Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Still more Kelly Miller #3


DSC01486, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 6/09/2009 06:22:00 AM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like this is the same tent that David Rawls was using before JR North II took over Kelly Miller. The equipment also seems to be the same as it was at least as far back as 2000. Rawls always took excellent care of his rolling stock and all the fixings. The first time I introduced myself to him, he was on his back under one of the trucks, changing out a part that he had just purchased at a nearby town in Southwest Illinois. A few years later, David donned a tux to put the elephants through their paces under the big top when the newly hired elephant trainer quit the show at the start of the season. I guess he had to fill in for the rest of that season, using the three Carson & Barnes bulls that knew the routine better than he did. Like many show owners born into the life, Rawls could perform just about any duty on the lot.
Lane Talburt

09 June, 2009 23:20
Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Mr. Talburt,
You are correct. It is the same tent, and mostly the same equipment. Mr. Rawls did keep well maintained rolling stock and little needed replaced. Only a few one ton pick ups have been upgraded since the exchange. The show gets down the highway quite easily.

10 June, 2009 17:44
Chic Silber said...

Is it David or a brother that

painted many a show truck

including the Beatty rolling

stock for a while

These photos reminded me

of that look from years ago

10 June, 2009 19:00
Jim Zajicek said...

Chic...Bob Rawls(David's Brother) is who you are thinking of...and he still paints...

10 June, 2009 21:18
Chic Silber said...

Thanks Jim

Now I recall meeting him

in DeLand years ago

10 June, 2009 22:49
Chic Silber said...

Wasn 't it also one of the

Rawls brothers that married

Tommy & Maria Clarke's daughter

Mardi (also a Maria)

Tommy had been a ring prop boss

on Ringling and came to the

Beatty show with Bob Reynolds

the General Superintendant and

became Head Props Boss with a

few perks like the Blue Room

and the 1st inside ticket box

Maria had been a showgirl and

her brother juggled and did a

wire (or slack wire) act

After Tommy retired from the

show he became a convention

center stagehand and moved

to New York

10 June, 2009 23:53

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