Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Sarasota Quarters 1956-57 #8


This is the Northwest corner of the area showing the tack room at right and the stall for Walter McLain's horse "Harold". All I ever heard the man at left called was "Chief" and one of his jobs was to toss a harness on "Topsy" and haul away the manure wagon each morning.
The vehicle appeared to be an old canvas wagon that someone had added a sliding partition. Once out back the harness would be removed from the wagon pole and attatched to the partition which would be slid backward unloading the contents. "Topsy" would then pull the partition back to it's original position and return the empty wagon to the barn.

TOPSY

1927-28 Walter L. Main Circus (Floyd King)
1929 Gentry Bros. Circus (Floyd King)
1930-32 Sells-Floto Citcus
1933-34 Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
1935-38 Al G. Barnes Circus
1939-56 Ringling-Barnum Circus (Leased to Sparks Circus 1946-47)
1957 Sarasota Qtrs.
1958-60 Beechbend Park - Bowling Green, KY (Charles Garvin)
1961-62 United Exposition Shows (Curly Vernon)
1963-64 Dale Madden Circus Unit
1965-66 L.R. McNeece Shopping Center Unit
(Died in 1966)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really need one of those wagons here for poop clean up. I will show this copy to Les and see what we can come up with. Will send a picture if he can build something like the elephant poop hauler.

Anonymous said...

Buckles: My husband and I worked at Circus World Davenport, Fl. back in the 70's. Steve was wearhouse mgr in Orlando. I as lead in Mdse division. Billy Butholeer (elephant guy) lived with Steve for awhile until we got married in 77. I have an old CW phoo infor packet that was put out when they first opened. BW photos of you and your wife. & the elephants and your leopard. Didn't the panter bite the tail off of your leopard? Photo of mike and his wife with the bear act. They are in Davenport FL, still?? Steve and I live in Plant City, FL. I will send you this packet if you'd like. I want it to go to someone who still cares.
Sincerely, Pam & Steve.

Buckles said...

Hi Pam and Steve,
I have a copy of that Press Kit but a lot of Circus World people view this Blog, probably some you know, who would love to have this item.
Let's see what happens.

Buckles

GaryHill said...

I ain't the least bit bashful when it comes to collecting CW and Circus memories and stuff!If I only knew the park would close so soon, I would have lived with a camera on me! I would have bought out the stores too! Gary

Bob Cline said...

Buckles,
Charles Garvin bought plenty of elephants from RBBB over the years. What did he do with that many? Did he act as a broker? I don't know of him as a performer.
Bob

Anonymous said...

There was a Louis McNeece who had an elephant that worked for Little Bob Stevens. Would he have been the one who owned Topsy? I thought the elephant in question was younger? This was in the sixtys of course.If not Topsy, what would her name have been?