To Joey Ratliff

Scan000011174, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. FRANK "CHEERFUL" GARDNER 1903 Ringling Bros. (menagerie hand) 1904 Hagenbeck Show- St. Louis World's Fair 1906 Carl Hagenbeck Circus 1909 Hagenbeck-Wallace (Asst. Supt. elephants) ......... Patterson Carnival .........J.E. Henry Circus 1911-13 Sun Bros. Circus 1915-17 Cole Bros. Circus (J. Augustus Jones) 1918 Walter L. Main (Andrew Downie) 1919-22 Al G. Barnes Circus 1923-24 John Robinson Circus (American Circus Corp.) 1925-38 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus 1939-40 H-W elephants in California .............. 1943 Russell Bros. Circus 1944-45 Arthur Bros. Circus 1946-50 Polack Bros. Circus 1951 Howard Y. Bary Zoo Train (Died Mar. 17, 1952) My dad first went to work for Mr. Gardner in 1922 his last year with the Barnes Show but being young and elephant crazy would jump around to other shows yet his description of the Barnes Show in his letters is incredible. Also this was his first meeting with Highpockets (Gardner's Assistant). He was back with Gardner on the John Robinson Show when JR and H-W switched elephant herds the winter of 1924-25 and detailed the move from W. Baden to Peru. From here he handled "Black Diamond" with Atterbury Bros. and Monroe Bros. and a lot of time at Hall's place in his unending quest to own his own elephant. His last days around Cheerful would have been during his time with Sells-Floto (1930-32) when they both shared the Peru Quarters.