Bandwagon, September - October 1959

Bandwagon, Vol. 3, No. 5 (Sep-Oct), 1959. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Not all illustrations are included. The Circus Historical Society does not guarantee the accuracy of information contained in the information in these online articles. Information should always be checked with additional sources.

The Rise and Fall of the Great Carmo Circus

In all the annals of English Circus History, there has never been a chronicle to match the extra-ordinary story of the Great Carmo Circus. It is a story which, one imagines, Circus proprietors gathered around their fires on winter evenings, with the snow flakes whirling past the window panes, frighten each other by the telling of it.

The Great Carmo Circus, Menagerie and Horse Show came into being in the early nineteen thirties. Carmo was originally a stage magician playing the theatres of England with an unusual act which carried a large number of animals and featured such novelties as a disappearing elephant. Attracted to the circus world, he went into partnership with Captain Bertram Mills in the late twenties when Mills was just starting his tenting circus, this being an entirely new venture stemming from the successful circus seasons at London's Olympia. Mills and Carmo were both highly independent and individualistic personalities and the partnership did not last long. Bertram Mills assembled a strong steady programme of traditional circus acts, and the circus bearing his name has flourished and is highly respected from that time to the present day.

Carmo had also mustered a first rate programme. He had a dazzling personality in Togare, the lion trainer; Captain Ankner a famous horse trainer; the Carollis riding act; the Hanson Brothers, equilibrists; and members of a famous English circus family, the Scotts, together with other expensive Continental artistes and animals. The prospects looked good for Carmo, as England had not so many large circuses then as it has now and there was plenty of room on the road for another big show.

Then, for the circus world, come the startling news. Carmo was preparing to take his circus on a Winter tenting tour. Now the English winters are not so severe as the North American variety, but they can still be devastating affairs of fog, flood, frost and snow. Undeterred by the warnings and the gloomy forebodings of other circus proprietors, Carmo prepared for his winter journey. He had an especially strong low-pitched tent made, with a heating system largely consisting of coke braziers placed at strategic points under the high seats, and at the main entrance to the show stood a magnificent gilded fair organ with carved figures playing instruments.

There was no competition for Carmo on the road in those winter months, but the circus did not prosper. The English people take a lot of convincing and they would not believe that is was possible to keep warm inside a tent in winter. Rain, mud, and flooded fields added up to poor business and the circus played to half and quarter houses as it wended its wintry way up through the southern counties of England towards the big Midland city of Birmingham. Here on a hard tober in the city centre the circus did its first big business.

Then came disaster. A mid-winter snowstorm struck the city and before the big top could be lowered, the weight of snow tore the tent into a tattered mass of ribbons pierced by splintered tent poles.

The Great Carmo was undaunted by the calamity and immediately ordered another tent. The nation wide publicity resulting from the snow-wrecked tent attracted new and larger audiences and for a while it seemed as if the disaster was a blessing in disguise.

But fate had not finished with the Great Carmo and his circus. Four days after the new tent had been built up, on a morning when the Carollis were practicing in the ring, a tongue of flame was observed licking up the wallings. The alarm was given but in a few minutes the big top was ablaze and amidst the crashing tent poles and flaming canvas the horses and elephants were turned loose to run the streets of Birmingham. Strips of burning canvas falling on the roof of the lions cage had set it ablaze and the demented beasts raged furiously inside their fiery den. Togare, despite efforts of forcible restraint, dashed into their cage and drove the terrified lions to safety in an empty cage wagon pushed along side. There he stayed for hours with them, soothing them and rubbing ointment on their burns. For this brave and humane act he was later to receive a medal from an Animal Protection Society.

But nothing could save the big top. A zebra was burnt to death, and Mary the big elephant had broken three ribs of a groom in her mad rush to safety. Curiously enough after the blaze had subsided, the Carollis white stallion was discovered still running around the charred ring, miraculously unharmed!

Despite this second appalling blow, Carmo refused to give up and a third tent was ordered. The first disaster had attracted the crowds, but now the fire kept the people away and business took a slide as the circus took on the sinister aspect of the show which had had the fire.

There seemed to be a jinx on the show as it wended its way from Birmingham through the dreary North Midlands, exemplified by its poorly patronized stand in the smoky English Potteries at Hanley.

Haunted by creditors, the show limped on to Blackpool where in the early summer, Carmo set up his tents on the South Shore, only a mile or so from the famous Blackpool Tower Circus. The first tent which had been damaged by the snow, had been repaired and was now used in place of the new tent, this one forming cover for the stables and menagerie.

At Blackpool, the circus stayed all summer and did reasonably good business, but the many debts still clouded the circus scene.

There was to be no winter tenting season for Carmo's Circus that year, but in the following summer the circus again built up for a season at Blackpool.

But 1931 was the year of a depression in England and business was poor for the circus that summer. The tent was used for boxing and wrestling, as well as circus in an effort to boost takings, but Carmo's star performers proved too expensive and had to leave. Togare was in tears as he said farewell to his lions: after he left the beasts become intractable and the new trainer was never able to handle them as Togare had done.

Finally it become impossible for Carmo to surmount the mounting debts and the poor business. The circus was sold up at the end of that summer of 1931. The liberties and the school horses went to the Tower Circus. With them went Captain Ankner. Mary the elephant was sold to a German circus, whilst the lions went to an English show only to suffer the sad fate of being fatally overcome by petrol fumes in a closed garage, not so very long afterwards.

Throughout the sad business of the end of his circus Carmo had behaved with immense dignity, silent and proud as he dealt as fairly as he could with his creditors. In the following year he travelled with a small circus owned by a young journalist Ray Stott; the same Raymond Toole Stott who last year published a wonderful Circus and Allied Arts Bibliography, but this show also ended in disaster. Carmo also revived his magical acts for a walk-up "Palace of Mysteries" at Fairs and Exhibitions but it seemed as if all the heart of this great showman had gone and it was not long after his circus tents had folded for the last time, that the Great Carmo died, a sad and dispirited man.

That was the end of the Great Carmo Circus, but it will never be forgotten and its memory will be kept alive by the many paintings and drawings of the show made by the famous English artist, Dame Laura Knight who travelled with the show during its ill-starred career. One of the finest of all her circus pictures, "The Rosinbacks" . . . painted during the sad days in the Potteries, may be seen in the Art Gallery of Stoke on Trent, only a few miles from where the circus stood in those days following the snowstorm and the fire.

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King Bros. Circus 1959 Season

After an absence of two years the title of King Bros. Circus is once again on the road, this time on a fine little canvas show which is one of several new tent circuses to take to the road for the 1959 season.

This year's King Bros. Circus was organized last winter at Sarasota and is owned by RAMCO, Inc., the principal stockholders being members of the Cristiani family. The official staff lists Benny Cristiani, manager; Remo Cristiani, asst. manager; Charles Underwood, general agent; Tripoli Cristiani, director of personnel; Freddie Canistrelli, equestrian director; Paul M. Conway, general counsel; Sam B. Warren, legal adjuster; Ora O. Parks, general press agent; A. Lee Hinckley, bond leader; and Tom Kennedy, concession supt.

Without question this show is perhaps the finest framed and best looking small canvas show I have ever seen. It made a beautiful site on the lot at Covington with everything in spic and span condition. It was only the fourth stand of the season and as yet no rain nor mud had been encountered.

The big top is a brand new 80 ft. round top with three 40 ft. middle pieces made by the U. S. Tent & Awning Co. The canvas is traditional circus white, with the sidewall orange and blue striped. The marquee is trimmed in red and blue. The big top uses four aluminum center poles and one row of quarter poles. Interior of the top is most attractive. The performance is staged in one large center ring and two smaller side rings. The seating capacity is what will amaze you. Chairs are eight high on both sides with blues at both ends twelve high. As a result seats come right to ring curbs with no room for a hippodrome track, however this does not restrict the performance quality at all. The show was simply geared to play towns from 2500 to 25,000 with ample room to accommodate potential customers in the larger spots. Reserve chairs which are as comfortable as on any size show came from the larger Cristiani show last year.

The sideshow is Managed by Jimmy Power and used a blue top which is about a 50 ft. round with one 30 ft. middle. Top has two center poles. The sidewall, also blue in color, is in fair condition, but the top itself is rather shabby and will have to be replaced before long. Likewise the outside banner line is also rather old and faded. However, this is not distracting from the otherwise superior appearance of the entire layout.

For the cookhouse the show uses a very small little tent and only a country sedan and trailer to load cookhouse equipment. Only other canvas on the show is a small concession stand.

The show carries about 8 horses and 6 ponies. Two elephants are carried. They are "Lois," which was purchased from Ringling-Barnum; and "Babe," purchased from the Philadelphia Zoo. Babe had not yet been broken and I was informed that it will take some time to do so. She is used in spec and for the leaps. Elephants are housed in the sideshow.

One cage semi trailer is located in the sideshow and contains 4 lions, 1 bear, and also three small portable cages that are set upon the ground containing (1) 1 eagle, 2 monkeys; (2) 1 porcupine; (3) 2 monkeys. The cage truck is actually a combination which carries the other sideshow equipment as well.

The show is very compactly loaded and travels on about a dozen trucks with another dozen or more privately owned autos, trailers, buses etc. All tractors are late models, mainly Chevrolets with some GMC's. Tractor cabs are painted a light blue-green color. Semi trailers are painted red, with the show's title in white, trimmed in yellow and blue. A crown design is painted over the "Bros." part of the title. At present none of the trucks are numbered.

The truck lineup is as follows: (s) denotes tractor and semi trailer.

(1) s - Poles, canvas, stakes etc.
(2) s - Elephants
(3) s - Horses
(4) s - Light plant
(5) s - Seats, chairs, planks etc.
(6) s - Seats, stringers, jacks, blues, props, etc.
(7) s - Ticket and office wagon.
(8) s - Sideshow, cages built on half of trailer, other side carries poles, canvas, etc. (bunks at one end)
(9) s - Pit show walkthrough type - Whale Show
(10) s - Pit show walkthrough type - Snake Show
(11) s - Pit show walkthrough type - Frontier Days Exhibit - not in operation on lot, but used to carry various equipment, etc.
(12) s - Concession truck and joint trailer.
(13) Stake Driver and Water Wagon (Built for Diano Bros. purchased from Tony Diano)
Country sedan and trailer for cookhouse (very small layout)
Truck, carries pony ride equipment and 6 ponies, and equipment trailer.

The show carries no regular sleeper trucks, however bunks are built into practically every truck with exception of the two seat trucks, and there is plenty of room for the canvas and properties crew.

The show's light plant is a fine new generator and new cable and good lighting fixtures are used and as a result the midway and interior of the big top are well lighted.

The ticket-office wagon is a long semi trailer, painted red, but was not lettered at Covington. When lettered and scrolled it should make a handsome flash.

Tom Kennedy has the concessions on the show. Midway concessions include novelty stand, joint trailer, and regular canvas concession stand.

Show makes a heavy bid for midway attractions. In addition to the regular combination sideshow-menagerie, there is a pony ride, a walkthrough whale show operated by Joe Lewis, and a walkthrough snake show operated by Dick McLaughlin. The large array of midway concessions and pit shows remind one of the Kelly-Miller Circus a few years ago. There is a show or attraction to fit everyone's pocket book. At Covington good play was given all of the pit shows.

The circus plays under auspices but still goes in strong for the conventional outdoor advertising which has proved its worth over the years. The town was decked in half and one sheet lithos of the colorful stock designs used by King Bros. in the past. Also several large billing stands were noted in town and in the surrounding countryside.

The performance which runs about an hour and a half is considerably stronger than you would ordinarily find in a show of this size. This of course is due to the superior acts and showmanship of the Benny Cristiani and Freddie Canistrelli families, cousins and in-laws of the Lucio Cristiaini clan on the larger Cristiani Bros. Circus. Benny and Freddie both are very friendly and personable to visiting fans, and both expressed their enthusiasm with the new show and their pleasure that the first few days had brought good business. A shortage of labor was the only serious worry of the show but it was known that would ease somewhat as the show entered industrial areas of the North.

No printed program has been issued as yet but the performance that was presented at Covington was as follows.

1. Spec, "Wonders of the World"
2. Red Dingler's aerial bars act
3. Buck McLean's Comedy Mule act
4. Cristiani Family Riding act
5. Trained Doberman Pinscher dogs, worked by Aldo and Nina Cristiani
6. Unsupported ladders by the Canistrelli's
7. Clown boxing act - Etolo & Francisco Fornosari
8, Freddie and Ortans Canistrelli rola-bola act
9. Clown walkaround
10. Riding act - Margaret and Evy Karoly
11. Swinging ladders - Joyce and Piero Canistrelli
12. Oreste Canistrelli - head slide
13. Cristiani Family Teeter Board act with Benny, Remo, Tripoli, Chita, and Cosetta Cristiani
14. High School Horses, worked by Evy Karoly
15. Red Dingler and Company - trampoline number
16. Trained elephant act
17. Leaps featuring the Cristianis and Canistrellis

The costuming and wardrobe used by the show is very good and colorful. The clowning is adequate with five clowns cutting it up.

Lee Hinckley leads a fine little four piece band, with 2 trumpets, trombone, and drums. Band is seated on the ground on the short side and sounds very good for it's small size. It is scheduled to be enlarged. At present show has a wild west concert.

To sum up it is the opinion of this reviewer that the show is of superior quality and appearance, and is framed the correct size to play the smaller towns. Use of excellent performance and comfortable grandstand chairs make it possible to also be routed into larger cities and suburbs. One observation notes that to this reviewer there is nothing in the circus world so stirring as the sight of new white canvas in the air. You can have your blues, greens, and striped tops, but for me, give me the traditional white canvas. Likewise traditional red color with white and yellow trim for rolling stock is hard to beat. This year's King show has failed to use the old King color of yellow with red and blue trim for the trucks, and has gone back to circus red.

As an admitted biased reporter when it comes to favoring the canvas show over the indoor and ball park type, and being a person who had much rather spend the day on the lot of a canvas show the size of King Bros. than in the auditorium or ball park of the world's largest, it does my heart good to see the swing back to canvas shows this year. I can't help believe also that the organized fans, the CHS and CFA members who have continually clamored for the return of the canvas show and the traditional circus features in spite of the seemingly inevitable demise of the canvas circus in favor of the indoor or ball park type show, are now seeing the results of their labors. Many have been of the opinion that there is a definite place in the country for several small canvas shows of the King variety and the apparent success of the new ones this season seem to prove this to have been true.

My thanks go to fellow CHS member Richard Reynolds III for visiting and gathering additional data and photos of the King show the next day at Canton, Georgia to be used in this review. Also for the fine photos taken in Charleston, West Virginia a few weeks later by CHS Arthur Thomas.

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A Minister with a Circus

It was twelve o'clock midnight when I found myself alone in a state room of Campbell Brothers private car. I had leaped at a single bound from the midst of the ecclesiastical world into the heart of the circus world. It had required but a few hours to make the transition, but it was complete and the change was great, and yet, not so great as some would suppose, for one finds human nature much the same the world over and there is about as much of it in one man as there is in another. The room was six by nine feet in size and a marvel of compactness and convenience. There were drawers, shelves, hooks, mirror, pincushion, comb case. Besides various and sundry other things in that little room there was also a good bed.

It came about in this way - the Campbell Brothers gave an exhibition in the town where I live and where I am at present. The pastor of one of the best churches in southwestern Kansas. A fellow clergyman said to me, in reference to the circus people, "They are corrupt from one end to the other." I asked him how he knew. "Why," he said, "Don't you believe they are?" I said, I do not know, how do you know? His reply was to the effect that it could not be otherwise. Now I have heard many people say the same things about the church and the ministry and I knew they did not know what they were talking about. Thereupon, I resolved to find out how corrupt the circus was, so I sought and was granted an interview with the Legal Adjuster of the show, Mr. W. P. Campbell. This interview was, however, brief and for that reason unsatisfactory. So, later the whole managing staff sent me an invitation to come "on the show," as they of the circus say and visit them. I accepted the invitation and hence this article.

A description of the way a big circus is managed will no doubt be of interest to many. It is migratory village completely organized. It is a corporation with three hundred men in its employ. It makes and enforces its own rules. The people all work under written contract, in which the rules of the circus are set forth, for the violation of which a man is subject to a fine in any sum the management may deem itself damaged by such violation, or if they see fit, they may fine and discharge the offender. The rules forbid drunkness, gambling, loud and indecent language, short changing, quarreling, fighting and discautious behaviour toward patrons of the show.

There is one set of men who load and unload the trains. There is another who care for the horses and haul the wagons to and from the trains. There are others who drive all the stakes. Still others who have charge of the menagerie. Still others who put up and take down the canvas. Then there are the cooks, the musicians, the performers and the foremen. There is a boss canvas man, a chief cook, a trainmaster, a chief hostler, a bandmaster, a zoologist, a physician, a legal advisor, a cashier, an auditor, a steward, a mail agent, a superintendent of lights, and the car porters. Besides this, there is, of course, the advance man and the corps of advertisers who are subject to his orders.

There are five sleeping cars, one apartment and one privilege car, besides the private car of the proprietors. The train is made up as follows - at the rear is the private car, it has five staterooms, an office and a wash room in one end. A parlor and toilet rooms in the other. The office is equipped with desk, writing table, typewriter, chairs, safe, and couch. They have a variety of plants growing in the car. The windows are curtained and the entire floor is covered with linoleum. The office of this car is the center of the whole organization. Here come all the agents after the evening performance to report and to turn in the receipts of the day. Here also the managing staff meets in executive session. It was, to me, quite a treat to be present at a meeting with the advance agent. This man, who is the eldest of the founders and owners of the show, travels hundreds of miles in advance.

He goes back and forth across the country over which the show is to come noting crop prospects, industrial and economic conditions, and every other thing that is of vital interest to the company. Upon him chiefly rests the responsibility of routing the circus and looking after the advertising. Occasionally he visits the troopers and then he is off again to the advance.

Next is the department car wherein live the families. In this car also live the unmarried women, if there be any. This season the circus has only one unmarried woman with it. All the other women are there with their husbands. There was as I now remember ten families, that is, men and their wives and a few children, some of them had no children, while others had theirs in school. It is not the policy of the company to take with them people who have young children, nor to employ unmarried women who have no near male relative with the show.

Next is the privilege car. It has a lunch counter in one end and tables in the other with a kitchen in the middle. Here a good lunch may be had at almost any time in the day. To this car all the employees have access and equal rights.

After this come the sleeping cars for the men. There are five of them and they will accommodate more than a hundred men to the car. Hence it is seen that there is ample room for all to sleep inside. These cars are veritable hotels. They are kept by porters who are paid by taking twenty-five cents out of every man's weekly wages. All employees are required to disrobe and retire in the same manner they would if in a swell regulated household. After a reasonable hour no loud talking is allowed so that the men can get their rest. This train is frequently inspected and must be kept clean. The porters must make the beds every day. Sweep and ventilate the cars and look after the laundry.

The circus is a democracy so far as eating is concerned, for they all have the same fare. Breakfast and dinner are served on the lots at hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. In this tent there are twelve tables which accommodate sixteen people each. The different departments of the show having their respective tables at which they dine. The food is of substantial character and there is plenty of it. Lunch may be had at the car early in the morning and after the evening performance. So you see the showmen eat four times a day. Contrary to the general impression there is plenty of time for rest and sleep. None of the laboring men work more than eight hours a day, and some not more than five. This last statement does not hold good with respect to the managers. They have long and weary hours. Nor is it true of any in time of a storm. At such time all regularity is broken up and every body works to save the property.

There is a commissary department at which the men can buy ordinary supplies such as shirts, overalls, tobacco and cigars, and many other things of a like nature. This is done to keep them from getting to town. They say "it makes better boys of them." Everybody has equal rights to the services of the company physician without expense to the employee. They have with them tools with which to do black-smithing, harness making and wagon repairing. In short this organization can light down on the plains and in two hours have all the accommodations that are to be found in a town of ordinary size and in the same length of time they can load the whole concern on their trains and be off.

Showmen sign contracts with railroad companies by which the latter are released from all liability for damages in case of wreck and for this reason they cannot insure their property, therefore all such losses are complete. This particular circus pay about $250.00 a day for railroad service. They have more than $70,000.00 invested in the circus and they have a total expense of 1000.00 a day. At a glance one can see that it requires first class business capacity to successfully carry on this enterprise.

As to business ethics, it is my opinion that the proprietors of this circus will compare favorably with any corporation that is in the country. They deal honestly with the people who work for them. I never heard anything to the contrary, but I did hear many of their employees speak in terms of praise regarding this matter and their dealing with the public is of the some general character. No fair minded man ever has any trouble dealing with them. A child can buy anything they have to sell with as much security as he can buy groceries over the counter of a store in his home town.

There is absolutely no danger of being robbed. There is no short changing. There is no gambling and their patrons are treated with perfect courtesy. Their manner of advertising the show is substantially correct. It would be out of the question to advertise a big show just as it is for the reason that they may be able to do one day what they could not do the next. This particular circus does very little specific advertising in Kansas because they are so well and favorably known throughout the state. It was in this state that they began some twenty years ago and they have given a number of exhibitions within its borders almost every year since. Merely to call attention to the fact that the circus is coming to town is in their opinion sufficient where they are well known, and hence they use almost exclusively stock bills. There are many things on the bills that are not to be seen in the show and there are many things in the show that are not on the bills.

If the circus people tried to hold the public up as often as the public tries to hold them up I would brand them as a set of thieves. If there is a counterfeit coin in all the country, they are nearly sure to get it. Their auditor, who is, by the way, a very fine man, and has been in the circus business all his life, told me that he had sold tickets for the Ringling Brothers and for that matter for many other big circuses, and that he had literally thrown hundreds of counterfeit coins in rivers. "I know a counterfeit" said he, "as soon as I touch it, but when thousands of people are crowding up for tickets, it would be nonsense to stop and dispute about a coin. We would lose more than we would make, so I just take them, sort them out at night and the first time the train crosses a river I throw them in.

I have stood at the main entrance with the gate keeper and I have seen women and men try to pass a seven year old for a four year old child, or try to pass a fifteen year old for a ten year old child until the gate keeper would pin them down. Then they would own up that the child was older and in all probability some of these dear souls were members of churches which forbid them to attend a circus because showmen are such thieves and liars.

The time of the legal adjustor is largely occupied in looking after what they call "shakedowns." Here is a good example - A crowd of town boys come to the lots early in the morning, as is often the case, the animal cages were being prepared for exhibition, as they are each day. There is a small opening at the bottom of each cage through which the keepers thrust their mops and rakes in order to cleanse them. These openings were not fastened. A curious boy persisted in raising the shutters to see what was in the cages. Four times he was ordered away, but when there was no one looking he took another peek. There happened to be a couple of tigers in this particular cage and one of them struck him with his front foot making an ugly wound across the boy's face. He was taken at once to a hospital and the wound was dressed all at the expense of the circus and in addition to this he was given $10.00. Nevertheless, the next day the boy's father filed damage suit against them for $20,000.00. The circus cannot afford to go into court and all they can do is to buy themselves out. Sometimes it costs them $500.00. Such things as this frequently occur with them.

They also have to protect themselves from within. One day an employee was seen putting his hand in a lion's cage. One of the managers said to him, "What are you doing, that lion will tear your hand off the first thing you know." He retorted with an a oath, "What do I care, if he did I would get more money for damages than I will ever get for work." It is needless to say that he got his time at once. I sometimes rode at the head of parade with the detective. One day the streets were crowded and a young man in a buggy had driven, with his sweetheart as I suppose, into a place where his horse could not turn without upsetting the buggy. Said Mr. Campbell, "do you see that darned fool." I replied that I did. "If I don't drive him out of there" he said, "likely as not when the elephants come along the horse will become frightened and turn around, break his buggy all to smash, and maybe kill the girl. Then he would sue us for damages."

It has not been my privilege ever in life to meet more obliging and courteous gentlemen than the proprietors of this circus are. They are shrewd, jocose and generous. They take a kindly interest in the moral and material well being of the people who work for them. They have traveled much and have dealt with all classes of people. They are interesting conversationalists and good story tellers. They are strongly attached to their homes and families. It happened that when I was with the circus, none of the proprietors wives were with them. Though some of them are nearly always there. I met but one of their children. He is a young man who bears every mark of a gentleman. He is industrious, sober, clean, and well educated. His father found him smoking a pipe one day. Said he, "it made me so mad that I just ran up to him and snatched that pipe out of his mouth and threw it as far as I could send it." The snatching of the pipe was accompanied with some pointed and pertinent remarks, and it is gratifying to say that the young man has not used tobacco in any manner since.

I suppose the most objectionable feature in all the circus business is the side show. These attractions consist usually of music, singing, snake charming, legerdemain, mind reading, hypnotism, freaks, and dancing. They are put on with the presumption that the people want that kind of a show, and that the organization would be incomplete without it. Doubtless there is a certain class of people who want to see that kind of a show and would be disappointed if they went to a circus and did not see it. The singing is always of the vaudeville variety and I suppose good for those who like that kind of singing. The feature to which most objection is raised is the dancing. In this particular circus all the fancy dancing is done by a man. Even modern circuses seem to hold, in some degree, to the idea of P. T. Barnum, that is, the people like to be hum-bugged and that they will be disappointed if they go to a circus that is entirely free from this. So far as I had opportunity to observe there is nothing positively bad about their side show. Still I must say that in my opinion there are some things that could be more refining and elevating than they are. I made myself some what acquainted with the people who have charge of that part of the concern and they seemed to be decent and respectable folks. Let us remember that the circus is not a benevolent institution. Its primary purpose is to make money and this end is to be attained by amusing and entertaining the people and they try to play to the whole population. The merchant who is wise finds out what people want and then he gets it for them. The showman follows much the same course. He gets for the people what they want. Amusement and entertainment constitutes his merchandise and the show his life-long and only business-nay it is his home. They always talk of the circus as if it never moves. From my point of view I cannot endorse everything done in these shows, neither can I endorse everything that some people do who are members of the church wherein I preach, and besides, I have seen vaudeville and variety shows at county fairs and street carnivals and other like places where the management consisted of local citizens who were rated to be respectable men, compared with which the side show of this circus is a mighty tame affair.

When the patronizing public convinces the showman that they want something more refined and aesthetic, they will get it without a doubt. While there is no effort made here to paliate an unclean show, it must be admitted that the public is largely responsible for the existence of undesirable exhibitions. If the people did not patronize them they could not survive, and moreover, those who go to such shows knowing what they are before they go are no better than the people who put them on.

The improvement which has already been made by these men and others in putting the circus on a better business and moral basis, encourages us to believe that the time may come when all that is objectionable shall be eliminated and confidence and fraternity shall take the place of suspicion and hostility which has so long existed between the circus and certain classes, and if this article does anything toward that end, the writer will feel that it has been well worth his while to make the effort necessary to produce it.

I am aware that there are men in every town who will find out more bad things about a circus by attending a single performance as a spectator than an ordinary man will be traveling with them for a whole month. For instance, they get into a tent in the evening, most likely it is the sideshow tent, and after the performance is over, while the big show is going on and there they see something that is "awful" just the "wise guys" saw it, no one but the "initiated" were there. Any one who ever traveled with a circus knows that there are no spectators in any of the tents after the evening performance.

The moral condition of this show is vastly better than the average man gives them credit for. I had myself ribbed up for all kinds of experiences except the kind I really had. I supposed there would be drunken men about and that I would see several fights and hear quarrels daily. I expected to be rebuffed and spurned and treated with contempt by some of the men. But in this I was delightfully surprised. I saw no liquor. I saw no fight. I saw no gambling. I heard no quarrel. I heard no man curse another. I heard some profanity, but not more than I might have heard on the streets of my home town with a like number of men about me. I heard not one word of vulgarity or indecent language. I was treated with respect and even politeness by all the men. Some of them were a little suspicious, but none of them were discourteous. The management, however, will not claim that the circus is entirely free from evil practices and influences. They will tell you that there is some gambling and drinking among their men, but it is not tolerated by the company and when the guilty parties are found they are dealt with according to the rules as noted above. "Yes" but some one will say, "Don't they have a lot of hoboes with them?" Yes, they have that class with them who are so designated. However, I am much indisposed to call any man by that name. For, "Why should I sit in the scorners seat and hurl the cunic's ban?" I am by nature no better than any other man, but should they be discredited on that account. Every town in the country of any size has the same class more or less. The difference is that with this circus they have to behave themselves and in many towns they let them do about as they please. I do not know of any town that manages this element as well as this particular circus does. They take every precaution to make these men better and when one stops to think, it is not strange that such is the case, for they want sober, honest and industrious men no less than do we of other callings. I have been among miners, railroad graders, bridge builders, steel gangs and threshers. I now give it my deliberate opinion that the laboring men with this circus will compare favorably with any of the classes mentioned above and that they are vastly superior in morals to any camp of railroad graders I have ever known.

The managers, foremen and performers are equal in morals and in intelligence to the average man as they are commonly found over the country.

I was delighted at their genuine politeness. For instance the waiters in their dining tent and car are just as polite as are to be found in a well ordered hotel. One day I stood on the street as the parade went by, I heard a woman say in reference to the circus women, "Anyone can see that they are hard cases." I noticed, however, that the dear sister was at the circus to see the hard cases perform. Now I wish to say that for anything I saw while I was with the circus I have no more right to question the virtue of these women than I have to question that of the matrons of my home town. As I have already stated, all but one of them are there with their husbands and there are no more incentives to an immoral life there than there are in many other places where hundreds of women live. About whose characters there is never any question. It was harder for me to approach the women than it was to approach the men. For Mr. preacher-man let me tell you. They are just as suspicious of you as you are of them, and perhaps, if all the facts were known, their reasons for such suspicion are as good as yours. This difficulty was, however, partly due to circumstances. There were only two times each day that I could talk to them at all. This is, while they were at dinner or between the afternoon and evening performance. When I got somewhat acquainted with these women I found them possessed with all the qualities common to womanhood the world over. They love their children and their homes. They are just as jealous of their reputation as are women in other walks of life and after all, why not?

A preacher said to me, "Do you believe a virtuous woman will expose her person as a circus performer does?" I suspect that the brother had not been to a circus for twenty years and the circus of that day was a very different organization from the one in question. Here is a line from the contract which all performers in this circus must sign; "All performers costume must be of the best and such as are fit to appear before the most refined audiences." If any one of these performers should appear under the hippodrome attired as I have seen college and high school athletes dressed, or as people dress at a fashionable bathing resort, he would be discharged at once. There is no exposure of person in the circus, All the things done by women are beautiful and becoming. They all wear skirts where the nature of the work is such as admits of it, and when otherwise dressed it is much more becoming than many of the abominable habits one may see any day on the streets.

However, no claim is made, even by the circus people themselves, to absolute and universal moral rectitude. They have their trouble with that sort of thing occasionally. But, where will you find a like number of people who never have such trouble. I have known such trouble in the church-nay in the ministry. Shall we therefore condemn the whole church and ministry? That were folly. Then why not "Do unto others as we would have them do unto us?" We often meet the question, "What did you go into such business for?" In many cases their progenitors have been circus people for generations. They have never known anything else. "Well, why don't they quit it?" For the some reason that I cannot quit preaching. Because I don't know how to do anything else. The assumption underlying all such questions is that the circus is inherently bad. It is no part of my present purpose to discuss that phase of the subject, but I will venture to say that if some of these people who ask such questions could get a couple hundred dollars a week for doing a few stunts, they would be willing to take it. All their conscientious scruples would vanish.

Between the afternoon and evening performance is the time for practice. The big tent is alive with children to perform, or training horses, mules, ponies and elephants. This is as interesting as the circus itself. This is also the social hour. At this time the women bring out their sewing and mending and sit in the grand stand. This was the best opportunity I had to converse with them and toward the last there was getting to be quite a disposition to chat with me even on religion.

After the evening performance many go to the lunch car. This is a great place to drink coffee and tell yarns. Contrary to the general impression the circus folks are a jolly crowd.

I was as completely in a new world as if I had gone to the opposite side of our planet. It was to me a world full of new and interesting experiences. These people would listen to me tell stories and recite my experiences till past midnight. I was to them as if I had come across the stormy billows of the sea, from a land six thousand miles away.

We have a great deal to say about the tough element that is with them, but it does not occur to us that they dread our toughs as much as we do theirs.

“What sort of a guarantee will you give us?" said the mayor of a town to one of the proprietors, "that you will not bring a lot of toughs to our town?" Said the showman, “I will give you the very best possible under the circumstances, but what sort of guarantee will you give us that there won't any of your town toughs visit our show while we are here?" I saw young men well dressed, some drunk and vulgar at that show. Compared with which the conduct of the worst man on the circus payroll would be genteel.

We hear also a great deal about the tough crowd that follows them. I asked a man how they did it. "Oh," said he, “they beat their way on the circus train." Now let me say once and for all, that there don't any one hang around that train who is not on the payroll. Any one who knows the temper and discipline of that organization would never make such a statement. Some gypsies went through our town twenty-four hours after the circus was gone, and yet I heard some people say, "That is the kind of stuff the circus brings to town." I heard others say that there was no doubt they were following the show. What in the name of all that is reasonable were they following it for. Nothing could be more ridiculous. The circus moves on an average of one hundred miles a day - pretty good traveling for the gypsies bony old horses.

I remained with the circus over Sunday and preached to them. A thing that had never occurred before in their history. We had a good service. They all listened very attentively and after the sermon many of them came and thanked me with tears in their eyes and told me how much they appreciated my remarks. Several said, "I wish we could have something like that every Sunday.” One man said, "I have been with the circus for twenty years and that is the first time I ever heard any man pray for circus people. I spent the day on the lots with these men. I talked with them about things. They told me about their homes and mothers and fathers. Showed me letters from their relatives and friends. We had discussed the feasibility of organizing some kind of religious society among them. Some of them expressed a willingness to join and take some part in it, and thus the day had been spent and I was weary and dusty. I had not shaved for want of an opportunity and I did not look very tidy. It was about 5 o'clock in the evening when I started back to the car. I made up my mind to call upon the pastor of the church of my denomination. A thing which I did in all the towns we visited while I was with the circus, except one. I told him who I was and that I was with the circus as a guest of the proprietors and that I had preached to them that day and was going down to the car and clean up and would be back in the evening to hear him preach. To say that he gave me a cold reception does by no means express it. I do not know why he treated me so. It may be his way, but it was so different from anything I had met with before that I was much embarrassed. Elsewhere the brethren received me in the manner customary among ministers of the gospel. I attended the services in the evening. The congregation was small but looked like a fine class of people. The sermon was good. It is customary for ministers, particularly of the same denomination, to recognize a visiting brother and ask him to take some part in the services. I was not recognized. I certainly did not care, and would have declined taking any part in the services but I wonder why? It may be that he was ashamed of me. If so, why? Of course I was with the circus and let us admit they are a tough crowd but Christ come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance and He sent his servants to do the same. If I had crossed the ocean to preach to heathen China, no matter how degraded they may have been, then I would have been a hero. Preaching as I did to churchless people at home, had I done anything unbecoming a follower of Him who said, "I came to seek and to save the lost." I have attended missionary conventions when some representative of the church from foreign field would tell us of a village the inhabitants of which wanted the gospel and he had no money with which to support a missionary. I have seen on such occasions the whole congregation melted to tears. I have seen them at such times subscribe large sums of money for the support of foreign missionary enterprises. I cannot criticise such generosity. It is sublime. But here is, as I have already said, a migratory village, the inhabitants of which want the gospel and will extend a hearty welcome to any minister who will visit them on their lots wherever they may chance to be, and if it be on the Sabbath, they will gladly hear him preach. All this can be done without one dollar of expense. This particular circus, which I have tried honestly to describe, is not half so bad as people imagine. Suppose it were worse than we have imagined, are we of the ministry justified in neglecting them? We preach to the idolatrous, lecherous, man-eating heathen, but no one suspects that for that reason we condone their wickedness.

I found men in that circus as for removed from the influence of the church as are the heathen in Africa. It does not matter how vile they are, nor whose fault it is. Nothing can make it wrong for me to try to help them and nothing can make it right for me, as a minister of the gospel, to neglect them. In this same town where I was snubbed by a fellow clergyman. Another minister who is widely known said to me, "Allow me to congratulate you on the work you are doing. Those men need your help and if more of our preachers would do such things we would not have so many jackasses in the pulpit." This reminds me of a conversation I had with one of the men who performs in the circus. He is the eldest of four brothers. They do the work in the high trapeze. These men are athletes of the highest type. What folly to talk about them dissipating when their very lives depend upon a steady nerve and accurate vision. Their work is timed to the fraction of a second. One mistake, one delay, one move made prematurely and life itself is imperilled. Well, he said. "You see it's like this, whenever us before you leave?" I said that I was. Then I asked him if he ever went to church? He said, "Yes, when I am at home, but never when I am on the road," said he. "You see it's like this, whenever we Sunday in a town the ministers take occasion to preach on the circus and they know so little about it and say so many unkind things that are not true, that it makes us sore. Therefore, we do not go. We are gentlemen and those women who are with us are ladies whose honor we will defend anywhere. Besides a fellow don't like to go to church and be skinned every time." Only once in their history have they had a minister come to their lots and invite them to church. It matters not what we think of the circus. It is here to stay. Neither does it matter what we think about people attending it. As Goethe says,

"And clamor as you preachers will a bout it,
The people want amusement and they will not live without it."

Now since we cannot destroy the circus, nor keep people from going to it, it is better it seems to me to use our influence to improve it, rather than stand in the pulpit and make grimaces at it. The fact is that nothing so stirs a small town and surrounding community as a circus, and as long as boys and girls are human beings they will want to go. Until they do go they will always have a gnawing curiosity to see what is inside of a circus tent. Not only boys and girls but many grown people will want to go for the circus does make a powerful appeal to many people. I know that there are those who deny this, but I have seen these same people walk - nay run if necessary, two or three blocks to see the parade. Alleging in justification of their conduct, "that there is no harm in that." We might add, neither is there any expense in it. Now, if it is wrong to watch the parade, "We may as well eat the devil as to drink his broth." Then I have noticed also how some people on circus day secretly rejoice that they have children who are too young to attend alone, so they have a good excuse for going. Declaring in extenuation of their behavior, "I just had to take the children to see the animals."

The circus is largely responsible for the reputation it has in view of the way the business has generally been conducted. There is, however, no reason why a circus may not be clean and perfectly fit for anyone to attend. In this particular show there is nothing in the menagerie nor the circus proper that would shock even the most fastidious, and it is also true that the people are somewhat to blame for the character of the circus. Let the public refuse to patronize any but a clean show and a clean show will be the result.

Although circus life as herein depicted is for better than most people have supposed. yet it has its sable side. Sunday to many of them is not a Sabbath. The nature of the work is such that it can not be. When they arrive in a town on Sunday the train must be unloaded, the stock must be fed and watered and other things to numerous to mention must be done. Yet I was told that they could have religious services on their lots eight Sundays out of ten if there was a minister to do it. They are not by any means the only folks who desecrate the Sabbath. There are mitigating circumstances in connection with their conduct in this regard as noted above. Such desecration of the Sabbath is not nearly so bad as when a railroad company plans deliberately to ship cattle on Sunday and refuses to furnish cars at any other time. Thus forcing cattlemen to ship on that day or not at all.

Neither is it, in my opinion, as bad as when a Chautauqua Company opens its gates on Sunday and runs excursion trains for hundreds of miles in almost every direction and sells tickets to the amount of thousands of dollars. What boots it if there is a sermon on the program? It is Sabbath desecration nevertheless.

The absence of home restraints and influence makes circus life perilous for young men. One can readily see how they might become desperately wicked and unmistakably vile if the management had no care for them and made no effort to restrain them from vicious lives. It gives me pleasure to say that the proprietors of this circus do take an interest in the moral well-being of those who work for them. They exercise a kind of paternal supervision over their men, particularly the younger ones. The modern circus and I mean by this all such as are organized as this one is, has its legal and medical advisors. I would modestly suggest one more incumbent and that is the spiritual advisor or chaplain.

This story retyped from Kansas Magazine, September, 1911. Volume VI, Number 1. J. A. Havirland, 1551 East 65th Street, Chicago, Illinois.

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Mills Bros. Twentieth Anniversary Tour

Mills Brothers opened for its 20th season at Jefferson, Ohio on April 18, 1959. The weather conditions were ideal and the show drew a better than average opening day crowd. The traditional opening day dinner for the press and fans was highlighted by the return appearance of the former governor of Ohio, the Honorable John W. Brown. Governor Brown's more than cursory familiarity with the circus won for him, hands down, the distinction for being the most entertaining banquet speaker who has ever graced the event.

New around the lot in the way of physical equipment were a complete new light plant, two new personnel sleepers, and a new innovation in the concession lineup. This year a single long tent houses the entire department.

The show moves on 26 units besides the private vehicles. There are 22 semi-trailers of which seven are for seat wagons, two for horses, two for elephants, five for sleepers, and one each for concessions, side show, props, light plants, canvas and cookhouse. The remaining four units are on straight bed trucks and carry the stake driver, water tank, working mens' sleeper, and mechanic supplies. One of the seat wagons carries the poles (pictured) and others carry ring curbs, extra seats, and miscellaneous property.

The big top which was new in mid-season 1958 is a 120 with three 40's. The side show, actually a wild life exhibit and the show's five bulls, fills out the midway opposite the concession lineup.

The Staff

Jack Mills, co-owner, publicity director, and chief promoter who sees to it that the money comes in; and brother Jake Mills, co-owner, production director, and chief engineer who sees to it that the money does not go out too fast. A remarkable pair who respect each others opinions. Also vital to the well being of the concern is brother Harry Mills superintendent of the concession.

The booking has been handled by Howard Ahrhart and Larry Lawrence. Ida, wife of Jake Mills is treasurer and Jack Mill's wife Rose has the red wagon. The roster of the brigade of old faithfuls lists: Felix (Fats) Brazauskas, assistant manager; Paul Hudson, transportation superintendent; John Schmidtz, equestrian director; Virgil (Ky) Sagraves, elephant trainer, John (Louisiana) Lewis, boss canvasman, assisted by (Mother) John Makinson; John (Shorty) Walker, chief mechanic; Harry Baker, mail agent; and Peggy Baker, secretary.

Others with a lesser tenure of continuous service are Joe Rossi, bandmaster, Thomas Kelley, steward, Walter Reith, electrician, and Buddy Billings in charge of the ring stock.

The author has been out of touch with the show for two months prior to the time of writing. However, in so far as known, the season has been successful and no unusual incidents have been publicized.

The Performance

A well balanced program of 26 displays opens with the traditional spec in which approximately 40 people appear all flashed up in wardrobe which is for the most part new. The show retains much of the old time circus in its production numbers and presentations of the show-owned stock. Sandor and Edith Bekatow work the two liberty acts, one of eight bays and the other of six blacks, the two pony drills, as well as the dog and dressage numbers. A dozen or so attractive girls appear in the ladder, web, and menage production numbers besides working in the show-framed acrobatic turn billed as the Millets. All were fitted out in new wardrobe designed and made by June Mills and Rita Sagraves, two as handy seamstresses as any show would ever need.

New and noteworthy this year are the Riva Sisters, an Italian family of four, who are top-notch jugglers and, for girls, the best of risely performers. Also new is a roller skating turn, The Hubets, a man and two girls, and the Munos from Spain, a comedy (?) - let's just say that comedy leaves me cold.

Outstanding holdover from last year is the team of Gerda & Pedro whose aerial number (finale pictured) would be a feature on any show. They also know how to sell their talents as tight wire performers. Gerda, herself, does an iron jaw slide for life late in the program. Another holdover is Walter Reith's chair and hand balancing which is skillfully executed.

Welcome back from south of the border after an absence of a few years are The Argentines, a perch act that is presented with finesse and whose distaff side of the team is the hardest working gal on the show. Also welcome back are the perennial Bakers whose juggling skill and style always entertains.

John Schmitz the equestrian director doubles with his wife and son to present a balancing turn featuring a handstand on a high forehead perch. Lolita Perez remained until mid-season with her wire act. A contortionist turn was well presented by Roby and Zelda Lamont. Zelda also produced the choreography for this year's show.

The clown chores were handled by the veterans Harry Baker, Herman Joseph, and Bumpsy Anthony. Coco, Jr., who should not hesitate to bill his featured spot as "The Deluge" is also back from England as producing clown.

Assisted by four of the fair sex, Virgil Sagraves closes the show with the elephants. As long as Miss Burma is around to do her specialties, this will always rate as one of the best in the country.

After an absence of three seasons, Joe Rossi is back with a band of nine pieces; which should also have been allowed to play for the rock and roll dance that immediately followed the spec, even if it had been necessary to change the choreography. This concludes the pitch against tape recordings.

Jefferson, Ohio, April 18, Youngstown 20, Windham 21, Painesville 22, Willowick 23, Fairview Park 24, Independence 25, Lorain 27, Sandusky 28, Clyde 29, Ook Harbor 30.

Trilby, Ohio, May 1, Dearborn, Mich., 2, Southgate 4, Lavonia 5, Farmington 6, Auburn Heights 7, Royal Oak 8, St. Clair Shores 9, Holly 11, Lapeer 12, Saginow 13, Alma 14, Belding 15, Muskegon 16, Grand Rapids 18, Flint 19, Albion 20, Three Rivers 21, Gary, Ind. 22, Clarendon Hills, Ill. 23, Chicago 25, Harvey 26, Willow Springs 27, Marengo 28, Schiller Park 29, Wilmette 30.

South Beloit, June 1, Polo 2, Sterling 3, Oglesby 4, Earlsville 5, Lincolnwood 6, Kankakee 8, Rantoul 9, Danville 10, Crawfordsville, Ind. 11, Lafayette 12, Indianapolis 13, Greenville, Ohio 15, Van Wert 16, Lima 17, Celina 18, Piqua Troy 19, Vandalia 20, Grove City 22, Delaware 23, Mansfield 24, Parma 2526, Madison 27, Erie, Pa. 29, Cheektowaga, N. Y. 30.

Buffalo, N. Y., July 1, Niagara Falls 2, Clarence 3, Rochester 4, Syracuse 6, Waterville 7, Utica 8, Ft. Plain 9, Gloversville 10, Hudson Falls 11, Albany 13, Williamstown, Mass. 14, Pittsfield 15, Holyoke 16, Turners Falls 17, Ayer 18, Tewksbury 20, Danvers 21, Saugus 22, Randolph 23, Mansfield 24, Webster 25, Red Hook, N.Y. 27, Poughkeepsie 28, Cold Spring 29, Pearl River 30, Fairlawn, N. J. 31.

Fairlawn, N.J., Aug. 1, Bloomingdale 3, Verona 4, Troy Hills 5, Denville 6, Union 7, Woodbridge 8, Eatontown 10, Point Pleasant 11, Toms River 12, Stone Harbor 13, Millville 14, Cologne 15, Woodbury 17, Pennsville 18, Marcus Hook, Pa. 19, King Prussia 20, Quakertown 21, Easton 22, Ephrata 24, Lancaster 25, Florin 26, York 27, New Oxford 28, Elkridge, Md. 29, Severna Park 31.

Forestville, Md., Sept 1, Laurel 2, Bethesda 3, Fredrick 4, Hagerstown 5, Jeanette, Pa. 7, Trafford 8, Vandergrift 9, Midland 10, Burgettstown 11, West Brownsville 12, Clarksburg, W. Va. 14, Fairmont 15, West Union 16, Mariette, Ohio 17, Parkersburg, W. Va. 18, Charleston 19, Huntington 21, Piketon, Ohio 22, Wilmington 23, Lebanon 24, Connersville, Ind. 25, Southport 26, Bloomington 28, Vincennes 29, Evansville 30.

Loogootee, October 1, Bedford 2, Salem 3, Montgomery, Ohio 5, Montfort Heights 6, Fairfield 7, Far Hills (Dayton) 8, Medway 9, Worthington 10, Grove Port (Columbus) 12.

Season Ends. Winter Quarters, Jefferson, Ohio. Season Mileage, 6,420 miles.

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Dode Fisk Great Combined Shows, 1910

From authentic information it is learned John Marshall was the band leader with Ringling Bros. in 1890 and William F. Weldon band leader 1891-1896. Weldon was also band leader with the Dode Fisk Great Combined Shows 1907-1910. The writer was with Weldon's band, 20 in number, from August 29, 1910 to closing date. Guy Repasz solo cornet, and Jim McMonies piccolo, who were in Weldon's band on Ringling Bros., were also in Weldon's band, 1910.

Season 1910 Official Route

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Two Closings in One Year

When the Great Wallace Shows played Riverside, California, Nov. 4, 1898, it was but a few days before the closing of the second tour in one year.

Recently Mrs. William West of the Miami County Historical Society of Peru, Indiana, furnished me with some interesting information on the Wallace shows in 1898.

In the Peru Republican of January 7, 1898, told of how the show was back in quarters after closing a few days previous at Gainsville, Florida.

The show had opened in Peru on April 17, 1898, Was out 38 weeks, traveled 15,000 miles, used 25 railroads and played in 17 states.

It was in quarters but a short time opening again in Peru on April 30 of the same year.

It remained in Indiana for a week, playing Illinois, a short time in Alberta, Canada following Wisconsin.

At Racine Joe Anderson, an elephant handler, was killed by Prince.

The Republican of Nov. 25, 1898 tells how the show returned to the states and went west almost direct to the Truckee, California via long jumps, reaching the latter city on October 4.

For nine days the show exhibited to turn-away crowds in Central Park, San Francisco.

The show left California after Riverside closing the season at Albuquerque, New Mexico, Nov. 12.

It was an unusually long run to winter quarters; not arriving there until the 18th.

Thus the two closings in 1898 were Florida in January and New Mexico in November.

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