RBBB 1966/ Cross mount

I noticed a lot of dots on this picture and later figuered out that they must have had a bubble machine during the cross-mount on the track. The man at left looks like Ed Healey and in the right foreground is Dave Mullaney. Lots of elephants, lots of girls, these days are certainly gone forever unless you happen to go to the Evansville Shrine date. Buckles

Lou Jacobs

These are the last of my mother's clown pictures. Everyone seemed to enjoy the train wreck pictures. I have a set from the 1901 Barnum & Bailey wreck in Germany, pretty gruesome tho. On the back of one is written "In this wreck the show lost 70 head of horses and ponies. Ring Stock boss Bill Smith and Mrs. Bailey's coachman were killed. That was the last of the 70 horse act." It is signed by Jake Posey. John Herriott is going up to Peru next weekend for his admission into the Hall of Fame. I have decided it best that I accompany the Colonel in an advisory capacity. Buckles

Eddie Buresch

This clown along with Jackie Gerlic was also listed as being a "Munchkin" in the Wizard of Oz. Buckles

Frankie Suluto

This is a post card that at first glance appeared to be an item that the Ringling Show had cranked out, but on the back it states "A brilliant performer, favorite of both young and old, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's famous Midget clown, Frankie Suluto, will appear in the Shrine Circus this year." So he must have had it printed himself. Buckles

"Sophie" 1975

I was bowled over this morning by the "Anonymous" responses to the Cole Show articles. The majority appear to be novices to circus business and I tried to reply to a few but they were blocked by my old friend AOL. So I will try to answer in this fashion, Yes they are live elephants, I come from a circus family and all these pictures have been accumulated from the 1860's to date, the Cole Show finished out the 1945 season and came out bigger and better in 1946, no I don't think there was any sabotage involved dispite the fact that there was another derailment the following year and finally, elephants do indeed have excellent balance as demonstrated by "Sophie" and her astonishingly handsome trainer.

Cole Bros. Circus 1945/ Train wreck #1

We had two train wrecks while we on the show, the first was in 1945 while approaching Brainerd, Minn. Cecil B. DeMille couldn't have done a better job. No idea what caused this one but fortunately the wreckage was confined to the equipment section of the flat cars, no stock cars, coaches or large animal dens were involved. The three people at the immediate left are Justino Loyal, Paul Nelson and Cap Curtis. Buckles

Cole Bros. Circus 1945/ Train wreck #2

My folks shared a berth and I slept in the upper, all I recall was my mother waking me up amidst a lot of activity up and down the aisle. There were no pets allowed in the coaches but #74 wagon shown above, had cages for privately owned pets and our little dog "Mickey" lived in the bottom cage seen behind the stringer wagon. It was just getting daylight when my mother and I took off thru the ruins to find her. Somehow we managed to skinny up on the flat car and I crawled up on something and got her out. I had saved the day. Buckles

Cole Bros. Circus 1945/ Train wreck #3

These are town people viewing the remains. As I recall it they spotted the coaches next to the depot in down town Brainerd and the cook house was set up nearby. For a 10 year old I thought it was pretty nifty, plenty of kids around. I don't remember how long we remained in town, it must have been a week at least, nor do I recall where the animals were kept, they probably set up the menagerie tent somewhere. Buckles

Cole Bros. Circus 1945/ Train wreck #4

The nation moved on rails in those days consequently we see an army of railroad guys working on the tracks and a crane in the background clearing the debris. Buckles

Arky Scott 1930

This is thought to be Arky's first marriage. Only information on the back of the picture is Logansport, Ind. 1930 (maybe Peru?). In any event, the bride seems to have misgivings already. Buckles

Cole Bros. Circus 1943/ Arky Scott and Jean Allen

Arky took over the Cole Show elephants in 1942, this picture was taken the following winter at the Fairgrounds winter quarters in Louisville prior to the "43 opening. The elephant in the center doing the "cover" with Jean Allen is "101 Ranch Babe" The four elephants on each side of her comprise the "Ranch herd" "Jean", "Joe", "Babe", "Carrie" and "Louie". Late in the season 10/29/43 while unloading in Douglas, Az. "Joe" killed Arky's assistant Ted White and was shot while still in the car that same day. Buckles

Cole Bros. Circus 1944/ Helen and Arky Scott

We joined the Cole Show late in 1944, here is a picture of Arky and his next wife Helen. I don't recall much about the show that season since after a brief stay my mother and I took off for Hot Springs to get me back in school. The Ranch herd had been booked on the Orrin Davenport Shrine dates for the winter, the elephant "Joe" had been replaced by another dangerous elephant "Tony". Shortly after my dad returned home he received a telegram telling him to immediately fly to Wichita since "Tony" had downed Arky in the car while unloading. My dad finished out the dates with a 4-act and the Ranch herd remained at that number from then on. Arky recovered and was back in business for the 1945 season. Buckles

Cole Bros. Circus 1947/ Pat Scott

Pat Scott might be the best remembered of Arky's wives since she later married Bill Kay a promoter. I remember Pat from the Cole Show and later when she and Bill would produce Shrine Circuses. We provided elephants for a number of their engagements. Not surprisingly, I don't recall the clown's name. Buckles

Eugene "Arky" Scott

This is the earliest picture I have of Arky Scott shown at right. He started out as a menagerie hand and remained as such but could work elephants if the situation demanded. He inherited the job with the Cole Show after both Eddie Allen and Alonzo Dever had left and with the close of that show was hired to replace Hugo Schmitt on the Ringling Show in 1950. The timing couldn't have been better since "The Greatest Show on Earth" film was made in 1951 and Arky became immortalized as the trainer during the elephant act who replaced the villainous "Klaus". Buckles

Downie Bros. Circus 1927

These are the three elephants purchased by Andrew Downie for his motorized circus "Teddy", "Tena" and "Babe" with Joe Gilligan and Arky. Unfortunately Arky never developed the knack for training baby elephants but was an excellent department head and along those lines, while on the Ringling Show in the 1950's, he was considered the best man since Walter McClain. Buckles

Arky Scott/ Lee Bros. Circus 1925-26

This is Arky with Lee Bros. Circus which was George Christy's #2 unit and seen here with his mother posing with "Gentry Babe". I once heard him tell a story about this show whereas in order to fill out spec they added all able bodied people including Side Show personel. The lady who ran the mitt camp was appalled to learn she had to ride one of the elephants and asked Arky "Any chance of me falling off?" and he replied "You're the God Damn fortune teller!". Buckles

Lee Bros. Circus 1926/ "Babe" and "Rubber"

This is Arky's entre herd with Lee Bros., the old cow at left is "Rubber" and was actually in the act trained by Strwart Craven in 1882 called the "Forepaugh Dancing Eight" and worked for years by Addie Forepaugh. She was eventually owned by the Ringlings thru 1911 and sold to Wm. P. Hall after the close of the 4-Paw-Sells Show. Before coming to Christy she trouped with such shows as Kit Carson Wild West, Yankee Robinson (Buchanan), Palmer Bros. Circus, Howes Great London (Palmer) and Golden Bros. Circus (Palmer). Buckles

Walter L. Main Circus 1927

As mentioned, Floyd King had two units out, this is the other show titled Walter L. Main. I don't know the location but it is a classic photo. The train has just been spotted and the baggage stock being unloaded. The wagons on the flat cars are pointed this direction so the crossing is behind us. Quite a turn out to witness the event. Buckles

Gentry Bros. Circus 1924/ Blowdown

This is a blow down on the Gentry Show in 1924 while still owned by Newman and Austin. Everyone in remarkably good spirits. I have been in several of these events, the worst being with Sid Kellner (James Bros. Circus) in Grand Junction, Colo. I think it was 1969.The old Mills Show top blew away during the performance and quite a few people injured, no smiley faces that day. I was holding the elephants near the back door when I noticed this bank of low lying clouds approaching. As it turned out it was a dust storm, no rain at all, the sand was blinding and in a matter of seconds it had passed, the sun was out and the tent was gone. Buckles

Gentry Bros. Circus/ Calliope

1929 was the last year Floyd King used the Gentry title, the show folded in Paris, Tenn. on Oct. 22 and was soon auctioned off. The three elephants "Mama", "Danny" and "Eva" were sold to the O.L. Smith Shows and were often booked out as the "Maybelle Elephants". Buckles