(From Page 1) out is affable Circus manager John Lewis who has been involved with circus management for 15 years. He speaks glowingly and poetically of circus life. “We are 100 per cent self contained." Lewis says in his trailer office. “We have our own cook house, our own generator. This is like a portable city. It goes up early in tne morning, blossoms like a rose, then wilts at 10 o’clock at night, only to blossom again the next morning." LESS KNTIIL'SIASTK" IS he. however, about other facets of the magical world in which he lives, about subjects like carnivals and Mingling Brothers i don't like carnivals,’’ he says with anger on his face "They steal your money Circuses entertain for your money.” He contends, too, that Ringling Brothers is not a circus, arguing that circuses are only performed under tents. Since Ringling Brothers performs in indoor arenas, they’ only present shows, not circuses, Lewis maintains “It’s only a circus when you walk into that tent, smell the popcorn and the animals and get the full atmosphere of circus life," he says The truly greatest show on earth, according to Lewis, is the Circus Vargas on the west coast He contends it runs a first cl&ss

. operation and has the best circus acts in the world • Lewis is an animal lover. He owns a baby llama whose mother was killed 'recently while trying to protect her child from a falling bale of hay that struck the mother lie angers at what Gls.did to elephants with Agent Orange in the jungles of Vietnam Elephants, as a result, are now on the endangered species list Two of the featured attractions in the Hoxie Brothers Circusd involve animals. ONE IS 27-VEAR-OLO Wild Bill Cramer, billed^as the world's youngest animal trainer. He was working at a zoo in Frederick, Md, last year as an animal supervisor when he decided to become a trainer. A friend taught him the basics and after buying two royal bengal tigers and three lions at the zoo’, Cramer joined the circus at its winter quarters in Miami last‘d February and has Become one of its stars. Cramer says he and the animals have a lot of respect for each other and get along very well. ^or awhile Cramer placed his head in a lion's mouth as part of his act. But, he said, management got nervous about it and asked him to stop. Cramer said he wasn't nervqus at all The other headliner is John Herriott who Lewis says is "one of the most professional equestrian trainers in the country." He recently joined Hoxie Brothers from the Big Apple Circus and Lewis describes him as "ajnaster showman." THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE for Lewis in his role as circus manager is getting the show on the road.

,Llama GETS helping hapd at feeding time from five>year-old Garry Hawkins at Hoxie Brothers Circus. They Like the Sound of Music

by Jacob Schaad Jr. CAPE MAY The streets of_ this, resort are alive witfi the sound of band music this summer, and Mayor Arthur Blomkvesf wants more in 1983 Encouraged by letters from music lovers, the mayor said at Monday night's council work scs sion that next year he’d like at least three more band concerts. ONE Ml sic lover. Pauline F bietsch, summ-

ed up the feelings of others in her letter "The band concerts make Cape May such a wholesome place to be in and add so much to its attractiveness." she wrote Mucis lovers got a bonus last Saturday night when an unscheduled band, the Golden Eagles of Mount Holly, showed up unexpectedly on a night that the bandstand was supposed to be dark. They had been contacted early this year, but never responded.In the

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(Photos by Doris Ward) WILD BILL CRAMER, who at 27 is billed as the world's youngest animal trainer, prepares for his act with his friends.

"I fear accidents in the fog and rain,” he says. "We could blow an engine at any time. Every piece of equipment is vital." Then there are storms, bad ones almost tomado-like, storms that tear the tents apart, like those in Norwalk, Ohio mr upstate in Point Pleasant. Blowdowns, Lewis calls them. After Point Pleasant, the circus performed without a tent for two days. "We prayed it wouldn't rain," Lewis recalls. "It rained all day and stopped just before showtime.” On the day the Hoxie Brothers entourage performed in Cape May the circus gods were fickle. It stormed in the morning, stopped during the day in time for the big top to be erected without misadventure and stormed in the afternoon again just before the 6 p.m. performance. The weather affected jattendance at the early

show, but the gods relented in time for the second performance and there was a goodly crowd watching the tented extravaganza, part of the proceeds of which went to the Cape May fire department. The last show ended at 10 p.m. and an hour and a half later, with remarkable efficiency, the bit top was down. The day has ended for the circus people. The last of the curious has long left. It is time to rest until the next morning when the show goes on the road again, this time up the coast a bit to the town of Avalon. Riding with the troupe this time, it is not too illogical to hope, may be the ghost of P.T. Barnum, the man who made circuses big in the United States. He often came to Cape May to s^end his vacations and perhaps again he is back in spirit with the clowns, the elephants, the acrobats After all, it is circus time again!

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meantime, a new director was named and he brought the band to Cape May unannounced. The next band concert at the bandstand is Saturday night. Aug. 14. when the Onized Band of Bridgeton presents a concert, starting at 8 o'clock Concerts are also usually on Wednesday night, although none is scheduled for tonight - unless another band shows up unexpectedly.

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