The billboard (Dec 1911)

48 The Billboard OECbrtlBER 16, 1911. ROBERTS' UNIT ED SHOWS. J. Stanley Roberts' Greater United Snows have toured Canada, furnishing attractions for the different Canadian fain, a.so following fain In the states. Clarksburg. W. Va.. Wheeling. W. Va,. Danville. Va.. Fayettevllle. N. C, Bed Sortngs, N. C. the latter under the auspices of Masonic Lodge, and' Aiken (S. C.) fair, making first opening: town' of Darlington. S. C, under the auspices of the Firemen, doing a tremendous business notwithstanding the incle- ment weather. While- the Greater United Shows are not the largest carnival company, the press and public Indorse them as one of the best and cleanest companies under canvas. Each town shown mayor and committee extended a return date. The shows are playing the best towns In South Carolina and more to follow. At present writing -Mr. Roberta has a five- car show. Professor M. A. Pano Royal (10-plece) Italian Band and following paid attractions: Lee Schaffer. Mammoth Panel Front, Dixie- land Minstrels, and T in 1 Show, Electrieia, that lady that tames electricity; J. Stanley Roberts' Theatorlmn and. Vaudeville Show. Big Rose, the Chicago fat (rirL 620 pounds; Count and Countess Nlcol, smallest married con- pie on earth; big reptile show. Palace of Mu- . aeum. a collection of relics from the Palezoic age to the present century: ■ Harrp Copping's Ferris wheel. Prof. Oakes' merry-go-round, and S»S Mat] -five concessions in charge of P. Malone. The following constitute tbe staff: J. Stanley Roberts, manager and owner; M. O. Donnell, BaMy Swain, .secretary and treasurer; L. D. Lynn, general contractor: M. A. Booth, promoter. ■ MACY SHOW NOTES. Arthur Stewart, now general agent of Macy's Olympic Shows, vice B. W. Scott, who left the ■how. claims to be one of tbe oldest agents on the .road and has had experience with such organizations as the Johnny Jones Shows, Kil- ties Band and some of the smaller circuses. S. F. Cantara bis finished overhauling his Joy- land front and Andv- Logsdcu has finished his Jubilee Minstrel front. The new hotel car (Zerlne). while in good shape, will be entirely repainted and will then be one of tbe handsomest as well as one of the ' most comfortable cars on' the road. ft- Brenner of automatic race track fame, has announced his. intention of framing up three new wagon front shows for the*coming summer.sea- son, one of which will be the Deep Sea Divers. ** Shorty Howard . has' added another concession to his already large string. .C. F; Burkley. manager of the Bide show or 5-la-l. Is another old-timer who believes In working. Improving and now baa the show In firsff-elass shape. , Harry Armstrong, manager of the one-ring circus, will order a hollow-wire system «n.i entirely discard his electric-lighting system in the big top. Sears, high diver, met with a serious acci- dent on the last' day. He missed the center or his net and received two broken ribs. He was sent to bis home in Kansas City by the management. Cold weather prevented Moss Bros.' Shows opening on Monday at Richland. Ga. It was the first time since the Bhow has been out that tbia has occurred. Karl Nelson closed with the Woods Four Brothers Show and Joined the Moss Show with his Society Circus of ten people. Ed. W. Arthur, owner of Joy Bide, was taken ill with typhoid fever, while in Orangeburg. S. C. After four days of confinement to the Orangeburg Hospital he was taken to the Knowl- ton Hospital, Columbia, S. C. for treatment. His wife is at his bedside daring his illness. Boy Cable of the J. Frank Hatch Shows, re- turned to his home at Beaver Falls. Pa. for the winter, after tbe close of the Hatch Shoows at tbe Michigan state Fair, Detroit. Mr Cable was with the show six weeks at that place. P. N. Trout, an old merry-go-round man, for the past fifteen years with amusement and car- nival companies, is undergoing a very serious operation at the Weetley Memorial Hospital, At- lanta. Ga. Herman Benslng. Joe Short and W. O. Gett- man. of the Barkoot Shows, sailed December 2 on the S. S. Ponce for Porto Rico. Earl Hall, of the Kit Carson Buffalo Ranch Wild West Show, has Joined the Xlgro and Loos Shows for the winter season. A RETORT TO MR. J. L. PEYSER. Too speak of my friend, "Bed Onion," say Innr that the public need more carnival shows like Frank W. Cssklll. Bos took and Ferarl's. Well, don't you tblnk that we need them? Witb few exceptions where are there any like the ones mentioned* And then Mr.. Peyser should give some credit to Mr. Herbert A. Kline for the following shows (with all do respect to Mr. Nat Belss). .If Mr. Kline had not closed bis shows at fihreveport Mr* .Belss would not have bad so fine . an array" -of-' shows, as Captain Louis Sorcho. Princess VIctorie. Alice the wonder. King George, animal shows and Mills' 7-ln-l. f speak or this so that the public mav know that Mr. Herbert A. Kline Is one of the car- nival showmen that carries-number one shows. Mr. Nat Belss is one also of the few that has a clean carnival. "Mr. Peyser, please tell me where Petersburg, Vs.. is located, as I have looked all over the United States man trying to find it. With best wishes to all. AUNT LOUISE. New Orleans. Dec. 5, 1911. CARNIVAL NOTES. J. W. Hampton, manager of the Great Em- pire Shows. Is doing well In the South. J. C. Simpson, back wirh tbe sbow. has framed Be- Ho Grnv and a number of the California Frank Wild West to open with his company. ■Kie show wfll cover al Ithe- good ones In the South this winter. Eddie. Wilson Is secretary and treasurer. F. G. Taliaferro. In advance: Fred Monroe, mister of transportation. With The ennrfynv sr» Eddie Parker's GI'Is From • Reno. Jim r>enson's I'w Jmuw. Baby Jim. Geo. Eerie*' 7 tn l. j. w. Hamilton's Plantation. J. C. Simpson's runderllle show. Prownlaw's Ath- letic Show. Prownle's snake sbow. merry-go- vound. Ferris wVel and forty concessions. The show carries: 1P4 people. The K. G. Barkoot Shows closed In Mobile. Ala., where they have cone Into quarters, after one of the- most successful seasons the show has ever experienced. The tour of the Southern fairs has. from a financial standpoint, been ■verv satisfactory with the one exception of the Golf Coast Tronfc-al Fair st Mobile. Tbe out- fit has grown until Mr. Barkoot found it neces- sary to secure more than double tbe space formerly required, and in addition, it was neces- sary to secure large trackage for storage of cars. When the snows start out next season fhey will have a still larger number of cars and wagon fronts. "The American Amusement Co. has the follow- fmr line-up: Cant. Richard's Jnngle Show. Capt. Stewart's Gorilla Sbow. Plantation Show. Dreamland. Prof. Leon's Dog Show. Johnny Webb."the fat baby; Indian village.' merry-go- ronmCa twenty concessions and tbrre free acta including- Dare Devil Meyers. Leap tbe Gap. Prof. Thompson, balloon ascension arid Prof. gwatU. Roman rings and traps. H. P. Wright Is announcer and Billboard agent. Sam Ach. that famous Queen Contest man. goes with the Aiken Amusement Co. for an- other season. Jack Rhodes has under construe tion at winter ouartcTS three fine pan°l fronts, scrolled and go'd leafed for the company. Mr. Aiken Is undertaking at an enormous outlay of mooev one of tbe best and cleanest companies - on, Hie road. This show will play in the very heart of the states and make some stands In - Canada. Tbe Grand Western Amusement Co. played Marietta. Okla.. -under the auspices of the Fire Department, to line business. It was_ pro- nounced the best week of the season. Frank CARNIVAL CONVERSATION. By "BED ONIONV In looking over the public service may of Nov Jersey we find snch possible carnival towns as Bridgeton, Burlington, Dover, Morristown, Plain- field. Lakewood, - Washington, Philllpsburg. Ho- boken. Jersey City, Hackensack. Red Bank Rahway. Clayton, Salem. Millville. Somerville Passaic. Englewood, and oh—yes, Perth Amboy Is all right, if you-can pronounce the Mayor's name. *. - - Found this gem of.";thought hanging over the desk of J. B: Warren, of the- United Fairs Booking Association: - A fJBICAGO TOAST. Here's to the man who plans things- Builds things—makrs things; Who prates not of wonders of old. Nor gloats upon ancestral gold, - But takes off his coat and takes a hold. And does things. : John P. Martin leaves Chicago some time soon for one of those out-all-wlnter-things. I asked him what kind or a concession he was going to put on. and hesald: "A bam and-egg wheel would get the most money." John had a letter from E. J. McKenly. who has' an African Dip. McKenty says that every . time the coon drops he breaks 'the 'ice. * Where is M. . J. Morley? In-seasons past Moriey was general agent for the J..^Frank Hatch Shows and "others. ' He Is glvenfgcredit with being tbe originator of the Country" Stor". At any rate, .there are few that are - Morley *e* equal when it. comes-to -putting on country 8tores -- - * : - •««• Louie Beck; in'years past press agent Bostock. Ferari and others, has not. been hear from for some' time.- Where are yon, Louie? * Kenneth Lee Barnard, who for many years has been making trips to Mexico, as a pro- moter of - fireworks • exhibitions, .carnivals anil aviation meets, furnishes the following. He assures "the writer that it Is given that others- may-profit by his observations.'. "Promoters going south of -the Rio Grande sbould arrange all their affairs so that a failure to return would in no way embarrass their-at- traction, for' believe me. promises in Mexico are more binding than a contract and those peo- ple down there have a most wonderful memory. "The laws In Mexico are made for patrons o" amusements and'not the'owner. Ltaless you pro- duce your promises the "system there is bad for yen. and locks on the jail doors are strong, and when you are locked in yon are forgotten unless you have friends that stand high. Don't nse any pictorial printing or any illustrations in your newspaper work that you can not actually pro- duce. - "Under the Mexican laws thpy do not arrest ou'y the manager or' owner, but all must go. even the mechanical devices ate ' taken down and locked up. A moving picture theatre ex- hibited a 'fake' picture. Manager, operator, ticket sellers, ushers, machine asd films were all placed In durance vile, and believe me, it- some vile. So; Mr. -Promoter, unless you are sure von can produce thirty per cent more than you promise, postpone your trip to Mexico." S. J. Levy, one of the publicity agents foi the Greater United Shows during the past sea- son, said he was on a train coming home at th- oles- of the season. A carnival follower, sitting in the opposite seat, when asked by the conduc- tor for his ticket said: "Nix on the ticket thing; I'm a 'shin.' " * Going South? How often have! yon .heard going South for the winter? Going. South is so very vague. In this broad 'land of outs I' wonld be better If you would specify what nart of the South you are going to. The Sent' is 1.000 miles long and 3.500 miles wide. Dc you get what I am talking abont? Win Dan B. Robinson put out a carnival company next season? * J. Frank Longbotbam. who was manager of ♦he Old-time, One-ring Circus with the .Greater T r n1ted Shows the past season, has some propo- <-?t'on on In Cuba for tne winter. Going to Cnba is not an experiment with Frank, so we hnve : no fear of his not being successful Frank was at one time snecia] agent of the Har craves* Big Railroad Shows. You have go< to give those circus boys credit for being able to do' things. . Has It come to this? Are we to have, penny carnival amusements? A prominent carniva" showman, I must not' tell bis name. ' tb'd m' -ecently. that be was going to build a nntnhe> of carnival shows this winter and organls- them into a comnanv for the coming season and that tbe admission price is to be five eentt for each attraction. If be does, wblcb I be- lieve he will, let us watch him carefully. The annual Firemen's Carnival, Mount Ver- non, N. Y.. will doubtless prove to be good for Bhows and concessionaires when the attrac- tions are located in Mount Vernon, and not over in Connecticut like it was this season. With frequent regularity we hear something about Philadelphia having a carnival. Ha* there ever been a really successful one located In Philadelphia proper? There was one in Frank- ford several years ago' under the auspices of the merchants, that goes down in carnival his- tory as being one of the most successful ever, held in : this country. Frank ford is a subur: of Philadelphia and a great manufacturing center. J. Frank Hatch—The time was never more propitious for you to frame up that carnival wtel yon told us about some years ago when you were playing Pittsburg. You told us thi ;rou would open it that season, but you couldn't llnd a suitable man for a clerk. Tbe man has been found. . . * It is reported in Chicago that W. L. & 1. B. Backenstoe will put out one of tbe finest carnival companies on the road next season. There is no reason why they shouldn't do It as well as anyone, in fact better than some, be- cause, they are instinctively showmen. When you take a look at their Maieppa Horse Sl>" you are looking at a real carnival outfit. You can not deny this. Ten minutes' conversation with Frank I.. Alberts will convince yon that he is positively alive. - He is a successful publicity and aviatlo; promoter. The reasons are his own, meaning personality. ■** M. B. Wescott insists that all blonde girls attached to his shows must carry parrots and double In the cook-house. However. Mark Is not partial to blondes. He is willing to accept anything after a siege of. poodle dogs. + Jake Mendelsohn, for seven seasons manager' of the 'Ostrich Farm in Jacksonville, and wh<> also had' the distinction of being the talker on Col. Francis Ferarl's Trained Wild Animal Arena for a season or so, has for the past two years been manager of the Humboldt Theatre on Milwaukee Avenue, in Chicago. Jake exclaims. "Carnival' business, never again." We ar>- sorry, old man. - Harry B. Barer Is directing the destinies of tbe Eclair Film Co. on this side of tbe water- He registers from Fort Lee. N. J. * A prominent newsboy In Burlington. N. J. says that* that'town never had tbe pleasure of bavin- a carnival company within its city limits.-' although - one was hilled to play there the early."part of the present season but fa'l<- to materialize. I think Burlington would be a good place for, one—there Is a beautiful Iocs- ;ion four blocks from'the -center, of- the town. Cheer up. Burlington—You may yet know the Joys of living. * W.-M. (Billy) Perscn—When are you going tp .frame up that Jungle. Show and Country Store combined? If anybody asks you. It's a great id r a and should prove to be one of tbe novelt<o- of the coming season, that Is? I respectfully request you to do it. * Henry Meyerhoff, that astute mental mam- moth, told me last summer that he Intends to spend the winter in- Europe, roaming over the continent in search of novelties to be introduced In America tbe coming season. Henry intro- duced, one at Westchester, N. Y.. last season- but he didn't know it. Discovered—Jo E. Bickards as sporting ed- itor of tbe El Paso Morning Times. In a let- ter to the writer, be wishes to be remembered to his' show friends of former days. "Rick' Is stin (according to hlB own admission), "as effervescent as a seldllta powder and as bard to take." He has always been a man of sparkling qualities. .... 4- Perry Tblbaut. the past season with th- Great Mazeppa Show, left Chicago for New Orleans, where be will spend the winter wl: his parents. If you don't believe the Maieppa Show- made money this season ask Perry. He sold the tickets. * Doc" Gilbert Flagg. originator of the Well Dance, as he called it, would stand on tbe plat form and address the assembled multitude thus ly: "Hindoo fakirs say that the topmost peaks of the Himalayas are constantly covered with snow; it is' omnipresent and never melts. I. being of the same mind, say also." Wbst "Doc" meant by this we will have to find out. Up to the present time no one has. "Doc" was a money getting talker.. Guess that's the answer. * Harry Noyes says: "Tbe coming season will without a doubt, be a better- one for tbe car- nival .manager who. has a. real show, than tbe past season has been. Harry is a keen student of crop conditions and therefore he knows. I knew he would do It. He has come back He has arrived. He Is here. Adolpb Seeman Is to be general director of amusements of tbe Virginia Beach Development Company's resort situated on the Atlantic Coast eighteen miles from Norfolk. Tbls company should be con- gratulated in seenring the services of such an experienced'and practical showman. -. ■ • ♦ Walter F. Driver, vice-president and hnstllne representative of the United States Tent * Awning Company, is always a welcome visitor at winter-quarters, or on tbe sbow lot. No matter when or where you see Walter be Is a busy man. " ' 1 * Tread lightly—Blum and McNew have Joined hands in tbe advertising business In Chicago. I refer to C, V., Blum and T. E, McNew, Both are hustlers'. Answer, doing business. * Harr- W. Wright received a wire from one of bis agents once saying: "Prospects for con- tract here good, need money." Harry wire' agent: "Do prospects look good to the hotel keeper? If so deposit a treasurer order for tbe amount you need." ... . ♦ . Where are they? L. C. Zelleno, "Doc." Wad. del, Allen Darnaby, George L. Macfarlsnt, Henry Relchembaugh, Ed. B. Underbill. Hog. r Flint, E. E. Levla. J. George Loose. W. Maunc- Tobln, J. Harry. Edwards, Smith Warner, Har- old Busha, Harry Hardy, Tom Banklne, Slim Suttle, Frank Corby, T. J.' Cannon, Dick Fulton, David Sklower. Wilbur 8. Cherry, Mart Weiler George Jabour, Fred P. Sargent, Bert Hons. Ira Toube, Jobn 3. Berger, I, N. Flsk, Harry Shields, William A. Sassman, George W To- masso, Jim P. Anderson. Matt Gay, "Kid" Mc- Comb, Kearney P. Speedy. This bunch is too much alive to. keep, silent so long. . Speak up. boys. * Among tbe well-known and former well-known carnival people to be seen in Chicago recently were: J. B. Warren. Herbert A. Kline, James Patterson, E. F. Carruthers. Harry B. Haver. H. W. Wright, John A. Poilltt, Floyd Caltlcnt, Joe Callis, W. M. Madison, Baba Delgarlan, John P. Martin. A. T. Wright. Thomas E. Mc- New. Jake Mendelsohn. Charles G. Kilpatrlck, Frank L. Alberts, M. S. Bodkin, E. C. Taluert. Harry Noyes, Joe (Parson) Durnlng, Alexander Parke, C. V. Blum. John H. Shields, Miss I'euri .Wlllett, Kenneth Lie Barnard, J. Frank Hatch K. Barkly. E. Lester Miller and Sidney Belmont. - When you are In Chicago drop Into the Wel- lington Hotel; 'tis there that you will find the master minds of the carnival world assembled. The things you don't hear-about would take up very little space in print. Mr. Cummlngs, the manager of tbe Wellington, seems to know Just how to make tbe transient showman welcome. ■* . Those of us who are not. In winter-quarters now. will soon he. We sbould not spend all of our time counting up last season's receipts. Let us take up some of the time in devising means for increasing next year's business. We will get more money if we paint up and re- pair our show property than we will chalking up bi'llard cues. 'Let us quit knocking our fel- low showmen and shake hands with our enemies and remember that the season of good cbeer Is now at hand. Merry. Merry Christmas. * Chicago, III., Nov. 29. 1911. Editor The Billboard, Cincinnati, Ohio. Dear Sir:—I am replying to Mr. J. L. Pey- ser, whose objections are noted in The Billboard issue of December 2. Mr. .Peyser's retort seems to be devised to xploit .the show he represents rather than to take exceptions to statements made by "Red Onion " I reiterate that the business still needs men of tbe Bostock. Gasklll and Ferari calibre. I did not say that there were not already such men in the business. I wish to say on behalf of the afore-mentioned gentlemen that they were so set in their manner of conducting their busi- ness, the methods of unscrupulous showmen in no way retarded tbelr progress or* affected their financial gains." I heartily cherish th statement made by Mr. Peyser, that the busi- ness Is elevating Itself to a higher plane, but It can not be done by people who condescend to use the vulgar parlance of "bop heads," " bums," - and "chasers." The movements and personnel of - the Nat Relss Carnival Company "are no doubt interesting to the profession, if noftb the writer. 1 eon- gratnlate Mr. Belss upon" being able- to get together such a creditable organisation. I now crave --Mr.- Peyser*a permission to wish Mr. Nat i Relsa sneeeas. My opinion and classification of Petersburg. Va., remains unchanged. Yours very truly, "BED ONION." 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T- - If yon see it in Tha Billboard, tell them as.