Though it would be comparatively easy to start a circus and menagerie equipped almost entirely with second-hand paraphernalia, the reader will see from the following figures that the cost of starting a new first-class circus and menagerie is another proposition. Here are a few official figures on the cost of a first-class circus and menagerie which have never before been made public. They are taken from my private record, or invoice book: 20 Cages at $350, $7,000.00 2 Band wagons at $1,500 each, 3,000.00 3 Chariots at $3,000 each, 9,000.00 1 Wardrobe wagon, 800.00 1 Ticket wagon, 400.00 The above for the parade. Animals to fill these cages will average about: 2 Lions, $2,000.00 2 Royal Tigers, 2,000.00 2 Leopards, 400.00 1 Yak, 150.00 1 Horned Horse, 500.00 2 Camels, 300.00 2 Elephants, 3,000.00 (As small elephants have been delivered here for $1,000 each, this is probably a fair average.) 1 Hippopotamus, $5,000.00 1 Rhinoceros, 5,000.00 2 Cages of monkeys, 1,000.00 1 Kangaroo, 200.00 1 Cassowary, 200.00 1 Ostrich, 500.00 1 Giraffe, 1,500.00 Other small animals including hyenas, bears, ichneumon, birds, etc., $2,000.00 12 Baggage wagons at $200, $ 2,400.00 4 Roman chariots, 1,000.00 125 Horses at $125 each, 15,625.00 This price is above the average. 125 Harnesses at $15, $ 1,875.00 2 Advertising cars, 5,000.00 Wardrobe, 3,000.00 2 Sleepers, 5,000.00 10 Flat cars at $400, 4,000.00 6 Horse cars at $400, 2,400.00 Elephant car, 500.00 Tents, 4,000.00 --------- $88,750.00 This could be reduced by eliminating the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, giraffe and other very expensive animals, but to this must be added considerable money for stakes, shovels, picks, stake pullers, extra ropes, tickets, blank contracts and all necessary printing, which would bring the cost of the usual "million dollar" circus and menagerie up to about $86,000. On all this property there is not one dollar of insurance. Once, when on the road, a live stock insurance company came to me to insure our horses, but at the rate at which they wanted to insure them I soon convinced them that we could not make any money.