Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-01
FAMOUS VAN AMBURGH
Exhibits His Circus aud Mensgerie
In Memphis-An Attractive
Street Pageant,

ouN ka'o bheit htot P"StloImauCo oh thO
Chickasaw bluff this afternoon. 1t has
been many years since Van Amburgh's
institution visited Memphis, but tie
name aud reputation of this great show
man have reached here frequently, and
his coming was therefore looked forward
to with expectations of delight. In this
respect, if we are to Judge by the street
pageant exhibition made to day, the pub
lie has not been disappointed. The street
pageant was characterized for handsome
display which attracted general attention
and did not fail to impress the spectators
with a proper idea Of the magnitude and
variety Of this great show, which We be-
lieve, has been engaged in successful
exhibitions for thirty.six years. But the
street procession was only the prelude
to the recherche circus and q wonderful
mensgerie exhibition within the tents,
where, by half-past twelve o'clock to-day
a crowd had already assembled, and was
Losing no time to get within. The me.
nsgerie is not only varied in character,
but has features superior to those which
we generally find in travelling shows.
The animals are fresh in appearance,
aud under Sir Joseph Rogers, the man
ager, are shown to great advantage. Not
only the young but the old person, as
well as the student OF the animal king
dom, will be interested and instructed
by a visit to Van Amburgh's mensge.
rie. Prominent among the animals is
the elephant Bolivar, whose perform
snces add also to the interest Of the
arena in Van Amburgh's menagerie.
The cage of lions will interest every be-
holder, while the royal Bengal tiger and
leopards cannot be passed without due
attention from the visitor. A great Gu
riosity is the black Indian %rhinoceros,
being the only one now in the United
States, where it has not been exhibited
for twenty years. This animal was cap.
tured by Van Amburgh 4 Cos agents
and sent over here for exhibition 10 their
mammoth collection. The ~rhinoceros is
the undoubted unicorn mentioned in
Job: His scales are bis pride, shut up
together as with a close seal" He es-
teemetb iron as straw and brass as rot
ten wood" A fine specimen OF the
beautiful African hart-beest is exhibited,
besides a remarkable tapir and q mag.
nifcent yak, commonly known as the
granting OK. The Cszembian blesbock is
certainly superior in beauty to any ever
seen on exhibition. Three osmels, be.
sides the wild gszslle," a Peruvian
lama, a handsome zebra, an ibex from
the Alpine nights, ant.esters, a nuyl-ghau
besides a very large kangaroo, and what
is even one Of the greatest curiosities in
the animal kingdom, a double. horned
rhinoceros, the only Que Of the kind ever
exhibited in America, Another rare an
imal is an addsx, being the first ever
seen in this country. About a hundred
years ago the addax disappeared and the
species was supposed to have become
extinct, 1t is an animal of wonderful
appearance, Among the other attrsc
tons in the mensgerie are prairie wolves,
Polish swans, badger, Indian adjutant.
African porcupine, crested cockatoos,
iallow.deer, Spanish macaws, African,
Asiatic and South American monkeys,
gold and silver pheasants, kirg and
queen lori.grandi, parrots, pomse,, AZ.
ricsu gray parrots, guinea fowls, pigeons
and carrier.doves, Chinese dogs, black
squirrels. a white coon, etc. A very re-
markable bird in Van Amburgh's me.
nagerie is a white peacock, obtained
from the biological Gardens in Ham.
burgh. A strange looking animal
that has attracted so much atten-
ton, is an African hippopotamus
Indeed, we regard this menagerie
one Of unqueSionable superiority, excel.
lence and instruction. We therefore
commend Van Amburgh's m~enagerie as
one meriting the highest consideration
and most liberal patronage. The circas
Of itself is worth the price Of admission
fifty cents-!or it presents a success
sion Of brilliant and pleasing features
too numerous to be mentioned. The
grand entry is novel in character and
iatricate in execution, as the elephant.
and camels are features in this srenic
display. The whole entertainment re
ceiyes additional relish because of the
delightful music by Professor Kapp's
excellent band. The selections are ap.
propriste, aud their execution evidences
artists of no ordinary musical talent,
study and accomplishment. Among
the principal features may be mentioned
Mr.. Watson's eq%uestrianship and the
contortiou act by little Master Charley, a
boy of ten years, who also engages in a
hurdle ride. Mime Lolita, justly sly led
the lady of iron jaw, is truly wonderful.
She exercises with 6fIy-pouni dumb
bells, lifts a barrel with her teeth; more
over, she seiz IS a leather strap with her
teeth and in this manner is drawn
to the top of the show tent. The bat
spinning and jugglery of the renound
Lapglois Brothers, the daring act of
M me CloriudA LowAnds ale interesting