Variety (September 1907)

VARIETY 11 ON THE ROAD WITH A CIRCUS By RUSH. (NOTE.—This la the third of a Berles of four articles having to do with a tour of that many dava bv Rush with the Frank A. Rohblna Circus in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.—Ed.) If putting up a circut tent is a swift umi interesting performance, getting it down and loaded is infinitely more so. The process begins before the show is over. As soon as an aerial act is through with its performance, the nets and rigging are rolled up in view of the audience, and by the time the pertormers are in their dressing room it has started on its way to the cars. When the show is over, nets, aerial paraphernalia and other apparatus have been removed and the arena is clean but for the central platform, which is re- quired for the concert. In Bangor, Pa., where I watched the packing-up process for the first time, they even removed half of the platform and the performers who were concerned in the concert had to make the best of what was left. The concert is made up of rather light entertainment. A dancing and singing sketch or two and a talking sketch by three of the clowns, in eccentric makeup, together with a monologue by Debonair, was the bulk of the show. Half a dozen musicians from the band furnished the accompaniment. Debonair has a fairly in- teresting line of Irish talk, and a topical song made up of "locals." He was formerly an aerial performer with the Ringlings, but for the past six or seven years he has retired to "ground work" of the singing ajid talking variety. By the end of the concert the interior of the top was almost cleaned up. The rest of the work, packing up the smaller art- icles of equipment occupied but a quarter hour, thanks to the valuable aid of a horde of small boys. The youngsters had been permitted to witness the show free on their promise to help afterward and to enforce this promise they left their caps as security. The business of guarding this property is no trifling job, for anxious mothers have a habit of appearing on the scene and complicating matters. Shortly after 11 o'clock the arena was clean and "Chandeliers," the functionary whose business it is to care for the illumi- nating apparatus, carried out his gasoline fixtures. After a warning for everybody to get out from under, the signal was given to drop the canvas. The top is divided into eight sections, which, laced together, form the umbrella- like tent. As the canvas dropped, slid- ing down the poles like a swelling para- chute, a canvasman starts at the outer end of each seam, and works toward the centre, unlacing rapidly as he goes. There was no occasion for urging haste to-night, for just at this time it began to rain, and the canvasmen, with the dismal prospect of handling a wet canvas in the morning, put on all speed forward. In a twinkling the work was accomplished, the different sections separated and rolled into fat bundles and distributed in two lines down the lot, which in the semi-darkness looked like a hay field with the grass piled into mows. This illusion was carried further when the big four-horse truck was driven down the centre and the men in gangs of eight and ten whisked the bundles into the wagon, for all the world like a lot of farmers loading hay. There remained then only the business of lowering the centre poles. This is done by the simple process of paying out one of the guy ropes until the tall sticks come gently to the ground. They are then fitted snugly into compartments rigged over the wneels of the trucks filled with the smaller wooden sticks used for props, quarter poles, etc. These go on the train last, together with the wagons packed with tent stakes, in order to be quickly avail- able for unloading at the next stand. With that the work of loading was com- plete. An army officer who had come over from a nearby summer resort remained to watch the proceedings. He said he had directed the building and taking down of summer military camps for years, but haa never seen so nearly perfect a work- ing force. Further commenting he de- clared that a military organization such as he had commanded could not have done the job in the same time by less than twice the number of men. A seemingly authentic announcement comes from Chicago that the formation of an iron-bound circus trust with the Ring- lings at its head, is an accomplished fact. The Harnum & Bailey property passes into the hands of the Ringlings by reason of their acquisition of a majority of the cor- poration's -stock and with it goes the ownership of the Buffalo Bill show. This can mean only one thing—that Mrs. James A. Bailey has sold outright all her circus holdings and retired from even her slight participation in the show business. The consummation of this deal makes John Ringling undisputed monarch of the tented world, a position he has been aiming at ever since the death of James A. Bailey and even before. Since that event, how- ever, everything has played into his hands. The Barnum show has had an indifferently successful season, and it has come to be a settled opinion that he was the logical successor to the last of the great American showmen, into whose shoes he now steps. In addition to their own show, conceded to be the best organi- zation under canvas this season, the Ring- lings own the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Brothers' shows. With the possession of the Barnum and Buffalo Bill properties, the Hagenbeck-Wallace, Pawnee Bill and John Robinson outfits will be the only shows of importance in the field at all approaching opposition. The Gentry Brothers' Dog and Pony circus is spending a week on the show lot at 15th and V streets, Washington, D. C, ending to-night. Business is reported as excellent. The Five Juggling Normans, Marcell and Lanett, acrobats, and the Le- vine Troupe of contortionists are features with the organization. A notice posted this week by the Bar- num-Bailey show, and all the affiliated circuses playing in harmony with it, is apt to cause some talk among agents. It is to the effect that all performers desir- ing circus engagements for next season must be booked through W. W. Freeman, of Chicago. Mr. Freeman lately opened a booking office in that city, and imme- diately after commencing operations started on a trip to see the circuses. The circus bee is still buzzing around Klaw & Eiianger, bub no attention has of late been given to that branch of amuse- ments through the opening of their vaude- ville circuit. It is authentically reported, however, that when the vaudeville outlook shall have settled itself, K. & E. will give the circus end immediate and serious con- sideration. Buffalo Bill's schedule calls for the clos- ing of the season at Richmond, Va., about the middle of October. The Frank A. Kobbins show closes about the same time. As an indication that the Hagenbeck- Wallace circus people are serious in their intention to conduct a winter season in the South this year, it is of record that they have already signed contracts which call for their showing in the Southern coast States as late in the fall as Nov. 21. The John Robinson show is keeping pretty well in the neighborhood of Cin- cinnati. Waterloo, la., Sept. 6. The Barnum & Bailey outfit has been peculiarly unfortunate this season in being delayed in its movements from stand to stand. Thev reached here on the 28th so late that the afternoon show was two and a half hours behind time in open- ing. A wreck on the Great Western at Gladbrook was the cause. The night per- formance drew capacity attendance. Buffalo Bill's Show gave three perform- ances at Cincinnati on the 2nd to capacity business. NO DARK SCENES. Chicago, Sept. 6. The Building Commission has notified every theatre here that darkening the house during performances will not be permitted hereafter. Other restrictions have also been imposed. SECOND "COPY" ACT. Chicago, Sept. 6. A counterpart act of Don Leno's "Happy Youngsters," owned by Victor Kremer, the music publisher, is being or- ganized by W. F. Henderson, the vaude- ville agent, of Chicago. Most of the boys and girls with the Kremer outfit have been engaged and all the dialogue, business and wardrobe and props used in the other will be duplicated. No special scenery will be used. Joe Bushonville will have the Italian part. The Kremer act has made a number of changes in the roster, but remains the same otherwise. The idea in its present state was introduced in vaude- ville by Gus Edwards' "School Boys and Girls." "The Night Owls" opened at the Olym- pic, Brooklyn, Monday afternoon. Due to a delay in receiving the baggage, the mem- bers of the organization were obliged to give the performance in civilian attire. Alfred Sutro's one-act play "A Maker of Men," which was presented at the Empire, New York, by Charles Frohman, is the piece which Margaret Fealy will use in vaudeville. NOTES Beginning in October the Sixth Avenue front of the Hippodrome will be given over to stores, which will materially re- duce the width of the tremendous prom- enade on the ground floor. On Monday evening George Primrose lost a valuable watch charm in the dress- ing room of Hammerstein's and failed to recover it. It was presented to him nir.ny years ago by George Thatcher, Billy liice and William H. West, his former as- sociates. Julius Steger in "The Fifth Command- ment" opens his season at the Grand Opera House, Pittsburg, on Monday. The rooms on the eighth floor of the St. James building formerly oc- cupied by Hunt & Follette and Charles Bornhaupt have been leased by the United Offices. One will be in use by the Oipheum Circuit for the transaction of its foreign business, while the other (Born- l.aupt's) will be taken by Harry Davis and J. H. Moore as their local head- quarters. The Gotham, Brooklyn, opens Monday; the Novelty one week later. Charles Missett is assistant manager at the Colonial. Mr. Missett was formerly marager of the Empire, Glasgow, Scot- land. Alfred Butt, manager of the Palace, London, is expected here next month. Max Berol-Konorah was elected to the presidency of the I. A. L. on Aug. 26, at a yearly salary, by over a two-thirds ma- jority vote. Myers & Keller will remove from their present offices to the Shubert building, at 39th street and Broadway, on Oct. 1. Stevens and Keeley have ceased to be team. Adolf Zink, the Lilliputian comedian, in now under the management of J. H. Lu- bin. Mr. Zink has been booked for 40 weeks by the United. Lizzie Derius Daly opens Sept. 10 at Wilmington with a new act to be called "Lizzie Daly and Her Six Creole Belles." It was written and arranged by Williams and Walker and Cole and Johnson. LeMaire and LeMaire are due in the city Oct. 14, when they expect to play a New York opening secured by Alf T. Wil- ton, the agent. Harry Mundorff will have charge of the bookings for the new Proctor house in Elizabeth, opened this week. Mr. Mun- dorff will also resume his booking of the Sunday night concerts in the local K.-P. theatres. During the evening performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, Duluth, last week, when Watson's Burlesquers occu- pied the stage, the lights suddenly failed and part of the performance was given by candles. Watson enlivened the pro- ceedings by "pulling locals."