Note Sheet 19, July 1945

Note Sheet, No. 19, July 15, 1945. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Illustrations are not included.

The Original Russell Bros. Circus - Season 1913

This overland wagon show was put out on the road and owned by “Hi Bob” Russell, an old time circus clown and juggler. It opened on the first day of April at Sebrell, Va., and was out until the tenth of January of the next year, a very long season.

There were two very unusual facts about this mud show, one was that in all its long season it did not go out of the State of Virginia, and the other was that there was no power, motors, or machinery of any sort except that which was furnished by the men, mules and horses.

Traveling cross country and playing in small villages, cross roads, blacksmith shops and the like, the circus folk once saw two weeks go by without seeing a railroad.

Very little is remembered about the acts or performers on this show, however a parade was given daily with two light cage wagons drawn by one horse each, ponies, horses and mules, and a manually operated calliope or organ mounted on a light wagon pulled by one horse.

When the parade was concluded the wagon with the organ was put inside the main tent and a long handle was extended through the canvas through a specially cut hole. Thereafter throughout the performance workmen took turns furnishing the juice or power for the music from the outside. For illumination the show had old time carbide lamps to light the evening performance.

The rolling stock consisted of a ticket wagon with a two horse team, a pole wagon with a four or six horse team (depending on the weather), a cook house wagon pulled by a team of mules, the above mentioned light spring cage wagons drawn by one horse apiece, and a canvas wagon with roll top and sides pulled by a two horse team. There was also a bed wagon or sleeper pulled by one team. One extra snake team was handy for pulling in mud.

This was a one ring circus with a sixty foot top. Albert Bailey had the Wild West after show and featured fancy roping and whip cracking.

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