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Excerpts From the New York Clipper - 1900s
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The New York Clipper was a weekly trade newspaper for the entertainment industry from 1853 to the 1920s, when it became Variety. Microfilms of the Clipper are available from various libraries and other sources. The Clipper contained regular news about circuses. These excerpts are interesting for the information on circuses, acts, personnel and circus life. Included here are a limited number of dates and amount of information on circuses published in the Clipper. Note: the Clipper had typographical errors, and the transcription will have additional typos. All information should be checked with additional sources. Transcribed by Judy Griffin.
1910
The Circus License Abuse, By Clinton Newton. Now that the 1910 tented season is rapidly forming itself into shape and is nearly on top of us, a few words in behalf of the managers of the smaller tented shows will not be amiss, and I believe it will be of interest to them. During the seasons of 1908 and 1909 there was an almost universal tendency on the part of officials in the smaller cities, towns and villages of the States, to increase in an alarming degree the prices of corporate licenses, and all without any practical reason. Managers should all unite and form an organization for the betterment of this condition, and try to remedy it. And this should be done at once, not wait and say: "Well, we had better wait until next Winter, and then we will organize and try to do something."With the increased cost of transportation charges and the tendency of the soaring of prices of provisions and fodder, the time is nearly here when the owners of the smaller shows will be compelled to change the policy of their shows for self-protection or go out of business. The Increase of everything works a hardship on these enterprises, and the licenses are a big Iiem. The smaller towns want the shows badly, and seem to receive them with open arms - that is, the amusement goers do. But the officials, which are generally composed of the leading merchants and business men, are up in arms against the coming of the shows, just as soon as they see the paper on the walls and in the windows. Special meetings are held at once, raising the license to such an extent that makes it prohibitory to come.
An illustration of this occurred in Florida last December, at West Palm Beach. The contracting agent signed for $25 for the day, the same as the license has always been in the past. On the arrival of the show in town, early A. M., the city clerk and the chief of police informed the show officials that they would be compelled to pay $150 for the day, and also $150 additional for a parade. They claimed that they had a right under their special charter to change their licenses at their pleasure, and also to revoke any licenses contracted for. No notification was sent to the management or the advance car regarding this change; they simply waited until the show arrived.
This same show had played West Palm Beach three successive seasons previous to this, and always gave the best of satisfaction and wağ always welcomed by the public and everybody, in fact. The show refused to pay the charges demanded, and moved the show outside of the corporate limits and was also given the use of a free lot by a committee of liberal minded citizens. The claims of the mayor and councilmen were that the show takes enormous amounts of money away from the town, and that they have made the license so high that thereafter no more tented shows will visit West Palm Beach.
At Titusville, Fla. the same state of affairs and conditions were met with. The license scale was raised at the last moment to $100 for all circuses and tent shows, and $50 for all theatrical, vaudeville and minstrels under canvas, and under no circumstance will these prices be cut for the benefit of any show. Savannah. Ga., has just raised the circus license from $500 per day to $1,000 per day, with absolutely no reduction to any one. They simply tell you that "You needn't come around unless you can pay, which we know that you can afford."
This heavy license, of course, will insure the progressive city of Savannah no circus this coming season, as none of them will be able to pay the amount demanded. In normal conditions Savannah is only a fairly good circus town, the enormous expenses entailed in making the town has always swallowed up what little profit was made. My advice to circus managers is stay away from there for several seasons, and then they will find out what a good thing they are missing, both in a financial and amusement way. Eastman, Ga., has also fallen into line, and has placed the city license for a circus at $100 per day, and all other tented shows at $50 per day, and they are considering very seriously of still making it slightly higher, as they heard that the last show there took away several thousand dollars clear. I have it on good authority that the show did slightly over daily expenses.
Fort Pierce and Palatka, both In Florida, have raised their licenses over fifty per cent, officials in both places declaring that they do not want shows at any time or at any price. This, despite the fact that all of the tented shows that have visited there have been of a high class and refined, and also of a square and honest character. The shows in question had also spent liberal sums of money with the merchants, and had extensively billed the surrounding country and attracted large crowds to town, thus stimulating the business of the local merchants, and really benefiting all branches of town business.
The raising of licenses in corporate limits does not apply only to the Florida and Georgia cases, but seems to be steadily increasing all over the country. The time is now ripe for circus managers to at least make a concerted effort to stick together and remain away from towns and cities that refuse to accord a "living" license. Any of the cities and towns I have referred to never at the best give more than daily expenses, with ??? now and then of a little profit. Literature should be arranged which intelligently explains why shows of a good moral character are a necessity to a community, also that they leave as much money in the town as they take away.
The organisation idea is a good one from many standpoints. Managers will also be able to formulate plans whereby they can do away with "shake downs," dishonest employees and other abuses. The Association is the only hope. Individual effort on the part of managers daily "battling" with the licenses seems to do no good. Just as soon as the show leaves town the same aggressive spirit breaks out on the part of the town ??? Nothing can be done without concerted effort on the part of managers. The sooner they get together, shoulder to shoulder, and work for these betterments, the sooner the results will come. A little correspondence, some lobbying and a few dollars will do the work. I hope to see the time, and in the near future, of the organization of the United Tented Showmen's Association of America. New York Clipper, February 19, 1910, p. 14. Information should be checked with additional sources
1911
Circus Owners' Association Formed. The Circus Owners' Association met at the Sherman House, Chicago, Monday, Jan. 30, "to protect themsetves against the billboard monopoly of the 'Big Four,' and the blacklisting of all high license towns, counties and States." All tented organizations were admitted excepting the Young Buffalo Wild West, ??? by V. C. Seaver, of Peoria and Chicago, His application was refused on account of using the name of "Buffalo." . . . Louis Cook, H. H. Tammen, Edw. Arlington, Major Lillie, W. H. Horton, . . . J. M Keller, R. M. Harvey, John G. Robinson, H. B. Gentry, Fred Gollmar, A. G. Campbell, Geo. Sun, Walter Main and Jerry Mugivan were admitted.A discussion started regarding the terms of the average daily output of sheets, which is about 7,000 sheets for a first class circus (42 by 28). The season is about two hundred days, and the show uses three cars and employs sixty billposters. Every big show, therefore, uses an average of 1,400,000 sheets during the season. This paper will average at first cost about four cents a sheet, or about $56,000 for each show in billboard advertising, to say nothing of the expense of the cars, the men and supplies of paste, brushes, etc.
The billposters demand from 20 to 100 per cent, over and above the rates for 1910(?) for various cities and towns. The circus owners flatly turned down the demands of the posters, and decided to curtail the supply of free tickets of certain . . . in some cities, to one ticket for every fifty sheets posted. A special meeting of the circus owners' committee will be held at the ??? Hotel, Cincinnati, on April 3, to consider the question of licenses. It is already decided to cancel much territory in the South and Southwest, where the fees exacted are exorbitant. New York Clipper, February 11, 1911, p. 1291.
Resolution to Bar Circus Standees in Providence. A resolution has been presented in the Providence Board of Aldermen, directing the city solicitor to apply to the legislature for laws to diminish danger in case of fire or panic in circus tents. The move was made as the result of overcrowding in a circus which played here last Summer. The draft of the act proposed in the Board of Aldermen is as follows: "No proprietor of any circus, and no manager, or other person or persons in charge thereof, shall suffer or permit any person to stand or sit, and no person shall stand or sit, in any aisle or passageway or open space around a ring enclosure in any circus tent, in which seats are furnished spectators, during the time of any show or performance, or while spectators are present; and no such proprietors, managers or other person or persons shall sell or suffer to be sold any greater number of tickets of admission to such circus tent, for any show or performance therein at a given time, than the number of seats furnished there, and none of the same shall suffer or permit any greater number of persons to enter such circus tents to attend any show or performance than the number of seats furnished therein provided, that the provisions hereof shall not apply to policemen, ushers or other persons employed or having duties there." New York Clipper, February 11, 1911, p. 1291. Information should be checked with additional sources
1912
Circus News From South America. Arthur Matthews writes from Buenos Aires, May 6: Leaving New York March 20, on S. S. Voltair, and after thirty days' very rough passage, arriving here April 19, finding show business almost at a standstill. Frank Brown is wintering in Rosario. Delmaura has gone to Brazil. The Portuguese Circus Mejestrik is wintering here, also Circo La Plaza. Tony Lewanda's Circo and Menagerie is on his way to Chile. W. W. Walla, his lion tamer, is dead. Mr. Lowanda was badly bitten by one of his tigers. Circo Siegler and Circo Lillie(?) are in Chile. Keller Circo and Menagerie in Bolivia. French Circo Pierrie and Menagerie on his way to Chile. Raffietta Circo is in the South. Spinnelli, in Rio de Janeiro. Park Japanese and Hippodrome Circus closed before the end of the Summer seaon. A big circus company from Europe is to open here in the Coliseum Theatre, in September. In my next letter I can give you more details, as I do not think that I will come to America this year with my animals, as it will be too late in the season and too much expenses and risk at this season of the year. I can keep you continually posted on amusement notices, but for this year here the outlook is dull. Three moving picture houses have already closed. Trusting this finds you well, with compliments and best wishes to all, I remain yours truly. Arthur Matthews, care of British Consul, Buenos Aires. Arg. Rep., S. A. New York Clipper, June 15, 1912, p. 11. Information should be checked with additional sources Do you have more information on these shows? Email your documented information for these shows or persons.Copyright © 2002-2008
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Last modified December 2008