Bandwagon, July 1946

Bandwagon, July, 1946. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Illustrations are not included.

A Tour with the Sells-Floto Circus 26 Years Ago

The 15th Annual Tour of the Sells-Floto Circus was the season of 1920. The Circus opened the season at the Coliseum, Chicago, Ill. Sat. Apr. 3, this being the first time the opening had taken place there. The business was very satisfactory the entire 3 wks. and the fine program of high class circus acts presented met with the approval of all. The first stand under canvas was St. Louis, Mo. for 4 days, the lot being at Vanderventer and LeClede streets, an ideal location right in the city. The entire spread of canvas was new and the show presented a fine appearance on the lot. Beautiful weather prevailed the entire engagement. The parade the first day attracted thousands and whet the appetite of the onlookers to see the big show. A 4 pole Big Top was used with 2 rings and center stage. A 30 car Circus.

I recall from memory only some of the staff as follows: H. B. Gentry was general manager 1917 to 1920. Harvey Bruner, who was with Gentry Bros. many years as treasurer, filled the same position with Sells-Floto. Bill Curtiss was sup't. and the inventor of the big spool mounted in heavy gear. The middle pieces of the Big Top were rolled up on this spool, and to my knowledge Sells-Floto was the only Circus ever to use this. Chaw. Luckey was boss property men and with show many years and now with Cole Bros. C. L. Brown was bandmaster of the Sells-Floto Concert Band of 22, and was with show 1917 to 1920. Wm. Wells was equestrian director, another veteran of the Gentry Bros. Show. Doc Palmer was manager of the Museum or Side Show with the usual line up of side show features, including the Honduras Twins, 2 girls joined together at the side. George Meyers was big show announcer and in charge of the after show concert which was The Big Musical Extravaganza with 24 ballet girls, singers, and dancers. Also taking part in this was Arthur Borella playing his saxophone solo Carnival of Venice. After show concert was given on the center stage with a regular theatre back drop.

One special feature, a lady performer, Dainty Marie was engaged for the Chicago and St. Louis engagements only and appeared in an aerial display similar to the act performed by Lillian Lietzel with the Ringling Bros. Circus. No Wild West acts were with show. Georges Carpentier champion boxer was with show after the St. Louis engagement but remained only for a few wks. Did a boxing bout with a partner in the concert. John Del Veccho played the steam calliope in parade and sold concert tickets.

I have no official program of the season, however I recall these acts from memory and regret if I have overlooked any performers that made up the well balanced program. Wm. Wells equestrian director presented some well trained horses. The performance opened with the regular grand entree. The Hobsons and the Hodginis were the riding troupes appearing in their equestrian feats of horsemanship with beautiful horses in the 2 rings. The Le Grohs, one lady and 2 gents in an amazing display of unparalled contortions to the strains of an old circus favorite The Cocoanut Dance. The writer met this troupe a few yrs. later on the Pantages Vaudeville circuit. There were 2 aerial bar acts one the Bert Delno trio. Paul Brachard hand balancer and contortion act on pedestal. Slats Beeson on the tight wire in girl make up was one of the big features. Ethel Marine and. Stella Rowland iron jaw and trapeze performers, Sweeney and Newton in a novel iron jaw act also did a double trapeze act. Leo Hamilton performed ponies and dogs. Ida Delno was an aerial performer and hand balancer. The Rink-Wright Duo equilibristic feats and excellent ladder balancing. Red Sells, Jack Harris, Earl Shipley were clowns and the last named was official mail man. There was an Arab troupe of 9 men in whirlwind tumbling and pyramid act. Some nice menage horses were featured in the 2 rings and hippodrome track. Blanche Wells was one of the riders and also performed the largest of the elephants Snyder. This animal went on a rampage at Selina, Kan. on Sept. 13 just before doors opened for the afternoon show and caused quite a lot of excitement. After sometime trying to quiet the beast it was found useless and on orders of H. B. Gentry "Snyder" was shot. The elephant at that time was in the care of a man named Boucher.

The 24 ballet girls presented revolving statuary the rings and on stage costumed in white tights and wigs. The big aerial return act was the 4 Flying Nelsons. Performance closed with the Hobson and the Hodgini troupes in both rings in Indian costumes in an exciting display of horsemanship with sleigh bells on horses and red fire burning, while the band played real Indian war dances.

A nice menagerie display was carried with some elegant dens and cages richly carved, some with mirrors and ornamental sunburst wheels. All went in parade. The bandwagon with show for yrs. known as the Elephant Tab. is still to be seen at the Peru quarters or was there during the past few yrs. Elegant lithos and lavish billboard displays of special paper were used by Sells-Floto and plenty of attractive advertising put out in advance.

Following St. Louis we played Terre Haute and Indianapolis, Ind. then into Ohio and Pa., Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Md. were 2 day stands. On Sat. May 22 we were at Albany, N.Y. and from there a 230 mile jump made to Montreal, Canada for Mon. and Tues. Fine business both days en elegant lot and fine weather. Following date was Sherbrooke, Quebec and thousands of French Canadians were disappointed as previous rains had made the lot too soft for exhibition purposes. Only the cook tent and horse tents were erected and train left about dark for Berlin, N.H. Lewiston and Portland, Maine followed. Boston, Mass. was a wk. stand starting May 31 and good business here but Sat. night show lost as a terrific rain flooded the lot on Huntington Ave. Points in N.H., Mass., N.Y. and N.J. were played up to June 24 show then swung back thru the middle west and was at Kansas City, Mo. July 18, 19. Great business and hot weather. Denver, Colo. was a 2 day stand July 26, 27, the home city of the show and the crowds came. Many visitors on hand including Otto Floto the sports editor of the Denver Post. Newspapers devoted plenty of space to the Denver Circus. Kansas City, Kan. was the Aug. 15-16 stand and very hot weather and good business. Labor Day found the show at Council Bluffs, Iowa. A veteran circus man Chas. Andress was on hand at Great Bend, Kan. and Lincoln, Neb. was a 4 day stand during the State Fair. The show was in 5 cities in Tex. at Baton Rouge, La. Oct. l and in New Orleans Oct. 2-3. Two more wks. in the south then into Kent. and Ill. The closing stand of the 1920 tour was East St. Louis, Ill. Sun, Oct. 17. The entire company of the Neil O'Brien Greater Minstrels came over from St. Louis and attended the afternoon show.

28 states were visited during the tour and 1 province of Canada. Total number of show days 179. In Dec. 1920 the Sells-Floto Circus with Tammen and Bonfils owners was sold to Mugivan, Bowers and Ballard, the show finally passing into the hands of John Ringling Sept. 6, 1929 along with 4 other circuses and properties. At the close of 1932 tour the Sells Floto Circus was retired for good. Another great tented amusement institution gone but not forgotten.

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Reminisces of Jake Posey

While in Europe I had one accident, Kings Lynn, England, Aug. 1, 1899. I was making a turn into a very narrow street, when the team entered this street, they were crowding, and pushed me over far enough for my right hub to catch in the door of a saloon, and before I could stop they had pulled the side out of the frame building. No one was injured, and the damage settled for 37 shilling.

While showing in Paris, France, they held a mi-carme parade, similar to the Mardi-Gras, held in New Orleans, on Shrove Tues. They prevailed upon Mr. Bailey to be represented in the parade. Mr. Bailey instructed me to get a team assembled and go out in the parade, Mar. 6, 1902. I had not made parade since Oct. 8, 1900. Consequently, had to put a new team together. I had a French band on the wagon, and when they struck up, their squeaky music, the team struck out. I piled them up, and stopped them, Mr. Bailey came running up, told me to take the team back to the barn. I had been taken over the parade route before and knew there was a hill 4 miles long a short distance ahead. I informed Mr. Bailey of the fact, and told him when I arrived at the top of the hill, I would have them under complete control. He consented for me to go on, which turned out as I said. I left the building at 1 p.m. and arrived back at 9 p.m., had the lines out of my hands once during that time. When I was called in the mayors office, where there was a lot of talk in French which I did not understand, at that time. But before the show ended its engagement in Paris, I was called to the center stage, and presented with a medal, on which was inscribed, in French: Presented to Jacob Posey, Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth, 40 Horse Champion Driver of the World, Mar. 6, 1902.

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Circus Life

I made my opening splurge in 1883 with Ringling Bros. wagon show on Apr. 15. I twas a small frame up, with 15 on the pay roll and one man ahead billing the show. There were 5 Ringling Bros., all good musicians, with us as our band. Their father was a harness and wagon maker, who wanted the boys to learn a trade, but the boys wanted to be showmen, so that was the end of the trade. We opened in Baraboo, Wis. It was a wet cold spring and our business was light and the bank roll got lighter, so we folded up. We had to return to Baraboo the best way we could. I rode plenty of side door sleepers and did some hitch hiking. There was an old circus man in Baraboo, who liked the boys and staked them to a bunch of change, so we opened again and did good business. I was lined out as a flunkey, better known as a waiter, in the dining tent. My salary was very light, $2.50 per wk. plus cakes and hearing the band play. I next became a real singing and talking clown, and was advertised as America’s best and I would not have traded with the President of the U.S. at that time. This was the start of the Biggest, Grandest Show on Earth, the one and only Ringling Bros.

My next move was on to a southern wagon show called the Tuth Bros. A very small outfit on the order of a Ginsey party. When they made some money they would close shop and all get drunk, have a big time and when the bank roll was gone, they would open the show.

I only remained with them a short time and blowed on to another wagon show, as they were about all they had in those times. It was a fair sized wagon show called Allen's Great Eastern the first Circus John H. Sparks put on the road. Chas. Sparks was just 16 yrs. old and played drums and danced in the concert. We had a good band and show. Next move I made was to the Downie & Wheeler Circus.

I made my finish on wagon caravans with Sig Sautell He had a monster wagon show. He was a real Circus man and was horsed up to make big jumps as we used to make 45 and 50 mile jumps. Sig was the promoter of give the men all the eggs they want, with one finger up. Sig had a swift operator, that was his wife Jdeia [sic]. She run the candy stands and knew how many glasses of lemonade was in a barrell, so the butchers could not trim her. She always put 6 peanuts in a bag. There was no city too big for Sig.

I then left the wagon shows and went with a railroad Circus owned by Phineas Barnum better known as P. T. The man that said, it was easy to get 2 10's for a 5 if you knew how. He was a clever showmen and had plenty of tricks to fool the customers. My next move was to the John O'Brien 80 car Circus. This was some troupe, Mr. O'Brien was poor pay and we had a canvasman call on him for some money for clothes and O'Brien told him he was getting 3 squares, seeing the country at his expense and hearing the band play, so that was plenty. However he told him not to worry but to go down town and locate a clothing store with a dummy outside and when the parade was going by, strip the dummy.

I then moved on to the Hunting R.R. Show, the cleanest show on the road. Bob Hunting was very clever singing and talking clown. I stayed with him for 60 weeks. My friend Jean Wack, had the band. He was classed as the loudest and fastest cornet player in the show business. Jake Posey, (40 horse driver) was our boss hostler. The Hunting show was a real show and I left them to go with the 4-Paw Sells Bros. It was a strong grifting outfit as there was a thief everywhere. The show had a short run and I then tried out a Wild West Show with Indians, Cowboys, Cowgirls, Gruncus and Wild Women. Show was run by Maj. G. W. Lillie, better known as Pawnee Bill and he sure had a real wild west show. We played all the big cities in the States and Canada. During our travels thru the Klondikes business was big as money was a mere bag of. A thousand dollars would change hands with a flip of a card or a mere shake of the dice in Dawson City, S.D. I met the great and only Calamity Kate here. She was running the largest drinking and gambling houses in the Klondike. She once made a statement that she had not gone to bed sober for the last 5 yrs.

Now we had our Hey Rubes with the Circus life, something you hear no more of. Almost every day we had one when we played the lumber and mining towns in Ps. and Canada. Sure saw some tough battles. The Ben Wallace Circus had a real frame up for Hey Rube. We had 3 men shot and 4 towners passed on in Mahony City, Pa. Fight started while shooting Zazell out of the cannon. When she landed on the net, some of the miners tried to help her out of the net, that started the battle. The Wallace Show had lots of grifters or lucky boys, always ready to fight. The worst Hey Rube I ever saw was in a small lumber town in Canada. We had 4 men shot and one of the tough boys were in bad shape, the natives were French and Indian. They could not speak the American language and were all real big men and tough. The mayor of the town told Mr. Wallace he would have trouble and that he could not handle the toughs. He said it was up to the show to protect their own lives end property. Mr. Wallace carried 50 carbines on his show and they were placed in the hands of men who knew how to use them. The Circus never wanted trouble and did all they could to keep away from it. Our parade had left the lot and when it returned, the tough French and Indians started cutting the guy lines and canvas. Shortly I heard a shot, so I knew the battle was on. This was the end of my R.R. shows and decided I would try a water outfit, so I joined Andrew Downie Boat Show at Medina, N.Y. We played Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, all week stands. We went all over N.Y., canals, 9 rivers and lakes. It was very nice, out 25 weeks and really got some money. We had one Hey Rube in a little mining town on the Erie canal, at a place called Pheonix, N.Y. Two men were shot and died at Syracuse, N.Y. Andrew Downie was a good all around showman. He would fight as quick as a monkey could take off his hat. During the Hey Rube he broke the mayors arm and threw him in the canal. (This great story has come to you thru the efforts of J. Tracy, one of our most dependable and consistent story writers. He has time and again sent in and dug up interesting stories of the Circus, past and present. How he finds all these old timers is beyond me, but lets hope he keeps up the good work, as we sure appreciate his efforts. The story was in T. Madden's own hand writing and style of expressing himself, nothing was left out, changed or put in, and your Editor is still trying to figure out what is a Gruncus. It sure proves that the early wagon shows had quite a time of it and even the best of them had to start over once in awhile. It should tend for us to look at R.B.B.B. with pride and awe, who came all the way from that little start and thru all kinds of competition to what they are to-day, The Greatest Show On Earth.

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