Variety (March 1909)

VARIETY 11 R1NQLINQS' SHOWS UNDER WAY TO LEAV E WINTER QUARTERS Barnum & Bailey's and "The Two Bills 9 " Receiving the Final Touches for the Summer Season. Bridgeport, Conn., March 11. The first section of the Barnum & Bailey Circus train will leave winter quarters here March 20 for Chicago. It will ar- rive in the Windy City March 23, and the work of setting up the apparatus in the Coliseum will then commence. The job of refitting is practically complete, as far as concerns the Barnum-Bailey stock here. A touch or two of paint is all that re- mains to be done. The Buffalo Bill Wild West and Pawnee Bill far East outfit is more than half finished. It is difficult to get to some of the wagons and trains, with the Barnum stuff crowding the train yards. A hun- dred and fifty mechanics are working on the job. When the circus cars and wag- ons are removed the force will be increased and the work pushed to completion in a few days. Under the personal direction of Maj. Gordon W. Lillie, the refitting of the Bills' show is being made a complete job this year. Instead of white, the wagons are painted a vehement crimson and yellow, with the exception of the advance cars, which are green, orange and pink in screaming shades. When those cars strike a rural community the place will know it. The workshops are filled with cars in all stages of dismantlement. The trucks have been removed from them and the platforms taken out. New platforms are being built into all the sleepers. Four new stock cars have been built in the shops to transport the Bills' property. The cars all have new markings. The same system has been followed in all cases. "Pawnee Bill's Far East" in gold letters occupies the space across the cars above the windows with the other half of the caption "And Buffalo Bill's Wild West Educational Exhibition" occupying the space along the base. It has been found impossible to use a switching engine in the crowded yards, and the movement of cars into the shops is being accomplished under the motive power of "Babe," the giant of the elephant herd, directed by one of Trainer Mooney's assistants. "Babe" has been carefully trained for this purpose by Mr. Mooney, and can accomplish "flying" and "split" switches with the dispatch of an engine under a skillful operator. In the shops the cars are jacked up and the trucks removed so that they hang sus- pended in the air while iron workers re- place broken and worn parts and painters slap colors around. It was said in the executive offices of the Bills' show this week that $6,000 worth of leaf gold had been put on the cars and band wagons of the two shows. In the north shed stands Otto Ringling's big private car, Connecti- cut, as fresh and bright as an Easter bonnet. Mr. Ringling is in charge of all the operations at the yards. He is con- stantly at his desk in the executive offices. The other members of the family come and go at intervals. Much of the Barnum ring stock, as well as the wild animals and the herd of twenty-four elephants, is in winter quar- ters. The draft stock which has been wintered on contract at Cross Corner, Conn., is due shortly. Some of the draft animals will be moved to New York to get the Ringling show into the Garden, while the Ringling horses will do the same service for the Barnum show in Chicago, both allotments of working horses later exchanging. Trainer Mooney is at work daily in the elephant house, putting his mammoths through their paces, and the Hungarian troupe of riders, acrobats and jugglers take possession of the training ring for a few hours each morning. Further than this, there has not been a great deal of activity about the practice ring in the elephant house. Those who have watched the Hungarians declare they have a splen- did show. They formerly operated a circus of their own in Hungary, in which the ten members took the principal part. In the stables they have nearly a score of horses, used in their various turns. Stabled near by is the "freak" horse, recently imported by the Ringlings. It is about as high at the shoulder as a small Shetland, with a body ridiculously like a daschshund dog. Its stable companion is a chunky little Shetland. In a few days the Bills' stock will be brought up from Coatesville, Pa., where it has been wintered. Thomas Smith, superintendent of stock for the show, is now in Bridgeport, and will attend to placing it. George Connors, secretary of the show, has started the compilation of a complete inventory of the outfit, ar- ranging all the paraphernalia and stock on paper with reference to its location on the lot and in the cars. With the arrival of the horses, this catalog will be com- plete. The idea of allotting a show on paper is original with Connors. He has bound all the data relating to the place- ment of the show into a small vest-pocket book ready for instant reference. The Bills' show will be transported to New York in the outfit's cars. Immedi- ately it has been unloaded the cars will be run back to Bridgeport to await the close of the Garden engagement. As usual, new canvases have been or- dered for both the Barnum and Ringling Bros.' shows. The tops are made in New York and shipped by the manufacturers direct to the first stand where the canvas is used. The Ringling top will arrive in Brooklyn three days before the opening of the show there. Before it is raised experts will go over it with the waterproofing solution. Rush. RINGLINGS HAVE NEW YORK OFFICE. The Ringling Brothers this week opened temporary offices in New York. They are located at 333 Fourth Avenue, near the corner of 25th Street. The press staff and superintendent of billing for the Gar- den opening are located at the new camp. $2^40 CIRCUS HAUL. Washington, March 11. One of the most costly single circus hauls on record has just been recorded with the Interstate Commerce Commission here. A contract has been entered into be- tween the Ringling Brothers and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Rail- road by which the latter moves the Ring- ling Circus of 84 cars from Chicago to New York for $2,840. The contract be- came operative yesterday. GONE WITH NORRIS & ROWS. Colorado Springs, Col., March 11. Thos. J. Myers, who has been spending the winter as publicity promoter of the Majestic, this city, left this week for Santa Cruz, Cal., to join the Norris & Rowe Circus as general auditor and spe- cial story writer. The show opened the season to-day. Mr. Myers was in the Norris & Rowe wagon for five seasons, but last year was with the Sells-Floto Shows. Harry Moore, who was also in the wagon of the Sells-Floto Shows last sea- son, and treasurer of the Majestic during the winter, joins the Norris & Rowe Shows in an executive capacity. He left for the Coast with Mr. Myers. TO CHANGE WINTER QUARTERS. It is unlikely that the "Two Bills'" show will winter in Bridgeport, Conn., after this season. The original Barnum & Bailey lease on the present site of winter quarters, taken over by the Ringling Bros., is about to expire. As far as is known, neither the Cody-Lillie nor the Ringling people have fixed upon a new location, although the Ringlings were re- ported to have negotiated for a site in South Jersey, near the Atlantic seaboard. They made a bid upon a parcel of land in that territory, but the impossibility of getting a large enough tract blocked the deal. ONE PER 1,000. Asbury Park will soon boast the dis- tinction of having one moving picture the- atre for every 1,000 persons in the census lists of the town. Five places are already in operation, and three more are in course of erection. Asbury Park itself has not much more than 7,000 population within the city limits and the surrounding terri- tory does not yield more than three thou- sand more. This is the permanent popula- tion. During the summer vacation period the transient population jumps to 125,000 when the summer hotels are filled. Asbury Park has not a regular play- house. The opera house was burned sev- eral years ago and has never been re- placed. The Casino on the beach, originally built as a concert hall, serves to house the attractions which visit the burg. The "autos that pass in the air" will be a feature of the Barnum show this season. The "double somersaulting auto" will travel with the Ringling Brothers' Circus. As far as known these are the only "thrillers" engaged. "The Balloon Horse" will again figure in the Big Show. PRETTY SOFT FOR BOX. From the membership of The Friars have been pioked certain favored ones who have been formed into the Saw Dust Club of U. S. A. The organiser is Bill Rice, who in the new association has given himself a fine comfortable berth. Bill is the sole active member, the others being officers, who preside over the lone- some destinies of Daniel A. McCann, the bonding company magnate whose personal possessions are estimated to be along in the eight figures. He is the solitary asso- ciate member. The rules of the association are two: (1) No officer or associate member shall have a vote, and (2) associate members must file a security bond of $30,000. If in distress a member (Bill Rice) may apply to any officer for succor. Here are the officers: James -D. De- Wolf, grand circo owner (by virtue of his all-year-'round job); "Pink" Hayes, grand circo general agent; Harvey Wat- kins, grand circo manager; Major John Burke, grand circo treasurer; Wells Hawks, grand circo herald; Fred Hall, grand circo repartee; Lester Murray, grand circo B. B. (beer and boose) con- tractor; Mike Coyle, grand circo annex; Frank Miller, grand circo "watch" man; Walter K. Hill, grand circo privilege car, and "Kid" DeWolf, grand circo orator. The motto of the club is "Dry lots, but no dry towns.' »» The New York newspapers carried the official announcement of the Ringling Bros.' show at the Garden last Saturday afternoon and evening. The date was given as March 20. Most of the papers commented on the absence of the Barnum show from the city this year. Dexter Fellowes, of the Barnum-Bailey press staff, arrived in New York this week, en route from Fitchburg, Mass., to Chicago. Winter time Fellowes is the leading pharmacist of the New England town, and by virtue of his circus connec- tion, its foremost hero. The circus season may be considered to have set in officially. Sam A. Scribner lias received the official allotment of his box for the Garden opening. It is close to the centre on the downtown side of the arena. He has occupied the same position at opening night for years past. Business was suspended in the executive offices of the U. S. Lithographing Co., Theatrical Exchange Building, Monday morning, while William Bickerstaff, the manager, salvaged office fixtures from a flood. The offices were several inches deep in water, which had run down from an overflowing wash basin. The Posey Amusement Co. of Atlanta opened a new picture house in that city this week. It is called "The Posey." The Lorch Family, ten "Risley" acro- bats, arrived in New York a few days ago. They went on to Chicago. They will open there with the Barnum-Bailey show. This is their first visit to America. The Schuman Horses, which are to be a feature with the Barnum-Bailey Circus, arrived from Germany last Saturday. A score of the animals were shipped to Chi- cago. Sixteen of the most important workers were taken in charge by Herr WuliT in New York. They are stabled in the Metropolitan A< udeiny while the trainer puts them through daily practice. George Wonibwell died in England re- cently 11 l the Hge of 90. He was well known Rome time ngo as a showman, when he holi! a om'-lialf interest in Wombwell's (livat Menagerie.