Walter McLain #1

I'm late this morning, stayed up watching the football game. Unfortunately I had to turn off the sound since that old drama queen Brent Musberger gets on my nerves. ToddP asked me for some info on Walter McLain. My dad always said that McLain was the best elephant man the Ringling Show ever had. George Denman was the best department head, Hugo Schmitt the best trainer but McLain could do it all. He was only with three circuses in his entire career, starting with the Sparks Show (I believe he hailed from Macon) and was working on elephants by 1917. Like my dad he was lucky to learn from one of the top trainers of the day, my dad with Cheerful Gardner and Walter with Louie Reed. When Reed left to go to the Sells-Floto Circus in 1924, McLain took over the herd and the picture above with "Myrtle" was taken while he was in charge. Walter McLain has the distinction of having never been fired. He remained with the Sparks Show until it was taken off the road, the same with the Barnes Show and would probably still be with the Ringling Show today had it not been for his premature death.