Ringlingville USA

by Jerry Apps

  The Ringlings would also need additional stables for horses after the 1910 season. At the Lynn Avenue farm, the Isenbergs built a new horse barn with a capacity for seventy-five horses. They also built a new brick paint shop, sixty-six by one hundred feet and with enough room for fifteen large wagons, on land the Ringlings had purchased from George M. Reul in December of 1909.21 An adjoining building was constructed to house the heating plant.

  According to a local news article, the Ringlingville buildings constructed in 1910 had the following values: car shops: $7,000; elephant house addition: $2,600, paint shop: $5,800; and horse barn: $2,000.22

  Otto Ringling (1858– 1911) was the first of the five partners to pass away. Behind that assertive look was a gentle, mild-mannered bachelor who enjoyed classical music and good books. PRINT COLLECTION, CWM

  After another winter of training and preparation, the Brothers were ready to take their three shows on the road again in 1911. The Barnum & Bailey show opened at New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 23. The Ringlings’ namesake show was scheduled to open in Chicago on April 1, and Forepaugh-Sells would open in Vincennes, Indiana, on April 26. But not long after the Ringling trains rumbled out of Baraboo and Bridgeport, tragedy struck. Otto Ringling, the financial wizard of the Ringling enterprise, passed away at John’s home in New York.

  A Chicago newspaper reporter described the circus pulling out of Baraboo just as it had for many years:

  But this year something happened. Hardly twenty-four hours had passed when there was a returning stir of excitement. One of the leaders of the departed army had died suddenly. And on the returning trains of the next few days little groups of sober-faced men came back, one of the trains bearing the remains of the dead leader.

  The funeral of Otto Ringling was simple. In three great cities of the country three huge amusement enterprises were at a standstill. At Baraboo a handful of quiet men listened to the reading of a brief service. Then they went back to work.23

  As always, Otto had anticipated future events and planned carefully. His will, which he had prepared on January 18, 1910, included a cover note that read:

  Dear Brothers, Rather than have any contest over this will in case it should be attacked, I believe you will have no trouble in fixing up by a reasonable settlement as I believe there are only four who would dream of trying and I hardly think they would and they have not been ignored. We have labored together successfully for a long time. Good bye, Otto.24

  Otto’s will gave Henry one-fifth interest in the Ringling business, making him a full partner. To carry out the other mandates of his will, the Sauk County Court would have to inventory Otto’s estate. The total value of the three circuses was determined to be $348,193 (about $6.5 million in 2002 dollars): $129,513 for the Ringling Bros. World’s Greatest Shows; $144,285 for the Barnum & Bailey Circus; and $74,395 for the Forepaugh-Sells show. These were extremely low figures. The actual value of each circus was several times these appraised values. (The Ringlings had purchased a worn-out Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907 for $410,000. Later in 1911 they would put Forepaugh-Sells on the market at an asking price of $200,000.)25

  Otto Ringling was one of the most visionary of the five Brothers. The circus was never the same without him. MILWAUKEE SENTINEL, APRIL 1, 1911; WHS MICROFILM P76-4572

  Nevertheless, the court based the value of Otto’s estate on these figures. His portion of the business amounted to $69,639.26 Otto Ringling hadn’t taken the time to spend much of the money he had accumulated over the years, and in various bank accounts in Baraboo and Bridgeport, Connecticut, he had $402,902. His furniture and personal effects were valued at $1,809. In total his estate was worth $479,243.32 (about $9 million in 2002 dollars)—less than the amount he had bequeathed, $635,000, to relatives and others.

  Otto Ringling’s Will

  On January 18, 1910, Otto mailed his will to his brother John, with an accompanying letter.“The enclosed envelope addressed to you all contains my last will and testament. You will please open it in the presence of the rest, and I hope you will take every legal step possible to carry it out.” (Otto obviously trusted John. More so than any of the other Brothers, John had a broad, less hands-on approach to the circus holdings.)

  Otto also wrote:

  As the original members of the firm are still accumulating more worldly goods than they really care for, I have made no effort to leave anything to them except in your case and Alf’s which unimportant bequests I have made for convenience sake as it disposes of the two cases without any trouble being held in your name and Alf’s and the furniture, books, billiard table etc. being in Alf’s home.

  (Otto was probably referring to his bequests to John of his “entire investments in the Orient Railway Company. Construction bonds and the Smith Valley Land Co.” and to Alf. T. his “books, furniture, billiard table, etc. and interest in the lots I am joint owner with him in.”)

  Otto had never married. He bequeathed the following to family members and associates: To sister Ida: $75,000 in a trust; nephew Richard Ringling, Alfred’s son: $250,000 in a trust until he reached twenty-five; nephew Robert Ringling, Charles’s son: $25,000 in a trust until he reached twenty-one; nephew Henry Ringling Jr., Henry’s son: $25,000 in a trust until he reached twenty-one; niece Hester Ringling, Charles’s daughter: $50,000 in a trust until she reached twenty-five; sister-in-law Mrs. Gus (Annie) Ringling: $15,000; niece Lorene Horton (Gus’s daughter): $15,000; niece Martha Ringling (Gus’s daughter): $15,000; niece Alice Ringling (Gus’s daughter): $15,000; Ralph Peckham (official with the Ringling circus): $10,000; Sam McCracken (official with the Ringling circus): $10,000; Spencer Alexander (Ringling boss hostler): $10,000; John Snellen (previously in charge of Ringling tents): $10,000; brother Henry, $100,000 beyond the one-fifth interest in the firm; brother Al: Renault automobile; brother Charles: $10,000 “to buy and equip a launch of any kind desired.” Finally, he willed his nephew Richard Ringling, Alfred’s son, “all the residue over and above the amount required to properly wind up my affairs and personal indebtedness … to be held in trust until his twenty-first birthday.”1

  As to the portrait of the five brothers that was widely used in their advertising, Otto wrote, “I believe my portrait should be taken from the billing as soon as possible and replaced with that of Henry.” (The surviving brothers did not make this change; after Otto’s death they simply ceased using the five brothers portrait.)

  With his usual foresight, Otto was worried that someone might contest his will. He closed the letter with the following:

  In the remote possibility of someone making such attempt, I believe there are enough directly interested that can afford to fix the matter up … I know you will not misunderstand me John, in this I trust you all and implicitly. God bless you. May you each and every one live long and happily. Otto.2

  * * *

  NOTES

  1. Last will and testament, Otto Ringling, January 18, 1910, CWM.

  2. Otto Ringling to John Ringling, January 18, 1910. Copy from original owned by Sally Clayton Jones, CWM.

  Henry Ringling, third from right, became a full partner upon Otto’s death in 1911. ALF T. RINGLING, BENEATH WHITE TENTS: ROUTE BOOK OF RINGLING BROTHERS, 1894 SEASON, CWM

  Before the court determined how to handle this discrepancy, Gus’s three daughters challenged the will, stating that it was not a will but merely a letter indicating how Otto wanted his property divided. Unsatisfied with the amount Otto had left them, they each asked for $100,000.27 Although the decision took several years, all parties involved reached an agreement on June 23, 1913. Lorene Ringling Horton (age twenty-eight), Martha “Mattie” Ringling (age twenty-six), and Alice Ringling Coerper (age twenty-three) received together $75,000—$30,000 more than Otto had bequeathed to them—to end the matter.28

  Even with the Brothers’ great loss, their shows went on. The Barnum & Bailey and Forepaugh-Sells shows continued as scheduled. The main show opened on April 1 and played indoors in Chicago until April
23. While there the Ringlings received twenty-three zebras from Nairobi, the largest shipment of African zebras ever sent to a single buyer in America. Seven of the animals arrived dead, leaving a total of sixteen to add to the four the Ringlings already owned.29 From Chicago the Ringling Brothers’ show moved first east and then west, again spending most of the fall in California and Texas.

  After Indiana, Forepaugh-Sells traveled the East, Midwest, and West, and then headed south. It was the first time the Ringling Brothers sent one of their shows to Florida; Forepaugh-Sells had its biggest stand of the season in Tampa, grossing $10,372.85.30

  In the course of the 1911 season, the Ringlings dealt with the usual claims of damage to property or injury. By this time the Ringlings employed an “adjustor” to deal with such claims. In 1911 the adjustor recorded the following incidents: “Buggy upset. Lady’s arm broken. Adjusted $2.50 plus two tickets.” “Mrs. J. D. Maxon fell from seats during matinee and injured her leg. Adjusted for $5.00.” “Horse frightened by elephant. Lady thrown out, but nothing serious. No claim.” “Mrs. Kennedy and child was thrown out of buggy, horse being scared by elephants. Were carefully warned [before occurrence]. No claim.”31

  More serious accidents did occur. While the Ringling show was in Stockton, California, on September 13, a band member, late for the parade, ran alongside the bandwagon, slipped, fell beneath the wagon, and was run over. He died instantly. The adjustor took the names and addresses of several witnesses and recorded them in his diary. Then he wrote, “Sent body home to Hot Spring, South Dakota, $105.50.”32

  As circus historian Richard J. Reynolds III noted, “Circus history is replete with similar incidents. Hardly an issue of Billboard went by without a similar tale. People, both patrons and circus employees, were killed or seriously injured with hardly a blink of the eye in the press and little resort to the judicial system. … [This] casual attitude also applied to all sorts of industrial accidents and deaths.”33 The claims settled by the Ringling Brothers for the Ringling show in 1911 totaled $2,720.56.34

  Just before the end of the season, on October 29, another tragedy occurred: Spencer “Delavan” Alexander died unexpectedly following a banquet for circus people at the Hotel Main in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Ringling Brothers’ Circus would play Fort Smith on Monday and Fayette, Arkansas, on Tuesday before returning to Baraboo. Alexander had just entertained several of the circus staff in his hotel room, and everyone had left except for the circus physician and a circus superintendent. Alexander slumped in his chair and died instantly.35

  A Ringling employee since 1889, Alexander was considered one of the best boss hostlers in the world of the Big Tops. He had cared for the Ringling horse herd with meticulous attention. During the winter months, Alexander lived with his wife and children at the Lynn Avenue farm where many Ringling horses were housed. He was well respected among both circus people and the residents of Baraboo. During his funeral services in Baraboo, all the businesses in town closed in his memory.

  The three shows ended their seasons and returned to their respective winter quarters. Back in Baraboo, the five partners, now including Henry, decided that operating three shows was just too much, especially after the loss of Otto. Reality had set in. The year 1911 had challenged and stretched them. For 1912 they would stick with two big shows. The loss of financial wizard Otto likely had some part in this decision. Even though the Ringlings employed financial managers, none could come close to the skill and knowledge Otto had possessed. Besides, Otto had been a leader in making important and often far-reaching decisions, such as influencing his brothers to purchase the Barnum & Bailey show.

  Spencer “Delavan” Alexander (shown here in 1894, standing center front) was boss hostler for the Ringling Brothers for many years. He died just as the 1911 show season was closing. ALF T. RINGLING, BENEATH WHITE TENTS: ROUTE BOOK OF RINGLING BROTHERS, 1894 SEASON, CWM

  Late that fall the Ringlings put the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Brothers Circus up for sale, asking $200,000. William P. Hall, a horse and mule dealer from Lancaster, Missouri, expressed an interest, and the closing for the transaction was scheduled for November 11, 1911.36 But for reasons unknown, the sale fell through, and the once famous and well-respected circus was sold piecemeal.

  Tax Woes: 1912–1914

  “All taxation is an incubus, a handicap upon productive energy, and every dollar taken out of productive channels to go to public running expenses is a dollar gone.”1

  When Robert M. La Follette became governor of Wisconsin in 1901, he had reform on his mind. He sought to stop governmental corruption and throttle big-business influence peddling. The governors who immediately followed La Follette (James Davidson, 1906–1911, and Francis McGovern, 1911–1915) had similar agendas. These years became known as the Progressive Era in Wisconsin.

  One element of reform that grew out of this political climate—though some argued it was not reform but a drag on progress—was a state income tax. On January 27, 1911, a state income tax bill was introduced in the state legislature. After considerable debate in both houses, Governor McGovern signed the income tax bill into law on July 14. Wisconsin’s new graduated income tax levied a 1 percent tax on annual incomes over $1,000 ($18,500 in 2002 dollars) and 6 percent on incomes over $12,000. In 1911 most people did not earn even $1,000 per year and thus would be exempt from the tax. Nevertheless, “[t]he new tax was subjected to brutal attacks even before it went into effect, but it survived all tests in court.”2

  The Ringlings, of course, would be subject to the 6 percent tax, and they were furious. They considered the income tax grossly unfair because they earned most of their income outside the state, and they quickly began voicing their unhappiness. A Chicago Tribune reporter described the Brothers’ financial situation:

  The progressive legislation of Wisconsin includes a graduated income tax ranging up to 6 percent. The Ringlings, who winter their [Forepaugh-Sells] and Ringling circuses in Baraboo are thus called upon to contribute somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 (approximately $525,000–$700,000 in 2002 dollars) on an income derived almost entirely outside the commonwealth. This they consider unfair. They said so to the legislature, to the governor, and to the tax commission with no appreciable effect.3

  The Ringlings suggested they would not return to Wisconsin at the end of the 1912 season. Once again, rumors spread about the Ringlings leaving Baraboo.

  The Chicago Tribune story fed the fire. The reporter penned his article as if the circus was leaving Baraboo in the spring of 1912 for good.

  No more will the unwieldy elephant his lithe proboscis swing upon the picturesque streets of Baraboo, Wisconsin; no more will the tiger’s fearful symmetry inspire the casual admiration of the inhabitants of that sophisticated town. Gone are the red chariots, following in the wake of many sleek and plumed coursers; gone the yellow railway cars, the blithe calliopes, the bright band wagons, and all the arenic glory that once was Baraboo. In short gone are the Ringlings, taking with them everything from snakes to spangles—the reason being that they have found it cheaper to move than to pay taxes.4

  The Ringling Brothers detested all forms of taxes. They were especially appalled at Wisconsin’s new income tax, arguing that they earned only a tiny portion of their substantial income in Wisconsin. MADISON DEMOCRAT, JULY 14, 1911; WHS MICROFILM P43429

  Over the years there were several times that it seemed the Brothers would leave Baraboo. In 1888 the Milwaukee Sentinel reported, “The Ringlings have lately purchased a tract of land here [Waupaca, Wisconsin] to accommodate their circus and menagerie and will winter here in the future.”5 In 1896 the Ringlings seriously considered moving to the old Forepaugh winter quarters in Philadelphia.6 In 1897 the Ringlings had apparently considered a move to Whitewater, Wisconsin: “There has been considerable talk about Ringling Bros. changing their headquarters from Baraboo to Whitewater, but Baraboo will continue to be the home of the ‘World’s Greatest Shows.’”7 Such rumors surfaced again in 1906 and 1909.


  This time it seemed like a move was a sure thing. But during the winter and early spring of 1912, the Brothers continued to make improvements on the buildings at Baraboo winter quarters. In March Al Ringling purchased the old Wisconsin House in downtown Baraboo (across the street from the courthouse park) with the intent of razing it and building a new twelve-hundred-capacity theatre at the location. The Baraboo Weekly News proclaimed, “The playhouse will give Baraboo a building not equaled in other cities in its class as no expense will be spared. … It will no doubt be known as ‘The Ringling’ and should be so called for the ones who have done much for Baraboo and who are willing to keep the good of the city at heart as the years go by.”8 In April the Isenberg brothers began tearing down the old ring barn, at that time the oldest of the Ringlingville buildings, built in 1888.9

  It’s possible that the Brothers believed that the new income tax would be amended to exempt firms that did much of their business out of state. Likely, they had not yet made any real decision about their future winter quarters. But Al put his downtown Baraboo theatre plans on hold, and the Brothers continued to let the public believe they would not return to Baraboo in the fall of 1912.