The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-04-23
Z. T. Barnum's Latest WOnders-A
Colossal Exhibition.

Uarper'S Weekly devotes nearly two col.
Arlns to explaining and extolling the great
rnterpriscs with which T. I. Barnum is max
ing historical his forty years career as the
mos: liberal and daring Snowman in the
world. The statistics which Harper Brothers
give us from authentic sources are nearly
overwhelming. They make an ordinary nead
dizzy. Mr.. Barnum has always boosted that
he gave his patrons double their moneys
worth, and his claims are generally acknowl-
edged; but this time he seems to have far out
stripped himself. Last year he obtained from
the Connecticut Legislature a charter for
The Z. L. Barnum'S Universal Exposition
Company" with a capital of a million of dol
lars; Mr.. Barnum, who is President OF the
olnpau and Mr.. Coup, his Manager, have
spent many months in Europe perfecting their
plans. The object of this great company, as
they announce, is to elevate amusements, di-
vest them of al Objectionable features, and
thus render them worthy the patronage of
the most moral and refined classes. They say
that eventually they will have a score or more
Of exhibitions (traveling and permanently
in America and Europe, and they intend that
their chartered title shall be a guarantee of
the merits of whatever they bring before the
public. The present season they have but
two exhibitions. One is Mr.. Barnum's we'll
known Museum, Menagerie, Circus and
Travelling Worlds Fair" the other is simply
called The Great Roman Eippodrome." Mr..
Barnum seems to have devoted years to per-
fecting this great enterprise, and nearly one
year of his personal attention was paid to it
iii Europe. At an expense of several hun
dred thousand dollars he erected a great hip
pOdrOme building in the heart of New York
city, and under an outlay Of over s., 200 each
day he has run his establishment IN New
York for nearly a year. This Exposition
Company are engaged to ship the entire Hip
pOdrOme 10 Europe next autumn; mean-
while they nave undertaken the 6itfipIylt fr.l-
of transporting it entire to the principal cities
in America. Hdrpet'S Weekly says:
1.-THE Great Roman Hippodrome will re-
semble a moving camp. There are 200 men,
women and children in Mr.. Barnum's service,
and the stock includes $50 horses and ponies,
besides elephants, camels, English stag and
stag-h0unds, trained OStriches, lions, bears,
tigers and other animals. For the exhibition
of the menageric and the various shows, dis
plays and performances connected with the
enterprises, two enormous tents, each 500
feet in length and 300 in width, Lave been
provided, one OF which will be 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
solved by the construction of 80 ears
twice the usual length, built expressly for
this purpose. Among them are a number of
horse palace ears, constructed with com
modious stalls, in which the horses can Il.
down and rest while on the journey and arrive
atthe place OF eXhibitiOn quite fresh for the Per
Torrance. Besides moving the tents, animals
and all other material in these IliDpodrUmc
cars, berths will be provided in those devoted
10 the personnel of the company for nearly ali
the employees. Besides the great exhibition
tents, and stable tents for the horses and
other animals. There is also attached to the
company a large corps Of blacksmiths ard
carpenters and builders, some Of whom ur.-
ccdG the show several DAYS, to make ready for
the exhibition by preparing the ground, erect
ing seats, etc. The dreS-in"-roOm tents alone
will cover more ground than an Ordinary
circus.
TO move such an enormous establishment
without hitch or delay requires the employ
ment OF clear-headed, practical Hien at tie
head of each department. Everything is so
arranged as to move with the smoothnces an!
precision of clock work. AT the appointed
hour the canvas will go up, the street process
sion will move. the performance viii COM
mence. When all is over, and the great tent
cmptied, everything will be packed III by those
detailed for the work, and the caravan, with
out the loss of a minute, will be on the move
toward the next place of exhibition.
1.-THE programme of performance will be
varied and attractive. Donaldson will make
daily balloon ascensions with a car large
enough to contain a company OF five or SIX
persons, at a cost of about $500 a day for this
feature alone. Then there will be the Ro-
man races in chariots driven by 'Amazons;'
the liberty races in which forty wild horses
are turned loose in the arena, in exact imita-
ton of the famous carnival races of Rome
and Naples; standing races in which the
riders stand on bareback horses; hurdle races
for ladies'; fiat races by English, French and
American iOpEayC- hnSi6nS camel 1lnr,h4uf
and ostrich and monkey races. Another
feature will be the exhibition of Indian life
on the plains, in which the actors will be
scores of Indians, with their squaws and pap
poOses. They will put up a genuine Indian
encdmpment, hunt real butIaloes, give war
dances, pony races, foot races against horses,
exhibitions of daring ~horsemanship, lasso-
throwing. 4 band of Mexican riders, mount
ed on famous mustangs, will make d pretend
ed attack on the Indian camp and give a
mimic but faithful representation of the
wild scenes enacted on the Western frontier.
The English stag hunt will be an exact pict-
ure of the sport Itself, with a company OF $50
men and women in full hunting costume, and
a large pack of English sta~g-hounds. There
will also be many other Interesting and at
~tractive features, the mere mention of which
would make a small volume.
NJ Barnum certainly deserves great credit
for an enterprise which is calculated to afford
q vast amount of innocent, popular amuse-
ment; and although this gigantic venture
involves an enormous outlay of money it will
present too many attractions not to be gen.
orally sustained"
Amazing as this exhibition seems from the
description given by Harper's, We can say,
from actual observation, that one feature is
TO be introduced into the travelling Roman
Hippodrome more interesting and instructive
than any other. 1t is the great procession
known as The Congress of Monarchs." The
Harper's omitted mentioning this because,
probably, they supposed Mr.. Barnum would
not dare incur the expense of transporting
such an enormous affair through the coun-
try. But he will do so, and here is a brief de-
scription of this dazzling and bewildering
exhibition. as given nv a New York contem-