1951-05-12 — Page 19

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1951.

BIG TOP' IN MINIATURE

10.

MIDGET RE

Page

(The Human Volcano" is touched up by William Brinley on the lighted midway of his circus model, which took him 24 years to build. The attractions were carefully selected after checking those most often seen in the Big Tops travelling IndAmericas

The Toy Bandwagon Carved by a Nine-Year-Old Youngster

Has Now Grown Into a $100,000 Pint-Sized Model Circus

ANY young boys, at one time or another,

M probably have wished they could run

and join the circus. away from home William R. Brinley of Meriden, Conn., was one of those boys. At the age of nine, however, young Willium made his big decision. Instead of leaving home for the circus, he would bring the Big Top into his own parlour. The youngster found himn- self a piece of wood and began whitling.

Twenty-four years later, Brinley, now 33, has quit his job as shipping clerk to assume a full- time career as creator and showman, His circus -in miniature now has more than 300,000 separate parts, Including 163 animals, 40 wagons, 15 tents, 80 performers and countless back- stage werkers, Sawdus on the floor and electric...

fights lend an oir of realism to the display.

The model is built on a scale of three-quarters of an inch to a fool, from cookhouse to side Haw, from ant-eater to elephant. On the road, all sections fold up for packing into wagons, which are loaded on 18 flatcars of miniature railroad, brightly painted.

The liputian circas covers about 400 square feet. When Brinley takes it on the road, he and two assistents spend an entire day taking it down and two days selling it up on arrival.

But the man who whittled year after year never has forgotten the little boy's dream. Pro- creds of a const-to-coast tour Brinley is making with his $100,000 show will be banked towards the day when he can buy a real live circus.

CIRCUS

THE LATEST addition to Brinley's circus is painted after months of carving. It is of white pine. First wagon was made from cheese box.

ients are made of fine canvas, all

background

shown working on side show

timis'are stables;

'perado

THE RAIL CARS have all of the special equipment found on regular circus itains. Little roustabout.and.elephants.show how real shows are unloaded..