there made the leap into show busi- ness, running Royal United Shows. Stage shows were a standard part of a carnival’s presentation in those days. John and his wife Alice operated a sideshow that displayed exotic ani- mals to the people of the small Dakota towns along their route. John andAlice spentwinters in


Long Beach, California. On December 20, 1939, Alice wrote a letter to her sister Carrie (Carrie ran Thomas Shows with her husband Art):


“We are starting for home day after tomorrow so we’ll be see- ing you soon. Looks like we will spend our Xmas on the road.


tiger,


John boughtaSumatran four monkeys, a pea-


cock and a big Russian brown bear. Ah me, more horse meat, and from the size of the bear we’ll have to start a bakery to keep her in bread and sweets. I named the tiger Samoa, and I think Rachel will be the bear. As for the monkeys, I haven’t thought of names yet as I don’t know what gender


they are.


The Sumatran tiger isn’t quite as large as a Bengal and a little darker with more stripes on the face and body. I think it is much the prettier of the two. I guess sheshe is terribly vicious so we won’t be able to play with her. “


ch b Here we diverge from the written


record, and rely on oral history. Family lore says that Pauline, at the time 18 years old, was charged with driving the trailer that contained Samoa the tiger (or maybe it was Boots the lion) from Long Beach to Lennox, South Dakota. The sto- ry goes that she would pull into a service station, but as the attendant approached her vehicle, the animal, sensing a hu- man presence, would let out a great roar and leap against the walls of the trailer, causing it


 


attendant would refuse to come near, leaving Pauline to pump her own gas. Samoa’sera asasideshowtiger


was short-lived. World War II brought changes to every facet of the American way of life. The US government saw fit


to issue extra tire rations to traveling carnivals, but meat was hard to come by.The decision wasmadetohave Samoa made into a rug, rather than let her starve. Poor Samoa; she ought to have been free in the wild. In a little nod to that past, I too have a tiger skin rug in my home. It’s a tufted cotton bathmat, purchased at Urban Outfitters, and it serves as a reminder that no matter how ac- customed we are to it, day-to-day lliife in show business is anything but ordinary.


h a a a


c


IfIf you’re a League member and have a story to sh or


s are, contact Andrew at office@showmensleague. org. If you’re not a member, join now! Help the Showmen’s League of America carry out its good wo


w rks: Our Scholarship Program, our Showmen’s Rest cemetery in Chicago, our events for disad- vantaged kids. Help us preserve our history and traditions and join us in our fraternity.


v


to rock back and forth. The


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