Thursday August 20th. New Glarius, WI. 40 miles. Grass. Wet. Cool.
Two good shows yesterday despite the downpours. Several people leaving thye show for a couple days for funerals, including our 24 man who is flying off to Little Rock until Saturday. Drank a toast to Mr. Ringling last night in a tavern next door to his old business address.
Wednesday August 19th. Darlington, WI. 13 miles. Asphalt. Rain. Cool.
We’re in the Piggy Wiggly parking lot downtown. Good presale and the large Hispanic community suggests a decent day. Darlington deserves a place in circus history. Once upon a time Al Ringling worked in a harness shop here in a building half a block from the lot that now houses Murph’s Furniture. Mr. Ringling became friends with a man named Butch Parsons, and his brother and joined them in their small circus where he performed several acts. Mr. Ringling regaled his own brothers with circus tales in letters sent back home to Baraboo. When the Parsons show was lost to a riverboat fire, the Ringlings took out their own circus and brought Butch Parsons on to manage concessions. For the next 21 years the Parsons brothers owned the rights to concessions on what became the enormous Ringling Brother Circus and retired as very wealthy men.
Tuesday August 18th. Mineral Point, WI. 26 miles. Grass/mud. Cooler.
Good business yesterday in Spring Green with many visitors down from Baraboo. In Mineral Point the lot is a muddy infield on the fairgrounds. Prosperous town, but a disappointing presale. Rain and cooler weather will be with us all week.
Two good shows yesterday despite the downpours. Several people leaving thye show for a couple days for funerals, including our 24 man who is flying off to Little Rock until Saturday. Drank a toast to Mr. Ringling last night in a tavern next door to his old business address.
Wednesday August 19th. Darlington, WI. 13 miles. Asphalt. Rain. Cool.
We’re in the Piggy Wiggly parking lot downtown. Good presale and the large Hispanic community suggests a decent day. Darlington deserves a place in circus history. Once upon a time Al Ringling worked in a harness shop here in a building half a block from the lot that now houses Murph’s Furniture. Mr. Ringling became friends with a man named Butch Parsons, and his brother and joined them in their small circus where he performed several acts. Mr. Ringling regaled his own brothers with circus tales in letters sent back home to Baraboo. When the Parsons show was lost to a riverboat fire, the Ringlings took out their own circus and brought Butch Parsons on to manage concessions. For the next 21 years the Parsons brothers owned the rights to concessions on what became the enormous Ringling Brother Circus and retired as very wealthy men.
Tuesday August 18th. Mineral Point, WI. 26 miles. Grass/mud. Cooler.
Good business yesterday in Spring Green with many visitors down from Baraboo. In Mineral Point the lot is a muddy infield on the fairgrounds. Prosperous town, but a disappointing presale. Rain and cooler weather will be with us all week.
