Download or read book Chilly Billy written by William L. Slout and published by Wildside Press LLC. This book was released on 2009-12-01 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Chilly Billy" was the nickname of circus mogul William Washington Cole, the chief rival of P. T. Barnum. Cole was born into a circus family in 1847, and beginning in 1870 and continuing through 1886, developed "Cole's Colossal Circus" into a money-making enterprise. He wisely invested his earnings in real estate, making himself a multimillionaire before finally closing down shop. Another landmark contribution to American circus history, complete with notes, index, bibliography, and contemporaneous illustrations.