Bandwagon, May-June 1957

Bandwagon, Vol. 1, May-June, 1957. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Illustrations are not 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.

Circus Wagon History File

With this issue of Bandwagon a new series of short articles on the history of old circus bandwagons, tableaus, and calliopes is begun. Each article will deal with one particular wagon. It is my intention not to dwell on the more noted wagons, most of which are now in museums, and are quite familiar to circus fans, but to attempt to throw a little light on some of the old parade wagons that are not too well known. Anyone knows that an accurate history of many of these old wagons is a most difficult thing to obtain. In these articles there will be much "missing information", some inaccuracies of course, but I hope not too much misinformation. I shall not attempt to guess, but will from time to time give my theory and the concensus of opinion of other wagon historians, when definite information is not known. What is fact shall be so stated, and what is just theory will also be so stated. It is not my intention to present a smooth reading narrative just for the sake of making a good story without regard for fact, as is the case with so many of the current "circus books" and stories on the market today, All readers of this publication are cordially invite to participate in these wagon history discussions. If you disagree with my observations, or can add some facts not mentioned, please write to the editor giving your information so it can be published in connection with these articles.

The wagon we will discuss in this first column is the one commonly referred to as the Howes Great London 1921 Bandwagon No. 1, for identification purposes. The cover illustration shows the wagon as it appeared on the Howes Great London Circus in 1921.

This wagon, which is one of my favorites, was heavily built, with splendid carvings featuring winged angles, musical instruments, and corner statues.

The wagon was built in the winter of 1909-10 by the Leonhardt Wagon Works of Baltimore, Md., for the Norris and Rowe Circus. The carvings were done by Spanjers. This wagon was one of a set of four built and delivered to Norris & Rowe by Leonhardt in the early spring of 1910.

Unfortunately the Norris & Rowe show was in financial difficulty and didn't last but a few weeks after opening the 1910 season. The entire property was sent to Peru, Ind. for sale. The first sale which took place in June 1910 was thrown out by the courts, and a later sale was held in August of that year. Most of the property was purchased by Ben Wallace and William P. Hall. Hall got this particular wagon along with some others of the some set and shipped them to his farm at Lancaster, Mo.

In 1911 and 1912 the wagon was stored at the Hall Farm, and in the early spring of 1913 was sold to the Miller Bros. and Arlington's 101 Ranch Wild West Show.

For the seasons 1913, 1914, 1915, and 1916 the wagon was on the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. In 1917 the 101 property became known as the Jess Willard-Buffalo Bill Wild West Show and toured the 1917 season. Show was owned by Edward Arlington and Jess Willard. After the season closed the show property was stored for several months in Jacksonville, Fla. In 1918 all the Willard show property, including this wagon, was purchased by the Horne Zoological Arena Co. and sent to their place in Kansas City, Mo. I feel sure the wagon sat out the 1918 season in storage. Then it was sold to Fred Buchanan and placed on his Yankee Robinson Circus for the 1919 and 1920 seasons. I am not positive that the wagon was actually on the Yank show other than the 1920 season, but feel reasonably sure it was there also in 1919.

The Yankee Robinson Circus was purchased by Jerry Mugivan and Bert Bowers in the fall of 1920 and upon conclusion of the season the property was sent to the Hall Farm in Lancaster, Mo. Mugivan and Bowers also sent their 15 car Howes Great London Circus that had toured the 1920 season to the Hall Farm to winter. From the best equipment of the two shows a very fine 25 car show called the Howes Great London Circus was framed for the 1921 season. This wagon went along as the No. 1 bandwagon.

In 1922 the Howe shows title was changed to Gollmar Bros. Circus. Some of the printed matter of the show referred to the title as Gollmar Bros. and Yankee Robinson Combined Circus. During the winter of 1921-22 the wagon's outside type sunburst wheels were removed and were replaced by inside type sunbursts, the most common type of wheel of that period.

In 1922 Mugivan and Bowers had operated four circuses, Sells-Floto, Hagenbeck-Wallace, John Robinson's, and Gollmar Bros. For 1923 they cut down operations to three. The best equipment of the 1922 John Robinson Circus and the Gollmar Bros. Circus went into a show called John Robinson Circus for the 1923 season. The Gollmar equipment predominated the new show. This wagon was the No. 1 bandwagon on the John Robinson Circus in both 1923 and 1924.

In 1925 the Mugivan and Bowers units went out intending not to give a street parade, however, due to drop in business the parade was reinstated in May. I have never been positive that this wagon was used on the John Robinson Circus in 1925 but I believe that it was.

A story in the Billboard in May 1925 mentions the parade being put back on the Mugivan and Bowers shows and states the shows were all equipped to parade if necessary when they went out, and needed only to send to Peru for wardrobe. The same story mentioned the fact that it wasn't definite if the steam calliopes would be sent from Peru to the three shows or if they would just use the air calliopes only in the parade as they had all taken the air callies when they went on the road for the season. A later story says that the steam calliopes were shipped from Peru. From these stories I gather that the 1925 parades were complete in every detail, and assume this wagon was used still as the No. 1 bandwagon on the John Robinson Circus.

After the 1925 season this wagon along with the steam calliope that had had the same history since the 1920 season vanishes from Peru. Just what happened to the wagon I am at loss to say. I am firmly convinced it didn't go to another circus or carnival or surely we would have some knowledge of it. The best theory I have heard is that it was destroyed in a fire at Peru about 1926. One of the John Robinson barns burned at Peru about 1926, and there was a later fire the winter of 1929-30, and our best guess is that one of these two fires destroyed the wagon. It had certainly disappeared from Peru before the first of the great wagon burnings took place about 1939.

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Low Bridge and a Giraffe

An unusual problem in railroading occurred several years ago when a circus train was delayed by a low bridge and a giraffe. The animal's head poking through the top of his special crate-car, was three inches too high for the bridge. Trainmen pondered the problem, while circus officials insisted that a headless giraffe would be worse than useless for exhibition purposes.

The next show town was fifty miles up the line, and something had to be done promptly or the performance would not open at the advertised time. The baffled conductor phoned headquarters. The freight clearance expert was called in. He thought the matter over for about thirty seconds, then advised, "Drop a carrot into the giraffe's cage."

The carrot was dropped.

The giraffe ducked down to get it.

The engineer jerked the throttle and the train went under the bridge.

The show opened on time.

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Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World

Note - An exhibition, the intention of which is to educate the spectator, through the medium of animated pictures, in the picturesque life on the Western American Plains in the days just past, showing primitive horsemen who have attained fame; spiced with their counterparts of modern military horsemanship, all combined in an evening's entertainment, rendering the reading of books or the viewing of works of sculptors and artists on these subjects more easily comprehended and, enjoyed in years to come, It is especially instructive to the untravelled and to the rising generation to see authenticated, genuine people of the different nations and races in their characteristic costumes before they have passed away and are left as legacies to the future only through art and history. The principal incidents and episodes have additional interest from having been identified with the life of Colonel W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill).

1 - OVERTURE. Star-spangled Banner - Cowboy Band, Wm. Sweeney, Leader.

2 - GRAND REVIEW. Introducing Rough Riders of the world, genuine Sioux and Cheyenne Indians, Cowboys, Cossacks, Mexicans, Scouts and Guides, veteran members of the United States Cavalry, a group of Western Girl rough riders, and a detachment of color guards, soldiers of the armies of America, England, Germany, Japan, Russia, Arabia and Mexico.

3 - RACES OF RACES. Race between a Cowboy, Cossack, Mexican, Arab and Indian on Mexican, Broncho, Indian and Arabian horses. Attention is directed to the different seats in saddle by the various riders.

4 - U. S. ARTILLERY DRILL. Showing the old muzzle-loading methods. The guns used are relics of the Civil War.

5. - PONY EXPRESS. A former Pony Express rider will show how telegrams of the Republic were distributed and carried across the continent, previous to the building of telegraphs and railways.

6 - EMIGRANT TRAIN. Illustrating a prairie Emigrant train crossing the plains. It is attacked by marauding Indians and they are repulsed by the scouts and cowboys. While in camp there will be a quadrille on horseback and other campfire amusements.

7 - ARABS AND JAPANESE. In various feats of agility.

8 - AN ATTACK ON THE DEADWOOD STAGE-COACH BY INDIANS. Repulse of the Indians and rescue of the stage, passengers and mail by cowboys and scouts.

9 - COL, W. F. CODY. The original BUFFALO BILL, the last of the great scouts, the first to conceive, originate and produce this class of realistic entertainment. He will give an Exhibition of Expert Shooting from horseback, while galloping around the arena.

10 - THE BATTLE OF SUMMIT SPRINGS. One of the deciding conflicts in Indian warfare was fought on July 11, 1869, in eastern Colorado near the border line of Nebraska. The command was composed of the Fifth United States Cavalry and Pawnee scouts under the command of General E. A. Carr of the United States Army. Buffalo Bill was chief of General Carr's scouts and guide. The Indians were renegades from the tribes of Sioux, Cheyennes and Arapahoes, banded together under the leadership of Tall Bull, and were know as "The Dog Soldiers." These Indians had been murdering and committing depredations on the borders of Kansas and Nebraska, and this command had been sent to discover and annihilate them if possible. After several days' scouting, Buffalo Bill found the Indian trail which the command at once followed, and after continuing for more than 200 miles, Buffalo Bill located the Indian camp, and in a spirited assault the forces under General Carr completely routed Tall Bull and his "Dog Soldiers," capturing their entire village, killing many of the warriors and capturing the Indian women and children. They also rescued two white women which the Indians held as prisoners. During the engagement, Buffalo Bill shot and killed the Indian Chief Tall Bull.

11 - DEVLIN ZOUAVES. In manual of arms, lightning drills, finishing with an exhibition of wall-scaling, showing the adaptability of Citizen-soldiery in warfare.

12 - A GROUP OF MEXICANS from Old Mexico will illustrate the use of the lasso.

13 - VETERANS FROM THE SIXTH United States Cavalry in military exercises and exhibitions of athletic sports and horsemanship on western range horses.

14 - JOHNNY BAKER. The celebrated American Marksman.

15 - THE GREAT TRAIN HOLD-UP AND BANDIT HUNTERS OF THE UNION PACIFIC will be a scene representing a train hold-up in the Western wilds. The bandits stop the train, uncouple the engine from the coaches, rob the express car and blow open the safe. Meanwhile the passengers are lined up and despoiled of their valuables. The scene ends with the arrival of the Bandit Hunters of the Union Pacific, who capture or kill the robbers.

16 - INDIAN BOYS' RACE. Racing by Indian boys on bareback ponies.

17 - COWBOYS' FUN. Picking objects from the ground, lassoing, and riding wild horses.

18 - COSSACKS FROM THE CAUCASUS OF RUSSIA. In feats of horsemanship.

19 - A HOLIDAY AT "T-E" RANCH IN WYOMING. The final number on our programme will be a holiday at T-E ranch, the home of Buffalo Bill. The frontiersmen and cowboys have assembled for an afternoon of pleasure, The arrival of the mail-carrier, which is always an important event, and a troop of range horses in High-School Acts. The festivities are interrupted by an attack on the ranch by a band of Indians and they repulsed by the cowboys, the scene of present happy ranch-home life is transposed into one of the old strenuous days by dramatic license to form a climax to the ending of the exhibition to permitting the Red and the White men to line up in compact friendly mass to effectively give the audience a FINAL SALUTE.

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The Circus Doctor Talks About His Odd Patients

"Mexico, Mo., That is where the great saddle horses come from," said Dr. J. Y. Henderson, of the Greatest Show on Earth. "That is also where the Tom Bass bit originated. I have never been there but when I was in school at the University of Texas, they bought horses in Mexico. Of course everyone knows Tom Bass and his greatest of all world champions, Belle Beach. She was a marvel."

The 700 animals at the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey winter quarters in Sarasota, Fla., are the responsibility of Dr. Henderson, chief veterinarian of the circus and his assistant Dr. W. Y. Higgins.

We visited Dr. Henderson and Dr. Higgins at their office where they were preparing to leave for New York and the beginning of the 1956 circus season in Madison Square Garden.

Dr. Henderson won fame in another field, when he wrote "Circus Doctor" as told to Richard Taplinger, This is a volume which is a must for every person interested in animals or the circus. It has been published by Little Brown at $3.50 and also Bantam Books for 25 cents.

Dr. Henderson said that wild animals in captivity have about the some ailments as domesticated ones and are treated in much the same fashion.

They prescribe for them as for domestic animals. "If, for instance, a hippopotamus gets pneumonia, we treat generally as a farm veterinarian would treat a cow. If an antibiotic is called for, we allow for the difference in size in setting the dosage," he said.

"Circus horses, mules and ponies are vaccinated for sleeping sickness and shipping fever, the latter sometimes afflicting horses that are shipped thousands of miles every year."

All of the big cat family - lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, and others - get vaccinations against feline distemper. The veterinarians must watch for moldy hay because if horses eat it they may contract botulism, a disease affecting the brain.

All necessary surgery, except emergency operations are performed while the circus is in winter quarters, On the road, the day's work might include treating a tiger's clawed tail, dosing sick chimpanzes, dusting an elephant's inflamed cuticle, or worming a bear.

They watch the performing elephants carefully. If one bangs a foot on one of the heavy wooden tubs used in the acts, they examine the beast immediately after the act for a sign of injury. If an injury is treated quickly, the veterinarians can short circuit what could develop into serious, costly ailments.

The big cats, the most terrifying of all animals are subject to sinus infection; the elephant's molars are as big as a man's hand and they can and do pull their own teeth.

Gargantua the gorilla, is the most vicious animal ever in captivity and his own worst enemy because when you attempt to treat his ailments he refuses to go along and becomes more dangerous than usual, Dr. Henderson stated.

His job is a dangerous one. He has had to set the broken jaw of a lion, fill a bear's tooth, doctor a colicky camel, the greatest spitters in the world unless it might be the Llama, a member of the same family. He has had to cure a chimpanzee of pneumonia and amputate an alligator's foot. The life of circus doctor isn't without its thrills of a kind.

These comments of Dr. Henderson on the training and treatment of animals indicate some of the problems which face those in the circus world whose duties are in this unusual and dangerous field:

The safety of an animal trainer depends on their ability to keep the animals under control or to defend themselves in other ways against any animal out of control.

"Most trainers agree that the chief fault among trainers and the chief reason for their being hurt is that they become over-confident and are inclined to forget that their animals are still jungle creatures. The trainer who remembers this is always on his guard. The trainer who doesn't eventually get hurt or killed," he said.

The lion is the largest of the cats and not as fierce as people imagine. He is noisy but like noisy people usually friendly. He makes friends easily, is highly intelligent and if caught young can be taught tricks quickly. However trainers have been maimed and sometimes killed by him. A trainer must be alert every second he is in the cage with the animals. This is especially true when the mating season arrives in the Spring and Fall. Then even the most tractable animal may turn and attempt to destroy the trainer who normally he liked and cooperates with docilely.

"An elephant's normal temperature is ninty-nine to a hundred degrees, but the temperature of the veterinarian taking it always shoots sky-high when he is trying to get a reading on an elephant. The Thermometer is about four inches long, but it is breakable; and it can be lost - I always tie a string to the one I am using so I can recover it. And when ever the performance of temperature taking is necessary, I always like to have the elephant trainer handy," he continued.

The elephant, strictly vegetarian, has a small brain considering his size. Their average lifetime is 60 to 80 years. Sometimes their tusks weigh as much as 200 pounds. Both the elephants and rhinos have tender skins. The elephant pitches grass and dust on his back to keep bugs and flies from bothering him.

A large portion of the elephants tusks are removed when they join the circus so that if they should start trouble they would be less dangerous, state Dr. Henderson.

"A horse can be fed a laxative or any other medicine by means of a capsule. There's no trick at all to making a horse swallow such a capsule. This is not true of an elephant. An elephant's mouth can't be held open. His teeth are hard and strong and you can't take a chance on putting your hand in his mouth if you are making him do something he doesn't want to do. He won't swallow anything he doesn't want to swallow, and his tongue is so powerful that nothing can get past it if the elephant doesn't approve. All in all, he is a difficult patient."

In closing his book "Circus Doctor" we quote the following from Dr. Henderson:

"I have learned that the zebra is the animal I would least want to be attacked by. He is the one animal that cannot be defended against or fought off. When he bites his teeth remain closed and his jaws grind until there is nothing left of the thing he is biting. He is a wild, mean, powerful animal and is not just a horse with stripes.

"I have learned how even wild animals will respond to the proper kind of treatment, and that amazing attachments are often formed between human beings and presumably savage animals. But I have learned how foolish people can be in the chances they take with these animals; and also how foolish animals can be, in the chances they take with humans.

"I rate myself not only one of the luckiest animal doctors in America, but also the world's No. 1 circus fan." - L.M.W.

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Tale of When Circus Came to Tazewell in '93

Tazewell, Virginia, December 11, 1948. This week's issue of the Clinch Valley News, Tazewell's weekly newspaper, publishes a letter received by Dr. J. W. Witten from Walter L. Main of Geneva, Ohio, which may bring much pleasure to the residents of the area remaining from the "Gay Nineties" period.

The letter was prompted by the article in the November issue of the Reader's Digest written by Dorothy Walcott in which she told the story of Dr. Witten's "Boys" and the great benefaction he is bestowing upon homeless boys and boys handicapped in obtaining an education.

The letter tells of the advance agent for Walter L. Main's Circus and his failure to secure tent space and show privilege in Bluefield, West Virginia, because of City ordinance. He telegraphed Main the circumstances and added that he had located a lot in Tazewell, Virginia 20 miles distant but that the town was too small.

His reply was, "If free license and lot, book it."

This was in the fall of 1893, The Norfolk & Western Railway ran excursion trains from Bluefield and Norton for the occasion, and the circus was exhibited under great handicaps in an overcrowded tent.

The event created great interest. The railroad yards could not accomodate the 31 over-length cars and the unloading had to be carried on at Pisgah, Tazewell and Burke's Garden. The excursion trains were packed to the last possible passenger, with Bluefield having the appearance of deserted city for the day.

The experience was repeated in 1904 when the season closed and the troupe disbanded here. In order to accomodate the show, personnel whose homes were all over, members of the road's general passenger agent's staff set up a temporary ticket office, and the late F. J. Miles, then local agent, probably handled the most diverse collection of express matter of his long experience.

One shipment was a pair of lions in an ordinary crate, other beasts and reptiles and such paraphernalia as only a circus would have to offer.

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Great News From Down Under

Sydney, Australia, April 5, 1957

This is Easter time and never before has the city of Sydney seen such an array of circus talent within its bounds. The Royal Agricultural Society holds its six million dollar show for 10 days and nights at this time of the year and always, for six weeks, the city is attended by a circus, usually Wirth Bros. But on this occasion we have Wirth Bros. and Bullen Bros. who both claim to be Australia's largest circus and both are vieing for supremacy. In addition to these we have the film "Trapeze" showing at a city picture theatre and also Sole Bros. circus showing the suburbs, so between the lot of them there is what might be termed a circus war. It is difficult to get statistics and figures concerning the box offices of these shows. Its useless asking questions, the truth is not on every tongue. So to get facts one would have to spend many nights to find out for oneself how tickets are selling. This, to a poor hard working family man like myself, would not be practicable. However, as far as I can gather up to date the race is a dead heat and it will not be another three weeks when a cessation of hostilities takes place that I hope to learn which show is licking it's wounds. Will tell you more at the end of the season,

Yours till the tents lose their glory, Sid Baker

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Excerpt from Wally Ahlberg's April "Circus Gossip" Letter

On Thursday night, June 25, 1908, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus train was wrecked at the foot of Chestnut Street in St. Paul, Minn. Eight people were seriously injured and 20 slightly. It was the first section with two coaches with 100 men, two cook wagons, seat wagons, water wagons, etc. Circus was going through St. Paul from New Richmond, Wisconsin, going to Mankato, Minnesota, and moving slowly into the siding when a heavy freight come bearing down the grade, struck the circus in the middle, cutting off four flat cars and the sleepers almost telescoped. Fire started in front of the sleepers but was extinguished by firemen who then helped police remove the injured. Fortunately no animals were on this section. A string of Chicago, Great Western cars were backed in to reload what circus escaped destruction. James Davis was in charge of the train. Owners of the show and performers and animals were in the following section. Damage to the circus equipment was extensive.

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