Friday, May 18, 2007

Downie Bros. Circus #1 (From Buckles)


SAVE2846, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

This is the herd in 1927 a year later, the elephant in the center "Babe" had been added. At left is Joe Gilligan assisted by Arky Scott.

Posted by Buckles at 5/18/2007 06:43:00 AM

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great photos of Downie and it brings people from that era into our generstion. I knew Joe Gilligan on the big King Show, where he was Trans. Supt. and heard him talk about Downie and its great fleet of trucks, that we all quite aware of. I had no idea that he had been an elephant man as well. I believe he was also with us on Mills as Jake would have kinown him from Downie. [Jake played in the band and wife Ida did menage, web, etc. On both shows it was exasperating for him as trans. supt. with all their junker trucks. Note that the show was comprised of staff of Railroad showmen. That would be why,[as I understand] it moved at night. It hard to believe they went thru the Appalachians in those days at night. [A side note. Mckloski and Kernan were also RR people and that is why Beatty-Cole moved at night and does to this day]. I have been both a RR trouper and mud show trouper and I prefer going at sun up. On Big King and Beatty I saw too many wrecks, breakdowns and sitting on roadside all night.

Also we knew Arkie from our generation and I remember him well from my days when my Dad was with him on Cole Bros. and later visiting with him on RBBB.

Tina the elephant was the first elephant I worked in harness and in the ring [KM 44] I was 13 at the time and I loved her and spent my whole deay with her. She was a Sapper, but she put up with me. Only my Dad and Obert Miller could get around her at that time. DR was in the army. I understand that she was named after Downies wife La Tena. Its a small world. First time I saw Tina was with the small J.C.Admire tent circus in late 30s, early 40s and she was owned by Russell Hall and the elephant empress was Doc Fords wife, Borghild Ford, know professionally as Miss Mayalbertina. She walked the plank among throwing the flags and playing the mouth organ. I was a young boy very impressed and remember it well.

18 May, 2007 09:05

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