The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-09-22

OLD JOHN ROBINSON AND his " RIG SHown-
HE EXHIBITION YEsTERDAY.-There Is pro-
badly no man in the show business better
known than cold John Robinson," as he Is
familarly called. He has been before the
public for over fifty years, and no manager
can look back upon brighter record. Like
all Others, Mr.. Robinson has met with re-.
verses. The path of bis early career was be-
set with obstacles over which q less intrepid
manager would have fallen and never recoy.
cred but bis determination to succeed car
ried him over all stumbling that fell
across his way, and after every reverse his
energy seemed to gain new strength, and his
efforts were redou bled until success was as
sured.
Few have trodden more thorny road, or
carried the laurels from harder-fought
field and all the more deserving is his re-
ward. Every year he has added to his mag
hificent show, until with the present season
he comes before the people with combina-
ton said to be the largest and most complete
that has ever travelled under one manage
ment. In forming the present organization
he has been guided by the experience OF over
half century, and neither pains nor ex-
pense have been spared ia carrying out the
new ideas suggested; and to judge from
what the press of other cities have said OF
the present organization, II is fitting crown
for such professional career as Mr.. Robin
son has passed through.
During the past winter many rare and
wonderful animals heretofore strangers In
America, strange freaks of nature, 3ad mar
yelIous curiosities, have been addea TO the
museum and meDagerie. Two OF those
beautiful animals, the giraffe or cam
eIopard, have just been purchased By Mr..
Robinson at an almost fabulous price, and
were on exhibition yesterday. There Isan ami
NAL in old John RObinson's show the like OF
which was never seen In this country before.
We refer to the baby tapir or South Amert-
can hippopotamus, the mother OF which
landed in New York one month ago, BAY
inc been procured for Mir. Robinson By
Messrs. Alvarez, Leon d Co., his purchasing
agents at Rio JaIeiro, South America. Ihey
are wonderfully rare, the baby especially,
being the most beautiful animal ever seen III
a menagerie. Mr.. Robinson values them
very highly, having been offered and re- re-
| fused SIS 900 for the mother and her baby. . I,
It IS useless to say that "o!d job" "
| has the best circus travelling, for be has
always had this, and this year thelist OF per-
formers are headed by such arenic stars as
Bob Stickney, George Kelley, John Wlison,
Frank Robbins, Charley Mccarthy, Msss
Emma Lake, Minnie Marks, and Rosaiine
stickaey, and that old time Richmond IL.
yorite John LoWioW, whose appearance u
| the arena is a signal for q burst OF msrrimen'
fhat can be heard for half q mile any Gay
1 Cnr citizens will not regret waiting Old JohI
and his big show to-day aud to-nighs.
4 There were immense crowds at both 9
5ithe exhibitions yesterday. Large number
iof country people came 10 the city, and u
the afternoon there was q greater nuinte
present at the performance than Was eve
& known ON q like occasion. Az hight lt s9sa =
estimated that there were aye thousand pes
Isons under the canvass, and the sale Cs tscS ~
j cts Ind 10 be stopped, md ir eonse nee :
Il least q thousand were turned q y