The Billboard 1903-10-10: Vol 15 Iss 41 (1903-10-10)

Sette mer PM SLT Ee en thiornk ~~ a ee ee 2c. saab He . Nn RRENBENR Ne a RRS = <n recs euoeerw See es Pera ST if THE BILLBOARD rade will be over in ample time for all concerned. My best wishes are with you and the Fall Festival. Hoping it will exceed your expectations artistically and financially, believe me to be Most truly yours, (Signed) Peter Sells. AMUSEMENT COMPANY INCORPORATED. Articles of incorporation were filed recently with the Secretary of State of Rhode Island by William Carey, William Harvey and George I. Herbolt, to be known under the name of the Aquidneck Amusement Co. The purpose of the association is to engage in buying, selling, owning and operating merry-go-rounds and other amusements, to be located at Newport. The eapital stock is to be $12,000, with shares at $10 each. This concern is backed by some very wealthy men who are also interested in the business. STREET FAIR NOTES. Alexander Parke left the Gaskill-Mundy-Le vitt Co, in Schenectady, N. Y. Mr. Nat Reiss and wife rejoin the Southern Carnival Company at Trinidad, Col. Youngstown. O., will probably have another park to be called Montgomery Park. The street fair at Marlette, Mich., announced for Oct. 14 and 15 hag been called off. Frank F. Albert, formerly of the Jabour Carnival Company, is now ahead of the Gentry shows, The Pottawatamie Indian Training School et Holton, Kan., will hold a celebration at Nadeau, Kan., on Oct. 1, The Lexington (Ky.) Mid-Summer Fair and Carnival Association was recently incorporated with a capital stock of $3,000. Col. W. H. Freimont, promoter for the Gaskill-Mundy-Levitt Carnival Company, is now convalescent from his recent injury. The Millman Trio close a successful season of 21 weeks with the Potter & Rice Carnival Company at Marshalltown, Ia., Oct. 3, Vermilto, the Japanese magician, is working in windows in Southeastern Missouri ,advertising the Japanese Puzzle Co., of Chicago, Ill. William J. Langer has closed with the John Robinson Ten Big Shows and has joined the Parker Amusement Company for a twenty weeks’ engagement. The wooden structure erected at Columbus, Ind., from which Marsh was to make a high dive. we4 completely wrecked, Sept. 26, by a wind storm, Nick Carter, the high diver with the Robinsoo. Caerniv: 1 Company, was married to one of the performers of the same company at Elwood. Ind., Sept. 26. The Patterson-Brainerd Co. and the Robinson Co, join forces from the 12th to the 17th of October in a carnival for the benefit of the Red Men’s Lodge of Emperia, Kan. El Paso, Tex., is making preparations for the Irrigation Congress, which meets there in 1904. A convention hall costing between $10,000 and $20,000 will be erected for that purpose. Cas. Beasley and Felip Weherle joined hands at Viroqua. Wis., and have put on the road two strong street fair shows, the Oneatta Snake Show and Felip Weherle’s Trained Wild Animal Show. Cept. Stanley, who makes the slide for life with the Hatch-Adams Carnival Company, was severely injured while making his slide at Cortland, N. : colliding with live electric wires. He will recover. The Gaskill-Mundy Carnival Company and the Barnum and Bailey show came together ar Decatur, Ill, and both did a big business. A special performance was given in the stacium for the big show people. Prof. Louis Ellis, an aeronaut who was making ascensione at the Otterbein Street rua held at Lafayette, Ind., fell from the car of his balloon #t a height of 30 feet and was seriously injured, Sept. 26. The Hatch-Adams Carnival Company closed the season at Cortland, N. Y., which was the banner stand of the entire season. Hatch & Adams shipned direct to Lansing, Mich., which will be the winter quarters of the show. Jack Smith, et Frankfort, Ind., on Sept. 26. essayed the role of Diavolo, and still lives The rear wheel of his bieyele gave way as he reached the hichest altitude of the loop, throwing him in a hack somersanult, and he alighted on his feet without a seratch. The following people are booked for the Maryville (Mo.) Corn Carnival, Oct. 5-10: Jerome and Edwards. Carl Charles, Fred Leon hardt, Puford and Flaine, Panline Westerly, Trump, Fay Sisters, Prof. Maurettus, Charles Brown. Lampe and Wicke and the Megaphone Quartette. The following people are now with the Jones Carrival Company. The list runs: Prof. Danton high diver: Carlisle Dog and Pony Show. Zimmerman’s Vaudeville, Pierce’s Lunette, Cooleys Old Plantation, the Maid of the Afr. the Electric Theatre, the Victorian Hindoos. Aego, the snake eater, Ferris Wheel and merry-go-round. During the fllness of Johnson, the high diver with the Parker Amusement Co., a man by name of Raybourn signed a contract to temporarily take his place at Canton, Mo. He mounted the ladder bravely, but when he reachea the top his nerve failed him, and he came down. When he came to the bottom a dozen hands threw him info the tank for luck. Johnson has again returned to the show and continues his daredevil act, Cc. A. Hibbard, manager and owner of Hibhard’s Trans-Atlantic Co. and swinging wire artist and lamp fuggler, is, in his fifteenth week, stricken with typhoid fever, in the German hospitel. Kansas City, Mo., but is improving slowly. The Trans-Atlantic will not take the road this coming winter season, as wos intended, owing to Mr. Hibbard’s fllness. After he has fully recovered he will return to his New England home, Boston, Mass., and rest until next season. It mey be that looping-the-loop is easy after you know how, but it is best for the average man not to be placed in situations like most of the daredevils have recently heen encountering. Nicholas Chefalo had started on his wild ride at Decatur, Tll.. Sept. 24, when some one, no doubt accidentally, pulled a guy, which caused the incline to swerve. It was due to Chefalo’s exceptional coolness that he was enabled to stay on the incline and reach the ground in safety. All the shows for the Omaha Ak-Sar-Pen Street Fair have been hooked. The list reads: Harry Russell, one-legged hich diving eyclist: Lionel Legare, on spiral ball: Calvert, ticht wire and eyele: Hi-Ki with his trained pigs; *he Bosteck animal shows, the Hawalian vil lage, the glass blowers, loop-the-loop, stadium, electric theatre, laughing mirrors, temple of music, vaudeville, gypsy camp, plantation, Parisian novelties, den of snakes, museum of freaks, Indian congress, Una painting, Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, shooting galleries, etc. The flower and automobile parade occurs on Oct. 7 and the electric parade Oct. 8. Notes from Goshen (Ind.) Street Fair: The Merchants’ and Farmers’ Fall Festival and Street Fair. Sept. 23-26 was entirely a success, financially and artistically. Over 100 privilege men had stands, and everybody is busy now counting the long green. ree bands furnished music, and the festival had a queen, with parades and fireworks accompanying. The free attractions were De Mora and Grace, acrobatic act; cloud swing and knife act by N. Sanoyoa; Fisher and Johnson in eycle whirl and trick riding; Frank La Mondue in funny act on a clothes line; Martin and Crouch, comedy acrobats: Master Willie Van Norman on the bigh spiral tower. The paid attractions were Shields Lunette. Rice’s Dog and Pony Show, Porter’s Old Plantation, the La Rose Fountain, Ferris Wheel, Miniature Railroad, Barber’s Statue turning to life; Nichol’s Snake Pit, with Bosco eating ‘em alive, and the Electric Theatre. Notes from Will S. MHeck’s New Ex position Company: On last Thursday evening our genial manager, Mr. Will 8. Heck, was very pleasantly reminded of his forty-fifth birthday by being presenred with a handsome solitaire diamond from the co-members of his company. Our big bands, performers and employes greeted Mr. Heck at his hotel after the evening performance, where Mr. James McCuaig on behalf of the company made the presentation speech, after which Mr. Heck responded in his usual liberal manner to the wants of the inner-man. The balance of the evening was spent in songs, music, toastmaking, ete., after which the —— retired, wishing Mr. Heck many more happy birthdays. Our business has been very fair notwithstanding that we have just passed through three solid weeks of rain. We are heading for the Sunny South and intend to be out all winter. Everybody has been well and happy until this week, when two sad telegrams invaded our midst, one announcing the death by street car accident of the mother of Edward Morgan. of Richards Cycle Whirl Wind. Mr. Morgan left immediately for his home in Columbus, Ohio. The other brought the sad news of the death of the father of Cloy and Babe La Belle at Evansville, Ind. Our executive staff is as follows: Will S. Heck, proprietor and general manager; A. M. Gallagher, treasurer and assistant manager; C. W. Manley, general agent and promoter; W. W. Downing, advance agent and press representative: J. W. McCuaig, superintendent of Midway; Allen Richards, master of transportation; Alice Traverse, stenographer; Jack Neilson, messenger. Free attractions: Leo Earl, high wire, and Richards’ Cycle Whirl Wind, and the following sterling paid shows: Streets of India, with tamuras’ Japanese Troupe; Johnnie Richards, foot juggler and equilibrist; Vernell and De Wall, comedy acrobats; Aline Richards, juggler, and Allan Richards, magician; Palace of Living Art, Temple of Thespia, Evaleen, the Water Queen; Prof. W. Margulis and James Barry, the Girl From Up There: Hawe’s Electric Theatre, Bostock’s Animal Show, Nilo, the Child Snake Queen; Big Eli Ferris Wheel, Kramer & Son’s Parisian Gondola, and a band of twelve pieces under the leadership of Prof. Wm. H. Brynes. Notes from Southern Carnival Co.: Two weeks remain before closing the big Southern Carnival Company. Mr. Nat Reiss, manager of the Southern Carnival Company and of the melodrama, Alaska, has been in the East for some weeks, looking after the latter’s business affairs, but will rejoin the Carnival Company here at Trinidad next week. Mr. Whitey Tate, who has been connected with our carnival company for the past year, has been called East by Mr. Reiss to go in front of Alaska, while Mr. Dugan, secretary of the Carnival Co., takes charge of the front of the house with Alaska. Mr. Chas. Perlott! was taken sick at Walla Walla, Wash., and we were compelled to leave him there in the hospital, where we arranged for him to receive the best of care and attention. Last week at Colorado Springs we were joined by the Pattersons, a high-class acrobatic trio, and Wm. De Boe, the upside-down man, who have contracted to finish the season with us. Mr. Donnelle, promoter, went ahead of the new company, to be made up of the shows of the Southern Carnival Co., after they close the season week after next at Aibuquerque, N. M. Said new organization is to be called the Whitney, Talbott Carnival Co., and intends touring through Texas. One of the canvasmen with us (name unknown) died at Salt Lake. Du Bell, aerial bicycle rider, had a narrow escape from injury and possible death at Colorado Springs last week. A heavy wind prevailed on the opening night, and Du Bell foolishly attempted to do his act. His wire sagged during the performance, ind this mishap, together with the climatic conditions, made it impossible for him to reach the platform at the end of the wire. With mervelous nerve and dexterity he remained motionless and balanced himself and wheel in the center of the wire, while the attendants slowly drew taut the slackened wire, and then slowly reached the platform amidst a storm of applause. Chas, A. Doyle is promoting Albuquerque, our last stand, while Mr. Al White is here at Trinidad, Col., promoting for us. We have been on the road steadily for eleven months, and everybody is glad that the season is drawing to a close, for we all are sadly in need of a rest. Mrs. Leavitt’s birthday oceurred during our engagement at Boise, Idaho. She was the recipient of many handsome presents from the attaches of the show, and the wee hours of the morning saw eighty employes of the company gathered aronnd the festive board, where all the good things obtainable were served at a banquet given in honor of her birthday. If present indications count for anything, our closing week at Albuquerque will be a cracker jack, and before closing our season of 1903 we all join in thanking ‘‘The Billhoard’ for the many hours of pleasant reading its columns have given us during the season. The performance of Major Delmar in his record trial was the most marvelous exhibition of speed ever given by a trotter. Besides clipping a quarter of a second from the world’s gelding trotting record, held by himself, he broke the world’s record for half a mile by covering the distance In 0:59 flat, smashed the world’s record of 1:29% for three quarters, also held by himself. to 1:29, and established a new world’s record for a quarter—0:28%. The best previous time for the quarter was 0:28%, made by Lou Dillon at Brighton Beach last month. Wi AUR, A TS WMT ‘ i f 4) DI \ vi) WR! MW A A LEVYNE’S LETTER. Editor Billboard, Cincinnati, 0. Dear Sir:—Moline, Ill., with a population of YE 25,000, is a beehive of industry. The Rock Island System is erecting shops that will cover 900 acres five miles east of Moline, which will give employment to 6,000 men. These shops will be the center of all the works of this system, which has more mileage than any ome: railway in existence. A new city is forming at that point which will be a part of Moline. One year ago where stood a bare sand hill is today a flat level plain with hundreds of skilled mechanics erecting buildings that are mostly made of steel. One measures 850x400 feet: six more will be put up which are to be larger than this one. What's this got to do with billposting? I'll show you: A _ good , billposter keeps a little ahead of his town’s advancement, and today where a row of stakes shows the future street will be found the tongue and greoved boards of the good billposter, ‘‘Rube'’ Taylor, ewaiting the coming of its future Inhabitants. I went over this plant, where three years ago I checked up only 5S locations, which today shows up with 91; the usual three-sheet =e daubs not counted. Mr. Editor, your readers who are not well acquainted with the geographical location of Moline wouhi do well to look up a map. Moline, Rock Island and Dayenpor. have a population of 100,000 in a territory of five miles, and an advertiser in dealing with the billposters of the tri-citles should consider it fn its tmportance. R. H. Taylor controls Moline: Chamberlin | & Kindt have Rock Island and Davenport. The true test of a billposter is his popularity in hig home city. ‘“‘Rube’’ is now posting for 17 local merchants, and as he walks the street old and young are greeted with a smile and a nod. The Illinois Association can’t show where one complaint has been made of this plant since Taylor has got it. Rock Island—population, 26,000; three miles from Moline, and across the river from Davenport, Towa, has 2,300 running feet of boards, and new ones are being built as fast as posst ble. This plant has just got into the fold of these magnates in the billposting world, and all they put up is steel with wide painted frames. What I have said of Moline goes for this town, and what I have written in the past of Chamberlin & Kindt’s towns also goes with it. George Gorman manages this plant with a head full of brain and a face which attracts the ladies a la samemie likee ‘is bossie. Davenport, lIowa—population, 40,000. The town is in charge of Charles T. Kindt (my. what a name!), commonly known as ‘‘the Dutch,’’ who is fat and jolly, good-natured and kind. Charley has about 5,000 feet of boardings, 75 per cent. of which are of steel. All the advertisers like this town. as the boards are central fn location. You advertisers should get some of this good and valuable space. This town is 9 cents, as is Rock Island, while Moline is 7 cents. For this money you get 12 cent service, also 12 cent population—See? This is a manufacturing center which must grow. St. Louis, Sonth: Chicago, East; Minneapolis. North; none of these can bother it a bit and as a proposition of billposting to be put before the working man, it can’t be touched in the country in regard to the number of locations and the cost of posting. Yours truly, M. L. Levyne. HOKE SUES ASSOCIATION. Sam W. Hoke, the well-known advertising and poster agent of New York City. on Sept. 22 filed a complaint in the United States Circuit Court against the Associated Billposters and Distributors of the United States and Canada. in which he claims $60,000 damages from them on the ground that the association is an Illegal trust and combination, operating in violation of the Federal anti-Trust Law, and that he has been damaged by its actions in that amount. The Associated MBillposters are being sued throngh A. B. Beall. of Sioux City, Iowa, their treasurer, who is also made an individual defendant. Mr. Hoke charges that the Assoctlated Bill posters and Distributors of the United States and Canada constitute a voluntary association that has been operating in restraint of interstate and foreign trade and commerce, in the form of advertising. conducted by means of the posting, of advertising bills on fences and other places throughout the country, it having been engaged in arbitrarily fixing minimum rates to be charged for Dbillposting throughout the United States. without reference to a reason able valne or competition: that {t forbids {ts solicitors and members from making contracts at lower rates, and forbids their accepting commissions other than those arbitrarily fixed by the association, as also all rebating and reimbersing of commissions. DO YOU USE BLANK? This question applies to every billposter who owns or operates a billposting plant. The Agssociation members in particular should be asked to answer the question for record and the grade of service he renders, based on whether he docs use blank or not. Since the inspection report on Ohio billposting plants was published, tn which good and bad service was truthfully civen to the interested public, more interest has» been manifested in the use of blank paper on commercial billposting than ever before. Blanking was shown in the report to be one of the essential parts of first-class service. and a visit to-day to the plants in Cleveland. Brooklyn, New York, Chicago and other prominent cities, as well as some of the smaller towns, will show that taste has been developed in a marked degree—that billboards show every stand of paper carefully blanked bottom, between stands and on the ends, no ragged edges of old paper sticking ont below or at the sides to ruin the appearance of all good paper on the board. The changed condition makes ft a pleasure to visit Dillposting plants, and Dbillposterg who have adopted the blanking system have no fears of complaint from an inepector. Ent alas! there are still plenty of ‘‘mossback’’ billposters (and Association memberg ot that) who aneer at the idea of blanking, and say, “T have no space to waste,”” and “IT will blank if I get paid for it," and other similar excuses, which explain A NT "DISTRIBUTORS = COMMERCIAL. ADVERTISERS 2! ARNT GR gi A i to the advertiser that Mr. ‘‘Mossback’’ {js » back number, and that a new man with modern ideas to take his place is about the only hope for reform in that town. Any visitor to Chicago who fs interested in modern methods of billposting can feast his eyes on miles of billboard display that the most , exacting critic could not find fault with. The American Posting Service, with their iron billboards as an incentive to a Dillposter to do good work, have so perfected the system of blanking that every billboard ig as neat in appearance as a nicely framed picture; every poster is a separate and distinct display, being W. J. STAFFORD. The likeness of Mr. W. J. Stafford, the first billpester in Santa Barbara, California, appears above. Mr. Stafford is now 69 years of age and still slings paste. In his time eight opposition plants have sprung up and be has seen seven of their owners depart to the bourne from whence no traveler returns. He billed his first circus—the Montgomery Queen—in 1870. There were 1,200 sheets, all half and whole. He has sold his plant to the California Bill Posting Company, with headquarters at Los Angeles, but retains the position of manager of the Santa Barbara plant for life. Mr. Stafford is about to erect 1,500 feet more of boards. For Ringling Brothers’ Circus lately he put up 1,40 sheets. Mr. Stafford is a member of the Bill Posters’ Protective Association and was the first chief of the fire department established in 1870, He made and sold the first soda water in Santa Barbara and also opened up the first oyster saloon, which enterprises he carried along in addition to billposting. Mr. Stafford’s health is good and he looks forward to a goodly number of years to come. separated from the next one by four to six inches of blank paper, and the bottom blankeu the entire length of the board with a strip of uniform width. The effect needs only to be seen to convince any billposter that billboards to be complete need blank around every poster. The blanking system, if adopted by every billposter in the business, would help to stop legal fights against billboards, because the neat appearance of all boards would lessen the objections against them. It would increase the volume of billposting, because advertisers who have found objections to posters because billboards looked ragged, would use posters if all boards looked neat. Try blanking. It pays. DAUBS. The Jas. E. Moles ~ emmy Company, of Vicksburg, Miss., repert boards full of commercial paper. D. F, Drake, the Association billposter at Fairfield, Ia., has sold out and will be succeeded by Ozro Jewett. C. R, Collins, billposter of Jackson, Tenn., Is busy with his assistants placing paper for the Pythian Street Fair, Oct. Se and week. 0, J. Gude spent a few days in the Western metropolis last week seeing Centennial sights and incidentally giving bis new office some attention. P. B. Olvice writes from Findlay, 0O., as follows: For week of Oct. 1 I have Royal Slave, 410 sheets; Power Behind the Throne, 400; Show Girl, 390, The Consolidated Billposting Company of Jeffersonville are erecting new ds. The Loutaville Herald and Cremo paper are cutting a wide swath at present. The Bernard Advertising Service have secured the exclusive privileges for advertising in and #round the Savannah (Ga.) Industrial and Agrlcultural Fair, Nov. 4-14. The Goodhair Remedy Co., Newark, 0., are beginning to do business with billposters in a modest way and promise to become advertisers of the kind that suce . In a recent storm The Bill Posting Sign Company, of Philadelphia, Pa., bad one hundred and thirty-six railroad bulletins blown down. They were erected again at once. The Hamilton (Ohio) Billposting and Distributing Company (M. J. Kuhn, Prop.) are crowding their boards with commercial and show paper. They report business very good. Wm. Glenn, the billposter of Staunton, Va., has erected quite a number of new boards. One very fine tongue and grooved boards, 75 feet in length, is opposite the OC. & O. depot. e Four F Advertising Sign Company was Incorporated at Cambridge City, Ind., recently, John G, Meyers ig at the head of the coma | and Cecil Pritchard will go on the roa The Executive Committee of the South Bastern Billposters and Distributors’ Association wih % Ff