Sparks Circus Program 1929 #6

These two gentlemen along with Edward Ballard were owners of the American Circus Corporation. These were the five circuses they owned in 1929. Hagenbeck- Wallace Circus- C.D. Odom Manager 30 railroad cars, 13 elephants- Cheerful Gardner Supt. Sells-Floto Circus- Zack Terrell Manager 30 railroad cars, 11 elephants- Clyde Baudendistl Supt., Emory Stiles Menagerie Supt. Al G. Barnes Circus- Buster Cronin Manager 30 railroad cars, 9 elephants- E.W. Jackson Supt. John Robinson Circus- Jess Adkins Manager 25 railroad cars, 12 elephants- Ferris Cline Supt., Bert Noyes Menagerie Supt. Sparks Circus- H.B. Gentry Manager 20 railroad cars, 9 elephants- Walter McLain Supt. This shows the magnitude of their operation, fielding a combined total of 135 cars of circus equipment and 54 elephants, far outsizing Ringling Bros.- Barnum & Bailey Circus. All of this was sold to John Ringling on Sept. 10, 1929 just weeks before the Stock Market Crash.