The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-11 00:00:00

THE SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE SHOW.

Yesterday was the closing day of our great
metropolitan show of fat cattle, and before the
doors finally shut out the public last night close on
120,000 visitors had passed the turnstiles and paid
for admission, thus realising the fact that this
annual exhibition has not only not lost any of its
wonted popularity of former years, but on the con-
trary has, since the year of the cattle plague in
1855, been continually increasing. Last year the
number paying for admission was in the aggregate
110,000. This year the five days have been repre-
sented by the following numbers :—Monday last,
ss. day, 785 ; Tuesday, 23,597 ; Wednesday,
38,789 ; Thursday, 31,789 ; and last night, up
to eight o'clock, 13,974 had passed the turnstiles,
and as the money-takers did not cease their voca-
tion for another hour, the absolute return thus
not being made up, the low estimate of another
thousand would bring the day's figures up to
15,000, giving a gross total of 117,059 visitors to
the show.

It is a remarkable circumstance, notwithstanding
the enormous concourse of persons the Cattle Show
attracts, that there are so few mishaps, and scarcely
ever any police or other charge arising out of
its various ramifications. One exception, how-
ever, is worthy of remark. During yesterday hun-
dreds of spurious tickets were handed about and
sold to respectable people, who innocently pre-
sented them at the Barford•street entrance. These
consisted of an ordinary piece of card the size of
an address card, coloured with lake on one side.
They are all in the same handwriting, having at
the top the initials " S.C.S. Admit two, J.W.G.
Grand entrance. 10-12-69." Mr. Superintendent
Green, of the N division, and the police had been
endeavouring to trace out from whence they ema-
nated during a great portion of the day, but with-
out success. The most curious part of the business
is that they had been sold to, generally speaking,
most respectable people.
The general arrangements have given the greatest
satisfaction, and reflect much credit on the direc-
tors, Mr. J. Clayden, chairman, Messrs. Seeds,
Druce, Banister, Giblett, and Comfort, who, with
Mr. Laird, the assistant secretary, in the absence
of Mr. Sidney from serious illness, have been inde-
fatigable in looking after the comfort and conveni-
ence of the public. There can be no question of
the fact, too, that notwithstanding the crowded
state of the building at times, and more especially
after the gas was lighted, the free distribution of
Sir William Burnett's disinfecting fluid, rendered
the atmosphere perfectly pure and wholesome.
The Smithfield Cattle Show not only has the
effect of bringing a vast concourse of persons as
well as animals from all parts of the kingdom, but
it operates largely in causing a vast amount of
benefit to the neighbourhood, irrespective of those
who become exhibitors in the various departments.
The tradespeople of Islington owe the establishment
of the Agricultural Hall a great debt, and its pecu-
liarity is that it is adaptable to almost any pur-
pose. It is about again to assume at Christmas its
premier position as the most gigantic circus in the
world, but on the ensuing occasion under a different
management from that which has occupied its vast
arca after the Cattle Show for the last three years.
On the forthcoming occasion the mantle of the
Messrs. Sanger will fall upon Mr. William Holland,
the well-known and highly-respected proprietor of
Canterbury Hall. Mr. Holland's repertoire is to in-
clude Blondin, Niblo, and other astounding speci-
mens of the order gymnast. The circus is to have
several novelties, and there are to be bicycle races
and evolutions by French ladies, French wrestlers,
accompanied by the most powerful brass band in
Europe. These are amongst the few sensations in
store for the Christmas fo:k at the Agricultural
Hall. Under such management, and with such
aid as Messrs. Spiers and Pond can afford in the
catering department, success is assured.