The Billboard 1902-04-12: Vol 14 Iss 15 (1902-04-12)

+o SS ENORRNET* rHE BILLBOARD 5 ADDITIONAL ROSTER Of John Robinson’s Ten Big Shows A Big Season Anticipated. The following have been added to the roster of John Robinson's Ten Big Shows: James Caskey, superintendent of canvas; Ed. Barnum, tirst assistant; Dick Richards, second assistant; Bob Abrams, superintend ent of stock; George (Buggy) Stump, first assistant; Tim Budley, superintendent of menagerie; Albert Statler, performing wild animals; Herbert Johnson, superintendent of spectacular; J. J. Daley, superintendent of lights: Bert Cobb, superintendent of sleeping cars; Charles Underwood, train superintendent; Thos. Fairchilds, master of transportation; George Steel, in charge of cook house, and Jack Kingston, superintendent of calcium light department The usual big season is expected. BIG OPENING. The Forepaugh-Selis Brothers Shows Given an Auspicious Start. New York, April 7.—To an audience that taxed the capacity of Madison Square Garden, the Adam Forepaugh & Sells Brothers’ Circus opened the season of 1002 last Wednesday night, April 2. Long before 8 o'clock every seat in the big amphitheater was sold, and hundreds of people who had anticipated witnessing the initiatory gala performance were unable to gain admission. Up to the present time the show has done a phenomenal business, turning people away at every night performance and comfortably filling the Garden at the matinees. The ad vance sale is tremendous and unprecedented and the engagement will undoubtedly prove to be a record-breaker. The first night of the circus has come to be looked upon by New York folks as the event of the amusement season, and Wednesday night's audience afforded ample evidence of the keen interest that is taken in this typical American form of amusement by the citizens of the metropolis in general The great feature of the Forepaugh-Sells Bros.’ Show is Diavolo, the “Loop the Looper,’’ who has set all New York talking about his wonderful act. His performance is the greatest circus feature since Zazel, the lady who consented to be shot out of a cannon That was a fake feat; however, there is no trickery about Diavolo'’s ride So long as he holds his bieycle steady it is a mathematical certainty that he will make the trip in safety, but if he swerves they will carry his remains out of the Garden ‘in a basket To the property men around the show Diavolo’s turn is known as the suicide act." From the dome of the Gar den a narrow white track rolls down and suddenly loops in a 25-foot circle Down the center is a broad, black line. A nickel plated bicycle. without pedals, is hoisted to the roof, while Mr. Diavolo walks up the track. He appears in a regular devil's suit of red, covered with spangles, and wears a well-padded skull-cap, which gives him an excuse for having two horns. The act must be seen to be appreciated. The feat of circling the loop on his bieycle and turning all the accepted laws of gravity upside down is accomplished at such a headlong rate that before you know it has begun, the whole thing is over. This feature alone ae draw more money for the show in New York than all the rest of the many attractions combined. “Minting, the Marvel,” in his unique aseensions and descensions on a_ unicycle, whose act ordinarily would be a strong feat ure for any show, rather takes a back seat after one witnesses Diavolo’s mad ride around the loop. Still, Minting is a marvel, and deserves worthy mention Altogether, there are forty-eight acts in the air, but of course the creme de la creme of them all is the one put on by the Ten Peerless Potters. They truly give a most magnificent exhibition of acrobatic skill in mid-air and fulfill all the expectations cre ated by the advance press notices. It ts the first time in history that ten artists of both sexes have been seen simultaneously in an act of this kind One of the most unique features of the cireus program is the wire act of the Five Ia Montes, who present something abso lutely new in their line of business. The French acrobats, the Five St. Leons, im ported direct from Paris for this engagement, show phenomenal strength and agil ity in their various feats. There is some good riding In the show, the honors being taken by Oscar Lowande, Martino Lowande, Dallle Julian, Linda Jeal, Ouika Meers and Emma Stickney. Oscar Lowande performs the great trick of turning a somersault from one horse to another, running tandem The Sixteen Zouaves, from Aurora, Tl... beNe thelr up-country name They drill in — some revolutions wholly unknown to army regulations, and at the conclusion of their portion of the performance, are invariably applauded to the echo. Ryan, Weitzel and Zorella do some very pretty work on the aerial horizontal bars. Dannie Ryan, as the Dutchman in this act, always creates a laugh The cake-walk horses are great. They y are made a feature, and hold the undivided attention of the audience during their revolutions in the center ring and around the hippodrome track. The Jackson Family give a very pretty exhibition on their bieycles; they do not use their ‘Whirl’ in the Garden, however. One feature which is to be used on the road, Captain Iiugh Thomason’s troupe of Rough Riders, does not appear at the Garden. Their work is so similar to that done in the tuffalo Bill Show that it was decided to eliminate their work during the opening engagement. They appear in the opening tournament, however, and are a fine-looking lot of fellows. There are a number of trained animal acts and all of them are more or less interesting. Of course the performing elephants are a pleasing feature. Altogether, there are 183 performers engaged in the presentation of the show. As was to be expected, the first night's performance did not go with that snap and ginger that is to be expected at a circus. As one performance follows another, however, the drag and wait is becoming more and more imperceptible. There is but one adverse criticism to be made of the show as a whole. There is not enough comedy in it. New York people have grown to expect a legion of clowns and funny fellows The circus is short of ‘‘Joeys,"" but some of the few with the aggregation are really clever. “Slivers’’ Oakley is by far the funniest fellow in the bunch. He is a creator as well as a comedian, and his grotesque make-ups are simply side-splitting. Art Adair, who has just returned from the Barnum & Bailey Show in Paris, is a funny clown, and James West, the ‘‘veteran,’’ contributes largely to the fun. The wardrobe of the show is fine. and a great deal of money must have been spent on the paraphernalia. The opening tourna ment is a gorgeous affair, and a fitting in troduction to the good things that follow The parade stuff is in excellent condition this season. There is but one small den in the whole collection of wagons. The bandwagons are massive affairs, and a world of gold leaf has been used in dressing up the street show Altogether, it is a great show with great features, and will do a great business in the greatest city of America CIRCUS GOSSIP. Gentry got a great business at Hot Springs , E. Franklin spent March 29-31 at Peru, Ind : Capt. W. D. Anent will open his Big City Show at ¢ airo, Rain prevented the Forepaugh-Sells Bros.’ parade in New York J. H. Gibson is organizing at 58S N. High street, Columbus, O Geo. Holland will have charge of the stock with Gollmar Bros The Teets Family visited, the Nickel Plate Show at Gadsden, Ala Bill Farquhar will be assistant boss hostler of the Forepaugh-Sells Shéws. The Bailey Circus, recently organized at Marion, Ind., will take the road soon. Orrin Bros. will put on a Chinese pan Harris | tomime shortly at the City of Mexico. P. Craft will be special press representative with Pawnee Bill's Show this season Mrs. Wm. J. Doris arrived at winter quarters of Buckskin Bill's Wild West April 1. The first battle of the season is on. Wallace and Main have mixed at Columbus, O. Geo. Wood will be boss canvasman with the Rice, Cooper & O'Brien Shows this season Mr. John Ringling, one of the proprietors of Ringling Bros. Shows, was in Cincinnati April 3. Frank Romiser, leader of the Harris sideshow band, has engaged several additional soloists The Nickel Plate Shows lost five stands on their opening week on account of rains and washouts Thos. Hargreaves visited Cincinnati last week. He purchased a canvas from Billy Lushbaugh. Col. Robt. S. Terry, one of the managers of the Sells-Downs Shows, was In Cincthnati last week James A. Walsh has been engaged as as ' sistant boss canvasman of the Gollmar Bros. & Schuman Shows. Fred. Mayfield will have charge of the eandy stands with Wm. J. Doris with Buckskin Bill's Wild West Phil. Harris, general contracting agent for Rice, Cooper O'Brien, assisted by six ‘men, Is busy on the road Joseph P. Quaid, representative of RBuffalo Bill’s Show, spent the Easter holidays at West Baden Springs, Ind. At Bessemer, Ala., March 29, Lizzie, the large African lioness of the Harris Nickel Plate Shows, gave birth to four cubs. Theodore Ferris has been signed as boss animal man with the Wallace Shows, making his third season with that circus. Mrs. Emma Sifley underwent an operation last week for an injured knee. She will soon be able to join the Harris Nickel Plate Show. James E. Ebersole, formerly of the Seventh Regiment Band, will have charge of Rice, Cooper & O'Brien's band of eleven men. “The Billboard’’ is in receipt of a souvenir postal from Bell and Albion, who are a big feature with Barnum & Bailey in France. It is said that Boniface Cunningham, of the Hotel Rand, will have a captive balloon for the entertainment of his guests at the Fall Festival. Minting, the marvel, will again be featured on the road with the Forepaugh-Sells Shows. The daring deed a thriller. A four-year-old clown is a novelty with the Harris Show. He is Alus Armer, son of Equestrian Director Al. Armer. ‘Tis said he is a big hit. A new 100-foot round top and two 50-foot center poles have been purchased by Rice, Cooper & O'Brien. The show will travel in three private cars. Mrs. Lewis H. Heckman, wife of the man ager of Car No. 1 with the John Robinson Ten Big Shows, left for the home of her mother in Portland, Ore. Prof. W. C. Nello, the magician and ventriloquist, will have charge of the sideshow with Wixom Bros. Great Railroad Show the coming season. L. H. Heckman, who last year served as treasurer for the Sells-Gray Show, will put in this season in charge of Car No. 1 for John Robinson's :;Ten Big Shows Friends of George Staples, chandelier man with the Harris Shows, will be pleased to learn that he has so far recovered from his recent illness as to be able to resume his duties. Bud Horn, the ‘‘calliope king,’ will be with Campbell Bros. Great Consolidated Shows this season, manipulating the keys on one of the finest calliopes ever built for a circus. in advance “The Minister’s Son,’ closes with that company and goes with the John Robinson's Ten Big Shows as manager of Car No. 1. Twenty sewing girls are working on wagon covers, wardrobe banners and flags, under the watchful eyes of Mrs. H. E. Allott and Mrs. J. C. O’Brien at the Buckskin Bill's Wild West winter quarters. Cap. Stewart informs ‘The Billboard” that the grave of Capt. W. D. Wagar is loeated in the little cemetery at Wauseon, 0. Wagar was prominent some years ago as privilege man ‘of the Barnum Show. L. H. Heckman, who has ably represented B. E. Wallace’s magnificent private car was completed on contract time April 1. It is at Pern, and much admired by the people there. The palace stock car which will carry the ring stock also arrived on time. The Jefferson Hotel, Cincinnati, is the resort of the majority of circus people. The proprietors, Mr. and Mrs. Fred. Schiele, are true bonifaces, and nothing is left undone that would add to the comfort of their guests. The Buffalo Bill Show goes to Europe at the end of this season, and will use the train which Barnum & Bailey abandons over there. The Barnum & Bailey Show will probably use part of the Buffalo Bill train on this side. Mrs. Belle Clark has purchased a Kentucky thoroughbred saddle horse of Mr. Maynard French, of Glendale. He is now at the Sells & Downs winter quarters, being broken for menage act by Joe Berris, as she is engaged for the coming season with the Sells & Downs Circus. The I. C. R. R. inspectors at Paducah, Ky., claim that the privilege car owned by Wm. J. Doris, who goes with Buckskin Bill's Wild West, is positively the handsomest and best-equipped show car ever seen in that section R. M. Harvey, the very able and clever contracting and press agent of the Great Wallace Shows, spent Thursday last in Cincinnati. Mr. Harvey publishes a_ bright newspaper at his home in Perry, Ia. He is building a beautiful residence in that eity, costing over $5,000. The Ringling Bros. will try the experiment of opening without a parade in Chi eago this season. More trouble and annoyance is encountered in pulling off one parade in Chicago or New York than attends giving a dozen shows. Art. Da Coma, of the celebrated Da Coma Family, which was to be the feature of the Great Wallace Shows this season, broke his leg while practising at his home, opposite North Bend, O., April 5. He will not be able to work for weeks. The tent troupers will invade Buffalo soon. Walter L. Main’s Fashion Plate Cireus, Robinson's Combined Shows, the Ringling Bros. Circus, while the Sells Bros.Forepaugh and Buffalo Bill's Wftd West will do the nearby small towns. Mr. “Jack” O’Brien, one of the owners of Buckskin Bill's Show, was in Cincinnati last week He expects the coming season to be a big winner, and has added new features galore to the show. ‘“‘Jack"’ didn't get lonesome while in Cincinnati. Hi. F. Allott, the genial manager of Buckskin Bill's Wild West, wired from South Dakota that he had secured fifty of the finest Sioux Indians that had ever been seen with any exhibition, and would start for winter quarters immediately with the tribe Harry W. Semon, Buckskin Bill's wideawake, hustling general agent, packed his Englishman's act is in| grip and quietly slipped away from Padueah, Ky., between days to look over new territory, and it is safe to predict that he will secure a route that will not conflict with other shows. PHONE 28s1. Established 1843. Thomson & Vandiveer Circus Tents TENTS FOR RENT. 230-232 E. 3d St., CINGIMRATT, 0. MU ars 1-4 TTA THANE ‘ CIRCUS CANVASES, Poles and Stakes, SEATS, Flags, Eto. ae = 1100'S PATENT CIRCUS LIGHTS, Bleck temee fer Rests F ANY A The World Over And you will find Nothing too large or too LUSHBAUGH TENTS. small for our shop. All the Big Shows use the best tents and we make them. Balloons and sport ing tents of every description made to order Second-hand tents for sale. Write for particulars Ww. H. LUSHBAUGH, THE PRACTICAL TENTMAKER, COVINGTON, KY. Scenery and Show Paintings! JOHN HERFURTSH, No, 23183 Boone St., CINCINNATI, 0 Side Show Paintings SIEGMUND BOCK, 29 Biue ; aan Ave., = » Tih, 8S x 10, 810.00 0 x 18, $22.00 10 x 12, $12.50 is x 20, $27.50 SHOW CANVAS ®UILT To On short notice. Write for particulars. Illustrated catalogue free. Can mildew proof tent built by us at smalicost. Send us your inquiries. J. C. GOSS & CO., PBTROT Lr WATT SHOW TENTS. Equal to any in workmanship, shape and quality Get our prices before buying. Agents for Kidd's lights and Baker torches. Black tents for moving pictures. Good second hand tents from 95x50 125x300, at Bargains. BAKER & LOCKWOOD, Successors to C. J. Baker, 415 Delaware Street, Kansas City, Mo. Circus Wagons Chariots, Tableaux, Etc. All Kinds of Wagons Manufactured GEORGE SCHMIDT, 1307-1308 sycamore St., Cincinnati, 0. TentforSale 150 foot Round Top with two Fifty Foot Middles. 12 Foot Wall, .... Indianapolis Tent & Awning Co. INDIANAPOLIS, IND. THE T. W. NOBLECO. Woodward Ave., Detroit, Mich. expert manufacturers of sGIRGUS CANVASES.... and Tents of all kinds. 80 foot Tops and under carried in stock. Tents rented to state & Co.fairs “Mention “The Dilltoerd” when answering ad’. Ce ea 2 > FRE TT ES” ag PPT, ‘