Thursday, November 05, 2009

Terrell Jacobs #10


Terrell Jacobs, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 11/05/2009 05:41:00 AM

10 comments:

Frank Ferrante said...

I counted 30, anyone else? ~frank

05 November, 2009 09:05
Anonymous said...

Not disputing your count, but wasn't this when he had 52 lions in the act, and 1 that was "in training"? Thus being able to boast as having the largest wild animal presentation on the road?
I'll have to ask Terrell Jacobs III, as he lives here in Baraboo, what he knows of his grandfathers #'s.
Pete, the Baraboobian!

05 November, 2009 14:11
Anonymous said...

Additional thoughts/comments: Cap says that his father told him that Terrell I once had 75 lions in the cage, at once, but John Ringling North had stopped him from having that many in, at once, simply because of the time element of "running" them in/out, and also the ensuing fights that occurred!
Alot of cats, such as the 52 or 75, were just used on the larger stands (NY or Chicago), but usually on the daily basis about 30were used.
Think of the logistics of even getting this many animals loaded and unloaded off the train, daily, just to feed, water, and care for them!
Pete, the Baraboobian!

05 November, 2009 14:52
GaryHill said...

I thought Rob Bush and I had it rough with Jewells 15 lions and Charlys 14 tigers.

05 November, 2009 21:29
Ima Cynic said...

Pete:

Think about what you just said.

They used thirty in the daily act but they had forty-five extra lions sitting around until they hit a big city and then they ran them in bringing the count up to seventy-five?

Can you account for the cages it must have taken for those extra but seldom used forty-five lions?

Cages hell, it would have taken extra flat cars! Even at five cats per cage, that's nine extra cages, enough for several flats.

Were these forty-five shown in the menagerie or left at the runs? If in the menagerie, were extra middle pieces added to the top?


Help me to understand this.

06 November, 2009 13:49
Harry Kingston said...

Though the years I heard he had 53 lions total and some being moved some where were killed from no air so that cut the figure down some.
Look a the arena in the photo as also heard they used a larger than 42 foot ring so you need extra sections in the large cities.
Now some one counted 30 lions in the photo and they are 3/4's around the cage.
Could you imagine 75 lions in that cage what it would look like, lions all around the cage if 75 would fit in there.
Instant death to me as about 12 on tv or less brought down and elephant.
Plus all the cages you would need for that and feeding that many, WOW.
I am from Missouri, not really but you got to show me a picture with 75 lions in an arena for me to believe it.
Harry

06 November, 2009 15:31
Roger Smith said...

This April 20, 1994, letter to me from Verne Sadler, Jacobs's great friend, may be of help regarding the number of cats, since we remember that Sadler was there:

He writes, "To dwell of the question of count, may I say that in 1939 TJ had ten cage wagons in the backyard. There were five in each row with the end chutes joining as one to the arena. These wagons were from 14 to 17 feet in length each. If there were 55 cats carried, there would have to be 5 or 6 in each wagon, not counting for a spare compartment for shifting purposes. You figure it out."

Sadler continues, "The show that year had 60' middles in the big top and the arena was increased from 45 to 50 feet in diameter. With all those cats in the cage, Terrell couldn't afford to be a 'furniture mover.' Seats were attached to arena sides and mounting pedestals in the center."

Sadler concludes, "Oh yes, in the Jacobs article appearing in Bandwagon, Nov-Dec 1985, page 10, it states that Jacobs being interviewed in a New York newspaper during the NY run, said he was working 42 lions and tigers. Knowing TJ, he must have had his mind on Clyde Beatty, said to have worked 40, so he upp-ed it two better. As I said before, we were very good friends and he never said anything but 'That's what they advertise', with a smile, when asked about the figure 50. He and Clyde were at the top of the pack as trainers. Never once did he say anything against Clyde. They just recognized each other as such and let it go at that. Both were born about the same time, both had been married three times, both featured on RBBB as well as Hamid's Steel Pier, and both had been featured on a carnival midway." End of quote.

Judy Jacobs told me her father carried 55 cats and worked as many as 52 at various times in the act. Between Judy and Verne, we are as close as we likely will be to the working number.

The number 75, from Pete, is the first time I've seen that figure associated with TMJ. I did read of 70+ polar bears in an act at the Hagenbeck school, in Germany, but I never saw a number like that claimed stateside.

Read more about TMJ in Fred D.Pfening's 2-part coverage, "The Lion King", in the Nov-Dec 1985, and the March-Apr 1986, BANDWAGONs.

06 November, 2009 17:19
Anonymous said...

Wade, uh, er, IMA:
This is the exact reason that Cap Jacobs prefers not to make any comments, himself.
I'm not arguing the point of how many cats were used, or carried, just repeating what was told me. Of course, it's the "circus", and things (numbers) do get distorted, just as some peoples' creditability.
Granted, if 75 cats were indeed used in MSG, as an opening date to impress the public, then ixnayed by JRN as being too long an act, those cats could have been sent back to WQ, a zoo(s), destroyed, etc. Who really knows?
Seems that Roger Smith has alot of great insight into the situation. It's always nice to hear from someone that really knows their "stuff"!
I agree with all: even if TJ was only carrying 30-45 cats thats alot of meat, cages, & cat crap!!!
It's been interesting, and thanks to all for your input! Whatever the number of cats I've learned alot!
Definetly those 2, Beatty & Jacobs, were definetly legends in their own time! Too bad there aren't still some around to enjoy!
Pete, the Baraboobian!

06 November, 2009 20:28
Buckles said...

I always thought it was general knowledge that on the New York and Boston indoor engagements in 1939, North wanted the center ring enlarged enough to accommodate a 24 horse liberty act and a 50 cat arena act.
Under canvas everything returned to it's manageable size.

06 November, 2009 22:24
Anonymous said...

You may want to ask my father , Jim Barton, Terrell's nephew. he will probably have the answer to this.

Dad was a kid, but spent a fair amount of time with Terrell and in the barns. When he was six years old, Terrell wanted to take my dad on a tour of Europe and bill him as the "World's Youngest Lion Tamer". Grandma said "no" and 71 years later, Dad is still miffed!

Dad lives in Sharpsville, Indiana.

12 January, 2010 13:22

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