The Billboard 1909-03-20: Vol 21 Iss 12 (1909-03-20)

MARCH 20, 1909. The Billboard 75 UARTERS. (See pages 20-21.) EEMING with life on every side, with upT wards of three hundred and fifty pairs of busy hands responding to the call of the heads of the various departments, the winter now fast going the way of its predecessors, has witnessed a reign of aetivity at the winter home of the great Barnum & Bailey Circus without a parallel in the history of this stupendous enterprise In America, it has come to be a byword that a town, however so humble, that can sot boast of a “‘circus’’ day once a year, is no longer on the map. revs and all that magie little monoevllable implies, with the good old summer time. We have come to regard it as a summer creaton, or rather recreation, a sort of heydey of outh, impulse, sensation and what not, a kind f will o’ the wisp fantasy, a glittering, radtating concept, destined like the summer plants to know naught of maturity. Americans who fondly anticipate the dawn of eireus day each year comparatively few have auy adequate notion of what an enduring institution the American circus is. They little think and far less little contemplate the vastness and cohesiveness of the scope of the gigantle undertaking, involved not only in the hand BARNUM an BAILEY WINTER ling of the Barnum &’ Bailey Shows during the | performing period, but in caring for them during the months they are housed in their spacious winter home in the city of Bridgeport, Conn., famous as the home of the great P. T. Baraun But It should be here recalled that in New Fugland at least the winterquarters of the Rarnum & Balley Shows is considered to be as thoroughly a New England institution as the public gardens of Boston. These quarters form one of the busy beehives of the industries of the thriving city. From the time that the last ear has been rolled into the yard at the close of the cireus season until the big gates swing clear of the final trainload bound for Madison Square Garden, or the Coliseum, Chicago, for the annual spring opening there is not a dull mo ment An idea of the ramifications of these quarters is afforded in the cuts accompanying this article. Unless one has personally visited the winter housing place of the Barnum and tailey Shows he has no conception of the dimensions of the plant. The amount of ground occupied is more than two blocks in New York City would represent. The location of the prop erty is ideal the southern boundary hugging the main division of the New York and New fiaven road by reason of which first-class railroad facilities are obtainable. Throughout the quarters are lighted by electricity, the. owners having installed one of the most modern of electric-lighting plants. Numerous brick and stone buildings reinforced by steel girders of the very latest fire-proof material adorn the premises. Concrete flooring shows throughout. The massiveness of the construction does not detract any whatsoever from the sanitary aspect of the interiors. The system of ventilation is perfect. On every hand there is evidence of a governing mind of no mean order, There is a basis for such a eplendidly eqnipped institution as we find here. The superintendents of the several departments while working with their forces independent of each other manage to bring to a common end, results which in the aggregate, go to make a mighty successful composite whole. There is no division of authority in the sense that the head of one department or his subordinates interfers with the peculiar duties of those of another department. Under the system here in vogue each department is a separate and distinct unit. The executive staff in charge of the Immense interests during the winter period are Mr. Charles R. Hutchinson, treasurer of the Barnum & Bailey Shows, Mr.. Fred DeWolfe, Mr. Carl T. Hathaway and Mr. Orrin Stevens. The big car shop is in charge of Supt. John McLachlin, whose first assistant Is Charles Kieswetter. Here is built all of the rolling stock tused in the cireus. The present winter has been one of the busiest in the history of Supt. McLachlin and he has been compelled to keep a double force going night and day, at times, In order to rush through the work. He has just finished two 60-foot cars, the powerful construction of which arrest the eye of the expert and cause him to marvel that work of such magnitude can be turned out here. Expert mechanics and inventors are kept busy refitting the properties of the show with all the modern devices essential to the proper safecuarding of the rolling stock, for it is the desire of Supt. McLachlin to show that his department can turn out work that can not be dupiieated by any public contractor in a similar line anywhere. No department of the plant is more interesting than that over which Supt. Myron MacPherson holds sway. It is the painting and ‘ecorating branch and none ts more important. Here is where all of the outfit receives the touches that make it agreeable to the eye. A corps of trained decorators are kept busy all winter long by Supt. MacPherson, designing new sad nevel concepts for that portion of the equipment which goes to make up the pageant. Thousands of dollars are spent in this department. the cost of the gold leaf used being of itself in item of considerable magnitude. Here is where the chariots the gorgeous glittering animal wagons that passing pedestrian when the parade is on, are refurbished until they are in fact a veritable rainbow of colorings. Supt. Dan Taylor and his force of busy artisans look after the wagons, chariots, animal cages, shoeing of the live stock, ete. All of the repairs to two and four-wheeled vehicles ere in charge of Supt. Taylor and this winter he has had his hands full for he found that It was up to his end of the big workshop to get . ee of new vehicles ready for the spring etar One of the Interesting departments where there is little chance for idle moments fs the harness shop. Here Supt. Robert Gazley and his foree of experienced saddlers pursue the even tenor of their respective ways. They have to see to every bid of the leather utilized tn | connection with all parts of the raiment used by the draft and performing horses. This branch has been recently refitted throughout with the very latest machinery in that line se that Supt. Gazley is equipped at the present time to give immediate attention to any needs that can possibly arise having to do with harness, belting, strappings, ete. Of paramount importance is the caring for the baggage stock which includes the work horses so essential to the upkeep of an enterprise of this nature. Supt. charge of this responsible end of the institution. Tt requires a considerable quantity of horse Somehow we associate the | Of the millions of | rivet the attention of the > Thomas Lynch has | | flesh to perform the work about the quarters | during the winter and the maintenance of the | animals that are housed at the quarters here js not all that is required of Supt. Lynch. The show maintains one of the largest and most desirable breeding and grazing farms in the | country, at Brewsters near Chatam, New York State. There, Supt. Lynch, through his assistant, William Fiefield, keeps an eye upon the upwards of 500 quadrupeds that form an integral part of the remarkable combination of energy and brains to say nothing of the immense financial outlay which the undertaking represents. To Supt. Richard Shannon is assigned the guardianship of the 175 performing horses including the trick, bareback, racing and dancing | steeds, and it is needless to add that he and his force of assistants are kept stepping | about. Just at present Supt. Channon has his | mind oceupied by the task of caring for a herd of trained horses of high degree imported from | the Cireus Busch, Berlin, together with the | male and female riders who are part of the act, | Court Teitze, a noted European trainer, is part | of the act and is now here. The great herd of elephants is in charge of their trainer and keeper, Supt. Harry Mooney, who is assisted by a large and excellently weil| trained staff. Mr. Mooney’s chief of staff is iJ. L. Clark. The particular object of Supt. | Mooney’s care just now is the wonderful litle Baby Bunting the cute little pachyderm that had its first road work in these parts last Season. Baby Bunting has been very sick and it has been under the doctor’s care constantly but Supt. Mooney, who seems to know all about | the elephant ailments, is very hopeful of Baby | Bunting soon being her normal self. There is nothing more interesting than to watch these monster animals during the off season. It requires a small fortune to feed them and they are carefully watched so as to prevent the out| break of distemper or any dangerous epidemic. A good many years ago when Barnum was alive, an epidemi¢e of some sort broke out among the elephants and the cireus was minus eleven of the herd when the season began. All of the other animals connected with the show save the elephants, are under the watchful eye of John H. Paterson, who has for his aid de camps, Ed. Chapman and Andres Zingraben. Some sort of an idea how these animals are looked after at their winter home may be and Mrs Sert Wallace, Mr. Wallace having supervision over the male employes while Mrs. Wallace looks after the corps of sewing women who are kept busy rehabilitating the wardrobes and completing all of the new creations to be used by the performers during the coming season. This is an interesting and instructive part of the big workshop. Prodigious quanti ties of gold and silver spangles are utilized in the work of retouching as well as remaking many of the costumes, to say nothing of the immense allotment of new work that Is being attended to. Supt. John Snellen, who has entire charge of the big mill is the boss canvasman with the circus: Supt. Snellen and his force, which is one of the largest. both winter and summer, of any connected with the shows, is responsible for all of the tents, poles, chairs, seats, ete. His duties cover a considerable range of activity, therefore he has surrounded himself with a staff of experts Cy. Perkins has charge of the seats, John Leonard looks after the car penter shop, Ed. Kirby is the millwright, and F. E, Welty is the electrical engineer. All of these subordinate heads have good-sized work ing crews under them. As one of the accompanying cuts shows the mill is one of the most substantial of the many splendidly equipped departments of the winterquarters. Here all of the heavy wood. fron and steel work is turned out for car building, the wagon construction, ete. During the winter this plant has been put into effective operation for the first time. Heretofore it has been the custom to contract for all heavy materials of the nature above referred to. Now, however, after experimenting for three months the owners are convinced that they have struck a happy solution of many of their former troubles and instead of being placed at the mercy of the market when they want to get material in a hurry, they go to their own shops and get results without delay. The visitor must not fail to note the importance of still another department concerning which nothing has as yet been said. That relates to the properties of the big shows really a feature of paramount interest because so much depends upon this branch of the plant Arnold A. Graves is superintendent of this department and he fs assisted by Charles Luckey and Robert Deering. This department furnished all of the properties required by the performers and it is here where the thrillers are conceived and turned out with such amazing results. Just now Supt. Graves is very uncommunicative, which lends credulity to the report that he is working out the plans of something that promises to surpass any former sensation the big show has known | Supt. Paul Domschke, who has charge of all of the lights while the season is on, fs very busy now experimenting with a new idea which he expects will revolutionize the methods of illu minating spacious Interiors. Supt. Domschke is of an inventive turn of mind and he knows the lighting question from A to Z. He has well | equipped apartments at the quarters here and | with iis subordinates he is perfecting his plans. Supt. Ed. Schaeffer. who has charge of the sleeping cars during travel, is busily engaged with his foree, going over the linens and bed dings iniluding the mattresses, etc. Supt. Schaeffer aims to have everything In apple-pie | order by the time the hike begins. He has contracted for a large amount of new filling for the mattresses and pillows and his force will be kept on the jump from now until the get-away arrives, This season for the first time, the men em| ployed at the winterquarters, have been fed } and housed on the premises. This matter has | been looked after by Charles E. Henry, who | has charge of the cook tent during tue show | season. A general provision store is maintained |on the premises and everything used in the preparation of meals is purchased at th's sfore, | It is now an easy task to feed over 30) men three times a day this winter. Orrin Stevens is superintendent of the supply house which the show maintains on the premises, Everything used in the various departments sare supplied through Supt. Stevens, the heads of the various departments making requisition on him for their needs. In this way a thoroughly accurate account of what Is used and what is not, is made possible. Save for the single exception of the Ringling | Brothers’ Shows, no other similar enterprise in the world has any such pretentious querters | as these, for the care and maintenance of the cireus equipment during the winter months. | There are, In Rridgeport, over 900 separate | industries, the city being famed as the most diversified manufacturing city of its size in the world. Of these varied enterprises none is more unique than the Barnum and Bailey winterquarters. Here we find a little city by itself. It is a complete institution in that it has under its own directing force, all of the mechanical and engineering appliances -ssential to the successful conduct of a growing and ever active business Visitors from foreign lands, who have been taken through the plant, have been amazed at the extent and variety of its ramifications. They came expecting to find an assortment of worn out paraphernalia such as abandoned tents, debilitated animals, dilapidated vehicles, ete., and when, to their surprise, they found a thoroughly modern workshop employing several hundred experts, turning out practically everything in the circus line with everything about spick and span, they rubbed their eyes and metaphorically speaking, they went through the process of waking up. Of course the cost of maintaining a winter home such as the owners provided for the Bar| num and Bailey Show is enormous. But in these days when the American spirit is whetted by an excess of strenuousity there is a disposition to be generous in the matter of expense especially when it is self evident to the careful managers that pennies wisely expended during the winter time bring their return in dollars during the summer season when the fruits of the winter's work are harvested. Bridgeport counts the Barnum and Bailey Show just as much of a commercial asset as she does any of her large and thriving manufacturing plants and well she may for the winter pay-roll of the cireus keeps several hundred families con tented while the merchants are gladdened by the liberal purchases necessary to provide for the animals to say nothing of the money spent for materials used in all departments of the gig show. WANTED Lady balloon rider. Long season work guaranteed. DIXIE BAJLOO CO., Box 501, Mobile, Ala. WANTED Agents. Legitimate substitute for Slot Machines; patented; sells on sight for $1. Particulars. GISHA CO., Anderson, Ind. WANTED—Durand’s Black Witch Advertising Co. 20th year—A-1 Medicine People that change. 1 to 2-week stands; open air concerts on street, lots, and opera houses in winter; B. F. Banjo Comedians that can sing; Musical Team with good single and double turns; Novelty People with changes. No tents; good hotels; good stage and lights but no booze; must be good people; we pay all; state all in first letter and salary wanted: long season in Kansas; open April 12. Other good people write. F. M. DURAND, National Hotel, Abilene, Kansas. FOR SALE—20 reels of film, all titled, good condition, at $10 per reel and 50 reels at $15 per reel $50,000 San Francisco Post Cards, $1.50 per M. Slot machines at one-half perce. MAYER SILVERMAN, 713 Fulton Building, Pittsburg, Pa. CURIOSITY SALE —2-head Giant, 9 ft. high, $35; Simolingo and painting, $40; Fish Child. $15; Wax Show, the Rogues’ Gallery, 36 small pieces, criminal heads, etc., $60; list free. WM. NELSON, 8 Cogswell Place, North Cambridge, Mass. MAGIC—Many new tricks in advanced magic. Can not be had elsewhere. Send for my list to-day and get posted. Address J. 8. TO, 703 So. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, Ind. LOOK THERE § This is the fastest, surest money making machine this side of the U.S. Mint. You can clear from $10 to $30 aday with one outfit costing, complete, only $8.50. Some men with three outfits clear $100 a day. Everybody buys Ice Cream Cones. —— os =— ALMOST ANY LOCATION WILL DO. You need only room enough to turn around. Then you are started in business for yourself; a safe and very profitable business. BE SURE YOU GET THE BEST BAKER, for that is what will win trade. THE STANDARD CONE BAKER ONE OUTFIT, $ 8.50 TWO OUTFITS, 14,50 Is the very best cone baker ever made. THREE OUTFITS, $19.50 FOUR OUTFITS, . 25,00 You CAN'T sell poor cones. You WILL sell those from The Standard as fast as you can turn them out. This is the Baker you're sure to get eventually. Avoid bakers with rough, thin plates and those without the advantages named below. first. Save money by getting the right one They will NOT win trade and will NOT give satisfaction. The Standard Cone Baker is the only Baker with separable hinge (patented), easy to clean: the only Baker with accurately ground faces, true to 1-500th of an inch; the only Baker with buffed and polished plates as smvoth as a mirror; the only Baker with plates sufficiently heavy to diffuse heat and not warp; the only Baker that will save its price in fuel and discomfort in one season; the only baker that does not require an expensive stove to operate it; the only Baker with cold rolled steel handles that will not break; the only Baker with 3 simple parts; the only Baker with a steel tipped cone roller; and the only Baker made worth double its price of $8.50 each. TERMS: Cash with order, or one-half cash, balance C. 0. D. Wire, write or phone. Instant shipment. OUR GUARANTEE: Your money back, if after 30 days’ test, this is not Proven to be the best Cone Baker—the one that produces the BEST CONES. FREE! FREE! We have published a book on the Ice A Cone Business that Is worth $5.00 to you. A postal will bring it by next mail—F R STANDARD MFG. Drawer M. : . : & SUPPLY CO., MONONGAHELA, PA. Jumbo Gas Burner. jj Streetmen are Making Big Money Quickly, selling genuine, 40 candle power Steward’s Combination Gives big light; saves gas. : 200 Madison Street, Gross $5.00. SHURE CoO., CHICAGO, ILL. ircus Uniform Bargains 26 Grey Coats, green and gold trimmings, $2.00 each. s “1 Juvenile Zuave Uniforms complete with rifles and swords, $3.50. 26 Assorted Band Coats, $2.00 each Gold and silver trimmings. Write for other lists. THE CHAS, SVENDSEN CO., (Est. 1866) 20 E, Court St., Cincinnati, oO. VAUDEVILLE ACTS WANTED AT ALL TIMES. Send in your open time. we would be pleased at all times to assist you, Performers desiring to break their jump between Chicago and New York and can book you on short notice. We control the best time in this locality,and performers of — — get time. Ba ning my A only book responsible houses, and we allow transportation and charge no commissio 0! le ap htemROYER & BALSDON, Rooms 205-6-7 Apollo Bldg., 238 Fourth Ave., Pittsburg Pa. Phone: 1117 Court.