Bailey show has been completed for the 1000 season. On Monday repair work was commenced on the Buffalo Bill stock quartered in Bridge- port. Major Gordon W. Lillie moved his headquarters to the Connecticut town Monday and will superintend the work of getting the show in shape. Morok and his "Double Simersaulter" returned from the Pubillones' Circus at Havana last week. Morok joins the Ring- ling Bros.' show. James Barry, general manager of the New York local, Actor's Union, is booking in an eight-number vaudeville show for the Siegmund Opera House, Freeport, L. I. The other five nights of the week the house plays combinations. The Saturday night vaudeville is a permanent institution. The house was recently completed. It has a capacity of about 1,000. May Irwin in her sister Flo's former sketch "Mrs. Peckham's Carouse" reap- pears in vaudeville at the Colonial next week. May claimed through her husband and the courts that she had the prior rights to the piece. The court upheld her, causing Flo to abandon that piece. H. H. Feiber is responsible for the ap- pearance next week at the Colonial of Marie Dainton, a mimic from England. Miss Dainton is under contract for four weeks to Percy G. Williams, who holds an option for further American time. "Laughland," Pat Rooney's latest production, takes its plunge at the Trent, Trenton, next week. Mr. Rooney has been resting his "Simple Simon Simple" act this week to place the finishing touches upon the newest piece. (Village Item): Marion Bent was seen upon the Main Street this week. Pat and Marion will again be an act next season.