Variety (May 1907)

VARIETY The Forepaugh-Sella show opened its season at Columbia, April 20, and cornea East on the B. & 0. C. W. Finney* the adjuster, is still with the famous Gentry shows, of which J. B. Austin is the general agent. "Jimmy" De Wolfe, one of the Barnum press agents, was given quite a reception at Columbus and Cincinnati. Ringling Brothers opened to good busi- ness in St. Louis Monday night in spite of a severe wind and rain storm. The John Robinson Show opened fire in Cincinati and they do say the "Sept. 1" organization is better than it has ever been. Forepaugh and Sells Brothers United Shows are reported to have played* capac- ity April 29 and 30 at the circus grounds, Washington. J. D. Newman, for fifteen years with the Gentry shows as general agent, is now traffic manager of the Hagenbeck - Wallace Circus. E. E. Meredith, editor of "The Missouri Breeze," is one of Harry Earl's staff of press agents this season with the Com- bined Hagenbeck & Wallace Shows. The route of the John Robinson's Big Shows for the coming week is: Warren, 6; Ashtabula, 7; Painesville, 8; Elyria, 9; Norwalk, 10; Bellevue, 11, all in Ohio. V. 0. Woodward, formerly with various shows, will be at the Wool worth Roof Garden at Lancaster, Pa., this summer, and will not be connected with the "white tents." The Sparks' Virginia shows were to have played West Virginia this month, but got into the snow storm at Bellington. The show canceled much of its route and turned South. The Forepaugh-Sells Show is coming East as far as the Hudson and will then "beat it" back West. They get into Jer- sey in about three weeks, following a week in Philadelphia. The Ringling Show will have a clean sweep at Wheeling early this month. At Vltoona, the next best circus town in that section, it is rumored that Ringling will have opposition. Zack Walskey, advertising agent of We Majestic Theatre, in Washington has signed with the Barnum & Bailev Circus to be general advertising agent with ad- vertising car No. 1. Charley White is onco again contract- ing ahead of the first advance car for the Ringling show and shaking hands with friends at every point keeps him as busy as a Presidential candidate. GIRGUS NEWS. Variety requests circuses to grant its correspondents no more than two aeats under any cir- cumstances, and requiring a signed credential card stamped "1907" to be displayed. in between them at St. Louis and Major Lillie is going to have his own troubles to get out with a whole skin. Pawnee Bill's Wild West opened the local circus season 29, at Evansville, Ind. Many were turned away. "The Great Train Robbery" was a strong attraction. Barnum & Bailey are billed in Evansville for May 22. A society circus is being organized for the benefit of the Flushing (L. I.) Hos- pital, to take place June 6, 7 and 8, at Flushing. Johnny Purvis has charge of the enterprise and will supply a dozen or so acts in addition to the amateur turns. The Arlington-Guise Amusement Com- pany has been incorporated under the New York laws to carry on a general business in amusement promoting. The "Arling- ton" member is Edward Arlington, general manager of the Pawnee Bill Wild West Show. Harry Earl, general press representa- tive for Hagenbeck-Wallace, is in Toledo, where the combination will exhibit May 6. Barnum-Bailey follows May 9. Mr. Earl has three assistants to look after the pub- licity end, which will be conducted on a liberal plan. The Buffalo Bill show will leave the Garden next Saturday, removing to Brooklyn for a week. After that the Wild West plays a week of day stands in New England, returning to New Jersey for another week, when Philadel- phia will follow. News has reached the States of the death in Mexico of Alfred Bannnek, an old-time clown and circus pantomimist, hi Mexico, where he was playing with tli- Dick Bell Circus. Bannack was well oil in years but was active until the time of his deaf!., caused by consumption. George Scott, one of the billers with the Hagenbeck-Wallace show, was taken ill at Dayton, owing to exposure during the extreme cold weather, and is very sick at Monticello, Ind., where he has rela- tives. "Scotty" is one of the best known billers in the country. The Ringling Bros, and the Barnum & Bailey Show have Pawnee Bill sandwiched Willard D. Coxey, the "strong man" for the Barnum & Bailey Show, is said to be in poor health. It is possible that he may not finish out the season without at least a few weeks lay-off. While the show- played the Garden, it is learned, he col- lapsed once and was continually ailing. The opposition brigade of the Cole Brothers' show lines up as follows: Bob Simmons, manager; "Kid" Wilkes, O. Robinson, A. Markey, G. Miller, B. Burns, F. McCormick, G. Latour, M. Con- nors and E. Montgomery. M. J. Downs is owner and manager and Ed C. Knupp, ''director in advance." No word has come out of Mexico City since the earthquake and inquiries at the agents' offices for artists with the Bell show have been many. Every effort to send private messages through have failed, and the families of several artists with the Circo Bell show are still in the dark as to the fate of the outfit. Mrs. Burton, whose husband, the trainer of an animal act, is with the circus, has been among the inquirers. New England is going to have as many tent shows this Summer as it has reper- toire shows in the theatrical season. Buffalo Bill's No. 1 Car has made a circuit of Connecticut and Massachusetts towns providing for Col. Cody's first week after Brooklyn. The Hargraves Show is play- ing Massachusetts towns with a nice little outfit. They finished out the week ending May 4 at Springfield. Frank A. Robbins' is working East through Connecticut's small towns with good business attending. The last mail out of Mexico City before the earthquake announced the marriage at San Lorenzo Church there of Albert Bell to Gertrude Chcibil, of St. Louis, and Edward Bell and Nellie Lewis, of Trenton, Mo. Albert and Edward are sons of Dick Bell, the present owner anil manager of the old ()rrin Bros.' Circus, and both brides are musical artistes in that organization, now known as the Circo Bell. Miss Chcibil was a mouther of Bolossy Kiral- fy'.s spectacle during the St. Louis Expo- sition. A wedding breakfast and reception followed the double ceremony at the home i;f Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bell. Doc Waddell is responsible for a unique advertising idea that has won wide cir- culation and brought BO little attention to the Jamestown Exposition. The scheme is :i revival of the "Order of Buf- ful< s" which was manufactured at the Pan-A;neriean Kxpo and made the country laugh. The new order is called "The Settlers,'' with 'Doc" as its father. Pen- alt v for infraction of the rules is the suf- feting of the Stinging Rebuke, which con- sists of an enthusiastic application of boots and shoes in the region of the coat tails. After the kicking process the vic- tim is required "to buy." Female mem- bers are immune from the Stinging Re- buke. The propaganda of the new order has been spread broadcast in the mails for the furtherance of exposition publicity. JelT Callan, who has charge of the Bar- num & Bailey offices, and is the only "stay at home" on the staff of the circus and Buffalo Bill's Wild West, is likely to spend the dull summer afternoons in writ- ing letters to every person whom he knows, for last week Col. Wm. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) presented Jeff with a gold mounted fountain pen upon which is in- scribed "From Col. Cody to Jeff." For al- most a quarter of a century Jeff has been an attache of the Barnum & Bailey enter- prises, first as a lightning "hard" ticket seller and latterly as the guardian of the business offices the year 'round. As he used to sell tickets with both hands it is likely that he will use a lead pencil at the same time he flourishes Col. Cody's gift, thus entitling him to the distinction of being the only ambidextrous emanuenses on the Barnum & Bailey payroll. Certain it is that Buffalo Bill is sure to recieve all .us mail and telegrams promptly, for by this thoughtful action Col. Cody has won Jeff's allegiance to the last ounce. The Carl Hagenbeck and the Great Wal- lace Shows, combined, opened the season at Peru, Ind., April 27, playing to the capacity of the big tents at the two per- formances. Showmen from all parts of the country were present, and wete ex- travagant in praise of the immense com- bine, and especially of the manner in which it was conducted. There was not a single hitch at the opening perform- ance, everything running as smoothly as if the circus had been on the road for weeks. Contrary to predictions from various sources about the number of cars, the tremendous quantity of paraphernalia required five heavily laden trains to re- move it to Marion on Sunday. General Manager B. E. Wallace, hale and hearty, was much in evidence and his numerous lieutenants including Charles E. Corey, Jerry Mugavin, John Talbott, Lee Will- iams and numerous other good fellows in and about the big show, wore pleasant smiles and new spring suits. Bernie Wal- lace's familiar face beamed forth at the big ticket wagon and his familiar voice quickly became hoarse crying "How manv?*' The imported acts wero well received, the Les Rowlandes making a great hit. The familiar and this season feature ani- mal acts called forth loud "bravos" and "Floppie," one of the new animal stunts (a sea lion which juggled a football while mounted on a running horse) simply astounded the big audiences. Merrick and his augmented band formed a very bril- liant musical feature. The parade during the morning was lengthy, brilliant and exceptionally fine; Benjamin Wallace again demonstrating his ability in select- ing horses. The entire parade parapher- nalia was drawn by dapple grey horses which resembled a monster streak of sil- ver running throughout the immense pageant. The big circuses are making an early play for the ready cash in the prosperous iron and coal district of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. The Barnum & Bailey show played in New Castle 2; the John Robinson show is hilled in Warren, O., C, the Ringling Brothers in Youngs town 10 and the Walter I* Main show in Sharon. Pa., on the 10. The Franklin *h«Wj a tented vaudeville and eireUS combination, is n hearsing in Younjjstown. O, It is owned and managed bj Frank Evan*, formerly of the Evans Brothers, bta< kface comedians.