The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-05-06
p. T. Barnum's Latest Wenders...A
Colossal Exhibition.

Hdrper's Weekly devotes nearly two columns
to explaining and extolling the great enterpris-
es with which 2. t. Barnum is making histori-
cal his forty years career as the most liberal
and daring Snowman in the world. The statis-
tics which Harper Brothers give us from
authentic sources are nearly overwhelming.
They make an ordinary head dizzy. Mr.. Bar
mum has always boasted that he gave his
patrons double their moneys worth, and his
claims are generally acknowledged but this
time he seems to have far outstripped himself.
Last year he obtained from the Connecticut
Legislature a charter for 1.-THE P. T. Barnum's
Universal Exposition Company" with capital
of q million of dollars. Mr.. Barnum, who is
president of the company, and Mr.. Coup, his
manager, have spent many months in Europe
perfecting their plans. The object Of this
great company, as they announce, il to elevate
amusements, divest them Of all Objectionable
features, and thus render them worthy the
patronage of the most moral and refined
classes. They say that eventually they will
have score or more of exhibitions (traveling
and permanently in America and Europe, and
they intend that their chartered title shall be q
guarantee of tie merits of Whatever they bring
before the public. The present season they
have but two exhibitions. One is Mr.. Barnum's
Travelling Worlds Fair" the other is simply
called 1.-The Great Roman Hippodrome" Mr.
Barnum seems to have devoted years to per-
fecting this great enterprise, and nearly every
year OF his personal attention was paid to it in
Europe. AC an expense of several hundred
thousand dollars he erected 4 great hippo
drome building in the heart Of New York city,
and under an outlay of over five thousand dol
lars each day he has run his establishment in
New York for nearly year. This exposition
company are engaged to ship the entire Hippo
drome to Europe next autumn meanwhile
they have undertaken the difficult task of
transporting it entire to the principal cities in
America. Hdlpefs Weebiy says:
"The Great Roman Hippodroms will re-
semble a moving camp. There are ], 200 men,
women and children in Mr.. Barnums service,
and the stock includes $50 horses and ponies,
besides elephants, camels, English stag and
stag-hounds, trained ostriches, lions, bears,
tigers and other animals. For the exhibition
of tho menagerie and the varlons shows, dis
plays and performances connected with the en-
terprises, two enormous tents, each 500 feet in
length and 800 i'll width, have been provided,
one of which will bo kept in advance, in order
that no time may be lost by delaying in making
ready. The question Of transportation by rail
a very serious one-was solved by the con-
struction of $50 cara, twice the usual length,
built expressly for this purpose. Among them
are number of "horse-palace cars, construct
ed with commodious stalls, i'll which the horses
can lie down and rest while on the journey and
arrive at the place of exhibition quite fresh for
the performance. Besides moving the tents
animals and all other material in these Hippo
drome cars, berths will be provided in those
devoted to the pe1soneL of the company fol-
nearly all the employees. Besides the grea
exhibition tents and stable tents for the horses
and other animals there is also attached to thu
company large corps of blacksmiths anC
carpenters and builders, some Of whom precedt
the show several days, to make ready for the
exhibition by preparing the ground, erecting
seats, etc. The dressing-room tents alone viii
cover more ground than an ordinary circus.
g1fTO move 6ucl an enOrmOuS ogtab
without hitch or delay, requires the employment
of clear headed, practical men at the head o.
each department. Everything is 80 arranged
as to move with the smoothness and precision
OF clock-work. AT the appointed hour the can
vas will go mp, the street procession will move
the performance will commence. When all il
over, and the great tent is emptied everything
will be packed up by those detailed for tn,
work, and the caravan, without the loss of
minute, will be on the move toward tho mex
place of exhibition.
"The programme of performance will b,
varied and attractive. Donaldson will maxi
daily balloon ascensions with car largt
enough to contain company of five or six per
sons, at cost Of about $500 day for thi
feature alone Then there will be tho Roman
races, in chariots driven by 'Amazons;" til,
"liberty races" in which forty wild horses ar,
turned loose in the arena in exact imitation O
the famous carnival races of Rome and Naples
"standing races" in which the riders stand OF
bareback, horses hurdle races by ladies' fla
races by English, French, and American
jockeys besides camel elephant, ostrich, anC
monkey races. Another feature will be the ex
hibition of Indian life ON the plains, in which
the actors will be scores of Indians with thei
squaws and pappooses. They will put up
genuine Indian encampment, hunt rea
buffaloes, give war dances, pony races, foo
races against horses, exhibitions of darinI
horsemanship, lasso-throwing. A band O
Mexican riders, mounted on famous mustangs
will make a pretended attack on the Indiar
camp and give mimic but faithful representa-
ton Of the wild scenes enacted on the WesterI
frontier. The English stag hunt will be al
exact picture of the sport itself, with compan,
of 150 men and women in full hunting costume
and large pack of English stag hounds
There will also be many other interesting and
attractive features, the mere mention of which
would make a small volume.
"Mr. Barnum certainly deserves great oredi
for an enterprise which is calculated to affort
Q vast amount Of innocent, popular amuse
ment and although this gigantic venture in
wolves an enormous outlay Of money, it will
present too many attractions not to be general,
sustained"
Amazing as this exhibition seems from tn,
description given by Harper's, We can say
from actual observation, that one feature is L
DO introduced into the travelling Roman Hippo