Variety (September 1908)

VARIETY 11 SOUTHERN ROUTES PROMISE CLOSE CIRCUS OPPOSITION. Ringling Bros 9 Show and "101 Ranch" Play Nashville, Tenn M the Same Day and Clash in Other Southern Railroad Towns. What promises to be the most sensa- tional circus clash of the season is due in Nashville on Oct. 2 when both the Ring- ling Brothers Circus and Miller Brothers '101 Ranch" play the same town. At this writing the Wild West outfit seems to have taken the first trick. The Miller crowd have secured the Baseball Park which is within a few minutes of the busi- ness centre of Nashville, while the Ring- lings are scheduled to raise their big top on a lot some twenty minutes further out. This is only one Southern stand in which the two routes cross each other. They come together again later in Louisville where already the opposition billing bri- gades of both organizations have been very busy. "101 Ranch" also plays Atlanta and Knoxville, both on the Southern Rail- road, as well as some towns on the Louis- ville and Norfolk. This despite the report that the Ring- lings had secured a 30-day "shut-out" con- tract with those roads to follow a similar agreement recently played by the John Robinson shows. It is a curious circumstance according to showmen, that George Aiken was able to grab off a "shut-out" contract from the Southern and L. & N. which none of the other railroad agents were able to break, while Eddie Arlington somehow managed to beat out the Ringling agreement. The latter contract was secured by John Ringling himself. He went into the South- ern territory on his private car some weeks ago and canvassed the ground thor- oughly. The Wallace-Hagenbeck Circus is sched- uled to travel over the Southern during September or October. Late this month the Cole Brothers are due to be in the same neighborhood, while a report has it that the Buffalo Bill Wild West will end its season in one of the South Atlantic States about the middle of November. SUE RINGLINGS FOR $45,000. St. Joseph, Mo., Sept. 10. Seven attachment suits were brought against the Ringling Brothers' Circus when it played here Saturday. A like number of plaintiffs demand damages amounting to $45,000 for injuries re- ceived Sept. 14, 1905, during a severe storm in Marysville, Mo. It is said that these suits are merely test cases and that many others will fol- low. Two of the prospective actions are for damages claimed by the executors of the estates of persons who were fatal- ly injured in the accident, according to the statements of lawyers interested in the present proceedings. Everything on the circus lot was at- tached by Sheriff Henley, who served the attachments, with the exception of the wild animals. This is not a spendthrift community, and the county was willing to leave the feeding of the animals to the showmen in case the outfit were held in town any length of time. The precaution, however, turned out to have been unnecessary. Afternoon and evening performances were given, and the show was able to leave town on time by the defendants filing answer to the suits and putting up bonds. People were turned away at both shows. These same seven suits were brought two years ago when the Ringling show played St. Joe, but at that time the pres- ent law in relation to attachments was not in force, and it was found impossible to secure proper service. The suits are brought by Frances Kane, $2,000; George Dippo, $25,000; John Dip- po, $2,000; Scott McKee, $2,000; Emma King, $2,000; James E. Orme, $10,000; Zachariah Harris, $2,000. At the time of the Marysville blow- down the guy ropes of the big top broke during the afternoon performance. The falling canvas overturned the hippopota- mus cage, crushing William Booth, a resi- dent of Marysville to death, Charles L. Robinson, editor of the Marysville "Repub- lican," was also fatally injured. JAMES SILBON INJURED. Sacramento, Sept. 3. Yesterday afternoon while James Silbon of the Siegrist-Silbon Troupe with the Bar- num-Bailey Circus was about to start his single trapeze act without a net beneath him, one of the guy-ropes broke, throwing Silbon from a height of thirty feet to the ground. The acrobat's nose, jaw and right arm were broken by the fall. Internal injuries nt first feared have not developed, and Sil- bon is slowly improving. It was reported in New York this week that the atrial act had closed and that Todd Siegrist was on his way East. MORE CIRCUS OPPOSITION. The Al. J. Wheeler New Model Show, a fifty-horse wagon outfit, Cole Brothers, a railroad organization, and Howe's Lon- don Shows have been carrying on a three- cornered fight for business in the East and New England, the first-named circus got rather the best of it, its 25-cent admis- sion fee offsetting its handicap in size. In Smithburg, Me., Fletcher Smith left the Wheeler outfit to go with the Cole lirothers, Sept. 3. Two days later Mrs. Wheeler was called away to her home city, Troy, by the news that her father was dangerously ill. She took her young- est son Leland with her. The show will soon go into the South where the season will be extended at least through November. BIG SHOW CLOSES NOV. 14. San Francisco, Sept. 10. The Barnum-Bailey Circus, opening here yesterday, will travel South after this engagement which closes on Sunday next. The season will wind up on Nov. 14, at some stand in Mississippi likely. Rumors that "The Big Show" will not l-'^y- n<uit+ =-'\*»son *re ridiculous. It is more probable that the Barnum-Bailey Circus during the summer of 1009 will re- main in the Middle West and Western ter- ritory altogether. MOVING PICTURE NEWS. "CYCLONET "ON THE JOB." There is a real circus canvas boss, "Cyclone" Cavanagh, in charge of the top which is set up during the performance at the Hippodrome stage. He arrived early this week, and after a few rehears- als by Frank Melville, took charge of the work at the opening Thursday night. "Cyclone" had previously been part of the Ringling Brothers' mechanical forces trav- eling with the Barnum-Bailey show, but -vas "loa^d" to_M./\ &nd»r«on for.ibe Hippodrome performance. He has bossed the raising and packing of the Barnum- Bailey top for twenty years or more, and is one of the best-known experts in the circus world. Cavanagh got his nickname some years ago when the Barnum-Bailey circus was playing through Texas. Late one after- noon a wind storm arose. Cavanagh or- dered his men to the guy ropes in the hope of bracing things enough to prevent a blowdown. When the storm let up enough to permit breathing there was nothing left on the lot but Cavanagh and the guy rope he himself was gripping. "EDUCATIONAL" PICTURES IN CHI- CAGO. Chicago, September 10. Samuel It. Winternitz, who accumulated n fortune in the auction business in Chi- cago, is looking for locations for picture Ilieaties in this city, lie intends establish- ing a chain of about twenty in and around the Windy City. Picture houses are springing up like mushrooms. All are thriving. Kverv hi" street lias a half do/en or more. "Kducational" moving pictures are the latest. Wholesome subjects, such as those dealing with historical incidents, are em- braced in this category. Jeff Callan, former New York ollice manager for the Buffalo Bill Wild West, who is now managing a Keith moving pic- ture establishment in l/cwiston. Me., is taking the "work cure." r J'he job keeps him moving and already he has dropped the ten pounds of liesh accumulated while running the ( 'ody headquarters. Kph Thompson, who is at the Wintcr- garten, Berlin, this month, is anxious to dispose of his herd of elephants. The col- ored trainer is not a well man yet. lie never ex|N>ct.s to visit America again. The Ringlings are making engagements for next season. "Rajah," the ugly tiger of the Bostock arena, attacked Henry Falkendorph, its trainer, the other day, tearing his scalp badly. The tiger leaped upon the man from behind while he was setting the stage. Falkendorph has had several nar- row escapes at Bostock's this summer. PATHE A RENTER. Pat he Freres' American agency an- nounced its entrance into the rental field Sept. 5, and on that day many exhibitors received circular letters from the French concern soliciting business, particularly independents. It was explained at the firm's 25th Street office that the rental adjunct to the establishment was designed as a means of recovering on a large amount of surplus stock for which there seemed no active market through the regular exchanges, whose demand is for "first run" reels. The Pathe people have an immense amount cf old subjects which have never been used, and this property will remain practically dead unless some means is used to dispose of it. The understanding at the Buffalo con- vention in February was that manufac- turers were not to engage in the rental business, although the Vitagraph company has maintained as a separate institution ail exchange which oupplies among others the P. G. Williams vaudeville theatres and Hammerstein's. But this was in existence at the organization of the present trade association. AGREES TO PAY FINE. It is understood that Miles Brothers has agreed to pay a penalty to the manu- facturers' association on the accusation re- cently brought against the firm charg- ing it with committing a breach of the contract operating between the film renter and manufacturer. Report had it that some ten days ago the manufacturers assessed a $6,000 fine against Miles Brothers. In several con- ferences since then that amount is said to have been reduced to $2,500, and this amount the rental concern will pay. FIGHT AMONG UNIONS. The disagreement which started among the Actors' Union, Stage Hands Union and the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in the American Federation of Labor about a year ago, about jurisdiction over the moving picture operators, is said to threaten widespread complications. All three bodies claimed jurisdiction, but it was awarded to tho stage hands. Then the Actors' Union caused the whole controversy to be reopened on the claim that when Ihe original settlement was made by the executive council, the actors were not given a hearing. The question then hung in the air until several weeks ago when the three unions came together for a conference. The electricians want the moving pic- ture operators under their standard and the Actors' Union is willing to have it settled this way, but the latter organiza- tion is unwilling to give the stage hands the contested jurisdiction. Until Samuel Gompers is able to settle the question personally it is likely that nothing more vill be done. But in retaliation the electrical workers threaten to start an agitation in the na- tional association to take awav from the stage hands all workmen back of the stage whose duties would entitle them to mem- bership in some other trade's union. For example they want, stage carpenters to belong to the hinMing trades union, elec- tricians to the I'rot hcrhood of Electrical Workers ef<-.