Sig Sautelle Circus in United States

Sig Sautelle Circus

Local name	Sig. Sautelle’s New Big Shows
Type	circus

Owner	-: Sig Sautelle
Founded	1900
Closed down	1904
Place	Homer
Country	United States

Directors	-1916: Ida Satterlee (assistant director)

Key People

Veterinarians

Elephant department

Head keepers of elephants

Elephant keepers
Record history
History of updates	2022-04-07

Latest document update	2022-04-07 07:01:39

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Description

Sig Sautelle Circus , in Homer, United States , was founded in 1900. Sig Sautelle Circus closed down in 1904.

Comments / pictures Sig Sautelle Circus <a href='location2.php?location_id=4' title=''></a>
in United States United+States

The Circus had 225 people on the payroll; boasted two elephants, 14 cages of animals and 150 horses, and ponies (according to John C. Kunzog’s book Tan Bark and Tinsel, 1970).

For many years Sig. wintered his show in Syracuse, N.Y. The quarters were in the old street car barn on Grape St.

Sig Sautelle elephants, 1913.

There has always been conjecture regarding the fate of some of Sautelle’s elephants. According to local lore, some were buried in the field in Homer that was once known as Contento’s junkyard. Judging by the following article in the Cortland Republican for November 30, 1905, Sautelle may have, indeed, pondered burying one problematic pachyderm in Homer.

BIG ELEPHANT BREAKS LOOSE

"Duke," Sig Sautelle\' s Ugly African Elephant Breaks from His Moorings at Headquarters, and One of His Keepers Narrowly Escapes His Murderous Attack.

There was plenty doing at the animal house at Sig Sautelle\' s headquarters last Monday morning. Soon after daylight, "Duke," the big and ugly African elephant which was chained to a big post in the animal house, made a lunge at one of his keepers. The post to which he was attached broke off under strain and liberated him. Mr. Marrow, the expert animal man, and manager, was quickly summoned and hastened to the quarters. "Duke " had chased one of his attendants into a corner, knocked him down, and made a vicious lunge at him with his single tusk. The tusk providentially missed the man\'s body and went below his legs. Other attendants with pikes attacked the elephant and made him back away and Mr. Morrow secured a long pike in use by telephone linemen, who were working close by, and hastening to the rescue drove it into the elephant\'s Trunk.
As soon as the man was rescued from his perilous position and the others had found places of safety, about 100 grains of morphine was administered to the elephant. It was given in water first, but "Duke" detected something wrong with the water and drank only a few swallows. Then the bread was soaked in the water and fed to him, and more was placed in apples which he seemed to relish. About fifteen minutes were required to get the desired amount of the drug down the big brute. Fortunately, with the exception of smashing up some woodwork, little damage was done. The stoves, fortunately, were not overturned, and as soon as possible, the fires in them were extinguished. After some time, the morphine began to take effect and along in the afternoon, “Duke” became drowsy enough so that he was able to be again chained securely to a post which it will be very difficult for him to break. The other animals in the house were greatly excited during the elephant\'s rampage, and there was a lively time all around till the morphine took effect and quieted the angry elephant. The beast has been Sautelle\'s property for about a year and has given much trouble by his treacherous and ugly disposition. Mr. Morrow said he was a sorry looking beast Tuesday morning, the morphine having evidently given him considerable distress. Mr. Morrow said enough was administered to kill 150 men.

1901: At the clove of the 1901 season Mr. Sautelle and the late Frank A. Robbins, who had been identified with Sig Sautelle Circus and the Sautelle shows for many years, spent the greater part of a month going over railroad show plans and the result was a decision by the circus owner to take to the road in 1902 as a railroad show. The success of his rail venture was instant and in 1903 he made additions, and also in 1904, during which season his outfit attracted James McCaddon of the Barnum & Bailey show, who was looking for a circus outfit to take to France. McCaddon made an offer for the oufit and it was turned over to him at the close of the 1904 season and shipped to France.

It opened in that country and the disaster which befell the ‘show in France is now a matter of circus s history. Many former Sautelle employees who were induced to go to that country with the outfit still relate vivid stories of the hardships which they endured in an effort
to again set foot on American soil.

References for records about Sig Sautelle Circus

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2025). Sig Sautelle Circus , Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=3598. (archived at the Wayback machine)

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