Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Route Book, 1946

From: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, Inc. Route Book for 1946. Sarasota, FL: F. B. Kelley, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, 1946. Program, staff & performers, day-by-day details of the route. Not included here are the photographs. Permission to place the information from this route book on the Circus Historical Society website has been provided by Feld Entertainment, Inc.™, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey™. Circus World Museum's Parkinson Library provided the photocopy of this route book. All information should be checked with additional sources. There will be spelling and typographical errors.

Through the Years With a Great Show

In the dog days of the Summer of 1868, Dan Rice brought his river circus to McGregor, Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi — and by so doing unwittingly played a part in shaping the future of circus business in America. In view of what happened in succeeding decades, it is obvious that the Ringling brothers inevitably would have entered circus business — but none can deny that Dan Rice gave them a push. The Ringlings themselves always said he did.

When Dan Rice captured the imagination of the sons of August Ruengling (pronounced Ringling), the eldest was in his early 'teens and John, the youngest, was 2. Henry had not yet been born. But young and old in the family joined in presenting backyard circuses where admission was paid in pins or pennies. By 1882 August Ruengling had moved back to Baraboo, Wisconsin, with his maturing brood and his flourishing harness business. Baraboo is the traditional site of the Ringling ancestral acres, but only Otto was born there. His six brothers were natives of McGregor.

Standing more and more in need of the apprenticeship of his sons in the manufacture of honest harness for hard-working horses, August Ruengling looked with deep misgiving on the frivolity of these grown young men who thought they could earn a living by giving shows for Middle Western farm folk who were too busy for such nonsense. He predicted that no good would come of the tour of the Ringling Brothers' Moral Classic Concert Company, launched in the Autumn of 1882.

Much to the amazement of Papa August, his boys came home with cash in hand, prepared to take the road again in 1883. Somewhere along the line of march in '82-'83, a printer had inadvertently changed "Ruengling" to "Ringling," and Ringling it remained when the tour of '83-'84 was launched. Ringling it was in the Spring of 1884 when the brothers set out from Baraboo, in rented wagons drawn by rented horses, with the sort of show at which they had been aiming — a circus!

Compared to the great shows of P. T. Barnum and Adam Forepaugh, it wasn't much of a circus, but it was a beginning. And it had one rule which eased its path toward the top — no patron could be defrauded of even the smallest part of a penny. Grifting showmen sneered at these "Sunday school" yokels from Baraboo — but the grifting showmen are gone and forgotten and the Ringling banner is at the front of the parade, even after they, too, have gone to their Maker.

Fearing that their own unsung name would be inadequate to lure Iowa farm folk into their big top, the Ringlings engaged the services of Ludwig [sic] Lafayette Robinson for the season of 1884. The show was billed as Yankee Robinson and Ringling Brothers' Moral Classic Concert and Hippodrome. No circus, mind you — not for God-fearing Middle Western tillers of the soil!

The Ringlings plowed through the mud of Middle Western states for five more seasons, from 1885 through 1889, before they first broke onto the railroad. In all of those building years, the brothers lived on minimum allowances and poured the bulk of their profits back into the show to expand it. Five of the seven brothers were equal partners — Al G., Charles, Alf T., Otto and John. The other two, Henry and Gus, were not partners and were not active at the outset but entered the business in later years as employes.

The 1889 campaign of the Ringlings was waged under the title of Ringling Bros, and Van Amburgh's Combined Circus and Menagerie. It is noteworthy that, by that time, the Ringlings had enough assurance to place their own name ahead of the historic title they had rented. The season of 1889 was the last in which the Ringlings felt any need of building up their own name with another.

Still insisting that the public had to get an even break, or better, from every one of their employes, the brothers hit the rails in 1890 with a 16-car show billed as Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Railroad Shows — an adaption of or piracy upon the apt slogan of their future rival, Barnum & Bailey, already fixed in the public mind as "The Greatest Show on Earth."

The Ringlings had a bright, clean, small show in 1890. James A. Bailey's brother-in-law, Joseph T. McCaddon, glimpsed the fledgling caravan in Pennsylvania late in the 1890 season and wrote to the great showman, "We will be hearing more and more of these brothers from Wisconsin."

Profits still were poured back into capital investment. The Ringling show grew by five cars a season. By 1894, with 35 to 40 cars in their two-train show, the Ringlings contested Texas territory with the well-established Sells Bros, circus of about the same size — and came off far ahead in the box office. By 1895, the Baraboo brothers were ready to try conclusions with James A. Bailey himself.

The Ringling show was blown up to 45 cars and was scheduled to open in Tattersall's Arena at 16th and Dearborn Streets in Chicago — the first indoor circus engagement in Chicago and the first appearance of the Ringlings in the real big league. The show went on to compete with Barnum & Bailey, on a basis of equality, in the rich, big-city territory of the East.

Heeding the earlier warning of his brother-in-law, Bailey had made Buffalo Bill solvent, given him rolling stock and other equipment and sent him on the road with a 40-car wild west show to help in the fight against the Ringlings. Bailey retained a half-interest in the Bill show, which until then had played only long engagements in the larger cities of America and Europe.

Bailey owned both Barnum & Bailey and Adam Forepaugh outright in 1895, but he left the Forepaugh show in the barn in Philadelphia that season because of the depression. To combat the Ringling threat, Bailey arranged a merger with the Sells brothers for 1896, creating the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros. Great Combined Shows. With this new major show and with the now-mobile Bill Show, Bailey fought the Ringlings, from town to town and from coast to coast. The Barnum & Bailey show entered only slightly into this fight. Bailey had other designs for the authentic Big One.

The little giant of Bridgeport took the Barnum & Bailey show to Europe in the Autumn of 1897 and kept it there through the season of 1902. He profited immensely, but he returned to the United States to find that the progressive Ringling brothers had won the fight against Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros. The Ringlings were ready to have it out with Barnum & Bailey itself.

Always a conciliator, Bailey made a pact with the Ringlings to put an end to the battle for territory. The surviving Sells brothers, Peter and Lewis, were old and ill and eager to quit the sawdust trail. Bailey owned half of the Forepaugh-Sells show. He arranged for the Ringlings to purchase the Sells interest. That left Bailey owning one and one-half of the three big shows. The Ringlings, through their Forepaugh purchase, also owned one and one-half. The Buffalo Bill show was in Europe, following the trail blazed by Barnum & Bailey. Bailey and the Ringlings agreed to cut the American territory three ways.

That deal might have endured for years, but Bailey died suddenly in Mt. Vernon, New York, in April of 1906, and his circus property was on the block. The Ringlings were the only serious bidders. They acquired the Bailey interest in October, 1907, for the then-stupendous sum of $420,000. That gave them full title to Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros, and to Barnum & Bailey, in addition to their own show, Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows. The Ringlings were not interested in the Bill show — and gave it back to Colonel Cody.

The 1907 climax marked the perihelion of the Ringlings as brother showmen. Time began to take its toll. Henry died in New Orleans in 1906. Otto, financial man of the brother combination, passed away at John's Fifth Avenue home in New York while the circus was running at the Garden in 1911. Al G. went next, leaving only Alf T., John and Charles to carry on.

The Ringlings, in 1907, believed that three major shows were too many for American territory and put the Forepaugh-Sells show in the barn at Baraboo. They divided the country between Barnum & Bailey and the show bearing their own name. After one bitter experience of giving the Barnum show to Chicago and opening the Ringling show in Madison Square Garden — in 1909 — the brothers preserved the status quo of the circus world. The Barnum show thereafter began its tour in New York and the Ringling show always in Chicago's Coliseum until the titles were combined in 1919.

Came the time, in the troubled Winter of '18-'19, when only three Ringlings were left and circus executives of Ringling caliber were hard to find. John, Charles and Alf T. decided to merge the two greatest names in circus business and present Ringling Bros, and Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth.

The merger couldn't miss — but Alf T. succumbed before the first merged season had been completed. Charles moved to the Valhalla of Red Wagons and High Canvas in 1926, leaving only John to fight the circus fight.

Threatened with eviction of the Big One from the new Madison Square Garden after he had sold his stock in the Garden corporation in 1929, John Ringling circumvented Garden directors with a neat move which involved the expenditure of $2,000,000. The Garden intended to bring the Sells-Floto show into the New York arena in April of 1930. John beat the Garden to the punch by purchasing outright the holdings of the American Circus Corp. of Indiana. These included the physical properties of, and titles to such shows as Sells-Floto, Hagenbeck-Wallace, John Robinson, Al G. Barnes, Charles Sparks, Buffalo Bill, Howes' Great London, Van Amburgh and others. None has been active since 1939, except the Sparks title which was leased to James Edgar in 1946.

John Ringling died in 1936. Beginning back in the summer of 1932, Samuel Gumpertz had been elected senior vice president of the company and he actively managed the show until after the 1937 tour when John Ringling North, son of Ida North, the sister of the founding brothers, took charge. His officers were his cousin, Robert Ringling; his brother, Henry Ringling North; his aunt, Mrs. Charles Ringling; his cousin, Mrs. Aubrey Ringling, and William P. Dunn, Jr. At the conclusion of the 1942 tour, Robert Ringling was elected to the presidency. He, with James Haley, Aubrey Ringling Haley and Mrs. Charles Ringling, Robert's mother and widow of the late Charles Ringling, as vice presidents, guided the Circus through the remaining war period. At the spring election of 1946, James A. Haley became the head of the organization. John Ringling North, Aubrey Ringling Haley and Mrs. Charles Ringling were named vice presidents and J. R. Griffin secretary-treasurer.

The torch which the Ringling founders passed on to the "youngsters" has been carried in triumph through the greatest war in the world's history and through the worst tragedy of circus annals, the Hartford fire. But the red wagons roll on with pennons still tilted to the challenge of the wind and with Merle Evans' band still blaring the tunes of the trail. The "Big One" is under the personal guidance of its new prexy, Jim Haley. Jim is on the march and the show is on the trail.

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Ringling Bros. - Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, Inc.

James A. Haley, President
John Ringling North, First Vice-President
Aubrey B. Haley, Vice-President
Mrs. Charles Ringling, Vice-President
J. R. Griffin, Secretary-Treasurer

Directors

James A. Haley John Ringling North Mrs. Charles Ringling Aubrey B. Haley Mrs. Charles Ringling

J. R. Griffin Robert Ringling George D. Woods

Executive Staff

George W. Smith, General Manager Edward F. Kelly, Acting Mgr. Lloyd Morgan, Superintendent Fred C. DeWolfe, Treasurer with Show Herbert Duval, Legal Adjuster Walter H. Rairden, Assistant to Mr. DuVal

Arthur R. Hopper, General Agent & Traffic Manager F. Beverly Kelley, Publicity Director Pat Valdo, Director of Perfomance Kaye Klein, Secretary to the President Verena Lawrence, Secretary to the Dir. of Performance

Personnel Traffic and Outdoor Advertising Dept.

Arthur R. Hopper, General Agent and Traffic Manager
F. A. Boudinot, Assistant General Agent
Susan Staton, Secretary to General Agent and Traffic Manger

Contracting Agents

William J. Conway, Al Butler

Advertising Car Number One

Frank Mahery, Manager William Feigley, Boss Billposter James Kennedy, Boss Lithographer William Dowd Charles Smith Roscoe Stevens Joseph Bernstein

S. J. Clauson Thomas Connor F. J. Crowther G. Paul Hale C. L. Heggerness E. M. Jackson James Kerrigan

J. W. McGowen Armand Melanson Arthur Outten E. H. Riche William Schmitt Robert Todd Walter Clark

Advertising Car No. 2

Clyde Carlton, Manager William Albers, Boss Billposter C. Forrest Biggs, Boss Lithographer Earl H. Page

Frank Lee Mack F. Adams Leo Loranger Allan Scharmacher

Harry L. Audette Harold Barrows John Fletcher

Advertising Car No. 3

L. S. Conarroe, Manager F. A. Loeber, Banner Squarer Jack Adams, Boss Bannerman

Anthony J. Jacobs Basil E. Philion Leonard B. Zaruba

Job E. Long D. A. Demirjian

Advertising Inspector: E. J. Caupert, La Rue Deitz

Banner Puller: Joseph Brown

Press and Radio Department

F. Beverly Kelley, Director Edwin Callahan, Press Photographer Allen Lester

Frank Morrissey Bernie Head Sam Stratton

Frank Braden William Fields (N.Y.C. only)

24-Hour Men: William Carr, C. H. Shepherd, Harry (Bottles) Vernotzy, Leon Pickett

Chief of Police: John H. Brice

Mail Man: Alexander Neuburger

Medical Department: Dr. Robert P. Harris; Donald Meyers, First Aid.

Utility Man: John T. Howard

Timekeepers: Joe Dunn, William H. Webster

Big Show Announcer: Arthur L. Springer

Employment Agent Arthur M. Eldridge

Chauffeurs: Harold Nicholson, John Sprissler, Robert Simpson

Commissary: Russell A. Blood, Philip A. Langford

Ticket Wagons

Red Wagon: Theo Forstall, John F. Seawell, Udo Kurka
White Wagon: Michael Gradis, Matthew McGowan
Yellow Wagon: John White, Wm. Rhu McKitrick

Front Door

F. A. Von Rosenberg, Superintendent James Tex Copeland, Assistant Frank Attardi

William E. Downing Karl Krenkel Daniel McCarthy

Thomas O'Hara Tommy O'Neill

Ticket Department

Raymond A. Marlowe, Superintendent Bernard F. Friel Joseph Bainbridge

Richard Beguin Richard R. Iannone

Alva Johnson Wm. Joseph McAleer

Downtown Ticket Agent: Harley Rodgers

Tax Boxes: Philip Hall, Richard Miller

Performers

Big Show Band

Merle Evans, Conductor

Max Ring, Flute and Piccolo Fred Dini, Clarinet Raymond A. Jensen, Clarinet John Shideler, Clarinet Antonio J. Ramirez, Clarinet George Oliva, Clarinet Fred Dini, Clarinet Ralph Gibbs, Clarinet James Schlanz, Clarinet Russel A. Bader, Cornet

Joseph R. Browning, Cornet Philip Garkow, Cornet James M. Downs, Cornet Al Hiltensmith, Cornet Joe Thorne, Cornet Paul S. Davis, French Horn Karl A. Shinner, French Horn Fank W. Regan Jr., French Horn Lewis D. Bader, Trombone Hillis H. Hunter, Trombone

Andy Grainger, Trombone James Bradley, Trombone John Horak, Baritone Clarence L. Bennett, Baritone Clinton Evans, Bass Joyce C. Kronk, Bass Amos Thompson, Drum Rollin E. Sherbundy, Drum William E. Sten, Calliope

Side Show

Fred Smythe, Manager
Bobby Hasson, Assistant
Ticket Sellers: Eldon W. Adams, Harry N. Brown, Bobby Hasson
Lecturers: Orrie Frederick Friend, Jack Gilman
Ticket Takers: C. D. Smith, Robert Crawford
Supt. of Sound Projection: Robert Lee Brazil

Attractions

Freda Pushnik, Armless and Legless Girl Mr. and Mrs. Fischer, Giant and Giantess Rasmus Neilsen, Tattooed Strong Man Mo-Lay, Comedy Juggler Alex Linton, Champion Sword Swallower Mossa Kutty Singlee, Fire Proof Man Percy Pape, Living Skeleton Tiny Town, World's Smallest People

Jubilee Minstrels, Premier Blackface Performers Naeole's Hawaiians, South Seas Entertainers Joe Nawrath, Musical Midget Irene Parry, Fat Lady Charles Roark, Ventriloquist Betty Broadbent, Tattooed Lady Orrie Frederick Friend, Magician and Lecturer Major Mite, World's Smallest Midget

Tinytown Midgets

Harry Doll, Daisy Doll, Gracie Doll, Tiny Doll, Major Mite, Joe Nawrath

Naeole's Hawaiians

David Naeole, Jr., Director and Steel Guitar Stanley R. Belmonte, Spanish Guitar John Alvarez Condex, Spanish Guitar Ani Kaiulani, 2nd Steel Guitar Alola Naeole, Dancer

Erma Pushnik, Dancer Pat Tramm, Dancer Mary Jane Paschal, Dancer Trixie Moran, Dancer Elsa Kaiulani, Dancer

Arthur A. Wright's Band and Minstrels

William Matthews, 1st Clarinet & Sax Johnny Brown, 2nd Clarinet & Sax Harry K. Franklin, 1st Trumpet Clarence Williams, 1st Trumpet Isaac T. Demby, 2nd Trumpet M. O. Russell, 1st Melophtone & Sax William E. Fields, 2nd Melophone & Sax

Harvey Lankford, 1st Trombone Oliver Pettaway, 2nd Trombone Wm. Thomas, Baritone Harrison R. Hall, Bass Andrew Gibbs, Traps Wesley Nettles, Bass Drum Arthur A. Wright, Director & Trumpet

Minstrels

Leo C. Boatner, Comedian Lewis Barton, Dancer & Comedian Slim Russell, Master of Ceremony Slim Butler, Dancer

Dusty Cunningham, Comedian Lionel S. Moore, Singer & Dancer Archie Collins, Dancer

Menagerie Department

John Sabo, Superintendent
Joseph Costa, Assistant

Roy S. Bates Paul Earhart Charlie L'Herrison Luke A. Mead

John Nematz Frank Setting Roland Shaw Charles J. Tanner

Woodrow Wade Fred Wells Chester M. Worley James S. Wright

Cook House Department

George J. Blood, Superintendent
Assistants: Frank Bowen, Walter Kloss, Archie Blood

John Askew, Jr. George Belayich Eugene Bellina Emil J. Bilodeau Lester Blevens Joseph Boswell Joseph A. Boyce John H. Branch Richard W. Brooks Dewey Brown Webb Burney Clarence W. Butler Thomas E. Butler Bert Galloway Matthew J. Carroll Lewis Childress Chester Damon Edward Daniels Anthony DeChiara Terrell L. Dillard Harry Ettel Homer L. Ferguson

Charles A. Foster Frank Foster Peter Francis John C. Gallagher Theodore E. Glenn Samuel Graham Paul Green Chester Gronowski Ernest Hicks Louis Hicks Louis Horvath Lawrence A. Howk William Kennedy Henry J. Larson Sidney Leonard, Jr. Hulet Lewis Horace McDonald Herbert S. McGee Louis Maultsby John T. Merritt Noah E. Miller Paul J. Moore

Edward E. Morse William H. Murphy Alexander E. Pare George H. Parks Robert G. Paul Peter Peterson Fred T. Potter Charles Pyles Harry Ransdell Nicholas Rock Alexander J. Schuber George F. Shearer Raymond B. Simpson Milton C. Stahl Harold F. St. John, Jr. Thomas E. Thimoty Richard E. Turner Grafton C. Watkins Willie Watson Ben Williams John Wilson Raymond G. Wininger

Elephant Department

Richard T. Shipley, Superintendent
Assistants: Vernon L. Duffy, Oliver Davies, Fred C. Logan, Alfred Vidble

Claud L. Anthony Ernest S. Baublitz Albert A. Benedetto Laurence L. Brown Albert W. Cort Alan Curtis Roberto D. Fortino James L. Gamblin

Joseph H. Guiterrez Earl Hammer John L. Irons Harry A. Jackson Otto Kohlman James McFarland John E. McQuade

William Mansfield Frank Marriallo Carl N. Newman Karl J. Rasquin Pete Saqualla Stanley L. Scheller Fred A. Stabler

Gorilla Cage

Jose Tomas, Superintendent
Joseph A. Mederios

Watchmen: Frank Burgett, William A. Dunn

Personnel Buses: Luther H. Davis, Vernon Tidwell

Mechanical Department

William Yeske, Master Mechanic Charles Checkley Charles D. Noecker

Ralph M. Hart Steve Koll

Carl J. McGee Mary Nell Veske

Light Department

Edward R. Versteed, Superintendent
Assistants: Robert H. Wilson, William G. Ballard, Paul Danowsky, William H. Walter
Lawrence Crandall, Sound

Michael Benis Cyril S. Boland Edward Bolen Vernon M. Bond Fred J. Burton Henry E. Carberry Hugh T. Collins Gilbert D. DiBlasio Thomas E. Farar

Clare L. Fowler James B. Gall Maynard B. Gifford John E. Johnson Merasla Krowitz George F. Miller Robert B. Proctor James Reynolds Joseph E. Smith

Norman Smith Frank Sowinski Norman E. Spangler Furman L. Stevens Alfred Stranzl Robert W. Tuttle Frederick W. Weir Ambrose K. Whitaker Noble T. Whitson

Porters

Richard Burns, Superintendent

Earl A. Arseneau Horton Banks Edythe L. Bowen John J. Burke Robert H. Burns Roy Coston Marty Doherty Richard M. Donker John H. Grant Edward Grodivant Clint W. Hall

John B. Hall Clarence Hatch Ada Hicks Charles Hoskins William H. Howard Donald T. Jones Karl Krapf Charles Landt Benjamin F. Lowe Peter MacAllister

Robert R. Nordon John H. Parker Thomas Payne William D. Pippy Frank Redmond Edward Russell Eugene Thompson Edward Towns William Turner Robert Washington

Private Car Porters: Joseph Liboz, Chef. Nicholas Cristall, Butler.

Big Top Maid: Ethel Gadsden

Ring Stock Department

Harrison E. Johnson, Superintendent

J. Y. Henderson, Veterinary Frank Seleck, Assistant Harry Smith, Horse Shoer

Lowell Brideson, Assistant George Warner, Harness Maker Irving Young, Gilly Wagon

Harry L. Baker Harvey Britton Charles L. Brown George J. Budner Delfred Campbell Robert Conley Roland J. Cote Mike Daddo George C. Davis Walter J. Donnelly Edward W. Dowicki Frank Flanagan

George A. Hapner Orville T. Harnack Wallace O. Hill William Kachelries Willie C. Karr George Kelz Ramon G. Kinder Richard Kissel Bradford McCarthy John S. McDonald John Miller William F. Murphy

Charles W. Newcome Arthur M. Peterson Frank Purcell Adam E. Roehrig Brice Rutherford James G. Sammon James Scully James W. Theriac Alexander Thomas Royal Vanderplas William Warnecke Norman W. Wylie Sanger Young

Property Department

Peter Reeh, Superintendent
Assistants: Howard F. Menz, Mike Petrello, James C. Bradley, John M. Trimaj

Richard Almon Theodore Anderson Frank Angelo Daniel C. Brady Francis C. Brown Lewis W. Cavender Joseph Contreras John Conway Thomas A. Crawford Joe D. Cremens Gustave A. Cron Henry B. Davies Carmen P. Delmonte

John J. Donovan Vern J. Eldridge Charles K. Hall John W. Kerrigan James V. LaGuardia John C. Lucus Joe J. McSorley Edward Messer Richard F. Miller James H. Morgan Albert H. Munroe Philip North William P. Novack

William F. Parker John C. Ragan George A. Sailing Joseph Scharick John B. Schreiber Frank I. Scofield Morris Sigman Richard G. Skiles Donald A. Vess Plummer H. Williams T. A. Williams Mike Zobowa Arthur Zutell

Side Show Canvas Department

George Escalara, Superintendent
Joseph M. Lynch, Assistant

Leonard E. Brown Anderson R. Epps Lester Eshelman Whit R. Garrison

Norman H. Gunn Peter Karvalis Roy T. Lewis Richard P. Porter

Albert Rezek Harry H. Shaffer Albert H. Taylor

Train Department

Ray Milton, Superintendent
Fred Baker, Assistant

James Allen Thomas E. Allinder Claude M. Beck John E. Briggs Lawrence P. Burke Edward C. Cochrane Howard W. Craig Elmo Dallas Helmuth L. Dickau Weldon R. Eider Walter E. Flint

Kenneth M. Genious Walter Graham Robert E. Hammond Thomas Hanrahan Mason R. Harris George J. Hayhurst Holly Howard Robert E. Jackson Donald M. Klein William J. Kleint Allie G. Klopp

Pete Luken Warren N. McCrossen Harry Marino Michael Mayti Andrew Reider Ira E. Ring Harley C. Rivers Lester W. Shanks James R. Weaver Charlie Willett

Train Electricians: Joseph Nash, Jersey Foster

Truck Department

Stanley Wacht, Superintendent
Donald Baine, Mechanic
Assistants: Hubert Thompson, Daniel Gill

Joseph Barrie Robert L. Beatty Thomas C. Boyd Charles Clark George Davis Orrie L. Davis Frank W. DeFransce Fred Devine George A. Dies James R. Dixon Anthony J. Federson Thomas J. Ferguson John M. Floyd

Howard Gilson Alonzo E. Grimes Henry J. Helfrich Harry Kline Arthur H. McCormick George Norris Daniel J. Parker William Patterson Samuel G. Phillips Charles E. Potter, Jr. Robert G. Randolph Stephen Rhinesmith Edward D. Rice

William P. Robinson Roy Sealbolt Richard W. Sheehan John F. Smith Clarence Springer Harry Stone, Jr. Herbert H. Strobl Eddie Tulppo John S. Wallman Rudolph Wojcik Horace R. Wooley Alvadore Yound

Usher Department

John M. Carson, Superintendent
Assistants: Michael D'Addario, Stephen Kaner, William Hines, Louis Runyan

John Ahearn Robert Botfield Gerald Eichaker Julius Botfield John Crane James Elmore Joseph Farnan John Fredericks Julius Gerlick James Guin John Hatrick John Hawks Arthur Headley

Don Hill Norman Holly Austin Howard Joel Howard James Ingram Daniel Kelly John Kelly Virgil Kist John Leach John Meciunas Walter Mock Adam Pikul

John Reilly Russell Riddle Joseph Sassano Joseph Sinkers Ernest Terry Chick Thompson Robert Thomson Coy Townley Walter Uchinat Joseph VanLaarkooven Eugene Womble Frank Zazzara

Wardrobe Department

Joseph J. McCarthy, Superintendent Ray W. Rowen, Assistant Jean P. Carson, Wardrobe Mistress

William J, Whikehart, Tailor Gerald J. O'Connor, Carpenter James D. Traylor, Superintendent

Margaret E. Bickley Florentine S. Jones Genevieve P. McCarthy Anne M. White William J. A'Hearn Fabel O. Allen John Barnes Adolph P. Bekawick Earl Buchanan David Blanchfield Ernest E. Bugg Hugh Burgoon George Champagne

George W. Crossman Frank E. Dilts Hugh E. Duffy John T. Duncan Alfred Galdoni Paul T. King Edward Kolba George H. Kramer Joseph W. Land Thomas N. McDonald Grafton C. Mead James J. Moriarty Walter Patufka

Arthur T. Pope Edward Say Orville J. Spurgeon Lloyd L. Tucker William A. Wright Harold E. Yates Alfonso J. Cornale Walter Leaman David Donahue Walter Blantz Donald Sanderson Donald Thatcher

Canvas Department

Leonard S. Aylesworth. Superintendent
Assistants: James Healy, John Meek, William Dwyer, James R. Carr, Joseph T. Conners, John T. Lindsey, Walter E. Bingham, Joseph Stearns

Raymond W. Adams Russell E. Albin Edward L. Anderson Smith T. Armstrong John T. Asberry John Bethea Edmond Blue Samuel Bonds Ted Brice James Briggs Tom Brown Edward S. Bushey Luther Butler William G. Caley Charlie H. Carter William F. Case I. L. Caston Paul Choite Paul Clark Samuel Clark Clifford Corbett Edwin Davis Leslie L. Dillon Dorsey F. Donnan Francis Duling Van Buren Ealy Alex Facen, Jr. Freddie B. Finch William Finley Albert Finnie Walter Fletcher Curtis E. Garner George A. Green Carl Haggard

James Hayes Tommie L. Hern Charles Hill George T. Hill George H. Hollenquest Cornelious H. Hooper Robert Horton James J. Jeralds Fate L. Johnson Louis E. Johnson Donald T. Jones Henry Jones Henry Jones, Jr. George Kelley Elijah Kicknosway Anthony Korzerick Thomas E. Langley Helmer E. Lindh Joseph L. Lloyd Francis Lowery Milton Luck Robert Lukas John McCarthy William McClain Edward Massado Charlie E. Mitchell Sam Montgomery Benjamin M. Morris Charles W. Morris Irvin E. Nelson Tommie Odell William H. Peterson Norman Pompey Winton Power

Willie Rawls Paul Reichen William A. Reynolds Ainet Richardson Victor Richardson John T. Robinson William H. Rose Charles Sanders Marcell Sanders Albert Scrivens Richard M. Seath William R. Shores Harold I. Smith Millard F. Smott Morris A. Southern Bud Staten Louis Sullivan Willie L. Sumter Joseph Svehla Jessie Taylor James C. Thomas Willie A. Thompson Billie Troupe, Jr. Fred S. Turner Willie L. Turney Charles Walker Sam H. Ward James Washington Henry White Beuford Whorton Andrew Wilson Tom H. Wilson George J. Young

Accounting Office, Sarasota, Florida

James R. Griffin, General Auditor and Secretary-Treasurer
Fred J. McKenna, Assistant Auditor
Violet Johns, Secretary

Maude Bush Helen Mclntyre Vickie Muralli

Evelyn Kenny Margaret Morgan

Ann Rogers Herbert Sicks

New York Office: Lillian Davis, Representative

Chicago Office: Nat Green, Representative

Hartford Office: Madeline Youell, Representative

Program Department, The Circus Magazine

Harry Dube, President
William Lish, Road Sales Manager
Victor Le Bow, Tom Pence

Sanitary Department

Robert J. Stift, Superintendent
Robert Stift Jr., Ira Parker, Red Kuzie, Jule Carpenter

Miller Brothers Concessions

Frank C. Miller, Paul Miller
Jack Harris, Assistant
Pat Connelly, Personnel

Novelty Department

E. Gutman, Manager H. Carter, Assistant Manager

M. Gustow, No. 1 Stand Frank Perez, No. 2 Stand

Louis Gustow, No. 3 Stand Ed Rottman, No. 4 Stand

Seat Men

D. Klein, William Miller, L. Blumenthal, I. Reichenthaler, Jack Golden

Midway Eating Stands

P. Fisher, Manager

Diner: J. Grabowski, H. Raupp, I. Sparpana, P. Anderson, F. Dowler

Stock Wagon: O. Smith, manager. E. Hall, S. Adams, G. Allen, L. Jackson

Custard: M. Miller, Manager. E. Hopkins, J. Amico, F. Mills

Bottlemen: S. Washington, W. Walker

Candy Floss: Vic Pratt, Manager. J. Palumbo, J. Pilia, L. Mota

Midway Stand: R. Newman, P. Wilhelm, D. Turner

No. 1 Stand: H. Dutton, Manager. T. Smith, W. Horton

No. 2 Stand: J. Scott, Manager. A. Des Jardins, O. Williams

Back Yard Lunch Stand: M. Miller, Manager. J. Kessler, J. Crumley, W. Cunningham

Candy Top: Mel Hamlin, Manager; R. Keathley, Assistant; Joseph Geiger, Stockman

Popcorn: J. Littler, Manager. R. Dover, F. Skura, E. Say

Menagerie Stands: Wm. McAleer, No. 1; Ben Berke, No. 2; F. Morris, No. 3

Butchers:

Vernon Long E. Drucker Peter Prauskinas George Jones Al Licklider Frank Viola

B. Marcelis Tex Reppert Ben Berke Eddie McAleer Bill White Jack Sanders

Elmer Jakobowski James Horsburgh Ellis Haynes Dave Dickerman Arthur Ramonas Lester Travers

Chamelon Dept.: Michael Healy, Joseph Trosey, Louis Trosey, Jack Besser

Tent Manufacturing Department, Sarasota, Florida

Leif Osmundsen, Superintendent
Osmond Osmondson, Foreman

Sail Makers: William L. Blanchard, Mike Cunningham

Machine Operators: Mrs. Anna Miller, Mrs. Corene M. McElreath, Mrs. Rosa Osmondson

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The 1946 Performance of the Greatest Show on Earth

Pat Valdo, General Director
Billy Livingston, Costume Designer
Fred Bradna, Equestrian Director
Merle Evans, Musical Director
Robert Barnhart, Technical Director
Fred Erwingo, Aerial Director
Arthur Springer, Announcer

Display No. 1 - An unparalleled presentation of renowned aerialists in thrilling new offerings.
Helen & Meyers, The Cartiers, The Erwingos, Rose Sisters, Jackie LeClair, Yetta & Valerie, The Merions.

Display No. 2 - A hurrican of howling hilarity in which merry masters of the monkeyshine art indulge their exhibitionistic urge.

Display No. 3 - A laughter-generating gesture to the uno by delegates of animal good will.
Yu's Dogs, new dogs and old tricks by four-legged acrobatic champs.
Watkins' Chimpanzees, world's funniest simian comics.
Sylvia's Dogs, cunning canine comedians.
Watkins' Ponies, midget equine starin in drills and reels.

Display No. 4 - Promenade of the Clowns. Red-nosed, chalk-faced, slap-happy funmakers from the earth's four corners.

Display No. 5 - Returned from new triumphs abroad, the matchless bounding, tumbling, somersaulting toreador of the tight wire surrounded by prodigious pyramidal marvels.
The Great Con Colleano [sic?], The Karrels, The Reddals.

Display No. 6 - Introducing to America the foremost bareback riding stars of Europe.
The Guistino Loyal Family. Featuring Guistino Loyal, greatest horse-to-horse somersaulting comedian in all circus history.

Display No. 7 - Toyland. Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents its 1946 super-spectacle designed for children of all ages. In which the well-loved, long-remembered toy playmates of the world's children come to life in cascades of color and hilarious characterizations with the whole extravagant procession climaxing in a surprise finale to awaken the happy dreams of childhood.

Display No. 8 - Roland Tiebor's Trained Sea Lions. Self-applauding comedians from the briny deep. Equilibristic prowess unlimited. The most written-about, talked-about animal acts in America.

Display No. 9 - Acrobatic clown Harry Rittely, with his traditinal partner, Chester Paul, and the Tower of Toppling Tables. A futilitarian tidal wave sweeping the arena with heroic nonsense. Featuring the children's favorite.

Display No. 10 - Lalage, the new, all-girl, sky-ballet of the Greatest Show on Earth. Scores of celestial bodies soaring in astronomical flights of cadenced beauty featuring Lalage.

Display No. 11 - Again the clowns invade the rings. The stages and the hippodrome track. Scores of red-nosed, chalk-faced harlequins in a howling hurricane of histrionic hilarity.

Display No. 12 - From France, a unique and thrilling divertissement in massed maneuvers and galloping unison.
Liberty horses presented by: Tommy Cropper, Captain Heyer, Tagadore Hilding

Display No. 13 - Gloom Takes a Holiday. Here they are again, the makers of mirthquakes.

Display No. 14 - The Changing of the Guard. The most spectacular circus offering of all time. Great galaxy of glittering femininity and thurdering herds of jungle-bred juggernauts in the magnificent new 1946 edition.

Display No. 15 - The clown's contingent demonstrates how it solved the "Share-A-Ride" problem during the gas shortage.

Display No. 16 - The world's craziest (but the best) juggler, including artists in spectacular innovations.
Raquel Nelson, Massimilliano Truzze, Bellas Coralias.

Display No. 17 - The first horseman of Europe and the foremost riders of today in an unforgettable display of haute ecole equestrianism.
Riding Debutante Octette, William Heyer on "Starless Night," Ringling Dressage Equestriennes.

Display No. 18 - Wallendas, the absolute epitome of daredeviltry performed on the high wire.

Display No. 19 - Hurtling interlude by the celebrated circus high-jumping horses. Kings and queens of the tanbark and stars over the bars.

Display No. 20 - Bargain Day, the funniest clown presentation in the funmaking history of the Greatest Show on Earth.

Display No. 21 - An incomparable plethora of globally celebrated acrobatic and equilibristic prodigies. Including three sensational troupes making their American debut.
The Lin Tengs, China's famous wire wizards.
The Therons (first time in America), Belgium's renowned cycling marvels.
Los Arriolas (first time in America), Spain's foremost trampoline wizards.
The Eriksons (first time in America), Sweden's famed hand-balancing stars.
The Bombshells, Canada's paragons of perfect equilibrium.

Display No. 22 - Captains of caprice cavorting through a cataclysmic calvalcade calculated to compel convulsive cachinnations incomparable. A furious fun finale by the department of tomfoolery.

Display No. 23 - Grand Finale. Unequalled aerial flying trapeze tapestry hitherto conceived only in flights of purest fancy.
The famous Otaris, flying in massed unison from their lofty Maltese cross and starring four brothers who are combat overseas U. S. Veterans, their father, and Nina, their sister. (Note: another brother, formerly in the act, was killed in action.)
The Flying Behrs, returned from Latin-American ovations.
The Otaris, triumphal return to the U. S.
The Behees, featuring Clayton Behee, the greatest flier in the world.
The famous Flying Clarkonians.

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Statistics of the 1946 Tour

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