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Circus Day The Jacksonville papers speak in well-deserved praise of Hinkley & Kimball's Oregon circus. The institution is on its winding way to New Mexico. It is worthy of note that the circus bills were printed at this office. Those having anything in the printing line to be done will do well to make a note of that. Oregon Weekly Times, Portland, July 17, 1858, page 2 On Monday last, while the train of the National Circus were descending Siskiyou Mountain, the four horses attached to one of the wagons became unmanageable, broke from the wagon, and started down the mountain, resulting in the killing of the best horse and quite serious injury of the white team. For circuses, Oregon presents "magnificent distances" and "hard roads to travel." Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, August 12, 1863, page 2 STICKNEY'S CIRCUS.--The Jacksonville Reveille, 17th inst., says: "This circus, according to notice by posters, exhibited at this place on Tuesday night. They had in about 280 people, a majority of whom were of the colored race." Marysville Daily Appeal, Marysville, California, October 22, 1868, page 2 CIRCUS.--Wilson's Great World Circus exhibited here on Monday evening to a large audience and gave general satisfaction. John Wilson is a pioneer showman and personally one of the best-hearted men that ever made a track in the ring. Long may he wave. Shasta Courier, Shasta, California, August 28, 1869, page 1 THE CIRCUS.--The Great World Circus has come and gone. It was about as much like the advance bills as the clown was like Harry Jackson--advertised to be with it, but now in New York. The acrobatic performance was good as the best, the lions were cross as desirable and the extra fee exacted for seeing them munch a little beef was a downright swindle. The jokes of the clown were coarse and stale, the performance of Zoyara on the slack rope was very good, but the bearded woman, photograph peddlers and other side shows were a disgrace to any respectable show. Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, September 11, 1869, page 3 THE CIRCUS.--Mlle. Jeal & Co.'s circus again visited this place and gave a performance on Tuesday evening last. The preformance was not as good as their exhibition at this place in June last, and, not having been properly advertised, was not as well attended. Democratic Times, Jacksonville, October 28, 1871, page 3 Denby & Co.'s Circus performed at Lakeport Tuesday evening, and although the admission was a dollar, there was as many people in the tent as could be comfortably seated. Contrary to what previous exhibitions had led people to expect, the show was a good one throughout. The members of the company are the best behaved, best dressed and in many ways the most capable set of circus performers we have seen for many years, while for variety and excellence the performance itself was fairly and squarely up to the promises made for it.--Kelseyville [California] Journal, May 22. Denby's Circus in Eugene Tuesday, August 5th. "Brief Mention," Eugene Guard, July 26, 1884, page 5 A HUMAN SKYE TERRIER.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, September 16, 1887, page 3Jo-Jo, the World's Enigma.
A most extraordinary attraction will be presented by manager S. H.
Barrett on the occasion of his approaching visit at Ashland on
Saturday, Sept. 17th, it being the marvelous human phenomenon, Jo-Jo,
the dog-faced Russian boy, who has created such a stir in the European
capitals the past few years. The New York Times "wrote him up" extensively at the time of his arrival in Gotham, and the following is an excerpt from the article:
"His face is covered with a long, waving mass of silken hair, which in color is between light red and silver gray. It hangs upon his brow down to the eyes, parting in the center and waving off to either side like that of a fancy terrier. It droops from his cheeks in long, wavy locks, grows from the nostrils, and hangs from both ears. * * * The eyes of this dog-faced boy also resemble very closely those of a terrier. They are slightly bluish in color, almost perfectly round, and the whites are visible entirely around the pupils. His mouth is furnished with only the two canine teeth above and two incisors below, and all four are thin and sharp, resembling miniature tusks rather than human teeth. The entire body is covered with a growth of thin, light hair; but the thick, heavy locks are found only on the face. "Jo-Jo occasionally snarls like a dog. He speaks Russian, French and German exceedingly well, and a few words of English, and took great pride in showing that he could write his name by signing it on the back of his picture in large, flowing characters. "The dog-faced boy was captured in the forests of Kostroma, in the center of Russia, about fifteen years ago, with his father, who is described as a wild man, with the same peculiar face which the boy now possesses. The father was exhibited all over Europe until three years ago, when he died." Jo-Jo is exhibited in the main tent of S. H. Barrett's show. No extra charge is made to see him. He is but one of manager Barrett's many novel features. Sensible men and women will steer clear of the alleged John Robinson circus, which is to exhibit at Ashland soon. It is a bilk on its face, and merely a catchpenny arrangement to clear the country of its spare cash. It is said that the sharpers which follow Robinson's circus to prey upon the community were not allowed to manipulate their games at Dayton and Walla Walla. They were given full sway at Pendleton and cleaned up several hundred dollars. The authorities at Grants Pass and Ashland should summarily squelch these thugs and thieves when they arrive. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, July 25, 1890, page 3 Keep your hands in your pockets and bolts on your doors while the circus is in the valley. It is always accompanied by a gang of thieves of different stripes. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 1, 1890, page 3 The day that the circus was here there were only fifteen scholars in our room. Thomas T. Edmunds, "Letter in Grammar Class," The Young Idea, April 1891, page 2 Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 10, 1891, page 3 A
Thieving Gang on the Rampage.
McMahon's
Circus performed at different points in the
valley last week to fair-sized audiences.
During its stay the hangers-on robbed all
they could by gambling devices and then
finished their stay by stealing everything
in sight. Several parties had to go to the
cars of the company to recover their
effects, which were reluctantly given up
even then, the proprietors of the circus
acting as if they had an understanding with
the thieves. Whisky and cigars were also
sold without license and other lawlessness
indulged in. Should this gang visit southern
Oregon again, it will meet a warm reception.
The majority of them should be serving the
state in the penitentiary even now.Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 24, 1891, page 3    Democratic Times, August 7, 1891, page 2 An
Avalanche of Wonder and Fun.
Sells' great
show is blocked for Medford on Monday, August
24, and, regarded as a whole, it is doubtless
without parallel. Wherein it differs from others
is this: In its rare variety, its endless
interest, its boundless capacity to please every
taste. Good things with it are not doled out
with a grudging hand; they are poured forth in a
Niagara-like profusion, typical of the great
country of greatest enterprises. Here we have a
regal Roman hippodrome, a five-continent
menagerie, three big circuses, a wild Moorish
caravan, performing droves of wild and domestic
beasts, a huge tropical aquarium, aviary, royal
Japanese troupe, Arabian Nights entertainment,
spectacular pilgrimage to Mecca, and splendid
free street parade, rolled into one tremendous
alliance, for but one price of admission; or
more properly speaking, roaring, rushing,
racing, marching, dancing, gliding, tumbling,
soaring, diving and disporting under some ten
acres of tents. Whew! The very thought of it
fairly makes one catch his breath, and not only
is it all a very great, but it is a very good,
clean, admirably managed show, under the
immediate eye of its proprietors, and free from
any and every annoyance or objectionable
association.Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 7, 1891, page 3 Sells Bros.' advertising wagon has been in the valley, and the dead walls in many of the towns are covered with flaming posters. "Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 7, 1891, page 3 Sells
Bros.'
20th Annual Tour.
Other shows may come and go, but Sells Brothers'
Enormous United Exhibitions, like Tennyson's
brook, seem destined to "go on forever." They
have already been under one and the same
ownership and management longer than any other
similar enterprise now in existence, and their
continual increase in size, attractiveness and
popularity is a fair sign of health and
longevity. Messrs. Sells are legitimate,
enterprising showmen and honorable men, with
whom it is both pleasurable and profitable to do
business. As such, both they and their
stupendous and elegant entertainment will be
again and most heartily welcome at Medford on
Monday next. For their present tour there are
wild beasts, hippodromatic circus spectacular,
and other resources of instruction and amusement
have been largely increased, and they
undoubtedly present altogether the biggest and
best show of its kind in the world. They manage
it in person, and it is so conducted as to
deserve and obtain universal popularity and
patronage.Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 21, 1891, page 2 Sells Bros.' second advertising car was here during the week renewing posters, etc. Look out for the sure-thing gamblers, thieves, etc., which always follow in the wake of a circus. The usual number of fools will be in Medford Monday who think they can beat the circus men at their own games. Some men will not even learn by experience. All of the exchanges along the line of march of the circus have been systematically warning the public to beware of the brace games and sure snaps of the fakirs who accompany such aggregations of wonders, and our own citizens would do well to heed the warning. There is not one among the fakirs but understands how to gull the average citizen, and if the a.c. could only be made to see this fact with the appalling distinctness that the fakir sees it, the occupation of the latter would be gone. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 21, 1891, page 3 Trains
on Circus Day.
The R.R.V.R.
Co. will run trains to Medford next Monday, the
24th, as often as necessary for the
accommodation of the people, and a special train
will be run after night for the convenience of
those who may desire to remain for the evening
performance.Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 21, 1891, page 3 The
Circus.
Sells Bros.' circus exhibited at Medford on
August 24th. Several thousand people attended
the day performance, but the attendance at night
was light. A number of new features were
introduced, but it was "the same old thing" for
the most part. Still, better satisfaction was
given than is usually the case. Those in charge
of the affair are courteous and honorable, which
is too frequently the exception to the rule.
Another noticeable feature was the absence of
the sure-thing gamblers and sneak thieves, who
have often been the adjunct of the modern
circus. The only serious complaint we hear since
Sells Bros. left is that they took away a few
thousand dollars of the cash so badly needed in
the valley.Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 28, 1891, page 2 The circus had a big crowd at Medford last Monday, and the people were roasted, boiled or broiled, according to their position in the big tent. The lemonade boys became millionaires, and the vendors of palm-leaf fans did a business that made them as autocratic as an unrivaled railroad corporation. The train went over the Siskiyous in three sections, and there were fourteen engines in the Ashland yard Monday evening, including those waiting for the circus. The show was at Yreka Tuesday. "Brevities," Ashland Tidings, August 28, 1891, page 3 Fun
for the Boys
While the
large tank which held the big pair of
hippopotami for the Sells Bros.' circus was
being taken to the show grounds last Sunday, it
mired down in front of Dr. Jones' place and the
animals had to be liberated before the vehicle
could be extricated from the mire. They sported
in the water ditch for several moments and
showed themselves off to an excellent advantage.
With this and a ten-horse runaway, besides
seeing a pair of elephants lift the tank from
the mire, we can truly say the boys enjoyed
it.--[Medford Mail.Ashland Tidings, September 4, 1891, page 2 The circus was pronounced very good by those in attendance, but the crowd was not very large. "Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 22, 1892, page 3 The manner in which our city marshal was fooled by the fraudulent drunk at the circus meets with the approval of Young America, regardless of piety, party or previous condition. "Medford Squibs," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 29, 1892, page 2 N. Ahlstrom reports that the circus that exhibited back of the new depot in Ashland three years ago introduced the Canada thistle in that neighborhood, and that notwithstanding that he has cut it down several times it keeps on increasing every year and will soon threaten to overrun the whole county if some effort is not made to wipe it out. The authorities should see that this dangerous nest is nipped in its incipiency. "Brevity Basket," Valley Record, Ashland, August 11,
1892, page 3
Washburn's
Great Shows.
Leon W. Washburn's Combined Circus,
Menagerie, Hippodrome, Wild West and
Congress of Living Wonders will exhibit at
Medford Wednesday, July 26. Reports from all
quarters pronounce the above shows the
leaders in tented amusements and cannot fail
to interest the masses. That it possesses
many rare animals never before seen in this
country, the only real aquatic show of sea
animals, a great hippodrome, a double circus
and many phenomenal living wonders is
without question. Its career has been a
triumphal success. It is enthusiastically
received and immensely patronized everywhere
it spreads its tents, and it is said to give
more and better show than any other
organization in America. The newspapers are
unanimous in its praise. A grand outpouring
of the populace here on show day may be
looked for.
Medford Mail, July 14, 1893, page 3 The
Washburn Circus.
From
Daily Oregonian.
The L. W. Washburn circus made a fine parade through the principal streets yesterday morning and showed to two packed houses afternoon and evening at Twenty-Fourth and Raleigh streets. Ninety-five percent of the matinee audience was composed of ladies and children, and at night people were turned away by hundreds. The baby elephant, Cupid, seemed to be the chief attraction. He is the first elephant in miniature ever seen on the Pacific Coast and is a whole show in himself. The performance is very creditable, the fine horses and handsome wardrobes being especially noticeable. The acrobatic, gymnastics, "Wild West" and hippodrome features succeed each other in rapid succession. Medford Mail, July 21, 1893, page 2 The bill poster for the big show at Medford was here ornamenting the side of Mr. Pool's barn with the highly colored wonders of the show. "Eagle Point Eaglets," Medford Mail, July 21, 1893, page 4 The great (?) circus has been and gone, and he who paid a big silver dollar for admission is eighty cents [the] loser. Like most shows the best, and as a matter of fact the greater, part of the program appeared in glowing colors on the billboards and high fences about town--deception, thy name is a railroad circus. Some of the tumbling was good, the trapeze work was all right and in some respects above the average, the bare horseback riding was very tame as was also the big elephant, which to all intent and purpose has been in this condition for upwards of three centuries. There were three lions, but the lady didn't walk into their mouths. It was, however, given out as an inducement to the matinee audience to put up their quarters and remain at the concert, that the lions would be fed some meat and that the concert audience might look on while the feat was being performed. The inducement didn't induce, and the lions were compelled to eat of their fresh meat all by their little lonely. It was to be regretted that the great big elephant and the great little elephant were kept in so limited a space. It was cruelty--"from the cradle to the grave." A menagerie tent, with three big flags on top, and covering upwards of an acre of ground, is hardly sufficient to give free, easy movement to two elephants and a pink lemonade stand. There was quite a crowd of people in Medford in the morning intent upon circus amusement, but after the parade their horses' heads, many of them, were turned homeward and they wisely reserved their dollars for more deserving purposes. To Ulysses M. Damon the people of Medford are indebted for a small chunk of excitement on circus day. The circus had arrived--and then a gloom like unto the continued peal of a death knell had settled over the city, but Mr. Damon livened things up a little. He drove his horse and buggy down where the big elephant was confined in the little tent. The horse, upon seeing this big elephant emerge from the little tent, took fright and ran away. Alex. Hanley was in the buggy at the time and was thrown to the ground. He was injured slightly--enough, however, to keep him from seeing the lions eat meat, and this last was considerable of a bruise on his circus ardor. "All the Local News," Medford Mail, July 28, 1893, page 3 Washburn's circus brought a big crowd to town last Wednesday, but it seemed as if the majority only patronized the free part of the show, and wise they were, too. The parade was on a par with the ring performances, etc., and the public was therefore forewarned. "Medford Squibs," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, July 28, 1893, page 2 Quite a number of the residents of Jacksonville attended the circus at Medford on the 26th. Afterward most of them wouldn't acknowledge that they had been there, however. "Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, July 28, 1893, page 3 Washburn's greatest snide show [sic] traveling has quit business. The show disbanded at Sisson, Calif. this week. There is surely a grain of solace to its manager in knowing that if he must disband it won't take long to do it. "All the Local News," Medford Mail, August 11, 1893, page 3 Sells & Rentfrow's circus is billed to show at Ashland one week from tomorrow. If it is as big a bilk as was Washburn's, it will be well worth your money--to stay at home. These are entirely too close times for people to spend money on luxuries. "All the Local News," Medford Mail, August 18, 1893, page 3 Keep away from the circus. Spend your money for some better purpose. Don't attend the circus. It is a colossal humbug and does not merit patronage. The representations made on the big posters are false and misleading. "Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 18, 1893, page 3 The Oregonian said Washburn's circus was all right and a good one. It proved to be a bilk--and the Oregonian lied. It now says Sells & Rentfrow's is first-class and that the ticket agent had to quit selling tickets long before the performance began "because the tent was jammed" and "there were no more seats to be sold." Is the Oregonian lying again? If it is, it is no less a bilk than the circus--even worse. It conspires to steal from its own people while to the circus men we are all strangers. Medford Mail, August 25, 1893, page 2 The
Heavens Be Praised.
From
the Eugene Register.
The Kickapoo Medicine Company will close up shop and quit business today. They will pack their things and store them in this city, while the people will be discharged, some of them remaining here and some going east. This combination of money filchers were headed this way, and it is a kind providence which heads them off before they reach us. A gang of flour bin fakes, two circuses, and a defaulting county treasurer is quite as much of the fake infection as we can reasonably be expected to tolerate in one season. Medford Mail, September 1, 1893, page 2 The old Sells Bros. circus, which has been showing in the valley for years, under a new alias every time, strung itself out in this place Saturday. It brought a large number of people to town, but the attendance numbered only from 400 to 500 each performance. The manager said that he did not make the expense of railroad fare to their next stopping place--Redding. There was considerable thieving practiced by the circus men in making change, and a number of citizens were robbed thereby. The man who sells candy with five, ten and $20 bills wrapped around it "did up" quite a harvest of suckers. "Medford Items," Valley Record, Ashland, August 16, 1894, page 3 Captain Hugh Thomason and his company of Rough Riders, which are the sensation of the day, who fought under three flags will appear at every performance on the Hippodrome track with the Walter L. Main shows at Medford, Saturday, September 9th, and give the most novel and exciting exhibition that has ever been given to the public. They will be dressed as they were in Cuba, where they took part in the battles of San Juan Hill, Daiquiri, Sibony and El Caney. "Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 28, 1899, page 3 The many features to be exhibited in the immense menagerie tent with the Walter L. Main Shows at Medford, Saturday, September 9th, are too numerous to give special mention to each. Suffice to say that those who are fortunate enough to see the show will pronounce it the greatest exhibition of novelties of the age. The parade will leave the show grounds at 10 a.m., and its great length will be commented upon. It will be one moving mass of gold and glitter, exhibiting more features than has ever yet been attempted. Immediately after the parade a free exhibition will take place at the show grounds. The doors will be open at 1 and 7 o'clock, giving everyone a chance to see the host of novelties to be introduced previous to the regular performance. "Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, September 4, 1899, page 3  Medford Mail, September 8, 1899 The parade this season with the Walter L. Main Shows which exhibits at Medford, Saturday, September 9th, is especially noteworthy in that it contains more novelties than ever before, notably the Zouave Drum Crops, a troop of performing elephants, and an ancient historical Quebec Calash properly costumed. The parade is said to be of unusual length and brilliancy, and worth going miles to witness. The parade will leave show grounds at 10 o'clock a.m. A free exhibition will be given at the show grounds after the return of the parade. In order to give all a chance to see the grand exhibition of the "Congress of Nations" in the menagerie tent the doors will be open at 4 and 7 o'clock p.m. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, September 8, 1899, page 7 Walter L. Main's great 3-ring circus and fashion-plate show of the world gave two performances to large audiences at Medford last Saturday. It is estimated that 4000 people were in attendance during the day. Everything advertised was given, and in a clean, first-class style. Among the performers, both male and female, are some of the most celebrated in the world, whose daring feats electrified the audience. The menagerie includes a number of animals not often seen. Altogether it proved an entertainment that could not but give satisfaction; and all went away satisfied that they had obtained their money's worth. "Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, September 11, 1899, page 3 Photographer G. W. Mackey took several fine views of the circus parade, and these are for sale at his studio, opposite the post office. "Additional Local," Medford Mail, September 15, 1899, page 6 Circus day has come and gone. Last Saturday there was in Medford one of the largest crowds which ever congregated inside our city limits. It was a gala day from start to finish--a picnic alike for old people, young people, fat people, lean people, tall people, short people and all kinds of people--and small boys with gray-headed guardians. The show train was late in getting here, not arriving until about 11 o'clock, but this did not prevent it carrying out its full program. An advantage was offered by its being late in that the unloading process could be--and was--witnessed by pretty nearly everybody. The parade instead of being made at ten o'clock was not on until after two o'clock, but this fact in no way detracted from its grandeur. It was a fine presentation of many things beautiful. There were four bands and a calliope. The Vermont farmer driving his trained pigs and he riding in the little cart was one of the funny features of the parade, while the automobile, or horseless carriage, was one of the most interesting. As a whole, the parade was unique, novel and grand throughout. The entertainment following immediately after the parade was in many ways far superior to anything ever presented in Southern Oregon. The trapeze performance by the Werntz family--six in number, three ladies and three gentlemen--was the most marvelous aerial feat the writer has ever witnessed; the pony riding upon the backs of two horses was another wonderful feat; the acrobatic act by the Livingstones in full dress was itself a feature worth the price of admission; the Vermont farmer with his trained pigs was the wonder of all--it has been said that a pig is incapable of being educated, but an exception has been found to the general rule. All in all, the Walter L. Main circus is a grand feature throughout, and none the least of the many attractions was the sixty-three trained horses. The show entire was moral in every particular. There was no harsh or obscene language used by any of the employees. The managers, Messrs. J. D. and Hugh Harrison, are splendid gentlemen, and their efforts to treat everybody courteously was a feature not often displayed by managers of big shows. For the afternoon performance there were nearly 8000 tickets sold, but in the evening the attendance was not so large. There was no disturbance of any kind--everything was quiet and orderly all the day through, and this, too, was remarkable when it is considered that the crowd was the largest ever congregated in Jackson County. The merchants did a splendid business all day--and The Mail was none the least of these--many of our good friends remembering that we have babies to feed and clothe and that we have premiums to give away. The short change man was in evidence at the circus Saturday. Several citizens were asked to exchange gold for silver, but only a very few were victimized. G. L. Schermerhorn, with a spirit of accommodation peculiarly his, responded to one of these fellows' requests for gold in exchange for silver, but when he found himself short ten dollars, he immediately made a demand for his shortage from the fellow making the change, and he got it, and later he discovered still another shortage of a five-dollar gold piece. In company with Marshal Murray he made a demand upon the management--and got his shiner back. The management explained that those things were matters they could not well prevent, but that they were always willing to make good any shortage claims made by reputable citizens--they did not pay their help to bilk the people and would not permit it when the fact was made known. The crowd at the sideshow last Saturday was so great that several children fainted from the intense heat and from being jammed about so unmercifully. Mrs. Hemstreet also fainted and was carried out of the tent, where after a few minutes she was restored to consciousness. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, September 15, 1899, page 7 An automobile, connected with Main's circus, proved quite an attraction on the streets yesterday. It is the first of its kind that has ever been seen here. It is propelled by an electric storage battery and runs perfectly noiseless. Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner, Prescott, November 8, 1899, page 3 Fakirs, pickpockets and thieves were very conspicuous at the circus in Medford last Saturday. They used every means possible to extract coin from visitors, giving short change, picking pockets and even running all sorts of games. Their work was very coarse, but there were plenty of suckers present who were ready and willing to be bit, and they were. "Personal and Local," Gold Hill News, September 16, 1899, page 5 The Great
Circus.
As an appropriate climax to a
series of experiments in the matter of
educating a three-year-old monkey, Prof. C.
I. Norris, the famous animal trainer of
Norris & Rowe's Big Shows, will endeavor
to make the monkey talk. To begin with his
accomplishments he sits at a table with
complacency; wears shoes and stockings; is a
wonderful bareback rider and can dress and
undress himself. He rejoices in the name of
Jim Robinson. But the most interesting
experiment is the attempt Prof. Norris is
making to develop Jim's vocal organs. He
says it consists of parts of the methods
used to teach blind children, birds and the
deaf and dumb. The progress made is very
near to that made by a child of a similar
age of Jim, for he uses at present the words
"papa" and "come back." He is a wonderful
jockey, rides a pony man fashion, and turns
back somersaults while the pony is going at
a terrific rate. Jim will be seen with
Norris & Rowe's New Big Trained Animal
Shows, which will exhibit in Medford Friday
afternoon and night under their enormous
waterproof tents, as also will be "Hamlet,"
a stagestruck canine, who was taken in hand
by Prof. Norris and taught to do tricks that
are almost phenomenal. A new grand free
spectacular street carnival and children's
fairyland parade will be given at 11 o'clock
on the morning of the exhibition. Excursion
trains will be run from all adjoining towns
to this big, moral show.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, May 3, 1900, page 3
Don't overlook the street parade of Norris
& Rowe's big trained animal show. It will
be unique as well as handsome and interesting.
"Medford Squibs," Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, May 3, 1900, page 3Leondor Bros.' circus gave two exhibitions in Medford Wednesday. The afternoon entertainment was fairly well patronized, but in the evening there was only a small crowd in attendance. The performance, while not as great in extent of flash and trumpet blast as some shows on the road, was first-class in what there was of it. Every feature was good--better than is generally seen in the larger shows. There is no flimflamming about it--it's strictly up-to-date and good in every detail. The show travels by wagons and has just come in from a hard trip across deserts and over mountains in eastern Oregon, and the men and horses are pretty well jaded. The show was in Jacksonville yesterday and is billed for Gold Hill today and Grants Pass Saturday. "Additional Local Items," Medford Mail, July 20, 1900, page 2 Never in the history of Medford has there been an entertainment of its kind given our people equal to the circus performance given here Monday by the Ringling Bros. There has been good circuses here in days agone, but none have been as grand, as awe-inspiring, as mammoth, as magnificent as was the one that visited us Monday. The performance was conducted upon the same grand scale as was all the outside show, parade and pomp. The street parade was the grandest ever seen in Southern Oregon. Its length was fully fifteen blocks and was superb in every feature. The trapeze work, the bareback riding, the slack wire work, the work of the contortionists, the society tumblers, the trained horses, and in fact every feature was pleasing throughout, and at the same time much was new and all marvelous. The performing elephants was almost beyond a thought of realization. That the big, clumsy brutes could be educated as were these seems almost incomprehensible. The show trains, four in number, with 65 cars, began arriving Sunday evening about 6 o'clock, and by eleven o'clock all had arrived and were unloaded. During the entire work of unloading those large wagons and cages not a word was heard spoken among the men in tones above ordinary conversation, and not an oath was heard uttered during all their stay here. They were the most orderly, best mannered crowd of circus workers the writer has ever come in contact with, and considering that there are upwards of a thousand people with the show their good order was remarkable. Their horses, over 400 in number, were the best we have ever seen with a show. There were fully 9500 people in Medford to witness the events of the day. The management informed a Mail reporter that there were fully 7500 people under canvas. The gentleman further stated that he was more than pleased with the patronage bestowed upon the show, and said it was a very much larger one-stand performance than they were in the habit of meeting with. Where all the people came from is a matter of much guessing by our townspeople, but that they were here is undisputed. They came from Klamath, Lake, Josephine and Douglas counties, and from Siskiyou County, in California. It was a red-letter day for Medford merchants, hotels, restaurants, confectioneries and feed barns. Everybody was well satisfied with the entertainment, and if Ringling Bros. ever come this way again they will be royally met by a country full of anxious people. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, September 14, 1900, page 7 Baird & Clinton's dog and pony show gave two exhibitions in Medford Tuesday. They had a fair attendance at the afternoon performance, but were greeted by a very slim audience in the evening. The best part of the show is their advance lithograph sheets--like all other circuses. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, June 28, 1901, page 7 M. F. Parker:--"Say, is Medford going to have a circus this season? Oh, I don't care much about it myself, but on the quiet, I never let one escape me if I am in reaching distance. But what I am asking for is this: When I came past the reservation in Klamath County last week, I was asked that question by twenty different Indians, and I have agreed to let them know. They are all coming to Medford this fall to do their shopping, and they want to date their coming even with circus day. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, August 23, 1901, page 7 From appearances on the Medford streets Tuesday morning, the truant list at the public schools must have been an unusually long one. To the casual onlooker most of the children in town seemed to be on hand when the train bearing Norris & Rowe's big shows pulled in--and then some more. The parade appeared about 11 o'clock and was witnessed by a large and interested crowd. The afternoon performance was well attended, and was well worthy of patronage. It is remarkable to what a high point of education some of the animals have been brought, displaying an intelligence and comprehension of what was desired of them not often found among dumb animals. Norris & Rowe put out a good, clean snow, well worth the price of admission, and the managers themselves are clever, genial gentlemen, whom it is a pleasure to meet. In the evening the crowd was not so large, but still there was a good-sized one, and there was but one opinion of the merits of the show, and many expressions of wonder were heard at the marvelous feats performed by the trained animals. A dog that can stand on its hind legs and turn a back somersault is something out of the ordinary--there were two of them that did that. Rosebury, the talking horse, is a whole show by himself. The performing seals were something new, and the intelligence exhibited by them was a revelation. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, April 25, 1902, page 7  Medford Mail, May 1, 1903 Not on the Program.
James Fletcher, a Roseburg boy twelve years old, rode up on his bicycle
to the foot of the stairs erected for the use of the "Champion Bicycle
Rider of the World" with the Southern Carnival Company shows. He then
deliberately took the wheel in hand and mounted to the top of the
platform, and steadying himself for less than one second and with only
one foot on the pedal he rode at lightning speed from the top of the
platform to the bottom, when he mounted the wheel and rode off up the
street.He wanted to make another trial, but the Southern Carnival men were soon on the ground and threatened him with arrest and all that kind of talk for interfering with their property. They doubtless saw that if a boy like James Fletcher could do the "wonderful feat" so easily that the glory would depart from the show, says the Plaindealer. Democratic Times, Jacksonville, July 8, 1903, page 4 Excuse
That Loves the Ground.
Medford Southern Oregonian.
Medford blacksmith shops will all be closed
on circus day. Do not expect to get
blacksmithing done on that day--the smithies
have a contract to carry the elephants to
water and to amuse the monkeys. Our employees
all threaten a strike if we ask them to work
when there is a circus in town.
MITCHELL
&
BOECK,
Morning
Oregonian, Portland, August 26,
1903, page 6G. F. MERRIMAN, J. R. WILSON. THE CIRCUS AT
MEDFORD
Ringling's circus drew together at Medford
Saturday one of the biggest crowds that
ever collected in Southern Oregon. The
streets of Medford seemed almost a solid
mass of people. They were jammed in the
main entrance like sardines, not an inch
of leeway on any side. All trains were
loaded to the utmost capacity, and every
road that enters Medford bore a solid
procession of vehicles. Passengers on the
outgoing northbound evening train saw a
solid string of vehicles, homeward bound,
reaching from Medford to Central Point and
even beyond. It seemed as though every
rancher in the Rogue River Valley went to
the show.A Tremendous Crowd Attended Ringling Bros. Shows. The circus performance was first class. The trained animals performed with ready promptness and pleasing accuracy. The elephants gave a really marvelous exhibition, and the trained horses and seals were excellent in their specialties. The menagerie was large and interesting. Rogue River Courier, Grants Pass, September 3, 1903, page 1 CIRCUS DAY IN
MEDFORD
Friday and Saturday last may be classed as
red-letter days in the history of the business
houses of Medford. There have been other days
when some of our business men have done a larger
volume of business than upon the days mentioned,
but they have been few and far between and
beneficial in a large way to but a few houses.
Friday and Saturday made a large increase in the
receipts on every business house in town--with
the exception of the printers and blacksmiths,
which artisans struck work and went to see "Baby
Boo."
 Medford Mail, August 21, 1903 The writer has never before seen such an orderly crowd of like dimensions in a town of the size of Medford. There was a noticeable absence of brawling, and arrests for disorderly conduct were very few. Everybody was in a good humor, bent upon securing all the enjoyment possible from the occasion, and willing that everybody else should have the same privilege. At Haskins' drug store 8000 tickets were sold for the afternoon performance, and about 6000 more were sold on the grounds. In the eight thousand tickets sold at Haskins were numerous reserve seat tickets, also a number of children's tickets, but when the ticket seller came to count up his 4,000 and odd dollars he found that he was just fifty cents out, and supposed his shortage came from giving out two tickets instead of one during the sale. These tickets were all sold within three hours' time. There seems to be but one opinion concerning the merits of the show, and that it is "all right." [In 1903 "all right" meant "very good."] The performance was all that it was advertised to be; the parade was the most beautiful and spectacular ever seen in this part of the state. The animals advertised were all there, and there was an utter absence of the sure-thing gambling and other catchpenny devices usually with traveling tent shows. Ringling Bros. have a first-class show, and their welcome is assured in Southern Oregon should they return again. SIDE
NOTES OF THE DAY
The largest assemblage of people ever seen in
Southern Oregon were here.
Ringling Bros. lost one of their valuable draft horses on Saturday. The animal got down in the car while in transit and was so badly injured that it died soon after reaching Medford. One resident of this vicinity, who has quite a large family, told a neighbor that he was coming to town merely to see the parade, and wouldn't go into the circus under any consideration, yet the first man the neighbor saw when he entered the main tent was the man who wasn't going to the circus in a front seat surrounded by his entire family--and it is said that he took in everything, from peanuts and lemonade to the side shows. Hotels and restaurants did a thriving business. Hundreds of people sat up all night Friday night because they couldn't get beds, and many on Saturday lunched on cheese and crackers in the streets, for the reason that they couldn't get close enough to eating places to have any assurance of being fed. There were no catchpenny or gambling devices connected with the circus. It was an honest show, honestly conducted. Medford
Mail, September 4, 1903, page 1
Now a Big
Circus and Menagerie.
Just at present the interest of the
entire world is centered on the
struggle for supremacy between Russia
and Japan, and those of both races
that are in this country are regarded
with more than passing interest. The
American public, however, look with a
more friendly eye upon the Japanese
than the Russians, and for that reason
Norris & Rowe have secured for
their new, big circus, that will
exhibit at Medford, Friday, May 13th,
a troupe of genuine Royal Japanese
acrobats. By royal is meant that the
Oka Troupe have performed before the
Mikado, and it was only by the special
consent of the imperial authorities
that the Oka Troupe were allowed to
leave Japan and come to America under
contract to Norris & Rowe. Those
who have witnessed their performances
have declared it to be simply
marvelous. They perform intricate
feats with a brilliancy, dash and
daring that is pleasing to the eye.
Their picturesque flowing robes,
wrought with the handiwork which only
the deft fingers of the Japanese seem
to fashion, are soon discarded for the
red tights and white trunks, which
give greater freedom. Then begins a
bewildering array of feats of
posturing, balancing, tumbling, lofty
perch, breakaway ladder tricks, etc.,
until the eye fairly aches from
watching the agile athletes perform.
This is but one of the many dazzling
acts that Norris & Rowe have
provided for their new circus
carnival.
CIRCUS
NOVELTYMedford Mail, May 13, 1904, page 4 Ringling Brothers Present a Gorgeous Dramatic Spectacle, Introducing 1200 Characters. 
Jerusalem
and the Crusades, Ringling Brothers'
sublime, beautiful and instructive
spectacular production, is adapted
from the religious and historical
story of which every man, woman and
child in the civilized countries of
the world is familiar.No other narrative of Christian history, with the exception of those treating directly with the birth and life of Jesus, is of such thrilling interest to people of all classes as is the Crusades, on which Ringling Brothers' magnificent spectacular production is builded. Kings, queens, princes, lords, nobles, chevaliers, knights, courtiers, functionaries, church officials, attendants, pilgrims, pages, soldiers, penitents, choristers, theologians, students, serfs, vassals, characteristic types of every class, dancing girls, singing women, exuberant children and a thousand and one other picturesque characters, give varied animation and color and enthralling interest to the panoramic changes of incident and scene. The grand cathedral at Clermont, France, from whence the historic Crusaders started upon their holy mission, is pictured with classic accuracy and charming coloring. The palace yard of the Emir, the Egyptian ruler at the time of the Crusades, is portrayed with voluptuous fidelity, and presents in its passing incidents the most bewitching exemplification of ballet and dramatic art. The grand ballet divertissement in this scene is an original conception and more entrancingly beautiful than any dancing conceit ever invented and interpreted. The legions of girls employed in evolving the elegant and graceful figures of the novel ballet are artists, graduated from the best masters of the terpsichorean art, lithely and lissomely young and sensitively practiced in accomplishing the highest and most delightful effects in dancing study. The barbaric splendors of the Egyptian court are revealed in this reveling scene upon a scale of magnificence and expenditure never before attempted. This prodigal display of medieval luxury and Oriental extravagance is only in keeping with the progressive policy of the Ringling Brothers, who have enlarged and improved every department of their enormous shows, by far the greatest in existence, until now they appear to have reached the climax of human possibility. The great shows will exhibit in Medford, Saturday, September 3d, and give two performances daily, in the afternoon at 2 o'clock and in the evening at 8 o'clock. Medford Mail, August 19, 1904, page 4 Norris
& Rowe Coming.
The Norris & Rowe Greater
Circus will play their annual
engagement in this city early in
the spring. A few of the facts and
novelties already under contract
are the following:
 Medford Mail, April 28, 1905
The
Belford family of aerialists, which
consists of two young women, two young men
and two older acrobats; John and Hugh
LaNole and Miss Amy Melnotte in a
sensational high silver wire act; the
Leffel trio of pantomimists and aerial bar
performers; Miss Rose Dockrill, a graceful
lady bareback rider; George Holland,
gymnast and bareback rider; Austin King,
the famous jockey and hurdle rider; Dolly
and Frank Miller in a wonderful bareback
riding act; the Sugimoto troupe of
Japanese lady swordswomen and expert
athletes; the McDonald trio of bicycle
experts; the Gardner family in a thrilling
casting act; John LaNole, the breakaway
ladder expert. The comedy element will be
handled by the famous Jim West, a clown
celebrated in the realm of the white
tents. West will be assisted in his fun by
Billy LaRue and a corps of merrie-makers.
Some of the novelties in the animal line will be a large number of pure white Arabian cake-walking horses; a troupe of performing Russian bears; performing seals; an act containing one hundred educated Shetland ponies and one hundred educated dogs and a beautiful arrangement for the grand entree called the "Garland of Flowers," in which ladies and gentlemen expert riders participate in a picturesque act of high-class menage. The show will be given in three rings and will be the largest that Norris & Rowe ever sent out. Medford Mail, February 3, 1905, page 8 Famous
Equestrian Acts, Celebrated
Riders
Medford
Mail,
April 21, 1905, page 1with the Norris & Rowe Greater Circus.
Messrs. Norris & Rowe
determined to make their circus
this season the most memorable one
in their history, and towards that
end have engaged performers in all
departments of the arena that have
gained the greatest fame in this
country and Europe. Last year
witnessed the inception of their
greater circus, and this year will
witness the culmination of their
triumphs as Big Show Showmen.
Towards that end they have engaged
such famous riders as Miss Rose
Dockrill, the daring lady
equestrian; Geo. Holland, the
principal rider; Austin King, the
clever young hurdle and jockey
rider. Dolly and Frank Miller, a
notable duo of equestrians,
brought to this country from the
Paris Hippodrome, where they were
at the height of their fame.
William Sutton, Jos. Haines, Mlle.
Julien and Estelle Settler are a
quartet of dashing bareback
riders. These stars will be
augmented by other riders in
innumerable sensational equestrian
exercises. As a contrast to the
expert riding there will be many
laughable climaxes in the
burlesquing of these acts by
famous clowns, who with their
fooling will create amusement for
the little ones by their absurd
attempts to duplicate the feats
performed by the expert
equestrians in the arena. Norris
& Rowe contend that no circus
visiting this section will be able
to show as many nor as clever a
list of celebrities in expert
horsemanship as will be exhibited
in their arenas.
Exhibitions will be given in Medford, Wednesday, May 3; 2 and 8 p.m. Where
Will You Eat Circus Day.
Circus day comes on Wednesday,
May 3d, and the ladies of the
Baptist church are preparing to
serve dinner and supper on that
day in the Wilson store building,
one door south of The
Medford
Mail printing office.
They will also be prepared to
serve sandwiches and coffee and,
during the afternoon, ice cream,
cake and lemonade.
Expert
Horsemanship, Bareback Riding
and Feats of DaringYes, that would be just the thing. Go there and get your meal, instead of doing the extra work of getting meals at home that day. Tell your neighbors and friends about it. Tell them that the meals will be "A No. 1," and will be served at a cost of only 25 cents each. Don't forget the place--one door south of Medford Mail office. Medford Mail, April 21, 1905, page 1  Norris & Rowe Circus, circa 1905-1910 and Skill with the Norris & Rowe Greater Circus.
Exhilarating
and
sensational characterizes the large
number of bareback riding [omission]
as presented by Norris & Rowe's
greater circus this year. Circling the
arena at racing speed, George Holland,
the agile equestrian, supports Miss
Rose Dockrill on one horse while
driving two others. Then comes a
succession of difficult single and
double somersaults, both forward and
backward. Dolly and Frank Miller show
expert horsemanship in mounting and
dismounting; simultaneously riding one
horse, then alternate in vaulting from
one horse to another while dashing
around the arena. Austin King is the
acknowledged bounding jockey champion,
and his achievements this season is
winning new laurels for him. He
successfully guides his high jumping
horses while they vault over hurdles
and barriers of great height. Wm.
Sutton, Jos. Haines, Mlle. Julien and
Estelle Settler engage in an act that
shows all the various paces taught the
high school thoroughbred menage horse.
In the "Spanish trot," "lay down,"
"sit up," "knee high," and pedestal
exhibition they are unequalled. The
eight-horse entree, with the lady and
gentlemen equestrians garlanded with
flowers and going at top speed through
the pretty and difficult "threading
the needle" feat, is one of the most
difficult and attractive numbers. As a
contrast to these sensational
performances, "Jim" West, the famous
clown, attempts to burlesque these
acts upon a trick mule. He really does
accomplish many intricate feats, but
in so grotesque a manner to evoke
shrieks of laughter from the
multitude. The Norris & Rowe
greater circus will exhibit at Medford
Wednesday, May 3d, 2 and 8 p.m.
Medford Mail, April 28, 1905, page 1 Norris
& Rowe's Circus.
Norris & Rowe's circus
did not draw as large a crowd
as usual this year, partially
on account of the rainy
weather and partially owing to
the fact that everybody in
this neck of the woods is
pretty busy at this time of
the year. However, the big
tents were well filled at the
afternoon performance, and
there was a fair-sized
audience in the evening. The
show has increased in size
from year to year, until now
it might be classed as a
full-fledged circus. New
features have been added, and
there is no better show of its
class on the road than Norris
& Rowe's.
Medford Mail, May 5, 1905, page 1  Cozad's Wonderful Aggregation of Dogs, Ponies, Monkeys and Goats to Exhibit Here Soon.
Several
years have now passed since a
complete dog and pony circus has
exhibited in this state. Since the
Norris & Rowe shows have been
turned into a large circus
organization, we have had no
entertainment of this kind.
However, the present season will
mark a change, for the field has
been entered by Cozad's California
Dog, Pony, Monkey and Goat Circus.
The show will be given on a large
scale, as the aggregation travels
in its own special train, and
carries immense waterproof circus
tents, reserved seats, etc., and
every care will be taken of the
large numbers of ladies and
children who are always interested
in an entertainment of this
nature.
A special feature is the arrangement by the management to allow the little folks to ride the ponies free of charge after the exhibition is over. An entertainment devoted exclusively to canines, equines and simians has always proven extremely popular and a source of unlimited pleasure to all classes of amusement lovers, and no better illustration of what kindness, gentleness, patience and love can accomplish with miniature brutes could be shown than in the way the dogs, ponies, monkeys and goats of the Cozad show express their delight and appreciation of the fun they are enjoying when going through their stunts. There will be pony drills, a Maypole dance by children on pretty, prancing Shetlands; high jumping, hurdle riding; hippodrome contests and feats of skill and speed by the little equines; innumerable tricks by well-trained dogs and absurdly laughable antics by grotesque monkeys. Popular prices will prevail during the engagement of Cozad's show here. Medford
Mail, May 12, 1905, page 4
 Scenes in the Deep Sea Divers Exhibition at the Carnival.
Following
is a description of the numerous
shows that are to be seen at
Medford's Free Spring Street Fair
and Carnival:
There are twelve pay shows in all, each one entirely different from the other and all of which are new to the public. The big stadium is the feature show, and [it] is really [a] high-class arenic show equal to the best circuses. Eliminating the menagerie and equestrian acts, as it does, it embraces the best acrobats, gymnasts, etc., that money can procure and the terrific leap of the death chasm by Diavolo, which is the great feature of this show. The other pay shows include Peggy from Paris, an exquisitely beautiful melange of marvelous dances. Coon Town, 100 present, real old plantation darkies, in characteristic cake walks, singing, dancing and comicalities. Capt. Sarco, deep sea divers, is an intensely interesting and instructive exhibition of the actual work in deep sea diving. The California Train Robbery embraces an excellent exhibition of moving pictures by an expert operator, the leading film being the train robbery, a masterpiece of motion pictures. "Creation" is a phenomenal show that seems to set all scientific laws at defiance and may be classed as a psychological phenomenon. The "Fire and Flame," as its name implies, depends largely upon its company of spooks, angels and imps, and assisted by a realistic "Beelzebub," and clever stage craft will awe the superstitious, amaze the credulous and arouse the normal persons who attend. The "Mystic Maze" is where you "get lost" and are kept busy trying to find yourself, your neighbor and your own way out. It is highly amusing. The "Crazy House" creates no end of amusement for those who enter, for the cleverly constructed glasses contorts and distorts one's shape into all sorts of fantastic shapes and inconceivable widths, lengths and breadths of form. The results of a visit are extremely ludicrous, and one's risibilities are worked overtime in this show. The Crystal Palace, where new and novel features are displayed in blowing glass in every conceivable manner, and the Golden City, is also another very interesting exhibition. Besides the five big free acts, the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and the riding camels. Lorita, the armless wonder. Yes, there will be something doing all the time, as the doors open every evening at 7 and every afternoon, after Monday, at 2 o'clock. Date, 22d May. Place, Medford. Medford
Mail, May 19, 1905, page 8
 Lorita, the Armless Wonder The Southern Carnival Co. has been showing in Medford this week and will close its engagement here Saturday night. The attractions are all first class and are attended by good-sized audiences. The people connected with this company are all quiet and unassuming, and one wouldn't know they were in town only when the "spielers" for the various shows commence calling the attention of the crowd to the attractions inside the tent. Madame Lilijen's high dive from the top of a pole sixty-five feet high into a tank containing but four feet of water, the performer being at the time enveloped in flame, is one of the open-air attractions that never fails to draw a crowd. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, May 28, 1905, page 5  AMERICAN
AMUSEMENT
INSTITUTION.BARNUM & BAILEY'S SHOW.
All the papers of Europe,
without exception, have praised
the wonderful character of the
Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show
on Earth. What they have all
remarked in praise would fill a
book of 10,000 pages of small
print. To transport the vast
material, animals and property of
the big concern requires five
trains of cars, each car nearly
sixty feet long and each train
nearly 2000 feet long, so that all
the trains if made into one would
be over a mile in length. All the
cars will be seen here when the
show arrives on Saturday, August
26th.
Another novel feature are the tents. Very few persons can form an idea of their magnitude and capacity. When it is stated that the largest building in New York, Madison Square Garden, does not seat one-half as many people as the tent where the performances are given, one begins to realize its enormous size. Nearly fifteen thousand persons can be comfortably seated in the main canvas, which has a footrest for every seat, while the menagerie tent is 350 feet long. Arranged in the main tent are three equestrian rings, three stages, a race track, and an aerial enclave, and it is in and upon these the wonderful performances take place. In the menagerie pavilion are other stages, where the collection of curiosities are exhibited without extra charge,and where also are the handsome cages of wild beasts, the elephants, baby elephant herd of giraffes and other objects of interest. Then there are other tents, with canvas stalls, canvas mangers, etc., for the 500 horses, and still more tents for dressing rooms, dining rooms, barbers, blacksmiths and others, the whole covering an area of twelve acres. To see all these tents erected in the short space of two hours is indeed a wonderful sight, and but another instance of the remarkable methods and stupendous resources of this truly magnificent show. The vast amount of material carried, the great number of employees of all kinds, the army of performers, the commissary department--in fact, all the various parts of the big affair when combined make such a colossal gigantic show that few can possibly comprehend it. And it is never divided. There will be only one performance here, owing to the long run to Redding, Calif., but it will be complete in every way and includes the great sensation "The Dip of Death." The show begins at 1 o'clock, doors open at 12. Medford Mail, August 25, 1905, page 1 Barnum
& Bailey's Circus.
The general expression of
the people who attended Barnum
& Bailey's circus Saturday
was one of disappointment. The
circus did not come up to
their expectations. Fact is,
when one sees one of the big
traveling aggregations
nowadays he sees them all,
practically, and when he looks
for new sensations in the next
show that comes along he is
bound to be disappointed.
However, there were several
good acts in the show which
alone were worth the price of
admission, but the balance of
it was what we had all seen
before. In the opinion of many
the bicycle leap of "Volo the
Volitant" was a better feature
than the widely advertised
automobile jump, the latter
being principally a matter of
machinery, the rider having
nothing to do with its success
or failure. The crowd was less
than ones which have attended
former occasions.
Medford Mail, September 1, 1905, page 1 EVERYTHING
NEW THIS SEASON.
Norris & Rowe Circus To Furnish a Veritable Feast of Circus Novelties.
With the present circus
season the greater Norris
& Rowe Show will
celebrate its eighteenth
birthday. It is but
natural to suppose that in
all this time a vast
quantity of equipment
should be collected, so it
was with considerable
relief that Norris &
Rowe accepted the offer of
a small circus touring the
Middle West to purchase
all their old wardrobe,
costumes, small cages,
dens and chariots. When
the clearance was effected
H. S. Rowe hurried to New
York and there had made to
his order all new big
dens, tableaux wagons,
chariots, cages, floats,
etc., superb new wardrobe,
attractive trappings for
the horses and many novel,
up-to-date circus
fixtures, so when the show
appears here the young
western circus men are
confident that the public
will agree with them that
the title "The New and
Greater Norris & Rowe
Circus, Museum, Menagerie
and Hippodrome" is the
most appropriate name that
could have been given the
show. Not an act of any
kind has been retained
from last season. Many of
the European bareback
riders are making their
first trip to this
country, and quite a
number of the athletes,
midair performers and
acrobats have never been
in this section, and this
is just exactly what
Norris & Rowe wanted.
It was promised last
season that when the show
came this way again every
act, feature, novelty and
all the equipment would be
new and interesting, and
Norris & Rowe are
satisfied in the knowledge
that they have, as always,
lived up to their every
promise. The New and
Greater Norris & Rowe
Circus will give two
exhibitions here Thursday,
May 3d.
Medford Mail, April 20, 1906, page 2  Medford Mail, April 20, 1906 CLOWNS PROVE INVENTIVE GENIUSES.
That
the circus clown is not always the
foolish fellow he seems is shown by
the ingenious devices Tote Ducrow and
Billy Scott of the Norris & Rowe
circus have invented for evoking
laughter from the little folks. This
season they have invented a breakaway
trolley car. A burlesque circus parade
headed by the clowns starts around the
hippodrome track. They meet the
trolley car coming towards them. They
refuse to get out of the way. The
trolley car starts ahead at full speed
with the inevitable result that the
burlesque parade is broken up, [and]
the car runs over the clowns. They
retaliate by jumping upon the car,
when finally an explosion sends car
and clowns high in the air,
accompanied by the shrieks of delight
from the children. Another of their
laugh-provoking inventions is a large
red automobile called the "Red Devil,"
and devil it is, for when it starts
around the track at full speed it runs
over everybody in sight. Squealing
pigs, scurrying chickens, an old maid
with her market basket, a fat man, a
dude and a tramp are run over with
equal impartiality, and the automobile
finally goes up in smoke after all the
confusion it has caused. The children
will remember these comical fellows
long after they have forgotten
everything else they saw with the
circus. Tote Ducrow and "Happy" Bill
Scott have as assistants in fun-making
Nick Mannigan, "Foolish" Willie Hyatt,
Bob Curtin and "Grotesque" Charlie
Medora. The New and Greater Norris
& Rowe Circus will exhibit at
Medford, Thursday, May 3d.
Getting
Better Every Year.Medford Mail, April 27, 1906, page 4
From
a little one-ring affair, with a few
dogs and ponies, Norris & Rowe
have increased the size of their show
year by year, until now they have one
of the largest and best circuses in
the West. At their performance on
Thursday last they attracted the
largest crowd they have ever showed to
in this city, and the unanimous
verdict was that the performance was
equal [to], if not better, than that
given by larger aggregations with more
pretentious reputations that have
shown here before. The best of the old
features have been retained and a
great number of new ones added.
THE
CIRCUS IS HERE.Medford Mail, May 11, 1906, page 5 Clowns, Elephants, Monkeys and All BIG CROWD HERE Immense Aggregation of Trick Animals and Highly Trained Acrobats--A Huge Crowd
All
Medford
was alive this morning early in
anticipation of the arrival of the
great Forepaugh and Sells Brothers
great combined shows. When the first
train arrived in this city from Eugene
it was met by a vast delegation. The
wagons were followed to the show lots
on the west side, where the thousands
who had waited long for the show to
come drank in with wonder the
systematic movements of the small army
of people.
CIRCUS
DAY IN MEDFORD.The three great herds of elephants won particular attention. The massive pachyderms, larger in size and in number than anything that ever came this way, played to an appreciative audience. Young Medford, who was to see his first elephant, made a thorough examination of the big fellows, and [but] only for the trainers he might have crawled up the long trunks of the monsters to see the whole show from a point of vantage. The Forepaugh Sells shows come to Medford after receiving the plaudits of the press in every city where they have stopped. They give two shows in this city and then jump south to California. At noon the giant parade of over a mile of cars moved through the main streets of Medford. Thence back to the grounds and the big show was ready for its great tent display. The menagerie is in itself a show well worth the price of admission, while the big circus performance is a kaleidoscope of daring acts, each worthy of the figure the circus charges to pass within its doors. The show has been advertised as the greatest show that ever played in Medford. Despite its miles of paper [billboards] the show lives up to every detail of its ads, and in this way marks itself a great show both in size and in integrity. Hundreds who attended the show in the afternoon saw their first fire engine. The show carries three complete fire companies, which are both ornamental as well as useful. The first scene, which depicts a burning hotel, is a most stirring spectacular production. In the center of the big tent is erected a street scene. In the middle of it is a hotel. This catches fire. The fire department responds and rescues imperiled people from the third-story windows. Others, who are cut off by imaginary flames, jump into life nets. In the line of equestrian work the Forepaugh Sells shows are revelations. Some of the feats of daring that are presented by the big show make one's heart stop beating for a second. In this respect as well as in many others, the Forepaugh Sells shows stand at the head of their line. The performance this afternoon was given before thousands. Another show takes place this evening at eight o'clock. The doors open an hour earlier. Medford Daily Tribune, August 25, 1906, page 1  Medford Mail, August 17, 1906
Circus
day has come and gone. For one whole
day the city was in the hands of the
circus man, the small boy and the
sightseer. It was a Fourth of July
with the fireworks left out.
The trains bearing the big show were late in arriving, and as a consequence the parade was delayed until nearly one o'clock, and the doors to the main show were not opened until nearly three. During this time there were several hundred people waiting in the hot sun for admission, and there was some adverse comment concerning this. Once inside, however, troubles were forgotten by all and the crowd seemed bent on getting all the fun there was in the occasion. Everybody reveled in the genuine circus air. It was hot, it was dusty, the wild animals gave forth their natural effluvia even more pungently than usual, the clowns cracked the jokes which have been cracked and put together and cracked again for ages. The young lady in diaphanous apparel, who pirouetted on the wide back of a big horse, looked just like the one we fell in love with in the days of Montgomery Queens' old, one-ring show, the tumblers tumbled, the trapeze performers made apparently impossible leaps in midair, the--what's the use trying to tell about it. One man couldn't see it all at one time. There was something doing every minute, and it was all good, and the crowd appreciated it. The attendance from out of town was not as large as it would otherwise have been had it not been for the reports disseminated concerning the prevalence of diphtheria in Medford. One report was to the effect that there were three hundred cases of the disease in Medford and that twenty deaths had resulted, when as a matter of fact there hasn't been a single case in a malignant form and no deaths which can be traced to the disease. On the whole the show gave good satisfaction. Medford Mail, August 31, 1906, page 1 The
Great Norris & Rowe
Circus Will Positively
Appear Here.
The popular young western
showmen, Norris & Rowe, advise
us from their Santa Cruz winter
quarters that they will positively
appear in this city next
Monday. The show has been
enlarged to forty-five cars,
traveling in sections of fifteen
cars each. Jas. O. Stuart, general
contracting agent, has been in the
city to purchase large quantities
of supplies, contract for lot
location, billboard space,
excursions, etc.
 Medford Mail, April 19, 1907
The
program is a lengthy one and includes
every act known to the circus arena and in
addition to many odd and unusual features,
trained animals etc. the bareback riders
including such celebrities as Geo.
Holland, somersault rider; Rose Dockrill,
principal rider; Dolly Miller and her high
school horse; Edna Maretta, somersault
bareback rider; Frank Miller and his dog
"Vic" in a hurricane hurdle jockey act;
Frank O'Brien in a comedy mule hurdle act;
Rose Stetson, in a pretty menage act;
Herbert Rumley, the rough rider; Geo.
Settler and his 20 Shetland ponies. The
aerial acts include the Four Flying
Banvard Sisters troupe; the Leffel Troupe
on the aerial bars; the Sisters Rappo,
trapeze performers; the Melno troupe of
aerial silver wire experts; Irene Maretta
on the swinging ladder; the Lanole Bros.
on the unsupported dancing ladder. Novelty
acts include the Seven Avalon troupe of
cyclists; the Montrose-Keno troupe of
grotesque gymnasts; the Adams troupe of
acrobats; Ben Lucier and his giant golden
ladder in backward somersaults; the
Toozoonin Arabs, gun spinners; the
Whirling Dervishes; the Zerhewsky troupe
of Cossack dancers; the Turkish Patrol of
soldiers in a wall-scaling feat, etc.
The trained animals features, including
lions, tigers, bears, wolves, elephants,
camels, llamas, sea lions, dromedaries,
bloodhounds, hyenas, kangaroos, etc. There
will be the usual parade. Souvenirs will
be given this season to commemorate the
twentieth year of the partnership of
Norris & Rowe, and the tour is known
as the "Jubilee Souvenir Season." In
Medford Monday, April 22.
Medford Mail, April 19, 1907, page 3 Interesting Exhibition Under Canvas.
The
Great
Norris & Rowe circus, museum,
menagerie and hippodrome made its
annual appearance in this city Monday,
gave two well-attended exhibitions and
pleased many. The show has a number of
novel acts, and keeps moving in an
interesting way from beginning to end.
There are no wasted minutes.
Everything was kept quickly moving,
and good management was shown in every
detail. The small boy was very much in
evidence, and found all the things he
delighted in. The time-honored parade
showed a gay cavalcade of brightly
plumaged knights and ladies,
equestrians and equestriennes; open
dens of wild beasts, thoroughbred
horses, clowns; bands of music,
tableaux wagons and all the
appurtenances of the modern successful
circus. The menagerie was a very fair
one indeed. In this tent one could see
excellent specimens of lions, tigers,
hyena, bears, pumas, kangaroos,
leopards, baby lion, deer, elk,
monkeys, elephants, llamas, camels,
dromedaries, sea lions, wolves,
panthers. Here also was kept the
curiously spotted Arabian horses,
racing thoroughbred stock and
performing Shetland ponies, while out
in the horse tent was a fine
collection of heavy draft stock that
made many a farmer's eyes glisten. In
the big tent proper was given a
creditable exhibition of bareback,
trick, fancy, high school and menage
equestrianism, trapeze performances,
high wire acts, flying acts, casting
acts, feats of juggling, contortion,
aerial horizontal bars, long and high
leaping contests and the always
exciting hippodrome races. Those who
attended expressed themselves well
satisfied, and it would be a person
hard indeed to please who didn't get
their money's worth.
The
Circus in Medford.Medford Mail, April 26, 1907, page 8
One
of
the biggest crowds that ever assembled
in Southern Oregon was in Medford
Saturday to witness the Ringling Bros.
circus. From early morning until noon
the people were coming in from all
directions, and in every kind of
conveyance, from puffing autos to a
lumber wagon drawn by those faithful
beasts who, in the words of a famous
Oregonian, are "without pride of
ancestry or hope of posterity."
Does
a Little Roasting. Medford Mail, August 16, 1907 By the time the parade was formed, the streets were a mass of crowding, jostling, good-natured humanity, bent on getting all the enjoyment possible out of the pageant. And it was well worthy of the effort, for a finer parade was never witnessed here. Everything looked bright and well cared-for. The horses were well groomed and in good spirits, the animals in the cages were different from the usual half-starved-looking, spiritless specimens one usually sees, but looked as if, were they given their liberty, they could render a good account of themselves. The performance was of the very best. Many new features had been added, and the performers were of the best talent possible to get together. Taken altogether Ringling Bros.' show was better this time than ever before, and this means that it was far and away the best show of the kind that ever pitched its tents in Medford. Medford Mail, September 6, 1907, page 1
The
Gold
Hill News takes occasion to
point a moral by relating some of the
occurrences of circus day in Medford,
and one is perforce compelled to agree
with him in the main. The system of
handling passenger traffic on days
when large crowds travel over short or
longer distances on the railroads
comes in for a good share of Bro.
Purdin's criticism. He tells of the
crowd waiting at the depot for the
5:09 train until 2:30 in the morning,
and at the same time shows how the law
compelling railroad companies to post
up time of trains every half hour is
made a farce. That bulletin board
showed "guesses" at the time of the
delayed train every 30 minutes or so,
but nobody knew when it would come,
and the expectant passengers were no
better off than they were in the days
when the only information to be had
was a grunt.
BIG
CIRCUS COMING.Bro. Purdin pays his respect to the Medford city government as follows: "And along the line of poorly managed affairs, the Medford city council is also deserving of some special mention from the way they policed the city on that day. In the evening while the crowds were awaiting the arrival of the trains, hoodlums would pass through the crowd shoving ladies and children into the rain and mud and doing other acts of a like nature, without the least interference from the police at all. One lady from Gold Hill was struck across the shoulders with a riding whip while her back was turned in a crowd, by some vagrant, who ought to have been tarred and feathered. It would have been a warm occasion for that miserable speck of humanity had he been caught by the Gold Hill boys shortly after it happened." We might say in this connection that if the above miscreant can be identified as a resident of this city, there will be no objection by anyone to his being duly disciplined. Medford Mail, September 13, 1907, page 1
The
juveniles
of Medford, together with the
thousands of elders who only go "to
take the children," are thoroughly
prepared for the coming of "the dog
and pony show," formally announced as
Gentry Brothers' Famous Shows, United,
which are to exhibit in Medford
tomorrow afternoon and evening. Ever
since the first announcement of the
show's coming, the parent who happens
to hold the purse strings in each
family in and about Medford has been
beset by overtures more or less direct
looking to such a loosening as would
get the small fry under the Gentry
canvases at least once while the shows
are here.
EVERY
DAY WASH DAY WITH FAMOUS CIRCUSA Big
Little Feature.
Added to
the superior attractive power of
perfectly trained dogs, ponies and
monkeys, has been the widely spread
knowledge that the only and original
Mrs. General Tom Thumb, happily known
to three generations of amusement
lovers as the cleverest and most
entertaining little woman alive, is
also with the Gentry shows. It has
been announced that the famous little
woman is accompanied by her present
husband, Count Primo Magri, and his
brother, Baron Magri, making a group
of "diminished thirds," which promises
to excite the admiration as well as
the curiosity of all ages of circus
devotees.Since no trained animal exhibition is without an elephant, providing such exhibition is properly constituted, the Gentrys have added five performing pachyderms to their collection since last the shows were seen here. And then there will be "Oklahoma," an American-born and -bred baby camel, a half dozen baby ponies, some of them barely able to walk, and groups of trained pigs, sheep and geese. Several acrobatic features have also been added to the Gentry shows playing to big audiences which continually voice their approval; a verdict which is rendered in full measure by the press. Medford Daily Tribune, October 12, 1907, page 3 The Gentry Shows' Dogs and Ponies Get Many Practical Lessons in Cleanliness.
Every
day is "wash day" with the Gentry
Brothers' famous shows, for the
management prides itself on having the
neatest and prettiest of tented shows
on tour, and next to a performance
whose quality and character have given
the shows an enviable individuality
rejoices in that cleanliness which is
next to the highest virtue. So it
happens that one of the big bills in
connection with conducting the trained
animal exhibition is for soap and
water.
FUN
UNDER CANVAS. The hundreds of trained dogs with the shows are led to the grounds as soon as the tents are in place and then turned loose, but it is a liberty with a string attached to it. For no sooner are the dogs on hand than they are brought fact to face with the huge iron tubs and even the unobserving layman can tell by the expression on their canine countenances that they know what is coming. Some are sad and some are glad; some "yip" in pleased anticipation and others growl in sullen resentment; while the healthiest ones bark their joy and the weaker ones whine in fear. Medford Daily Tribune, October 15, 1907, page 3 Nat Reiss Company Opens a Medford Engagement Thursday-- "Meet Me at the Carnival"--That Is the Watchword Among the People.
"Meet
me at the carnival" is the watchword
of everyone who is interested in the
big festival that will be given at
Medford October 17-18-19 by the Nat
Reiss Carnival Company. The committee
believe the opening performances
Thursday will be attended by many
thousands of people.
It
is to be a real carnival week. It is
to be a week free from society
restraints, but full of sociability,
real, good, honest, innocent fun.
There will be confetti to fill the
hair of men and the gay gowns of the
girls. There will be blowing of horns,
whistling of balloons, waving of
beribboned canes, congress of bashful
maids, parading of the gay beaux,
visiting, flirting, courting, joking,
teasing, all on the promenade of the
big white city, where Nat Reiss has 12
big shows, two bands and 200
performers, a one-ring circus,
"Dixieland," which is a theater inside
a Mississippi river steamboat, with
plantation songs and scenes,
high-class vaudeville in the Red Dome,
the Ferris wheel, steam gondolas, the
electric theater, with moving pictures
from Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Paris and
London; "Aga," a never-ceasing wonder
and a beautiful picture; Maximo, the
highest-diving dog in the world, Madam
Wanda's 17 trained coach dogs, all of
one mother and several litters, with
the mother as directress general of
her progeny's performances.There will be more real sociability of neighbors and friends meeting and visiting with one another in the promenade between the white tents next week at the carnival than there has been since New Year's Day. A carnival is distinctly a people's entertainment, and its leading feature is sociability. The amusements and entertainments, which are exceptionally good, are but an incident to bring the people of the whole community in pleasant, easy social abandon, where stiff society rules are abrogated, and true respect and genuine good fellowship prevail. Gates open at 2 and 7 p.m., and good order and good fellowship are on top from the opening to the closing of the gates. One cannot spend a more enjoyable, entertaining and even instructive afternoon or evening than by visiting the carnival. Medford Daily Tribune, October 16, 1907, page 2 CIRCUS PARADE PROVES UP TO ADVERTISEMENT 
The
biggest
of the smaller shows, better known as
Gentry Brothers' Famous Shows, United,
made good its promises of the past
several days and presented to several
thousands on the principal streets
this morning one of the prettiest
street parades ever given by a
traveling circus.
CIRCUS
DAY IN MEDFORDThe crowds that lined the right of way were not only delighted with the diminutive chariots, coaches, cages and tableaux and charmed with the excellence of the wardrobe and decorative materials used in the parade, but they were a unit in expressing surprise at the fine condition of the hundreds of ponies and horses. In these particulars, especially, comparison with any other circus parade seen here this season is altogether favorable to the Gentry Brothers. Nearly
a Mile Long
In addition
to the quality and individuality of
the various features, not excepting
the inevitable elephants, camels and
calliope, the crowds had occasion to
express surprise at the length of the
"dog and pony" show parade, since the
display was nearly a mile in length.Notable among the features were Count and Baron Magri in the tiny coach originally given Mrs. Tom Thumb by Barnum; the wagons bearing the scores of beribboned and well-groomed dogs; the little pony colts trotting alongside their mothers, and the monkeys, some of whom rode "outside" on top of the cages, while others were seen in durance vile behind the bars. Tents
Are Crowded
Early this
afternoon the doors of the Gentry
tents were thrown open to the
thousands of patrons, mostly children
and their escorts, who came to see the
pony drill, the monkey fire
department, the diving dogs, the
pyramid pony act and the various other
features incident to the
characteristic Gentry program.
Countess Magri--Mrs. General Tom
Thumb--also held court just inside the
main entrance, renewing many
friendships dating back 40 years, and
the pony and animal tent also came in
for a large share of attention.Following the afternoon performance all the children in the audience were given invitations to ride the ponies, elephants and camels, and few of them declined the offer. The Gentry shows will exhibit on the same grounds this evening. Medford Daily Tribune, October 18, 1907, page 4
The
small
boys of the city and the surrounding
county sat on hard benches last
Tuesday, munched hard nuts, drank pink
lemonade and proclaimed to all who
were there to hear that "the circus
has come." The youngsters were happy,
and many a man's thoughts turned
backward to the time when he was small
and could enjoy a circus as it should
be enjoyed.
It was a large crowd that greeted Norris & Rowe's circus, and for the most part everyone came away satisfied. The posters had proclaimed for some time that it was bigger and larger than ever, and so it was found. People from the surrounding county flocked to the city, and at the afternoon and evening performances the large circus tent was crowded. It was a good crowd too, from the circus manager's standpoint, for they saw all there was to see and consumed vast quantities of the standard circus edibles. Circus day was more like a holiday than anything else. Long before the big parade started in the morning the streets of the city were crowded, and latecomers experienced some difficulty in finding a location from which they could gain an unobstructed view of the parade. The vacant lots along the line [of] parade were crowded with automobiles, carriages and divers sorts of vehicles. The circus was good. Two large rings and an elevated stage were in evidence, and the management kept the large crowd amused for nearly three hours with one attraction after another. The menagerie was good and larger than that of last year. The side shows gave for the most part a new list of attractions. As a whole the show was good, and not many were disappointed. Medford Mail, May 1, 1908, page 1 The Norris & Rowe circus was accompanied by a number of fresh young men, who made themselves rather obnoxious by annoying young girls and women--without provocation. If one or two irate citizens had succeeded in locating certain members of this bunch, the circus would likely have been shy an employee or two the next morning. "City Happenings," Medford Mail, May 1, 1908, page 5 A few years ago a herd of elephants, property of a circus, came near smashing the bridge through, and since that date the city government has barred elephants from the structure. "Electric Railroad Barred from Bear Creek Bridge in Medford," Medford Sun, February 3, 1911, page 6 A search of Medford ordinance books indicates no such formal ordinance was ever passed. A thorough search of newspaper reports after known circus performance dates for 1903-1911 found no newspaper reports about damage to the bridge.  Southern Oregonian, September 26, 1908 BIG
CROWD AT MEDFORD
Wild West Show Reports 10,763 Paid Admissions.
MEDFORD, Or., Sept.
28.--(Special.)--"Buffalo
Bill's" Wild West Show here
today brought together one of
the largest crowds ever
assembled in Jackson County.
Colonel Cody said tonight:
"Medford is the liveliest town for its size in which my show has appeared. I expected 3000 attendance, but had 10,763 paid admissions." It was pay day for the employees of the show, and many of them distributed a goodly amount of their earnings among the business houses here. Morning Oregonian, Portland, September 29, 1908, page 7 CIRCUS
DAY IN MEDFORD
It is Estimated that Nearly 12,000 People Witnessed Show
Yesterday
was circus day in every sense of
the term. It was circus weather,
there was the circus crowd, circus
dust, circus lemonade, and then,
to cap the climax, there was the
show itself, and the general
impression among the thousands who
saw it was that the show was a
good one.
Sunday night the people started to arrive in the city for the purpose of attending the performance, and from that until the hour for the opening the people arrived in droves. They came in rigs, in automobiles, on trains and many walked. All were intent on seeing what will in all probability be the last appearance of the world-renowned "Buffalo Bill." The show opened with a grand review of the different rough riders of the world, the 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.  Medford Mail, September 25, 1908
Then
there was a group of Mexicans from Old
Mexico who showed the use of the lasso,
the old Deadwood stage coach, and then
Buffalo Bill gave some exhibitions of
expert shooting from horseback while on
the gallop.
The next on the program was what was termed the "race of races," and it was between a cowboy, Cossack, Mexican, Arab and Indian, on Mexican, bronco, Indian and Arabian horses. Attention was directed to the different seats in saddle by the various riders. This was won by the Arab. Then followed the United States artillery drill, showing the old muzzle-loading methods. The guns used were relics of the Civil War. A former Pony Express rider showed how telegrams of the republic were distributed and carried across the continent previous to the building of telegraphs and railways. The Arabs and Japanese performed various feats of agility. The emigrant train illustrated a prairie emigrant train crossing the plains guided by Buffalo Bill. Incidental to the scene there was a buffalo hunt, the Virginia Reel on horseback, songs by the emigrant's quartette, and high school performances by Ray Thompson's trained western range horses, including "Joe Belley," the most wonderfully trained equine in the world. After the emigrant camp had settled down for a night of rest and sleep, the peaceful scene was distributed by marauding Indians, and they were repulsed by the scouts and cowboys. The battle of Summit Springs, fought on July 11, 1869, was shown. During this engagement Buffalo Bill shot and killed the Indian chief Tall Bull. There was football on horseback, the newest form of equestrian sport, played under special rules and seen for the first time in any arena; a drill by the Sixth Cavalry, showing the evolutions of the regular army; Johnny Baker, the celebrated American marksman. "The Great Train Holdup and Bandit Hunters of the Union Pacific" was a scene representing a train holdup on the western wilds. The bandits stopped the train, uncoupled the engine from the coaches, robbed the express car and blew open the safe. Meanwhile the passengers were lined up and despoiled of their valuables. The scene ended with the arrival of the bandit hunters of the Union Pacific. Racing by Indian boys on bareback ponies, cowboys picking objects from the ground, lassoing and riding wild horses; Devlin's Zouaves, in manual of arms, lightning drills, finishing with an exhibition of wall scaling, showing the adaptability of citizen-soldiery in warfare; Cossacks from the Caucasus of Russia, in feats of horsemanship, and then the finale salute. In spite of the immense crowd in the city, all were on their good behavior, and the police had about as quiet a day in their line as if there had been nothing unusual doing. There was no accident, and as far as is known all the visitors were well taken care of by the hotels and restaurants and had a real good time, taking it all in all. Medford Mail Tribune, October 2, 1908, page 1 Queen Anne addition, in East Medford, will be the Wild West show ground. Time was when a circus tent could be pitched "close in" to the depot, but nothing doing for circuses on the old grounds--they are now all covered with residences and school buildings. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, October 2, 1908, page 6 CIRCUS
IS COMING.
Norris & Rowe, the circus
managers who recently met with
financial reverses, are to arrive
in this city on the 24th with a
thoroughly up-to-the-hour circus
attraction. The advance agent is
now in Chico and will arrive in
this city in a few days.
The Norris & Rowe attraction came to public attention a few months ago as a result of a financial tangle in which it became involved. After touring the southern portion of California the circus went to Santa Cruz, where the money question became so vital that the animals and other paraphernalia were sold at auction to pay off the creditors. The circus is now, however, back in the old hands again, having been bought back following the realization of money by the former managers through investments made in Alaska. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, April 9, 1909, page 2  Medford Daily Tribune, April 12, 1909 MANY
VICTIMS OF CIRCUS SHARPERS
Short-Change Artists Fleece People Who Purchase Reserved Seats. Police Say it Was the Toughest "Bunch" they Ever Encountered.
The Sacramento Union says: The
police state that the men employed
by the Norris & Rowe circus
are the hardest lot that they have
had to deal with for many moons,
and at the circus grounds last
evening officers Siddon and
McManus were kept busy quelling
fights between circus employees
and outsiders and straightening
out squabbles between the ticket
sellers and citizens who had been
shortchanged. The most flagrant
case of shortchanging occurred at
the reserved seats section, when a
citizen was swindled out of $50 by
one of the employees, and to avoid
any trouble the management of the
show refunded the money to the
victim of the sharper.
A citizen asked for a reserved seat from a man named Nelson, who was selling the seats, and was told that if he had a $5 or $10 piece he would be given two reserved seats for a quarter, the ticket seller explaining that he had a pocket full of silver that he wished to get rid of. The purchaser tendered the $5 piece, and the ticket seller said: "Oh, never mind, I will keep the silver," and pushed back to the purchaser a nickel. This occurrence was immediately reported to the police, and officers McManus and Siddons threatened to arrest the ticket seller unless the matter was straightened out. The management of the show agreed to do this, and the incident was closed. Over 25 people reported to the police that they had been shortchanged, but rather than make a fuss allowed the matter to drop. Yesterday afternoon an attachment was served upon the circus by Constable Haggerty at the instance of Justice Clarken, in whose court an action was filed by A. J. Madsen on behalf of 30 employees of the show. The men claim that the Norris & Rowe people owe them for back salary to the amount of $200. A bond was filed by the Norris & Rowe company, and they state that they will fight the men in court, as the claim is not a just one. Late last night three employees of the circus applied to the police, stating that they had been discharged and had received no wages. The circus was on the cars and under way when the complaint was made, and the discharged men left for Oroville, where the circus next shows, vowing that they would file an attachment in the Butte County town. Early in the evening Detective Kripp and Sergeant Koenig closed down one of the sideshows, which was advertising as a Salome dance, but was nothing more than the "hootchy kootchy." Chief Sullivan investigated the dance, and seeing that it was not fit for women and children to witness, ordered it closed. Gambling games, which were conducted in some of the sideshows, were also closed down, as those running them violated their word with Chief Sullivan, who allowed them to run some games, but as soon as the games were started "brace games" were introduced, which the officers promptly closed down. Medford Daily Tribune, April 20, 1909, page 3  Medford Mail, April 23, 1909 CROWDS FLOCK INTO CITY; IT'S CIRCUS DAY, YOU KNOW  "Shrieking
his rollicking roundelay, a monster
marched through the town;
He woke the echoes, disturbed the peace, and shouted defiance to the police, He frightened the horses, annoyed the dogs, and even the autos trembled, But the youngsters rejoiced at the din he made and followed his way with glee As youngsters have done since in Hamelin town, another piper of high renown Created havoc across the sea, so latter-day children are wont to be Entranced by the singing cal-i-o-pe." Again the painted wagons rolled through the streets, and everybody, young and old, feasted their eyes on the spectacle of the circus parade that Norris & Rowe brought to the city this morning. When the long circus trains unloaded at the depot this morning Norris & Rowe received their annual demonstration of welcome. The small boy was much in evidence as was also the big boys, and they worked with unflagging interest in assisting men and horses to the circus lot. The big tent is filled this afternoon, and for the convenience of those unable to attend the matinee, the whole thing will be repeated tonight, when a number of attractive special features will be added. The Norris & Rowe enterprise is properly conducted, and it offers all the ecstatic thrills and aesthetic delights demanded of a circus. It begins in the good old way. Three bands are united and march around the ring to a most inspiring air. Elephants come lumbering after, holding each others' tails. After that is the camels, dromedaries and then, delight of delights, shade of chivalry, the knights and princesses ride in graceful ranges, garbed in such glory as to outshine the pomp of power. Then come the clowns, humble Yoricks of the sawdust, and then the pageant melts away and in the two rings upon the elevated stage and high aloft toward the billowing tent top there is a riot of daring deeds. It is hard to follow all the things they do and say in a circus, but the excitement of trying makes life worth living. "The circus has comed!" So shouted the small boy to the world this morning, and then he got busy with watching all of the never-failing delights of unloading and moving and setting up, and the parading and all of the countless thousand and one things that go to make a circus day complete. This afternoon he is contentedly sitting on the same old hard bleachers munching peanuts and letting his illumined being [be] o'errun with the deluge of delightful sensations that he receives. Circus day is an event in his life, and the older people go, hoping against hope that they will again turn old time backward in his flight and experience some of the delights that belong to the youngster. The city was filled early in the day with people who drove in from miles around to witness the performance. They lunched wherever they could, many picnicked, while a number filled up on the circus day lemonade (?), peanuts and popcorn. The hawkers were busy early with their fancy whips and countless other circus day souvenirs. The show played to a large attendance, but nothing to be compared with the 11,500 that turned out to see Buffalo Bill in October last. The merchants of the city did a splendid business. Saturday is always a good day with them, and especially so when the crowds come in as they did today. Withal circus day is a busy day in Medford. Norris & Rowe will give a second performance this evening, and there is no doubt but that a larger crowd will be out than was this afternoon. The circus was delayed to some extent by the wreck yesterday in the neighborhood of Dunsmuir. They arrived early enough, however, to get in shape by show time. Medford Daily Tribune, April 24, 1909, page 1 AN
HONEST MAN
Diogenes Would Not Have Searched in Vain in Medford In
the
olden times, before the Standard
Oil Company had entered into a
neck-to-neck race with the Creator
for the possession of the
universe, an old, eccentric
gentleman by the name of Diogenes
contrived him a crude lantern and
went on a still hunt after an
honest man. Success, it seems, did
not attend the efforts of Diogenes
to discover an individual with
whom honesty had even a speaking
acquaintance. At least the
chronicles of the times fail to
give any information that might
lead us to suspect such a
discovery on the part of the
explorer.
Had Diogenes lived in the present century, however, and found his way to Medford during his wanderings, a far different story would have been inscribed on the pages of history. The name of I. H. Merriman of Central Point would have been engraved in letters of gold as the man upon whom the rays of Diogenes' tallow dip had fallen and drawn forth the cry of "Eureka!" from the astonished Diogenes. Mr. Merriman was in town today, and in the course of conversation with a number of friends unconsciously testified to the fact that he could tell the truth when the majority of men would have manufactured a double-lined, copper-plated falsehood without once considering that another square was punched from their mileage ticket to heaven by so doing. "Brought the children in to see the circus?" remarked one of the party to Merriman. "No, siree," replied Merriman. "I brought the children, all right, but only as a matter of justice. I like to see the big elephants, the openwork tigers and the bearded lady, just as well as the youngsters do. I like a circus and make no bones about the fact." Medford Mail, April 30, 1909, page 2 CROWDS
FLOCK INTO MEDFORD TO SEE CIRCUS
Sells-Floto Show Brings Joy to the Hearts of Medford's Young and Old-- Creditable Array of Finery. QUEEN ANN ADDITION IS POPULAR PART OF TOWN Splendid Parade Witnessed on the Crowded Streets in the Business Section.
The
Queen Ann domain in the east part of
town was the most precious bit of
acreage in Medford today--at least to
those of the young set and
"upward"--for with the rising of the
sun came a whole train load of the
dandiest circus things--red wagons,
canvas by the hundred yards, side
shows, peanuts, pink lemons and
tartaric acid (brought for the purpose
of giving the lemonade) and everything
that goes to make the hearts of young
people and old ones, too, rejoice.
 Medford Mail, May 14, 1909
The
weather was fine, and the country folk
besieged the town early. Townspeople
joined merrily in the crowd that thronged
the streets, and the balloon man vended
his wares to the intense delight of many a
"precious little darling," while everybody
waited to see the elephants.
Parade
Source of Delight.
The parade started
promptly at 10 o'clock from the circus
grounds and, traversing several of the
residence streets, wound its way, shedding
happiness and awe in its pathway, back to
the main street, continuing thence
eastward to the grounds. It was a
creditable turnout, lacking none of the
features that go to make a circus parade
interesting, and many of its features were
exceptionally fine. The Armour sextet of
dapple gray draft horses is [by] far the
most handsome turnout of horseflesh ever
exhibited here.Big
Crowd Attends.
The big circus tent was
crowded early this afternoon in spite of
the fact that this circus closely follows
one last month. Sells-Floto have many
things to delight the young and old alike,
and many were there to enjoy themselves.A big time is promised people this evening, and doubtless the circus management will do well here. Medford Daily Tribune, May 17, 1909, page 1 One hundred and twenty-five wagons passed our house up to 10 o'clock with from two to four passengers bound from the north of the county, bound for the circus. J. G. Martin, "North Medford Notes," Medford Mail, May 21, 1909, page 8  HUGE CROWDS FILL CITY TO SEE CIRCUS Trains from Nearby Cities Jammed with Humanity On Their Way To See the Big Circus SMALL BOY IS IN HIS ELEMENT TODAY Papa and Mamma and All the Kids Flock to the Queen Anne Addition Today
Oyez!
Oyez! Oyez! The circus has come again.
The seal of the great Ringling
Brothers' show has been stamped upon
Medford, and once more with joyous
accord we revel in the sights and
sounds and scents of a
never-to-be-forgotten love--the big
show.
Like huge white birds the mammoth tents stretch surrounded by the gaily colored wagons, resplendent in much gilt, the great flapping poster, recitals of the side show attractions, and any number of peanuts, lemonade, candy and popcorn booths, without which a circus would be as "Hamlet" with Hamlet left out. The usual scattering of small boys with ventilator trousers and wide, questioning eyes, waited outside to hear the elephants--28, count 'em--and perchance be taken inside the tent by some philanthropist with memories of another circus day agone. Bold, blase paterfamilias, with gleaming eyes and the circus fever itching every spot of his anatomy, had been coerced into bringing the children. Old ladies, holding their reticules firmly against the pit of their stomachs, hosts and hosts of happy boys and girls. Youth and old age alike snuffed the sawdust and turned handsprings to the places. Crowds from all nearby cities came as delegations, hundreds strong. Trains from every direction, east, west, south and north, brought in a merry, merry crowd of merry makers. The animals would have been pickin's for one T.R. Dromedaries and camels, with their backs up, were objects of interest chiefly because they can go 90 days without a drink. Kings of the forest roared beautifully and at regular intervals, and tossed their manes in true jungle book style. Lady lions inclined languidly by and looked bored at their high lords' noisings. Freckled leopards, clumsy bears, timid deer, mountain lions, tigers and a herd of mammoth pachyderms, or in Americanus vulgaris, "effalunts," were among the list of eye-holders. And such a crowd. Everyone was there to see the bizarre, bantering, button-breaking comical convocation of clownish celebrities, the gyroscopic and gymnastic jeopardies of graceful girls, the dainty, dexterous and daring displays of equitation, the agile exploits of equilibrium and the crowning culminating climax of transcendent terrible thrilldom, the desperately dangerous quintessence of aerialism. Southern
Oregonian, August 28, 1909,
page 1
OVER
13,000 PEOPLE SAW BIG CIRCUS
Record Crowd Turned Out To Greet Ringling Brothers on Their Appearance Last Saturday. JUDGE KELLY STOPPED HIGH-PRICED MOTORISTS Refused Admission to Those Drivers Who Charged 50 Cents a Trip to the Grounds.
A total of 13,000 people saw
Ringling Brothers' circus
Saturday, 8000 in the afternoon
and 5000 in the evening. The
attendance was a record-smasher
for Medford, though 11,800
attended the one performance that
Buffalo Bill's Wild West show gave
a year ago, which stands as the
record crowd at one performance.
On account of the oppressive heat in the afternoon, much discomfort attended the performance, though the heat was not as intense as it was Friday at Roseburg, where the evening performance was abandoned because of the exhaustion of performers. Five thousand is the record crowd for evening performances in Medford. Because part of the automobilists charged 50 cents a head for taking people to the circus instead of 25 cents, which has heretofore been the charge, Judge E. E. Kelly, owner of Queen Anne addition, on which the circus tents were pitched, refused entrance upon his property to the 50-cent motorists and thereby occasioned quite a little excitement on the grounds. Sheriff Wilbur A. Jones and Deputy Sheriff William Ulrich spent the day guarding the county bridge over Bear Creek, forbidding fast driving or motoring over the bridge. Several who attempted to disregard warnings were threatened with arrest. Medford Daily Tribune, August 30, 1909, page 1 Was there anybody in the city yesterday attending the circus from the southern part of the county? The Morning Mail candidly believes there was. A party of three reliable gentlemen, two of whom were non-residents of this state and were here looking over the valley, drove down from Phoenix after the show was over in the afternoon, and these gentlemen all agree that the number of wagons, hacks, buggies and autos that they met in coming that five miles was at the very least 250, and all were fully loaded with people. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, September 3, 1909, page 2  Medford Mail Tribune, May 15, 1910 CROWDS FLOCK INTO MEDFORD TO SEE BIG SELLS-FLOTO SHOW  Medford Mail Tribune, May 16, 1910
The
domain in the north part of town was the
most precious bit of acreage in Medford
today--at least to those of the young set
and "upward"--for with the rising of the
sun came a whole trainload of the dandiest
circus things--red wagons, canvas by the
hundred yards, side shows, peanuts, pink
lemons and tartaric acid (brought for the
purpose of making the lemonade) and
everything that goes to make the hearts of
young people and old ones, too, rejoice.
The weather was fine, and the country folk besieged the town early. Townspeople joined merrily in the crowd that thronged the streets, and the balloon man vended his wares to the intense delight of many a "precious little darling," while everybody waited to see the elephants. The parade started promptly at 10 o'clock from the circus grounds, and, traversing several of the residence streets, wound its way, shedding happiness and awe in its pathway, back to the main street, continuing thence eastward to the grounds. It was a creditable turnout, lacking none of the features that go to make a circus parade interesting, and many of its features were exceptionally fine. The Armour Sextet of dapple gray draft horses is [by] far the most handsome turnout of horseflesh ever exhibited here. The big circus tent was crowded early this afternoon. Sells-Floto have many things to delight the young and old alike, and many were there to enjoy themselves. A big time is promised people this evening, and doubtless the circus management will do well here. Medford Mail Tribune, May 16, 1910, page 8 CIRCUS CITY OF ITS SELF Population of 1280 People, 700 Horses, 1200 Wild Animals with Barnum and Bailey-- How Huge Caravan Is Managed.
The
show
ground of the Barnum and Bailey circus
is a city in itself, lacking only a
town council and a state charter. It
has its own lawyers, painters,
detectives, blacksmiths, wagon makers,
laundrymen, barbers, shoemakers,
tailors, sail makers, harness makers,
storekeepers and photographers. It
supports an electric lighting plant, a
hospital and a hotel, where 4,000
meals are cooked and eaten every day
in the week.
SMALL
BOY WAITS MONDAY ANXIOUSLYThis circus city has a population of 1,280 people, 700 horses, forty elephants and 1,200 other wild and semi-domestic animals. At night the home of this army is a train over one mile in length. In a single season this train travels about 40,000 miles, making stops in about 200 cities and giving over 400 performances. In its fifty-fifth year of life the show has exhibited in every city of any size in the world. Royalty has applauded it. The peasantry has hailed its appearance with delight. Its prestige is established in every country. It is, of course, an American institution, though it is quite as well known in Europe and Asia as in the United States. The home offices of the show are located in New York City and Chicago. The winter quarters are at Bridgeport, Conn. The foreign workshops are in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and foreign agencies are maintained in London, Liverpool, Paris, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Hamburg, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Capetown, Melbourne, Constantinople and Buenos Aires. The wonderful policy of P. T. Barnum and the remarkable system put into operation by James A. Bailey are still the active principles of the management. Not a year has passed without improvement and growth. On Monday, August 29, at 10 a.m. the show will come to Medford for 1 performance only, with an entire new equipment from the great imported vehicles of the forenoon parade to the last stitch in the fourteen acres of canvas. The program offered is the best ever presented by this show. Almost without exception it is made up of foreign talent. There are 400 artists on the list. The program opens with a new and elaborate spectacle. For sensation and thrills there are Desperado, who leaps from the dome of the arena to the ground, alighting on his bare chest; Jupiter, a magnificent Arabian horse, which takes a balloon ride and shoots off fireworks high in the air; and Charlie the First, a chimpanzee marvel, who is the greatest bicycle rider and acrobat on earth. There are fifty clowns, among them the Garcenittis, who until recently were comedians in the court of the Sultan of Turkey. The Konyot family of equestrians, the seven Patty-Franks, the Dollar acrobats, Paula Peter's dog and monkey comedy company, a brass band of elephants, Winston's equestrian and juggling seals, the La Faille quartette of the world's strongest men, the Berzac comedy horse circus and Victoria Codona, the greatest high-wire dancer on earth, are a few more of the headliners of this great show. In the menagerie is to be found the first and only giraffe baby ever born or exhibited in the United States. It is only three feet in height. Its mother is twenty-two feet tall. Medford Mail Tribune, August 19, 1910, page 6
The Barnum and Bailey greatest show
on earth will give one exhibition here
next Monday morning at 10 o'clock. The
event is of more than passing interest
to this community. It is the day the
small boy has been waiting for; the
circus posters have had him hypnotized
ever since they were pasted on the
billboards. Now the day draws near,
and, of course, Papa and Mama must go
just to take care of the children and
incidentally recall moments of their
own childhood.
It wasn't so very long ago that a circus with one ring was thought by old heads--then young heads, by the way--to be a pretty big affair. The one-ring show was changed to two rings with a larger circumference of canvas. Later the series of circus circles was increased to three, and then a big platform was added. But with the speed of the American nation this was not enough, and the hippodrome races, which gave a brutal spice to old Roman days, was added. The evolution of the circus in this way has reached its highest development and greatest success under the direction of the Barnum and Bailey management. They now have a show of colossal size as against what history records, or the average man is familiar with. When they strike their tents in a given place instantly a village arises, with a thousand or more souls, each of whom has a definite duty, and lends to the systematic effect of the glorious whole. And their sheltering roof of canvas by the exact rules of measurement represents thousands of yards and affords not only a temporary home for these many people, but for 500 or more horses, each of which has a distinct office in the fulfillment of a show-making scheme that has lifted the name of the Barnum and Bailey shows to a high place of honor. Medford Mail Tribune, August 26, 1910, page 3 YOU GOT UP EARLY, NOW DIDN'T YOU? Huge Crowds Flock into City To See Big Circus Parade at 8 o'Clock-- Greatest Show on Earth Gives One Performance Only, But That One Was Greatly Enjoyed. ----
The
song
of the circus is heard in the
land,
The banners are silken from far Samarkand, They wave o'er the wombat, the quagga and gnu, The camel, the yak, the blithe kangaroo. The hand-painted zebra's a symphony grand, The song of the circus is heard in the land. The poster is blooming green, yellow and red, And stands the blithe urchin with joy on his head. The barrel of fancy we spin on our shoon And jump from the nag through the paper balloon. The song of the circus is heard in the land-- The trick mule embroiders his tricks on the sand. The peanut discourses its solo serene, With envy the red lemonade's turning green; The clown on the sawdust cavorts to the band-- The song of the circus is heard in the land. ----
Pa
was routed of bed in the cold grey dawn
this morning in order that the cows might
be milked, the pigs fed, and Nancy and
Dobbin hitched to the spring wagon in time
to get Ma and the kids into town in time
to see the big parade of the Barnum &
Bailey circus, scheduled at 8 o'clock. And
not alone did Pa arise. Mr. City Man was
in his office an hour earlier than usual
that he might get his work out of the way
so he could snatch an hour to see the mile
of gilt and glittering wagons. It was a
horrible hour for a circus, anyway, wasn't
it, Arabella?
 Medford Mail Tribune, August 9, 1910
There
was no more popular spot in
Jackson County today than the 15
acres of ground occupied by Barnum
& Bailey just at the end of
the Main Street pavement. A
tremendous crowd gathered there
early today, and this afternoon
are wending their way homeward
with nothing but praise for the
"greatest show on earth."
Barnum & Bailey arrived in the city Sunday afternoon. They gave one performance here at 10 a.m. and are now leaving for the south. When the Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth is packed away for the night and speeding over the rails to its next point of exhibition, it lives in a rolling home over a mile in length. This wonderful train is divided in five sections. It is a congress of nations on wheels, a Noah's Ark of animals and a world's fair of a thousand charms. When the show lies spread out for a day's business it covers 14 acres of ground. Over it waves a sea of canvas, spotted with ten thousand flags and banners. The spirit of P. T. Barnum, the greatest showman who ever lived, still animates its faultless policy. The wonderful system of James A. Bailey, that has made the handling of the gigantic proposition possible, is still in evidence, urging it on from year to year to better and grander achievements. Medford Mail Tribune, August 29, 1910, page 1 INDIAN
FIGHT REPRODUCED
Buffalo Bill Gives Vivid Pictures of Pioneer Warfare Between Settlers and Aborigines-- Colonel Cody's Farewell Visit to the Coast.
That
principal feature with the Wild
West and Far East this season is a
reproduction of the Battle of
Summit Springs, one of the
deciding conflicts in the
government's task of subduing the
redskin. Colonel William F. Cody
(Buffalo Bill) participated in the
original battle on July 11, 1869,
at Summit Springs, near the
western border of Nebraska. In
this battle Chief Tall Bull, who
was in command of the renegade
Indians, or "Dog Soldiers," as
they were called, was shot and
killed by Buffalo Bill. This
important incident will, of
course, be reproduced as a part of
the realistic mimic battle.
General E. A. Carr, who was in
command of the government forces,
General E. M. Hayes, General
William P. Hall and other officers
who participated in the original
conflict, are still alive and will
be impersonated in the scene.
Incidental to the battle will be
shown many interesting features of
Indian life; the erection of an
Indian village will be depicted,
and incidents of Indian camp life
will be faithfully depicted.
 Medford Mail Tribune, September 11, 1910
The attack by the troops under
General Carr will constitute a
stirring scene, and the rigors of war
will be dramatically illustrated. The
battle of Summit Springs, while the
chief feature of the exhibition, will
by no means constitute the only scene
of western life. There will also be
the overland emigrant train and
settlers' trailside camp, in which
scene there will be blended the
pleasures and pastimes of the
plainsmen with the horrors of an
Indian attack upon the whites. The
three big scenic features will be of
exceptional interest because of their
historic correctness, and because of
their value as replicas of scenes
taken from an eventful period in our
nation's past. The exhibitions of
horsemanship by the rough rider
contingent will form a novel and
interesting section of the program,
and at every performance the only and
original Buffalo Bill will be in the
saddle directing the entertainment and
participating therein. Contrasting
with these pictures of far western
life will be seen an oriental display
of great beauty; a pageantry of color
and customs in strong contrast to the
strenuous scenes and incidents of the
Wild West. Incidental to the Far East
scene, and as a special feature
thereof, Rossi's Musical Elephants
will be seen in a brilliant and truly
wonderful exhibition of animal
training.
This visit is rendered interesting as the final appearance here by Buffalo Bill. Medford Mail Tribune, September 15, 1910, page 3 BIG
CROWDS SEE OLD SCOUT
The usual large circus crowd
thronged the Medford streets from
surrounding towns between the
performances of Buffalo Bill's
Wild West Show. Colonel Cody, who
has been the big feature in his
big show since its first
exhibition in 1883, swears that
this is his last tour of the West.
One more year in the circus ring,
shooting at flying glass bulbs
before the cheering, surging
multitude, and the old scout will
repair to his farms in Wyoming.
When asked in his office this
morning at the show grounds if he
was tired of the show businesss,
he said:
"No. I never get tired of excitement, but I want to have a chance to enjoy my farms at Cody, Wyoming, in the Great Horn Valley. I have some beautiful farms in Wyoming which I have never seen during the green season, as I have always been away with my show." The Wild West show formed by the old veteran scout, Colonel Cody, will not cease with the retirement of General Cody into private life, but no longer will the colonel be billed as the main feature of the program. Medford Mail Tribune, September 25, 1910, page 5  The
Al G. Barnes Circus parade makes a
U-turn in Madras, Oregon 1911
 Ashland Tidings, May 16, 1912 CIRCUS JARS SEWER, REMEDYING DEFECT
The recent visit of the circus proved of a permanent benefit to the
city in one respect at least, for, according to Street Commissioner
Patton, it remedied a sewer which has been giving trouble throughout the
winter. The jar of loading and unloading from the cars dislodged debris
which has been choking the sewer, and now storm water escapes freely,
where before it backed up and flooded the street.
Throughout the winter a sewer at the Southern Pacific crossing on Main Street has been choked. All efforts to clear it failed. It was believed that digging would have to be resorted to. Then came the circus. The work of loading and unloading the cars happened to be directly above the seat of trouble. It is presumed that the jarring of the earth started the debris clogging the sewer and opened the drain. At least that is the way Patton dopes it out. Medford Mail Tribune, April 18, 1913, page 5
Barnum and Bailey at Medford.
The
Barnum
& Bailey "Greatest Show on Earth"
will exhibit at Medford Saturday,
August 29th for two performances, and
street parade will be given. In recent
seasons the big circus has had
spectacular features, but this season
the management has gone to untold
expense in investing the big circus
with a wonderfully brilliant
pageant of Oriental splendor entitled
"The Wizard Prince of Arabia." This
colossal innovation is offered at the
opening of the show, thereby doing
away with the old, stereotyped "grand
entree" idea which has been worked to
death by all the tented aggregations
throughout the land.
In this realistic reproduction of the glamorous, eventful days of the land of the "Thousand and One Nights," Barnum & Bailey engage the services of more than 2,000 persons which embraces the dancing activities of hundreds of gaily bedecked coryphées and a grand ballet effect at the finale which leaves a lasting impression. The spectacle opens with an elaborately decorated setting of Arabic land where there is much confusion over the departure of the prince and his five wizards, who perform modern-day miracles in helping their noble master conquer strange domains. The subsequent adventures of the prince and his wizardly retinue which sets forth from their native heath with horses gaily caparisoned and amid a great and gorgeous spectacle. In quick succession follows the invasion of King Babar's realm in India, where by magic aid of the five wizards the prince is enabled to win the heart and hand of the king's daughter. There's a magnificent wedding feast which is produced in kaleidoscopic splendor, teeming with life, action and color. The ballet finale was pronounced by the press of New York City to be the last word in circus pageantry. Central Point Herald, August 13, 1914, page 1 Stanko Bros. pitched their show tent at the ball park Friday and gave an exhibition in the evening. The attendance, like the performance, was slim. "Local News," Jacksonville Post, June 5, 1915, page 3  Medford Mail Tribune, September 1, 1915
Al
G. Barnes circus will show in this city
tomorrow, and a large crowd is assured. It
will be the only circus to appear in this
city this year.
"Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, September 1, 1915, page 2 BARNES CIRCUS SHOWS IN MEDFORD TOMORROW, SEPT. 2
After
weeks of anticipation, with daily
inspection of the billboards and
pictures in the store windows, the
small boy comes into his own tomorrow.
The Big Barnes Wild Animal Circus will
be here to entertain young America and
his parents and other relatives.
A big circus, bristling with as much new entertainment as the Barnes show provides, always sends a thrill along the spinal column of every red-blooded youngster and grownup. And why shouldn't it--it's the big fun day of the year, the day when folks for miles around come to town to meet and visit their friends and join in having a good time. The day's festivities commence with the parade, which leaves the show grounds to traverse the principal downtown streets promptly at 10:30. This pageant is instructive as well as alluring and represents the greatest monetary value ever assembled in a circus parade, due to the great value of many trained animals. Many cages of wild animals are shown--the finest specimens of their kind in captivity. The great troupe of Barnes world's prize-winning horses and ponies are shown in the parade, which are claimed to be the most beautiful, best bred and best trained horses known to exist. Many thrilling wild animal acts are introduced by men and women trainers during the show's performance. Sixty lions, tigers and leopards and thirty bears are shown in these acts, twenty-four full-grown man-eating lions being handled in one group by one trainer. Thirty huge bears are performed in another act. Then there's educated zebras and laughing hyenas. A tiny pony rides on the back of an elephant. African lions ride galloping horses; one jumps through hoops of fire. Another lion rides in a balloon and shoots fireworks. A troupe of over 600 educated animals are shown. Fifty clowns, rib-tickling animals, provide fun for the kids. Medford Mail Tribune, September 1, 1915, page 3 The Al G. Barnes wild animal show exhibited in this city Thursday without an untoward incident. A large crowd attended both performances. The animal acts were unusually good. A feature of the show is the band, which is probably the best circus band in the land. They gave a concert on Main Street Thursday evening. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, September 3, 1915, page 2  Medford Sun, May 21, 1916  Medford Sun, September 3, 1916  Medford Mail Tribune, September 23, 1916 SELLS-FLOTO CIRCUS COMES TO MEDFORD WITH BIG SHOW
There's only one direction in
Medford today, and that is toward
South Holly Street. The very air
spells circus, for during the early
hours of morning several trainloads of
happiness reached the city via the
Southern Pacific, and like the Arabs
of old, a veritable city of tents were
soon wafted to the breezes. Hardly had
the cars been "spotted" in the yards
until a multitude of souls poured
forth; souls from many climes, and all
with a certain work to perform. Of
course, the unloading process came
first, and to the delight of the small
boy, the wagons and canvas-covered
cages--all labeled "Dangerous"--began
rolling off the cars and were hurried
away to the circus grounds one after
another. To the younger generation
keen disappointment was felt when it
was learned that Jess Willard was
still sleeping peacefully in his
private car and could not be viewed by
the multitudes.
The parade was fully two miles in length. Tableaux wagons, floats, elephants drawing guns and other novelties abounded.. There was a Wild West section; real bonneted Indians, South American gauchos, Mexican vaqueros and the typical American cowboy were the features of this section. A troupe of gaily clad Zouaves--drummers and buglers on foot--were in the line of march. Bands of music were plentifully scattered throughout the parade, dispensing music such as only a circus band can, and calliopes--well, there were two in line, as well as a large set of the Chimes of Normandy, presided over by an attractive young lady. It was a wonderful parade and well worth seeing. Two performances will be given today at 2 p.m. and 8 o'clock. Doors open one hour earlier in order to give everybody an opportunity to visit the large menagerie, ostrich farm and Toyland. Medford Mail Tribune, September 28, 1916, page 5 CIRCUS, BARRED FROM CITY, UNABLE TO GIVE PARADE DISTANCE NO BAR TO CIRCUS CROWDS AT FAIRGROUNDS Little Ones Miss Free Show Given in Street Parade as Permit To Parade Is Refused by Mayor--Show Bigger and Better Than Ever. CIRCUS DAY TIPS
Circus
day
and no circus parade.
Can you imagine it?
Yes, perhaps some of the older folk can, but the kiddies-- Disappointed--yes they were--hundreds of them, 'cause they always expect, always look forward to the great sights given in these grand free street pageants. And this, for numbers of little tots, is their only glimpse of the big attractions on circus day, for many of them do not get to attend the performance. Circus
As Scheduled
But
circus day, nevertheless,
is here, and it is the
Sells-Floto Circus, the
big red, white and blue
cars carrying the tons of
paraphernalia, the
hundreds of horses and
ponies, the dens of wild
animals and 600 people
having arrived in the wee
sma' hours of the morning
from Montague, where a
large business was done
yesterday.The great wagons, after being brought down the runs, were hastened to the fairgrounds, where Sells-Flotoville is the place of amusement for today and tonight only. The parade, which was scheduled for this morning, was declared off, as the city would not permit, it so only the performances will take place as scheduled, one for this afternoon and the other for tonight, the latter beginning at 8 o'clock, doors opening one hour early. Under
Big Tops This
Afternoon
"La-a-a-de-e-ez
and gen-tell-mun,
Sells-Floto challenges the
wurruld to produce its
equal in a-muse-ment,
ed-gew (with a soft "G")
kay-shun and
di-vertise-ment
com-bin-ing ev-eree
ex-ee-bishun with
champeens giv-ing odd,
nov-el and
speck-tack-yew-lur
per-forman-ces."And with that announcement from a leather-lunged announcer, whose voice could be heard a mile on a clear day, the Sells-Floto Circus, which the genial press agent admits is the "most astounding aggregation of talent, a world of glitter, gold, gladness, music and melody, ever brought together under a mammoth canvas," made its bow in Medford today on the fairgrounds. Alphabetically
Outlined
Painting
the Sells-Floto Circus
alphabetically, it really
is an aggregation of
acrobats, bears, camels,
dogs, elephants, gorillas,
horses, an ibex, jaguars,
kangaroos, llamas,
mountain lions, Nubian
lions, orang outangs,
panthers, quadrumanous
animals, ring-tailed
monkeys, sables, tigers,
urials, vampires, walrus,
yellowhammers, zerus and
zebras, not to mention
Alice, from Dallas, "the
fattest girl in the
world," and Traveno, the
man with two heads. It's
all circus!To the small boy seeing his first circus, it is a midsummer night's dream of revelry, beauty and action--a fairyland of frills and silver gauze, of sylph fairies in silken tights. Judging from the youngster's eyes, it is some enchanted dreamland where naught but beauty dwells and where all the inhabitants perform impossible feats. To this boy queens of the air flew from heights to heights and made a joke of the law of gravitation. Ponderous elephants stood upon their heads and walked erect upon their hind feet, turned somersaults and other remarkable stunts gymnastic. To this youngster every clown was a "Silvers" personified, and he howled with glee when the clowns cut up in age-old form. Patriotic
Spirit
Along
with a fast-moving show,
the Sells-Floto people
infuse a spirit of
patriotism that makes the
heart beat faster. Old
Glory is constantly in
evidence. Instead of the
usual wind-up--the
hippodrome races--the
circus band arises and
plays "The Star-Spangled
Banner." Even the
perspiring circus hands
drop their ropes to
uncover and stand at
attention until the last
note dies away.Take
the Kiddies
So,
if you have no little
kiddies of your own, just
grab one or two of your
neighbor's, take them as
your guests for an
evening, as they will
enjoy making the
acquaintance of the
ponies, monkeys, the
elephants, and they will
also like to get a glimpse
of Colossus, the giant
gorilla, the only living
animal of the kind in
captivity.And by taking them you will gladden their little hearts and also will be happy yourselves. Medford Mail Tribune, June 8, 1918, page 4 The Brown Carnival Company, which shows here the rest of this week, arrived in the city this forenoon from Springfield, Ore., and at once began the work of unloading the carnival cars and putting up the various tents and amusement devices on the grounds on North Fir Street, just north of the Big Pines Lumber Company plant. "Local Briefs," Medford Mail Tribune, October 20, 1919, page 2 ED. BROWN TO BE HOST AT CIRCUS
In accordance with his custom for many years, Ed G. Brown of this city
will act as host to the boys of the city, when the Al G. Barnes wild
animal show visits this city early in May. Mr. Brown will provide
admissions for those youngsters who otherwise, because of
circumstances, would not be able to go to the show. When Mr. Brown was
a boy in Missouri he was too poor to attend a circus that visited his
town, and climbed up in a tree to watch the parade. He never forgot his
own pangs of regret, and once each year sees that boys situated as he
was enjoy the thrills of the circus.
Medford Mail Tribune, April 19, 1921, page 3
ED BROWN ENTERTAINS 107 KIDS AT CIRCUS
Medford Mail Tribune, May 5, 1921, page 6
Ed G. Brown of this city was host to 85 boys and 22 girls at the Al G.
Barnes circus Wednesday. This is an annual custom of Mr. Brown, who has
never forgotten the circus he missed in Missouri when a boy because of
lack of funds. The youngsters had reserved seats and were shown through
the menagerie and other departments of the show by circus ladies. They
also received favors from the management of the circus. The guests of
Mr. Brown were highly delighted with the afternoon's entertainment.
Notwithstanding the very large crowd of people in Medford yesterday for the circus there was not an accident or trouble of any kind, or untoward incident, according to the police reports. There were no burglaries or cases of pocketpicking. In fact, the day was rather a remarkable one in the history of circus visits in Medford. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, May 5, 1921, page 2 WHOLE VALLEY TURNS OUT TO ATTEND CIRCUS
Double-length circus cars measuring more than 70 feet each, a long movement
and an uphill grade caused the big Sells-Floto circus to arrive rather
late this morning and the result was a late parade and a somewhat later
performance. However; the circus is here in all its glory and that is
what mainly concerns the small boy and, incidentally, his dad. There are
certain days in the year which have a sort of reaction over Dad, and the
reactionary period is most pronounced on circus day, especially if the
circus trains are late in arriving. Then Dad is "the reactionary kid,"
and he takes just as much delight in the circus as his small offspring.Tremendous Crowds Witness High-Class Parade at 1 p.m., Followed by Big Show--3 Rings and Two Stages Thrill Record Audience Dads were much in evidence this morning as the circus trains pulled into the city. He enjoyed the sight of ponderous elephants tugging at big cages and wagons; massive motor tractors drawing trains of eight and ten cages toward the circus ground at a rapid clip, the hoisting of the circus tents, the feeding of the 914 people who are connected with the show and the viewing of more than 340 head of beautiful Percheron baggage horses which were soon stabled in the horse tents. And at last came the parade. It is doubtful if the city ever beheld a longer, more flashy or better staged street procession than that what was seen on the main thoroughfares shortly after 1 p.m. A decided feature of the parade was the open cages or dens. Every big barred wagon was wide up to free inspection of the thousands of curb spectators and each den held perfect specimens of wild beasts. It was truly a novel and exceptionally clean parade. Even the parading performers seemed to be of a higher type than that of the ordinary circus. A Big Snappy Program.
About 2
p.m. the midway of the circus was packed with a surging, noisy and
hilarious mob of circus fans who clamored around each of the three
ticket wagons and when the doors opened, there was a grand rush to
inspect the wonders of the circus and menagerie.The big concert band and pipe organ under the direction of Don Montgomery rendered a short but highly delightful musical program and then the circus started. And what a circus! Each of the three rings and two stages were constantly occupied with fast-turning circus acts which kept the heads of the big audience bobbing from side to side until their very necks ached. Seven times the performance was stopped for "thrillers," chief of which was the celebrated "Poodles" Hannaford Family of riders. "Poodles" kept the audience in a constant roar through his funny antics and for the first time in local circus history this city witnessed a circus act which called for repeated encores. Taking the Sells-Floto program as a whole, it is decidedly clean and refreshing to a degree. Slang or vulgarity have not place in their entertainment and it is really a circus worth looking at. There will be another performance tonight at 8 o'clock and indications point to another large audience. Medford Mail Tribune, September 24, 1921, page 1 BALL PLAYERS MAD, GROUNDS RENTED TO BARNES SHOW
Much grumbling
was heard about the city last night and today because the school board
had rented the school's athletic park to the Al G. Barnes circus to park
on today, especially among the baseball lovers, who fear that the diamond
and field will be greatly damaged by the circus showing there. It is
understood that the school board did not originally rent the park to the
circus advance representative, but the plot of ground beyond the
athletic park, which is also owned by the board, for $60, and that later
a resident nearby who did not want the circus so near his house plowed
up the lot.This automatically barred the circus from showing on this plot and the school board, on the promise of the circus representative not to plow up the diamond, or damage the park in any way, agreed to let the attraction appear there today. At that, the ball park is too small to accommodate such a large amusement aggregation comfortably and some of the circus belongings had to be stored outside. There was no other lot in the city available for the circus as the usual show grounds at the foot of South Grape and South Holly streets is planted in grain, and a large amount of old lumber is piled on the Palm lot, which might be used for that purpose. Medford Mail Tribune, May 3, 1922, page 3 It was a queer circus day here today to the local people and visitors in that there was no parade, but the crowds began gathering early this forenoon to see the big Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey show, and get what excitement they could on the streets. There was general disappointment when it was announced that but one performance would be given and that at 6 p.m. The time-honored toy balloons and such circusy and holiday stuff were on sale on the streets early this morning before even a sign of the coming circus was seen. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, August 25, 1923, page 2 HUMAN FLY TO PERFORM HERE SATURDAY NIGHT
Babe White, famous Human Fly, internationally known throughout the
United States, Canada, Cuba, and Old Mexico, is to climb the Hotel
Holland building, Saturday, May 17th, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Besides
climbing the building he is to perform upside down stunts in mid-air
showing you that he has nerve in the air upside down as well as right
side up and it does not make him dizzy to look down. Mr. White has been
a professional daredevil for the last fifteen years, scaling buildings,
airplane stunt performing, high tight-wire walker, and also
bullfighter. (He has recently returned from Mexico where he has been
climbing buildings and fighting the bull throughout the republic.)He has climbed the Woolworth bldg., 63 stories, New York: L. C. Smith Bldg., 42 stories, Seattle, Wn.; St. Francis Hotel, 12 stories, Humboldt Bank Bldg., 17 stories, San Francisco; the historic Cathedral of Mexico City which is 250 feet in height and 256 years old, built by the Indians before the reign of Maximilian. During his exhibitions in Mexico City it was estimated that he had a crowd of 60,000 people daily watching him perform his death-defying stunts. He promises the citizens of Medford a high-class exhibition of nerve, skill, and ability, one that you seldom get a chance to see. In the afternoon he will be dressed in gay colors and at night in white, also a powerful searchlight will be used so it will enable the crowds that come out to see every movement as plain as day. "Babe" will furnish thrills for one and all. Medford Mail Tribune, May 15, 1924, page 10 HUMAN FLY TO CLIMB BUILDING TONIGHT AT 7:30
The Medford
Hotel is to be the stage for one of the greatest of all daredevil
performances tonight at 7:30 when Henry Roland, the "Human Fly," will scale up its walls and cavort on the top of the hotel in a death-defying manner.
Remember how you held onto the arms of your chair in the local theater until your fingers seemed numb while you were witnessing some of his daring feats while doubling for Harold Lloyd in "Safety Last." [Several daredevils claimed this distinction.] Tonight there shall be no seats to grip but there will be as many if not more thrills than in the picture when Roland begins his climb. He will start from the pavement and climb to the top of the hotel, using only his hands and feet until he reaches the cornice and at that point will swing out over the heads of the crowd in a trapeze, performing many stunts on the bars. After reaching the roof he will pile tables and chairs on top of each other and do balancing stunts on them that is considered an extremely dangerous act even on the stage and not on top of a building five stories in the air. He also has a variety of other breathtaking acts to perform that are sure thrillers, according to those that have seen them before. All arrangements have been completed; the city police will be on the job as usual to help handle the crowd, and large floodlights will be turned on the face of the hotel, affording ample light for everyone to witness the event. Medford Mail Tribune, April 12, 1927, page 7 KLINE CARNIVAL ON P.&E. TRACT
The showing of the Abner K. Kline Carnival Company in the city this week from today, on the P. and E. site [today's Hawthorne Park]
with the entrance on Main Street near the Bear Creek bridge, is the
first time that a carnival attraction has appeared inside the city
limits for two years or more.The lack of such attractions here in the city during that time was caused by the fact that the city council charges $100 per day licenses for such shows, and this is the first company that has had confidence enough to pay such a high license. The Abner K. Kline company arrived yesterday from Roseburg by special train, and last evening laborers were already busy setting up equipment and tents on the show lot on East Main Street. The company will spend one week here. Medford Mail Tribune, May 28, 1928, page 2
HUMAN FLY TO CLIMB JACKSON HOTEL FRIDAY
A human fly who has scaled walls, which if stuck together would reach
from sea level to 300 feet higher than Mt. Everest, will Friday
afternoon climb the stuccoed north wall of the Hotel Jackson on South
Central Avenue. He will climb at 2:30 in the afternoon and again at
7:30 in the evening. [John J.] Woods, who claims to have scaled some of
the highest buildings the country and who just recently climbed a
15-story bank building in Fresno, Calif., said today that he will climb
the walls of the Hotel Jackson from the sidewalk to the roof without
the aid of apparatus whatsoever. Woods was the first to climb the
Fresno building following attempts of two others to climb the same
structure. They, however, only managed to climb as high as the sixth
and twelfth stories.
Before tackling the human fly business, Woods was a vaudeville performer, and later he became an airplane wing walker and trick flier. He has had only one bad accident during his daredevil career, this being in Florida when he struck the side of a cement swimming pool while driving blindfolded. He was in the hospital for 13 weeks from this injury and today displays a large scalp scar. The Hotel Jackson presents a difficult problem for Woods inasmuch that the walls are smooth, affording but little gripping surface for his hands or feet. Woods' attempt to scale the building will be the first since the hotel was built and is expected to draw a large crowd to his afternoon and evening performances. From Medford, the human fly will leave for Seattle, Wash., where he will scale the 47-story L. C. Smith building and will later go to Spokane, Wash. Medford Mail Tribune, June 13, 1928, page 3 HUMAN FLY TO CLIMB HOTEL BLINDFOLDED
Following his feat this afternoon of climbing the north wall of the
Hotel Jackson, J. J. Woods, the human fly who arrived this week from
California, will climb the hotel again this evening at 7:30 and for
tonight's performance will be blindfolded.
Woods will begin climbing at the sidewalk level and will not remove his blindfold until he has reached the top of the four-story building. At tonight's performance he will go through a number of balancing acts on the top of the hotel, using tables and chairs for his equipment. Medford Mail Tribune, June 15, 1928, page 5
Communication.
To the Editor:I observe the circus is in town. Wild animals! Wild, indeed, were the sorefooted, weary brutes led into town this morning. Spirited, indeed, were the half-starved bags of bones called horses, led by a specimen of humanity in almost as bad physical condition as the animals he led. The only difference I could see was that the hair on his face was intact, while the horse's hide showed large patches of raw flesh, mute testimony of abuse and neglect. I was informed by a man in charge of the horses that they were "sick horses." To say I lost time in reporting them to the proper authorities would be saying that I barely observed the speed limit on the way to a telephone. The day of the circus is past: people of America are fun-loving people, too, and when the cruelty and torture of circus animals was understood, the death knell of the circus in America was sounded. How anyone could view as amusement the pitiful creatures that paraded our streets today is beyond comprehension. It would take an elastic imagination to see anything but misery in the whole shameful outfit, and a disgrace to any community to permit its existence. They bring nothing to a town and take a lot from it. It is poor education for young America. LYDA T. KING.
Medford
Mail Tribune, August 19, 1928, page 4 The circus referred to was the Christy Brothers circus, which played Medford August 18th.
Fire Chief Fails to Obtain Rest Even at Circus
Fire Chief Roy Elliott went to the Tom Mix circus yesterday afternoon
for relaxation. He was comfortably relaxed in a sideshow when his
professional nose smelled smoke.
The chief quickly traced the smoke to a circus truck containing sleeping quarters which had caught fire from an electric heater. Hurriedly Mr. Elliott grabbed two of three fire extinguishers from parked automobiles and put the blaze out. Much of the bedding was destroyed by the fire. Medford Mail Tribune, May 6, 1936, page 4 MINER SUES MIX FOR DAMAGES IN CIRCUS ACCIDENT
Harvey Deck, a miner, alleging "careless and negligent use of a lariat"
by Tom Mix, movie cowboy, during a circus performance here last
Tuesday afternoon, today filed suit for $10,000 damages against the
film star, as owner of the "Tom Mix Circus."
Deck alleges in the complaint that Mix, while in the main arena giving a roping exhibition, attempted to lasso a horse and in so doing negligently and carelessly threw out said rope as to catch plaintiff, "over the head and under the chin," causing Deck to be hurled into the main runway of the circus, where he was struck and knocked down "by the horse the said Mix was attempting to lasso." The complaint further states that Deck, at the time of the accident, was a paid spectator, and standing in a space reserved for spectators. The plaintiff claims he was rendered unconscious by the fall, and suffered injuries to his shoulder, neck, head, arm and chest. Deck further asserts that by reason of the accident he is unable to pursue his work as a miner, and earn $25 per month. Newbury and Newbury appear as counsel for Deck in the action. Medford Mail Tribune, May 11, 1936, page 5 TOO LATE TO CLASSIFY
NOTICE--Anyone who saw Tom Mix rope the old man, please phone 85.
Medford Mail Tribune, May 15, 1936, page 8 Mix Seeks Trial in Federal Court
Tom Mix, film and circus star, today filed bonds in circuit court for
the transfer of the $10,000 suit of Harvey Deck, Gold Hill district
miner, to the federal court.
Deck alleges that while attending the Tom Mix circus in this city, May 5, Mix, while attempting to lasso a horse in the arena, committed an error and the lariat fell around his neck and shoulders, inflicting injuries. Medford Mail Tribune, May 29, 1936, page 1 SUIT AGAINST MIX IS SENT TO U.S. COURT
By an order signed by Circuit Judge H. D. Norton, the damage suit of
Harvey Deck, Gold Hill miner, against Tom Mix, movie equestrian and
circus owner, is transferred to the federal court for the Oregon
district. The case will probably be heard at the annual federal court
term for the southern Oregon district next October here.
Deck claims that while a paid spectator at the appearance of the Tom Mix circus here May 5, the film cowboy, in attempting to show his skill with a lariat, missed a horse in the arena and lassoed him instead. He alleges he was thrown to the ground and injured. Medford Mail Tribune, June 9, 1936, page 2 ACCORD REACHED IN TOM MIX SUIT
Settlement was announced today of the $10,000 suit of Harvey Deck of
Gold Hill against Tom Mix, western star of the circus and cinema. The
suit was scheduled to come up in the session of federal court which
opened here today.
Although withholding concrete figures, Don Newbury, of Newbury & Newbury, counsel for Mr. Deck, stated the settlement was for a "substantial amount." It was alleged that Mr. Deck, who is 77 years old, was injured when he was accidentally lassoed by Tom Mix when his circus played here last May 5. Mr. Deck brought suit for $10,000. Randall Jones, member of the Portland law firm of McDougal & Jones, representing Mr. Mix, conferred here last week with the Newburys, and terms of settlement were accepted yesterday by the Portland attorneys, Don Newbury said. Medford Mail Tribune, December 1, 1936, page 3  June 23, 1942 Medford Mail Tribune ARTHUR BROS. CIRCUS BETTER THAN EVER,
PLAY TWO DAYS
Considerably improved over a year ago, the Arthur Brothers circus
showed to huge crowds here Wednesday and Thursday, and left circus
lovers with a renewal of the feeling that "there's nothing to compare
with a circus."
Outstanding, as last year, were Capt. Jorgen Christiansen's famous Criollo Stallions. Capt. Christiansen, who has spent his life training horses, both in Europe and in the United States, has developed his horses into an act which approaches the unbelievable. To those who love horses, that act alone is worth the price of the show. The Escalante Troupe of trapeze performers, always thrilling, were better than ever, and the clown alley was busy all evening. But writing about a circus is an almost impossible task. You simply have to see it. Joe and Moe, the twin baby elephants, and the only ones in this country, took the eyes of kids and adults alike. They are getting a good start in circus life, and by the time they are grown up will almost be running the show. Medford News, May 5, 1944, page 1 The Circus Is Coming!
Forty wild, ferocious Nubian lions and Bengal tigers, male and female,
comprise the vast group of snarling, treacherous, man-eating beasts
which Clyde Beatty, king of the steel arena, will face when the newly
combined Clyde Beatty and Russell Bros. Circus comes to Medford Tuesday
and Wednesday, June 20 and 21.
Although still a young man, Beatty is unchallenged as the greatest wild animal trainer the world has ever known. He has been bitten, clawed and mauled, but this nerveless man of slight build still defies his ferocious charges twice daily. Once Nero, a huge Nubian black-maned lion, beat off an enraged tiger which was mauling Beatty during a performance. Strange to say, just one year later Nero himself leaped from his perch, attacked Beatty, and sent the famous trainer to the hospital with a body ripped and shredded by claws and fangs. Continually augmenting his startling arenic exhibition with new features and thrills, Beatty has this season added to his display King and Kitty, huge lion and tiger, which sit up on their haunches at his command and wave their big front paws to the circus crowds. He also presents the world-famous "Nigger," a Bengal tiger which rolls over and over like a kitten, then flies into a tornadic spin. The Clyde Beatty and Russell Bros. combined performance embraces many additional trained animal features, including Mrs. Harriet Beatty's renowned elephant-riding tiger, famous high school horse and highly trained troupes of performing dogs, ponies, sea lions, chimpanzees and elephants. Performances are presented twice daily at 2:30 and 8 p.m., with doors to the menagerie opening at 1 and 7 o'clock. The circus grounds are near the intersection of Riverside and South Central. Medford New, June 16, 1944, page 4  1945 In days gone by, as days do, the Ringling Brothers circus was not too proud to play a one-day stand in a field near the Jackson School. One year, an aging Tom Mix (a great star of westerns when such pictures had the understandably simple plot of a cowboy in love with his horse) appeared with the circus and was involved in a most embarrassing incident. It was on a warm day in July that Tom Mix sent his lariat spinning out to capture a fleeing calf in the arena when the loop dropped neatly over the shoulders of a Medford spectator, jerking him from his seat and into the ring. Old Tom was still apologizing as he entered the court room, destined to emerge as the loser in a civil suit. J.W.S., "Circus Days," Medford Mail Tribune, April 14, 1963, page 4 -
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ROGUE VALLEY CIRCUS BIBLIOGRAPHY Arnold's
Consolidated Shows: MS5/21/1912p2
Arthur Bros. Circus: MN5/5/1944p1, MN5/11/1945p3 Arthur's Mighty American Circus: CPA5/21/1942p1 Bailey Bros.: MT4/26/1948 Baird & Clinton's Dog and Pony Show: MM6/28/1901p7, MM8/16/1901p7 Al G. Barnes Circus: MT4/26/1911p6, MS4/21/1912, CPH8/26/1915p1, AT8/30/1915p7, MT9/1/1915p3, MT5/2/1926p10, CPS5/10/1929p4, MT5/15/1930pB1, CPA5/10/1935p1, CPA4/30/1936pp2,3 Al G. Barnes and Sells-Floto Combined Circus: CPA5/5/1938p3, MT5/11/1938p2 Barnum and Bailey:MM8/11/1905p1, MM8/25/1905p1, MM9/1/1905p1, MT8/9/1910, MT8/11/1910p8, MT8/19/1910p6, MT8/26/1910p3, MT8/29/1910p1, MT9/1/1910p1, CPH8/13/1914p1, MT8/28/1914p3, CPH8/24/1916p1, MS9/10/1916p12, MS9/16/1916p4 Bartholomew's G.W. Circus: OS5/30/1868p3, OS6/6/2868p3 Dr. Bassett's United States Circus: OS7/6/1861p3 Clyde Beatty Circus: MT5/21/1948p3 Clyde Beatty and Russell Bros. Circus: MN6/16/1944p4 Brown Carnival Co.: MT10/20/1919p2 Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show: SO9/26/1908, MM10/2/1908pp1,6, MMT9/11/1910, MMT9/15/1910p3, MMT9/18/1910p10, MMT9/22/1910, MMT9/25/1910p5, MMT9/29/1910p2 Circus Vargas: MMT7/7/1978p8, MMT7/9/1978pC1 W. W. Cole's Circus: OS8/21/1886pp1,3, OS8/28/1886p2, DT2/4/1887p4 Consolidated European, New York and San Francisco Circus: OS11/2/1872p2 Cooper Bros. Circus: CPH7/20/1916p2 Cozad's California Dog, Pony, Monkey and Goat Circus: MM5/12/1905p4 Daly's One-Ring Circus: MMT6/23/1927p3 E. B. Denby & Co.'s Circus: OS7/19/1884p2, OS8/2/1884p2 DeWayne Bros. Circus: MMT9/28/1970 Dodge Circus: CPA10/4/1945p1 Foley & Burk's Combined Shows: MT5/27/1918p2 Forepaugh and Sells Bros.: MM8/17/1906, MDT8/25/1906p1, MM8/31/1906p1 General Tom Thumb: OS10/2/1869p2, OS10/9/1869p3 Gentry Shows: MDT10/12/1907p3, MDT10/15/1907p3, MDT10/18/1907p4 Grand National Circus: OS8/5/1863p2, OS8/8/1863p2, OS8/12/1863p2 Great Wallace Circus: AT7/29/1895p2, AT8/1/1895p1, AT8/12/1895p2, AA8/14/1895p1, MM8/16/1895p5 Great World Circus: see World Circus Hinkley & Kimball's Circus: OS6/19/1858p3, OS6/26/1858p2, OWT7/17/1858p2 Mlle. Jeal & Co.'s Circus: OS6/24/1871p2, DT7/1/1871p3, DT10/28/1871p3 Joyland Shows (carnival): CPA9/17/1936p1 Abner K. Kline Shows: CPA5/13/1926p3, CPA9/16/1926p4 Lee & Ryland Circus: OS8/10/1867p2 Lee's New National Circus: OS8/26/1865p2 Leondor Bros.' Circus: MM7/20/1900p2 Walter L. Main Shows: MM9/8/1899p7 McMahon's Circus: DT4/10/1891p3, DT4/24/1891p3, DT4/29/1892p3 Montgomery Queen's Circus: DT8/31/1876p3 Tom Mix Circus: MN12/4/1936p4 New York Circus: OS8/10/1867p3, OS10/19/1867p3, OS10/26/1867p3, OS6/24/1871p3, SOM4/22/1892p3 Norris & Rowe Circus: DT4/30/1900p3, MM4/11/1902pp3,6, MM4/25/1902p7, MM5/1/1903, MM5/13/1904p4, MM5/20/1904p1, MM2/3/1905p8, MM4/21/1905p1, MM4/28/1905pp1,2, MM5/5/1905p1, MM4/20/1906p2,4, MM4/27/1906p4, MM5/11/1906p5, MM4/19/1907p3, MM4/26/1907p8, MM5/1/1908pp1,5, MM4/9/1909p2, MDT4/12/1909, MDT4/20/1909p3, MM4/23/1909, MDT4/24/1909p1, MM4/30/1909p2 Nat Reiss Carnival: MDT10/16/1907p2 Ringling Bros. Circus: MM9/14/1900p7, MM8/21/1903, MM8/19/1904p4, MM8/26/1904p7, MM9/4/1903p1, MM8/16/1907, MM8/19/1904p4, MM9/6/1907p1, SO8/11/1909, CPH8/12/1909p4, MDT8/28/1909p1, MDT8/30/1909p1 Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey: MT8/25/1923p2, ADT8/31/1925p1 John Robinson Circus: DT7/25/1890p3, MS5/26/1916p2 Ruggles & Taylor's circus: DT9/19/1890p3 Russell Bros. Circus: CPA7/22/1937p2, MT6/23/1942p10, CPA6/25/1942p3, MN6/16/1944p4, MT6/6/1945p6 Sells Bros. Circus: DT8/30/1888pp2,3, DT5/23/1889p3, DT8/7/1891pp2,3, DT8/21/1891pp2,3, DT8/28/1891p2, AT8/28/1891p3, AT9/4/1891p2, VR8/16/1894p3 Sells Bros. & Barrett: DT6/6/1889p3 Sells-Floto Circus: MM5/14/1909, MDT5/17/1909p1, MMT5/15/1910, MMT5/16/1910p8, MMT5/19/1910p2, MMT5/9/1912p3, AT5/16/1912, CPH9/14/1916p3, MT5/27/1918p6, MMT6/8/1918p4, MT8/12/1926p5, CPA8/19/1926p2 Sells-Floto Circus & Buffalo Bill Wild West: MMT9/23/1916, AT9/25/1916p6, MMT9/28/1916p5 Sells & Rentfrow's Circus: MM8/18/1893p3, MM8/25/1893p2, DT9/1/1893p3 Sherman's Circus: OS7/1/1882p2, OS7/15/1882 Singer's Midgets ("vaudeville circus"): MMT8/9/1920p2 Southern Carnival Co.: MM5/19/1905p8, MM5/28/1905p5 Southern Confederacy Circus: OS6/7/1862p3 Stickney's Circus: OS8/1/1868p3, OS10/10/1868p2 Syndicate Circus: MM8/10/1894p2, AT7/11/1895p1 Washburn's Combined Circus: MM7/14/1893p3, MM7/21/1893pp2,4, MM7/28/1893p3, MM8/11/1893p3, MM8/25/1893p2 West Coast Shows: MMT6/11/1948 Westman's Great Eastern Circus: OS6/24/1882p2 Wilson's Great World Circus: OS8/28/1869p1 World Circus: OS8/21/1869pp2,3, OS9/11/1869p3 Name undetermined: OS10/19/1867p2(Jacksonville), AT8/28/1891p3(Medford), AT4/22/1892p3(Ashland), SOM8/19/1892p3(Ashland), MM7/28/1893p3(Medford), MM8/17/1894p3(Medford), CPH5/2/1907p3, CPH8/1/1907p1, CPH8/15/1907p1, MM9/13/1907p1, MM4/30/1909p2, MS7/5/1911p1, MMTw4/17/1913p7, MMT6/5/1918p3, CPA6/5/1947p7
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revised August 14, 2023
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