The Billboard 1906-04-28: Vol 18 Iss 17 (1906-04-28)

nn gg Rat a gn A I em, lt i ee Or ee eR Biliboardad APRIL 28, 1906. a Tent Shows ~ Circus Museum Menagerie Wild West w BUFFALO BILL’S WILD WEST Is Honored By a Visit From the King and Queen of Italy—Notes of the Show. (Special to The Billboard.) The four days at Nice came up to our fondest expectations. Everybody had the Monte Carlo fever and the boys tell some amusing tales of how they did not break the bank. Col. Cody, John Baker and Chief Irontail visited that place on the 12th. March 13 was cut out to make the run from Nice to Genoa, a distance of 115 miles, which route to my mind was the most picturesque ever traversed by a show train. On one side stretched the blue Mediterranean; on the other side were the snow-capped mountains, while in the valleys the orange trees were ladened with golden fruit and the almond trees were full of their fragrant blossoms. En route, we passed through upwards of 100 tunnels, which added much to the novelty of the trip. Col. Cody sat on the observation platform of his private car and received a perfect ovation from immense throngs of people at every Station. The formalities of perfectly arranged perienced no delay whatever on that score. We traveled in four sections, the last one arriving at Genoa at 2 P. M., or, according to the Italian system of calculating time, it was 14 o'clock. Our first performance at Genoa was given on the afternoon of March 14. ‘Thousands were unable to gain admission. On the morning of the J5th we added two sixty foot middie pieces, greatly increasing our seating capacity. Yet, even then we turned thousands of pevple away. in my humble opinion, we could have remained in Genoa and done good business for at least a week. Spezia, on March 17, was a one-day stand and we filled our immense amphitheatre at both performances with country folk, whose enthusiasm knew no bounds. We exbibited at Livorno 18-20, during the three hundredth anniversary of the city goverument. Big business was the rule at every performance. However, during the evening of the 19th a strong wind developed into a hurricane, and the performance had to be abandoned. This gave many of us an opportunity of witnessing a magnificent display of fireworks given by the city. On March 31 we made the run from Livorno to Rome, a distance of 334 kilometres, or 205 miles. The last section left Livorno at 5 o'clock, crossed the Tiber at 17:30 and entered the capital city at 18 o'clock. Never in, the twenty-four years’ history of the wild west was there so great a throng of people at the station to witness our arrival. It looked as though there were a million of them, but as the entire population of Rome is but 500,000 there were probably no less than a million. The streets were blocked and traffic was suspended in the vicinity of the station. The reserve police were called out, and they finally cleared the way for us to the Castro Pretorio, opposite the Polichlinico, our place of exhibition. On Sunday, March 25, the wild west was honored by a visit from the King and Queen ‘of Italy, Conte di ‘Turino, Conte and Contessa Guicciardini, and the members of the court. After witnessing the spectacle King Victor Emanuel commanded a private performence for the following day. Promptly at ten o'clock the King and his retainers arrived. The royal audience heartily applauded the performance and Col. Cody received the personal congratulations of the king. who presented the showman with a gold cigarette case. inscribed with the royal monogram and studded with diamonds. On the morning of March 27 Press Agent Frank A. Small received the following characteristic telegram: “Six hungry Yanks will be on the lot at noon. Notify the cook Tent.— Geo. Ade.’’ By the time the genial American and his ‘“‘bunch’’ arrived at the cook tent there were nine husky individuals. Boath Tarkington was also among the number. Hall Caine also received us at Rome. Col. Cody is in fine form and appears in the arena five times at every performance, twice daily, rain or shine. PYRAMUS. the customs in acvance that were 60 we ex Rome, Italy, March 28, 1906. THE VAN AMBURG SHOWS The Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution says of the Van Amberg Shows: The tumbling, low and lofty, the trapeze and the rings, the riding and the juggling, the trained animals and the funny clowns were all up to the standard of the best. The elephants could not bave been better, while the borses, the dogs and even the trick mule left no room for adverse criticism. Bright and exceedingly attractive in style, color and pattern were the costumes, the Alice green and the Nick Longworth trown being among the favorite colors. In the leaping tournament, in which Bell and Van Dell, double somersault leaper led a school of a dozen, each excellent in his line, there appeared a juvenile, a girl, Daisy Kimball, a mere tot, who went over five horses and the big elephant turning two times as she swept gracefully through the air. Pretty, winsome and sweet, fragile, graceful and with perfect fearlessness, a mere mite, she rushed apparently recklessly down the incline, vaulted into the air, hands foremost, as though diving into water, quickly drew herself together, twiuted around in a knot like a bal, and dropping upon her feet, faced her lookers-on with a happy smile, a captivating gesture, and then returned to her place in line, ready to follow the big thuasky fellows through the next turn. If a child ever caught a crowd Daisy Kimball gathered unto herself every man, woman and child who saw her work. A double trapeze act by the Leons should not be overlooked. Ben Beno, on the tight wire; Larke and Adams, in a novelty act; Josie and Clar Kimball, Charles Cook, who did the double somersault on that fast race horse, the performing elephants; Miss Kellogg, on the flying rings; Miss Gertie Lewis, the sailor perch; Hatsua, the barrel and parasol juggler; the Vallentines, on the bar and the ladder; the Bell Brothers, aerial workers; the school of educated poodles: the Milletts;: Snyder, the contortionist; Miss Kate Bowers’ high school horse, Glencoe, were some of the best circus features ever seen in Atlanta. Manager D. P. Phillips, long connected with circus life, was everywhere, when needed. The entire outfit is new, clean and yet carries that air inseparable from a successful tent show. With 300 horses and a force of 500 people, 150 being actors, the Van Amburg Shows will leave Atlanta, hereafter their permanent winter quarters, for the 1906 season, without a spot or blemish upon its general or detailed appearance.’’ GEO. KLINE’S DEATH The death of George W. B. Kline, a brief announcement of whose death at Marietta, Ga., on April 9, appeared in last week's Billboard, was due to heart disease. Mr. Kline was in excellent health apparently a moment before his death. He was equestrian director of the Van Amberg Show, and was beloved by all who knew him. Interment was had April 10, at Marietta, under the auspices of the Odd Fellows. D. P. Phillips, of the show writes: Arrange ments will be made to erect a monument to his memory, but no monument that can be chiseled out of stone or bronze will last as long or live so long in the hearts of his friends and associates as will his kindly disposition, gentle nature and kind words and nobleness of heart. Mr. Klein was without doubt, the oldest clown in active service. He spent a number of years with the Barnum Show and clowned in Klaw & Erlanger’s Coun try Circus; in fact, he has been with various tented enterprises for forty years. Very little is known of his family. His wife, Mamie Kline, is with the Forepaugh-Sells Show. ORIGIN OF THE CIRCUS CONCERT By HUGH COYLE. In 1861, while drumming in Canterbury Hall in the band, for Percival (Grover) & Sinn I was engaged by Mr. Dan Gardner, the old circus clown, to beat the drum in the band of Gardner & Hemming’s Great American Circus to start away from Philadelphia in the spring of 1862. Mr. Gardner had followed the band one evening from Willard’s Hotel down to Canterbury Hall, where we paraded nightly preceding the performances and made the engagement with me after we ceased playing. After a long experience in circus and out-ofdoor entertainment life, I look back with great pleasure to the anticipations then of my first circus experience, which to me was particularly novel and the acme of earthly employments. We started from Philadelphia, to Germantown in April, from there to Frankfort and so on through the Pennsylvania towns up into the oil country. At this period there were no railroads or even good wagon routes through that region—Oil City, Tinesta, Tideoute, Petroleum Center, etc. Corduroy roads, mud, the stench from the oil which permeated the atmosphere, derricks and desolation generally, except for the activity in the of) industry pervaded everything on our travels. At Oil City, which then was and still is the centre of the oil industry, while passing the hotel in parade, I noted two acquaintances sitting on the veranda of the house. Lew Simmons, the famous minstrel, and ‘‘Tip’’ Talbott. another minstrel, brother of Jack Talbott, still another famous minstrel artist in those days, later the husband of Miss BHimma Miles, a famous Canterbury Hall danseuse, now leading wardrobe lady with Barnum & Bailey Circus. When the parade was over I entered Into conversation with them. They had been with 4 minstrel troupe that had stranded in those regions and had remained waiting to see if there was an opening for them in the circus. I should say I had made their acquaintance formerly in Canterbury Hall in Washington. D. C. When Mr. Gardner, with whom Lew Simmons was acquainted approached, a suggestion as to how to utilize their services was made. They corgd not go into the side-show. when I sandwiched in a remark “‘Why not in the big ring in the cireus tent after each performance with a portable stage?’ This idea was at once grasped. The next thing to he considered was the title of this new innovation. Over fifty titles were snggested, thonght over and rejected, until Lew Simmons uttered the word ‘‘concert.’”’ Then came the framing of the lecture to he delivered by the ring-master at the opening of the ‘‘concert,’’ which I can not just recall, but I wrote it out In full for Mr. Willlam Hill (‘Bill’) the equestrian director of the arena. Mr. Hill could neither read nor write, and yet he made as fine an appearance and was as good with the whip. taking the slaps, and other Incidentals of ring-mastership, as any other who ever graced the aforesaid arena. This. the original ‘‘concert.’’ which has grown Into massive proportions, consisted then of Lew Simmons’ singing and banjo act, Talbott in monologne and end man, Dan Gardner, the clown, blacked up as a wench, his two little daughters, Eliza and Louise, donble sister singing and dancing act, and four musicians of the band. Althongh the price for this concert was 25 cents, it was paralyzing to the management to see that over two-thirds of the original cirens audience remained for the concert. The Mizuno Troune of Japanese artists Joined the Campbell Brothers’ Show April 28 for their sixth season with that onrganization. eo Circus Seats ?ORTABLE GRAND STANDS AND FOLDING CIRCUS CHAIRS MANUFACTURED. all parts are made to standard size, and easily replaced. ample facilities to handle all orders. JUR MOTTO: ‘“‘What is worth doing at all is worth doing well, and what is worth doing well is well worth the price.” send for illustrated Catalogue. P. A. McHUGH, “SAiN"St” Gleveland, Ohio. LAIN B8T., TENTS All sizes for sale or rent. send for Catalogue No. #0. OMAHA TENT AND AWNING CO. OMAHA, NEB. Phone 24551. Eetablished 1843 Thomson & Vandiveer MANUFACTURERS OF CIRCUSTENTS TENTS FOR RENT. 816 B. Peart St., CINCINNATI, ©. THE MURRAY CO. CIRCUS ACTURERS “OF a— CANVASES. Poles and Stakes, SEATS, Flags. Etc BLACK TENTS, SIDE SHOW PAINTINGS, Fronite and Bauners tor Street Fairs Agents tor KIDD'S PATENT CIRCUS LIGHTS SIDE SHOW PAINTINGS SIEGMUND BOCK, 6? 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T NEVV LESSENS THE DANGER 80%.'} Indoor and Outdoor Ligh Stage Lights, Beacons. Carniva’ Lighte. Park and Garden Lights, etc. CIRCUS LIGHT USED BY ALI. LEADING SHOWS. THE BOLTE & WEYER CO., 223 Michigan Street, OMICAGO ILL Mention “The Billboard” when answering ads. Mention “The Billboard ”” when answering ads