Monday, October 10, 2011

1908 Barnum & Bailey Program (From Buckles)

This was the first season under Ringling ownership, having been purchased 10/22/07 from the Bailey Estate.
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Posted by Buckles at 10/10/2011 05:50:00 AM

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seven performance venues [three rings, two stages, hippodrome track and air]; a band concert; a 16-display performance; twelve races; a thrill act; plus the entire menagerie; an extra admission sideshow; you can do a lot with about 800 to 1000 people on an 80-car, four section train. No wonder with their hands-on management by Otto and John that the Ringlings were able to pay off the $510,000 purchase price within the year. It did cost them to sacrifice Forepaugh-Sells to do so, thereby obliterating the deficencies of the 1903-1907 B&B physical plant.

10 October, 2011 08:53
Ole Whitey said...

According to Mr Bradna, those Barnum & Bailey performers who wished to stay for the 1908 season had to take a 10% reduction in pay from their 1907 wages.

10 October, 2011 21:45
Anonymous said...

Jake Posey went elsewhere for that reason for 1908, saying he was worth what he was being paid. It's confirmation of the 10% wage reduction.

1907 was a horrible economic year that continued into 1908. I wonder how many other employers embraced 10% payroll reductions to carry them through?

The Ringling action preserved the jobs of B&B personnel. The B&B show was faltering under McCaddon's guidance, burdened with an aging and ill-designed physical plant and may have collapsed. Presumably the last minute buy was predicated both on getting the best deal for a "going" show and the difficulty that Otto experienced gaining a loan for the purchase. Credit was extremely tight. McCaddon surely wanted to sell before going into winter quarters, because the expense would have been a big draw down on cash reserves.

11 October, 2011 09:42

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