Reminiscences of a Showman

Mr. Cooke now tells the story of the historic Barnum & Bailey engagement in London. He goes into interesting details of the arrangements made in this country and the work that was necessary to make the show a success in London. The tremendous success of the engagement is pictured with pardonable pride. Mr. Cooke also speaks of the sensation which Mr. Barnum's arrival created and of the presentation of the great showman to the royal family.

Pursuing the history, Mr. Cooke speaks of the purchase of the Forepaugh show after the death of its owner, and explains how and why a part of that big concern was used in outfitting Buffalo Bill's "Wild West" for its career upon the road.

The winter season of 1888 and 1889 was uneventful except that lavish expenditures were made in fitting up the show for an Eastern tour, the previous season having been devoted almost entirely to the West and Southwest. As I have stated, it closed rather abruptly at Marshall, Tex., on account of yellow fever in the Southern States and we shipped direct to Bridgeport, Conn.

The spring tour opened at Madison Square Garden March 23 and continued until April 20, going thence to Brooklyn for one week, whence we took the regular road tour, covering New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and as far east as Quebec, Canada, and thence back through Canada as far west as Chatham and St. Thomas. Thence we went to Erie, Pa., and back through Pennsylvania to Altoona, where we closed the season September 28, shipping direct to winter quarters at Bridgeport, Conn., preparatory to sailing to London, England, on October 20, 1889.

Mr. Bailey's Ambition.

Incidental to the venture of Mr. Bailey in taking the big show abroad for the experiment of a winter season in London, it may be stated that it was always his ambition to conquer both the old and new world, giving both the "Greatest Show on Earth" or anywhere else, for that matter. He therefore instructed Mr. Starr, who was familiar with everything in the amusement line on the other side of the Atlantic, to secure Olympia, London, England, for a winter season only, with an option for any future time. That was the largest building in existence suitable for show purposes. To intelligently describe its magnitude to the ordinary reader, it may be said that Madison Square Garden could be easily placed within Olympia and not touch a beam, post or girder.

When it was fully decided to carry out this project Mr. Bailey notified Mr. Barnum, when he happened to come to the office. It took the old gentleman by surprise, and he exclaimed:

"Mercy! Mercy! Bailey, you do not mean it! It will cost an awful lot of money for such an undertaking."

"It is all -right, Mr. Barnum," replied Bailey. “I have figured it all out, and if we don't make more than our wintering expenses it will be, a big thing, for this country. Besides, we can do something new, and if we want to go to England again it will be a good introduction."

"All right, if you say so," remarked Mr. Barnum, and the controversy ended.

An amusing incident in this connection occurred a few days later, when Mr. Barnum came into the office in a rather excited manner and I remarked: "Bailey, I have just been talking with a very intelligent man down there on the sidewalk in front of the garden who is watching our bill posters put up the bills, which I admire very much.

"During the conversation this man asked me if I thought it was advisable to take Jumbo's skin and skeleton back to London, as the English people were very peculiar and it might create a wrong impression. That set me thinking. I asked him where he came from, and he said, from Canada, and that he had been brought up with the English people."

Just at that moment one of our agents, I. V. Strebig, came into the outer office and said: "He did not know but that he had made a great mistake as he had just met Mr. Barnum down on the sidewalk and that in his conversation with him in regard to Jumbo, Mr. Barnum had rushed off very much excited." When these stories were connected the cat was out of the bag, as Mr. Barnum had been talking to one of his own agents and did not know it, and the hearty laugh all around was greatly enjoyed.

Wonderful Spectacular Effects.

During the preliminary work of devising new plans and developing features to make the London engagement as great a success as possible it was suggested that we put on a spectacle with great scenic effects along the lines of the "Great Drama of Civilization" as given by Buffalo Bill at the Garden in previous years.

We had already become quite familiar with a series of outdoor pageants that were then being given by the "Order of Cincinnatus" at Cincinnati under the direction of Mr. John Retig, and as I had personally viewed these spectacles I advised an investigation as to obtaining the rights of foreign production. This suggestion was acted upon and in the course of a few weeks negotiations were closed whereby Mr. Bailey took over the right and title of all these productions, including the "Fall of Babylon," "Moses in Egypt" and "Rome Under Nero."

But we found that the principal things we require were the librettos, title and action of the plays, as the wardrobe and scenery were useless to us for an artistic Metropolitan production. However, I had everything shipped to Bridgeport and we made use of much of this material in giving an outdoor spectacle of the "Fall of Babylon" at one of the parks in Boston, where it ran all summer under the management of Mr. Frank L. Perley.

A Journey for Features.

Once more in midsummer I was started on another journey westward to pick up all the America animals I could find, as it was our proposition to give Great Britain a full-fledged American show.

On this trip outward over the Northern Pacific I happened to find two of the largest silver-tipped bears I ever saw, one of which weighed over 1,000 pounds and was so big that my statement of his weight and length was unbelievable. I was instructed, indeed, not to ship the bears until I verified my statement.

Continuing along the line, I also managed to find two pair of mountain elk broken to drive four-in-hand in harness, which made one of the most unique and attractive teams ever driven on the streets or hippodrome track. In addition to these special features I found plenty of mountain lions, deer, antelope, buffalo and other native animals, as well as a giraffe, some African lions, tigers and other splendid specimens from the zoological gardens at Cincinnati, all of which were purchased for the voyage abroad, which set for October 20 of that year.

The Great Imre Kiralfy Engaged.

Previous to this, however, and before the show closed its road season in this country, I was dispatched to London to meet Mr. Starr and Imre Kiralfy, who had been engaged to produce the spectacle of "Nero" or the Destruction of Rome," as he was then considered, and has since proved himself to be, a master mind in everything spectacular.

As everything was to be done on a most magnificent scale there was no limit to the expenditures for wardrobe, scenery or other effects, and both Mr. Starr and myself were instructed to do our best. Most of the scenery was painted in Paris and Milan from models designed by Mr. Kiralfy, while the terpsichorean department was under the management of Sgr. Eitore Coppini, and the colossal ballets and mis-enscene were designed and produced under Mr. Kiralfy's personal direction.

The Olympia Fitted Out.

It devolved upon me to arrange for the seating of Olympia, also to construct stages and platforms, as the building was entirely devoid of any of these facilities, and our contract called for the structure just as it stood. When completed the interior of the building showed an elipse or elongated open arena with seats circling the ends and the full length of one side. Including the galleries, when seated in a similar form, the building held a little over 12,000 people at a single performance.

The scenery and stage occupied all the opposite side of the eliptic circle and was so arranged that we could utilize the gallery for scenic effects and elevated platforms on which the artists could appear. I distinctly remember that in constructing the stage, which was on the ground level, Mr. Kiralfy insisted upon my extending it well out into the space allotted to the hippodrome track, much against my judgment and belief that it would not meet with Mr. Bailey's approval. But as everything else was all right, and as we were anxious to give Mr. Kiralfy every opportunity to carry out his idea, we completed the stage according to his views and the rehearsals went forard with the tremendous ballet which we had secured in London and from the Continental operas, until Mr. Bailey arrived on the scene late at night.

On showing him through the building for the first time he appeared to be perfectly satisfied with everything except the staging, which reduced the hippodrome track and space for the circus rings. Upon explaining the situation to him he quietly remarked that we would fix that all right, and, sure enough, next morning as soon as the carpenters and workmen appeared he drew a line on the stage floor and instructed them to cut off ten feet just as soon as possible. When Mr. Kiralfy came for a rehearsal of his, ballet at 10 a. m. he, was dumbfounded to see what had taken place and threw up both hands, exclaiming "Mr. Bailey has ruined my artistique success." He was quite heartbroken at the change.

Before attempting to describe the performance or ultimate success of this engagement in the world's metropolis, I must recall some incidents of the voyage and the billing or advertising of the "Great Show" in London.

A New Transportation Route Opened.

In looking about to learn the lay of the land, as well as to make arrangements for the transportation of the show from Liverpool to London by rail, and provide for excursions from all parts of Great Britain to London during our engagement, I ascertained that there were building and about to open some large docks at Milford Haven, on the west coast of Wales. The promoters of these were anxious to get some large ocean steamers to land at that point to test the facilities of the docks, and at the same time point out the direct line of travel from New York to Milford Haven, and thence via the Great Western Railway to London.

It the reader will take the pains to lay a rule or draw a line direct across the ocean from New York to London he will see that it is almost like the arrow’s flight, and it was proposed to build a number of fast steamers to be known as the Arrow Line, between New York and Great Britain.

As we already had a contract with the Anchor Line Steamship Company, then controlling the City of Rome, the largest steamer afloat, it occurred to me that if I could induce them to land our passengers at Milford Haven, instead of London, thus saving over 200 miles in transportation, and get the Great Western Railway, which was equally anxious for an opportunity to prove the feasibility of that route, without going around by way of Liverpool, and thence into London via the North Western or Midland Railway, it would prove a good advertising scheme at least, and give us something to talk about.

It was a very easy matter to get everybody interested at work, and It was finally settled that we would go that way, with all of the people such as performers and others traveling by the City of Rome to make the trial trip. I must compliment the Great Western Railway upon having turned out the finest railway train that I ever rode in on the continent for the service, as they took the pains to give us a special passenger train including the royal equipment which they always used for the Prince of Wales or Queen Victoria, who was living at that time.

With this splendid arrangement we were able to take members of the press and other distinguished people from London to Milford Haven to meet the company and back on the show train as our special guests. On the return trip we made the run from Milford Haven to London, something over 240 miles, in five hours, and landed all our people on the platform at Addison Road station, Kensington, at the very doors of Olympia.

This transaction caused no end of comment in the papers throughout Great Britain, and during the winter it was taken up as a political question in the House of Parliament, as the people from the north, at Liverpool and Glasgow, were very much excited lest this new route should be developed and cut off the traffic in their direction. The verdict was to the effect that they always knew that some Yankee would have to come and open up the docks at Milford Haven, which have since become quite popular for freight and local passenger service.

The Bills Make a Sensation.

When W. H. Gardner, our advertising agent, arrived with his force of bill posters and almost a shipload of printing, the fact became so important that the newspapers issued special editions announcing "The Arrival of Barnum's Bills'' in bulletin and display headlines. When we came to open the packages the illustrated papers were anxious to get copies so they could reproduce them in their publications, and the requests for samples of these bills became so great we had to put them under lock and key in order to protect them. When the posting and distributing began it was nothing unusual for crowds to gather around the billboards and block the streets to such an extent that they had to be cleared by the police, as no such billing had ever before been seen in dear old London.

When the show opened it was not only the talk of the town but the sensation of the age, and from first to last it proved an overwhelming success because of its magnitude, perfection and variety; but as it had been originally arranged to return to America on a certain steamer in the month of February, it was impossible to extend the engagement or make any other arrangements for the return voyage by any other steamer, and the show closed at Olympia in the face of a turn-away business from day to day. I often saw people enough standing outside waiting to get in to fill the building twice over, and it was not infrequent that we were compelled to dismiss the audience through the rear doors, as they could not possibly get through the clamoring crowd waiting for the front doors to open for the next performance.

Mr. Barnum's Reception.

When Mr. Barnum and Mrs. Barnum arrived at Liverpool by one of the fast steamers they were met by myself and a delegation of newspaper correspondents from London, who had been detailed to get an interview with Mr. Barnum on the steamer before landing. This was accomplished without any extra effort. As usual, the wily showman was found in the best of humor, full of anecdote, ready to dance a hornpipe or tell a story, and the news of his personal appearance on the docks at Liverpool was telegraphed to all the leading newspapers in Great Britain, who begged for his portrait and the story of his life, to be published in the next issue.

Royalty Goes to the Circus.

Soon after our opening in London, on November 20, to be precise, we were honored by a visit of the entire royal family,. with the exception of Queen Victoria, who was unable to attend on account of feeble health. Ample provisions were made for the reception of the royal party, and I had the honor of standing arm in arm with Mr. Barnum to receive and escort the entire party through the building. I now have in my possession the program that was held by the Prince of Wales, afterwards the King of England, during the performance given at that time.

Mr. Barnum also attended a banquet given in his honor at the Hotel Victoria soon after the first performance, and the list of nobility that attended on that occasion was pronounced the most distinguished assemblage that had ever graced a private table in the history of Great Britain.

All this goes to demonstrate the good judgment and executive ability of Mr. Bailey in bringing about such complete and finished effects, although he himself remained in the background, being so modest that he could not be induced to figure in any of the ceremonies. For this reason I am anxious to pay a fitting tribute to his early career and usefulness while living, and there is much to be told before ending the story of his life, which will appear later.

The Forepaugh Show Acquired.

The death of Adam Forepaugh occurred while the Barnum & Bailey show was filling its London engagement, and as I had returned to this country to make preliminary arrangements for the annual American tour I immediately got in touch with the executors of the Forepaugh estate and discovered, by the text of the will, that the Forepaugh show would be offered for sale.

These facts were immediately communicated to Mr. Bailey and I strongly advised his taking over that concern. Nothing was done, however, until Mr. Bailey arrived in New York, when further particulars were gone into, and it was finally arranged to purchase the Forepaugh's show in the equal interest of Barnum, Bailey and Cooper, which at once put that organization under Mr. Bailey's control and it opened the season in Philadelphia under that management.

The Adam Forepaugh show continued under this management as an entirely separate organization from the Barnum and Bailey show and routed in such a manner that they never conflicted. But finding the details somewhat burdensome and the last season of that organization proving unprofitable, it was determined to lay it over for a time at least, and the menagerie, including all the wild animals of every kind, was loaned to the zoological garden at Washington, the horses turned out to pasture and the show paraphernalia put into winter quarters at Philadelphia.

New Equipment for the Wild West.

A little later in the winter Mr. Bailey made a proposition to Merritt F. Young, his treasurer, and most confidential associate, and myself to enter into a partnership arrangement with him to operate the Forepaugh outfit, as it was too valuable to lay aside. These arrangements were perfectly satisfactory to all of us and Mr. Young went to Philadelphia to make an inventory of the show property.

During his absence I happened to meet my old and substantial friend, Colonel Cody - "Buffalo Bill" - at the Hoffman House, in New York. The Wild West show had recently closed its engagement at Ambrose Park, South Brooklyn, and I suggested to the colonel that the time was now ripe to put his exhibition on the road as a traveling concern, it having previously confined itself to long engagements at the fairs expositions and in the large cities, which in my opinion has become exhausted.

The colonel immediately acquiesced in this and wanted to know why we could not make some arrangement to operate his show in this manner, it at once occurred to me that the proper thing to do was to take the Forepaugh equipment, so far as the wagons, horses, seats and railway cars were concerned, and thus create a new show, and I hastened back to our office to acquaint Mr. Bailey with this proposition. At first he did not seem to think well of it, as he was not entirely familiar with the Wild West show and its requirements and had no great personal acquaintance with Colonel Cody and Nate Salsbury, the owners of the Wild West exhibition, but requested time to think it over.

On Mr. Young's return from Philadelphia that night I laid in wait for him and grew so enthusiastic in my plan to let the animals remain in Washington and take the balance of the equipment and work it over to handle "Buffalo Bill," that I got him interested before he went home to see Mr. Bailey, with whom he was living. The next morning I formulated my plans so completely, even to the extent of designing a canvas or canopy top to cover the seats, leaving an open arena for the Wild West exhibition, the style of which is now quite familiar to the public, that I was thus able to demonstrate to Mr. Bailey just how such a show could be created and handled and not come at all within the province the circus.

My suggestion was to enter into a contract with Messrs. Cody and Salsbury, we to furnish the equipment for transportation and certain other obligations, they to furnish the arenic performance with everything that pertained thereto, and then work on a percentage basis. Within twenty-four hours I had the contracts drawn up, signed, sealed and delivered, so that Colonel Cody could start for his home in the West. We immediately commenced to develop the new show which was made ready to open in Philadelphia the next spring, where it met with an immediate ovation which continued for the next three years, as the contract had proven so satisfactory that it was renewed from year to year, with but few minor changes.

It was at first understood and agreed that Mr. Young and myself should operate the "Buffalo Bill” outfit, but as matters progressed Mr. Bailey seemed to regret this arrangement. As he explained it, he did not see how he could get along without "Merritt" and myself and thought it best for us to remain with him and let someone else go over to the "Buffalo Bill" show.

Cody and Salsbury were quite anxious to have me with them, as we enjoyed very close friendly relations and had done business together in former years, and I had the utmost confidence in their ability and the drawing power of their exhibition.

While this was being discussed Mr, Bailey came to me one morning saying: "Cooke, if you leave us you will break Merritt's heart, as he almost cried last night when I told him you were going with 'Buffalo Bill,' and we have come to the conclusion that we want you to stay where you are. As everything is working so harmoniously, it is unsafe to make a change. Besides, we want you with us all the time."

J. T. McCaddon, a brother-in-law of Mr. Bailey's, was then appointed as the general manager of the Wild West show, representing Mr. Bailey. W. H. Gardner, who had long been in Mr. Bailey's employ as a general agent and all-around advertiser, took charge of the advance department. These pleasant relations were continued until such time as it was determined to take the Barnum and Bailey show abroad for a tour of Great Britain and the continent, when the question arose, as to what would be done with the "Buffalo Bill" exhibition. The problem was somewhat difficult to solve, on account of the existing conditions in connection with Mr. Bailey's interest in the Forepaugh-Sells Brothers' circus, of which I shall have to tell the reader in another chapter.

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