| In 1939 the elephants were "Ena", "Mabel", "Mona", "Maxine" and "Thelma". The boss elephant man, on foot, is Matt Laurish. The second elephant "Thelma" (rode a tricycle in the show) and the last elephant is "Mona" (not to be confused with King Show "Mona") who along with "Mabel" wound up with Hamid-Morton in 1941 where they remained thru 1949. That year H-M bought 5 punks "Siam", "Bombay", "Delhi", "Calcutta" and "Mysore" making the big elephants expendable. In 1950 we were with Kelly-Miller and just prior to opening D.R. bought this act, now consisting of "Mabel", "Mona" and "Juno". They were being transported by baggage car so D.R had to send a truck up to Wichita and my dad included Smokey to handle them. This brought the herd up to fourteen but other than make the daily Chevrolet parade all this three did was stand on the picket line. "Mona" had turned into an evil, hang-dog, unhealthy looking specimen and half way thru the season my dad decided to exclude her from the parade so she stood alone in the menagerie while the rest of the herd was down town. Us candy butchers put up the menagerie tent each morning and she would be inside when we were finishing up with the side wall. One day a new guy decided to go up to pet her and before we knew it "Mona" had him down and wallered him around pretty good until Logan suddenly appeared. Fortunately it was a soft lot but I was told that despite this he had an eye popped out. Needless to say I now had different outlook on elephants. The reason for this rambling yarn is that Ira Watts operated the Reserved Seat "squeeze" in the connection between the menagerie and the big top and more often than not he would be dissatisfied with the way the side wall was hung and we would have to go back and do it over. If it was on the side behind to the elephants I would be appointed to tie off the jump ropes from the inside since my father was in charge of the elephants, I should have no trouble. My pride prevented me from having Smokey or someone keep a lookout but I had several uneasy moments and developed a strong dislike for Ira Watts. |
Friday, December 07, 2007
Parker & Watts Parade 1938-39 #8
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9 comments:
Buckles I think I remember your mentioning in a post several years ago that Mr. Watts had a couple things going on in the Kelly Miller connection that weren't exactly Sunday School. Can't recall if it was short change or a seat tax or what -- but he sounded liked an unpleasant coot. I remember thinking at the time that Watts had a reputation for being a very good manager in the late 20's and early 30's, and it seems like everything went downhill after the brief life of "Parker & Watts." Do you know anything about him after Kelly-Miller?
It was a simple operation, two ticket boxes were set up in the connection in a fashion that the public had to pass thru in single file and were asked to produce "seat checks".
Having already passed thru the menagerie, a lot of people thought they had pay again to see the performance.
Some had bought a ticket, a reserved seat,a seat check and still wound up sitting in the back end blues.
A lot of heat. Imagine me trying to sell a bag of peanuts to people thus abused.
The Millers prided themselves in not tolerating grift. I have been on grift shows but it only involved the sporting element attending the Cooch Show at night after the last performance.
This connection squeeze effected every man, woman and child that attended the show.
In all fairness to Mr. Watts, his accomplice was Jimmy Hamiter and who came up with the proposition I couldn't say.
I seem to recall Mr. Watts pictured with an elephant seal in past blogs. Wasn't he also refered to as "paddlefoot" when your father wasn't listening.
John Herriott told me a story about his father asking Mr. Terrell if he could bring his wife on the show (Cole Bros.).
He agreed but pointed that everyone on the show had to work in some capacity to justify eating in the cook house. She was given a job taking tickets or some such.
As an afterthought he added, "You know, Ira Watts was one of the best men I had on the show until I allowed him to bring his wife on. He hasn't been worth a nickel since".
Buckles, you knew him on KM. I knew him on big King Bros. where he was SUPT. We called him, "bunion foot" because of his big shoes and rambling gate. Big old red neck sort, but he was significant on alot of shows, so he must have had some talents for Org,etc. but I never saw it. He was a pain in the ass. Guess Terrel, Floyd King and the Millers saw something in him to bring him around. Didn't Parker Watts go broke?
The great photo of Ena doing the head carry with Blackie Bowman led me to believe that he was the Capt. of that herd. I knew and admired Matt in every way but didn't know he held that position with PW.
I think in some notes somewhere I have Watts as a manager on Sparks in 1932 and I believe he'd worked for Terrell on Floto. But I don't think I ever heard whether he came up in the Corporation ranks, or at RBBB?
buckles: where did Maxine come from, and do you know how she came by that name?
MAXINE
1926- W.G. Richards
1927-32 Russell Bros. Circus
1933 Kay Bros. Circus
1934 Milliken Bros. Circus
1935-36 Barney Bros. Circus
1937 Howe Bros. Circus
1938-39 Parker & Watts Circus
1940 Mills Bros. Circus
1941 Jay Gould Street Circus
(Died in Pensacola,Fla. 1941)
(Owned by Richards her entire career)
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