Chapter XIX: A Back-Yard Circus

Shortly after the founding of Rome, a large building was built within which to hold commemorations of Roman victories and anniversaries, with chariot races, bull-fights, gladiatorial contests, and athletic games; and from this building, which was called the "circus," this class of entertainment derived its name.

To keep up with the times, the circus has had to profit by every scientific discovery, adding continuously to its line of attractions, until now it is necessary for a show to produce a new, sensational, and hair-raising feat each season in order to keep in the favor of the public and compete with others in the field. The tight-rope walkers, bare-back riders, and trapeze performers were not long ago the main attractions of a circus, but these do not seem nearly as remarkable now when compared with such daring feats as looping-the-loop or looping-the-gap on a bicycle, riding down an incline on a single wheel, or diving from the peak of the tent into a small tank not more than six feet square, to be seen at the present day.

When a circus came to town, it seemed but natural for the boys of our neighborhood to club together and arrange a performance on a small scale, but as nearly like that of the professionals as possible. A back-yard was transformed into training quarters, and here we worked hard for several days before the show, imitating as best we could the stunts of the circus performers. Because one fellow could walk on his hands, and turn hand-springs, besides being the owner of a pair of tights, he naturally became the chief attraction; another had a pair of riding boots, so he was chosen ring master; a third made a bargain with his sister to cut him out a cheese-cloth costume, and was chosen to take the part of a clown,--and in this way each boy helped along the performance by contributing his best efforts.

The most successful shows were those in which a week or more was spent in rehearsing the performance and getting things in shape. Tickets and programmes were neatly printed by one of the members who owned a press, and the former were distributed among the boys and their friends to sell.

The first thing to do in preparing a yard for a circus, is to

=Mark out a Ring= in the centre, with a diameter as large as the yard will permit. This circle may be drawn on the same principle as that shown in Fig. 201, Chapter XV, using a rope at either end of which a stake has been attached. After describing the circle, secure several six-inch boards sufficiently limber to enable you to bend them around the circle, and fasten them in place by means of stakes driven into the ground outside of the boards. The enclosed space should then be filled in with several inches of shavings, which you can procure from a carpenter if you have not enough in your own workshop.

=Good Circus Seats= can be made out of boxes eighteen or twenty inches high, with planks laid across their tops.

To give the back-yard a real circus appearance, we always thought it necessary not only to have a ring but also a tent over it and the grandstand, so we gathered together all the old awnings, tents, and carriage covers we could scrape up, and fastening these together with pins or heavy thread made

=A Large Tent.=--A ten-foot pole was sunk into the ground in the centre of the ring, and ropes were run from the top of this to the fence, after which the tent was fastened to the ropes and propped with poles wherever any sagging occurred.

Bright colored cheese-cloth was used

=In decorating the Tent=, and for evening performances Japanese lanterns were hung about the yard.

FIG. 266.--Ticket Office and Turnstile.]

=A Ticket Office= should be built at the entrance to the yard. This can be made out of two boxes, one set on top of the other, as shown in Fig. 266. Cut an opening fifteen inches square in the front for a window, round the top, and make a guard of wooden strips to fit it. Cut a slot in the counter, fastening a box beneath it in which to drop tickets, and for a cash drawer fasten strips to the under side of the counter, as shown in Fig. 266, so that a cigar-box will slide upon them. To the top of the ticket office fasten a board cut the shape shown in the illustration, and print the word "Tickets" upon it. These letters may be illuminated for an evening performance by boring holes through them and placing candles behind (see Fig. 266).

=A Turnstile= should be made in front of the ticket office, so that all are obliged to pay their admission fee and pass through the turnstile before entering the tent (see Fig. 266; also illustration opposite page 268). The stile is made with two sticks about forty inches long fastened together at their centres, as shown in Fig. 267. This joint, known as

=Halving=, consists in cutting away one-half the thickness and the width of each piece so that the remaining portions fit together flush. After nailing the pieces together, bore a quarter-inch hole through the centre, and screw the crosspiece at this point to the top of a piece of two-by-four driven into the ground in front of the ticket office. The crosspiece should now revolve with the screw as an axis.

The turnstile should, of course, have a lock, and an arrangement similar to that shown in Fig. 266 answers the purpose. Cut a slot in the front of the lower box on a level with the top of the stile for the arms to run through (see illustration), and then prepare four blocks, such as _A_, _B_, _C_, and _D_ in Fig. 268. Screw one end of _B_ and _C_ to the ends of _A_ and fasten block _D_ between the other ends of _B_ and _C_, after which nail block _A_ to the under side of the counter in the position shown in Fig. 266. Prepare a lever such as is shown in Fig. 269, cut a mortise in the top of the counter for it to fit in (see Fig. 266), and pivot it to the side of the upper box. Place a screw-eye in the end of the lever and another in _D_, and connect the two with a piece of cord. Figure 266 shows an arm of the turnstile held by the lock, which is released by pushing back the lever. A railing should be built in front of the turnstile to block the passage on that side.

=The Side Show= should be placed in one corner of the yard. The cages can be made out of boxes with either slats or wire-mesh fastened over the front, and the top or side hinged in place for a door. The animal performers of the circus should occupy these cages before the show commences, and to make the menagerie as large as possible, a few cages may be filled with pets borrowed for the occasion. Several closed boxes should be placed alongside of the cages, and lettered "Lion," "Tiger," or the names of some such ferocious animals as these, and the public should be informed that for their safety the management thought it best not to place these specimens on exhibition.

=Animated Animals= generally have a place in every circus, and help out the clowns in their end of the performance. The animals are not difficult for handy boys to make, so several should be manufactured for your show. If you can get your mother or sister to do the necessary sewing, it would be well to secure her help.

=The Elephant= is one of the oldest forms of animated animals, and is at the same time one of the most popular. Four or five yards of gray cambric should be purchased for its covering.

The cloth should be cut out like the pattern shown in Fig. 270, the correct measurements being secured from two boys who have taken the position shown in Fig. 271. Fold the cloth along the centre and then sew the dotted lines _AA_ and _BB_ together. Paper cornucopiæ form the tusks, and the ears are made of gray cambric cut the shape shown in Fig. 271, and lined with heavy wrapping-paper to make them stiff.

Two boys are required for the elephant. These must bend forward, as shown in Fig. 271. The rear boy places one hand upon the front boy's back and wags the tail with the other, while the front boy runs one hand through the elephant's trunk and keeps it in motion. Fasten potato sacks on to your legs to make them as large as possible.

=The Giraffe= is one of the rarest of animals, and very few are to be found in captivity. In fact, a large circus claims there is only one specimen in this country, outside of a herd in their possession. So if you make a giraffe, which is not difficult to do, you will have a feature in your show that none but the very largest combines can afford. The animal's head should be drawn the shape of Fig. 272 on a board, and then cut out with the aid of a saw and draw-knife. The jaw, ears, and horns should be cut out separately, the shape of Figs. 273, 274, and 275. Bore two holes in the head at _A_, slanting them toward one another, and fit in them the pegs cut for the horns. The jaw should be pivoted with a small nail at _B_ on one side of the head, and an ear should be likewise fastened at _C_ on each side of the head. When these portions of the giraffe's anatomy have been put in place, stretch a rubber band from a tack driven in the top of the jaw to another tack driven into the neck (see Fig. 272), and attach another rubber band similarly to each of the ears. These rubber bands will act as springs, causing the ears to wag and the jaw to open and close when the giraffe moves his head.

Paint the head, making the features as nearly like those of a giraffe as possible, and, when the paint is dry, mount the head on the end of a six-foot pole.

The covering for the body is made out of a large piece of tan cloth with brown spots marked upon it, as shown in Fig. 276. It is not necessary to give a pattern for this, as the illustration clearly shows how it should fit over the two boys who form the body, and hang from the headpiece. The neck should be stuffed out with excelsior. A short and a long stick should be nailed together, as shown in Fig. 277, and cloth should be sewed to the end of the short stick for the animal's tail. Stuff the tail with excelsior and fasten unravelled rope to the end, as shown in the drawings. The long stick should be held by the boy who forms the rear of the animal, so that by means of it he can manipulate the tail (see Fig. 276). As shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 276, the boy in the front portion of the animal holds the end of the pole supporting the animal's head.

An animated animal very often brought into a circus ring is the two-legged

=Wild Horse=, owned by the Wild Man of Borneo. This breed of horse is shown in Fig. 278. A framework is necessary for the body, and this is best made as shown in Fig. 279. Cut two four-foot strips for the side-pieces, fasten them two feet apart, with a barrel-hoop at either end and arch barrel-hoops over the back, as shown in the drawing. The head (Fig. 280) is made in the same manner as that of the giraffe, the jaws and the ears (Figs. 281 and 282) being cut out separately and pivoted in place similarly to those of the giraffe. Paint the face, marking the eyes and nostrils, and make a mane and tail of unravelled rope. Having finished the head, mount it upon a short stick and fasten this to a crosspiece set in the framework, as shown in Fig. 279, bracing it with an upright fastened to another crosspiece. In fastening the various pieces of the framework together, it is well not only to use long enough nails to clinch, but also to bind each joint with wire or cord to make it stiff.

Purchase brown or black cambric for covering the framework. Tack it to the wooden strips, leaving an opening in the top for the rider to stand in, and allow it to hang to the ground as shown in the illustration, so as to conceal the feet of the rider.

=The Wild Man= should wear an old slouch hat and a hunting jacket, and should have a pair of false legs fastened to him, so that while his own are inside the framework, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 278, they appear to be astride. To make the false legs, cut off the legs of an old pair of long trousers, stuff them with excelsior, and fasten a pair of shoes to the ends. These legs should be fastened to the hips of the rider. The framework should be held to the rider by means of ropes tied to the side strips, as shown in Fig. 279. These should be long enough to cross the boy's shoulders in the same way as a pair of suspenders.

=A Monkey's Make-up= is shown in Fig. 283. The boy who is most apt at making a monkey of himself should be selected to take the part of this animal. In the first place he requires a red suit, which may be made quickly by sewing red cloth over an old coat and a pair of trousers. Cover the legs with a pair of tan stockings, and slip the feet into a pair of large gloves. The face and hands should be colored, and for this purpose buy some brown grease paint. In rubbing the paint over the face, leave a circle of white around the eyes and mouth, and make a brown mark each side of the mouth to give it a broadened effect. A tight-fitting cap should be made of cloth as nearly the shade of the brown paint as possible, to hide the hair. Figure 284 shows the monkey's hat, consisting of a tomato-can covered with red cloth, which is fastened around the monkey's chin by means of an elastic cord. A piece of rope can be fastened beneath the coat for a tail.

=The Ring Master= should wear a high silk hat, a stand-up collar, and a pair of boots, besides being supplied with a long whip.

=The Clown's Suit= is best made out of red and yellow cheese-cloth, this material being about as cheap as can be bought for the purpose. The suit consists of a pair of baggy trousers or bloomers, with elastic around the waist and ankles, a loose coat with large buttons, a collar, a skullcap, and a hat. Make the buttons out of red cheese-cloth and stuff them with cotton. The coat may be made of red and the trousers of yellow cheese-cloth, or both may be made of yellow with red polka dots sewed on to them, as shown in the illustration of his costume (Fig. 285). The collar is made of white cloth, lined with paper to make it stiff, and should be pleated around the neck to form a ruffle. A skull cap should be made out of white cloth to hide the hair. Make a peaked hat of stiff paper, and cover it with red cheese-cloth.

When making up for a performance, the clown should powder his face, neck, and hands with magnesia, and draw expression marks upon his face with burnt cork, as shown in Fig. 285.

=The Attendants= for the elephant and giraffe should wear old bath robes or gowns, and have turbans made by twisting a piece of red cheese-cloth about the head.

By visiting any circus and closely watching how things are managed, it ought to be a simple matter to get enough

=Ideas for a Performance= that can be carried out with the animals and performers described in this chapter. The clown should, of course, have his usual supply of jokes, which he can get out of the comic papers, and should do his best to annoy the other performers. He should make himself

=A Slapper=, consisting of two sticks with a block slipped between at one end. This will produce a great deal of laughter among the audience, for when the slapper is struck against a performer the ends of the sticks strike together, making a loud, cracking noise, and one would hardly believe that a stinging blow had not been dealt. The clown attempts the tricks of the other performers, but always fails or gets them very badly mixed.

A startling feat to be announced upon the programme will be

=Looping the Hoop on a Giraffe.=--This stunt is performed by the elephant, who is given a number of barrel-hoops, which he tosses by means of his trunk over the giraffe's outstretched neck. The elephant and giraffe should always be entered in a race, which will prove exciting, inasmuch as your specimens will be evenly matched.

The monkey may do almost anything and be amusing. Swinging upon a turning-pole, teasing the animals, boxing with the clown, and climbing a rope, are all his specialties. Then he should have

=A Chariot= within which to ride around the ring. This can be made out of a soap-box, as shown in Fig. 286. Cut down the sides, as in the illustration, attach two shafts to the bottom, and mount it upon a couple of small wagon wheels. When this has been done paint the wood a bright red, and cut stars of different sizes out of gilt paper and glue them all over the outside.

The ring master acts as manager of the performance, and should use his whip unsparingly upon the animals, to force them into obedience.

If a boy can turn upon a turning-pole, an apparatus such as is described in Chapter XVIII may be set up outside of the ring.

Before performances, the entire circus--animals, acrobats, and showmen--should parade about the neighborhood in circus attire. We always made the

=Parades= a feature of our circuses, and found them not only great sport, but the best kind of advertising. The animal cages should be placed upon wagons decorated with flags. Head the procession with a couple of drummers, and have two boys march in the rear carrying signs advertising the show.

=The Advertising Signs= may be painted with bluing upon large pieces of manila wrapping-paper, and should be tacked on wooden stretchers mounted on poles.