The Portland daily press., 1879-06-07
BARNUM.
His only Greatest Show on Earth

$500 o1iy 1I6dI6SD olOW Oll GitI I'll.
Portland had her Fourth of July cele-
pratlon yesterday. From an early hour the
trains over the different railroad lines began to
pour their cargoes of living freight into the
city, and by nine o'clock all the main streets
were lined with people, while the steps of pub
lie buildings and dwellings were crowded with
men, women and children waiting for the
moving of Barnum's ''only and greatest show
on earth'' The pageant was delayed some
what by the breaking down of the engine that
drove the circus train at Kennebunk. but
when once fairly started it gave complete sat
isfaction As it moved over the route the
gorgeous gilded chariots, the immense orches-
trion-which furnished better music than most
brass bands-the steam Calliope playing pop
ular airs, the magnificent stations stepping SO
proudly, the elephants, camels and ponies, and
the elegant cages, all impressed the spectator
with awe, and they gave expression to their
delight in long and prolonged "ah's" as when
the great set pieces of pyrotechnics are fred on
the eve of the national holiday.
By p. m. the crowd began to move towards
the circus grounds on the Western Promenade,
and at 2 p. IN. the immense tent was filled with
about 1000 spectators.
The canvas city contains in all twelve tents,
new and white as milk. The main or ring
tent is 200 feet long and $50 feet broad, and
seats 1000; the menagerie, 100 feet by no and
the museum 100 by $50. These are the largest,
and the others, used for various purposes, are
by no means small. The cook tent mea-
sures 30 by so. The stables are models of neat
ness, and it is well worth while to visit the
horses in their pleasant quarters. They are
well provided with fresh and sweet straw bed
ding, and their sleek and contented appearance
gives evidence of careful attention by the grooms
in charge. The double row of graceful and well
proportional animals in the stations tents
would move an Arabs heart to envy. There
are three large stable-tents, dressing-tent 30 by
80, and two annex or side-show tents.
There are in Mr.. Barnum's employ about 500
men. and 200 horses accompany the show from
mails is an important part of each days duties
In the cook-tent three meals day are served
to more than three hundred men at each sit
ting. The bill of fare is varied, and the men
live as well as they could at hotel. They
consume about 500 pounds of meat, of three or
four kinds, each day Soups, chowders, plenty
of bread and butter, tea and coffee and dessert
are furnished, and in fact everything is sup
piled that goes to make up good square meal.
OF course all OF this provender is bought in
prices thus obtained it costs about one dollar
per capita each day to board the employees of
the establishment. For the animals, of course,
a diet is prepared according to the demands of
their various appetites. Raw beef makes glad
the heart of the king of the forest, and is also
given to number of his baser companions
The quantity of hay, ETC., consumed by the
horses and elephants makes large item in the
daily expense bill, which actually amounts to
over $1,000.
On, tba 10 tba IN, +o,+ bo c.,
enters the tent containing the museum. Here
are found the best features of the exhibitions
OF former years, with several interesting addi-
tions The most entertaining curiosities to
the casual observer are the automatons, of
which there is large variety. Among them
the magic GLOBE" a large sphere some two
feet in diameter, which opens, disclosing the
headsof villainous looking individual, who
glares around upon the crowd. The globe
closes, and opening an instant later, appears to
contain nothing but emptiness. The head of
denizen of some far-away land is shown, and
disappears as mysteriously as the first. This is
but one of many equally interesting triumphs
OF mechanical ingenuity. Nervous parents
will be greatly disturbed at the pitiful wall of
a little negro badly, who seems to be in great
distress. A monkey organist discourses popu-
lar music from an automatic organ The
mysterious lady still preplexes the country
visitor. Captain Costentenus, the strangely
tattooed Greek nobleman, and the Palestine
SldllU, SOlOllCl 0OSucll, dTO CeuUr6S OIL dU-
traction. Miss Minnie Keeler wonderful
little midget, wins hosts of friends by her
cunning, winSome ways. She is a perfectly
formed little lady, about II years old, weigh
ing only II pounds Automaton musical birds
and animals keep the air filled with sounds
harmonious and otherwise.
The visitor next enters the menagerie tent
where the eleven great elephants, the two
horned rhinoceros, the giraffe, polar bear,
wart hogs, sea lion, monkeys and all other
kinds of queer animals were exhibited.
The circus is excellent. There is not poor
act in the whole performance, and many of
them are remarkably fine The equestrian
acts form the most prominent part of the per-
formance, and for daring and skill exhibited
they are unsurpassed. Miss Katie Stokes in
her bareback act brings down the house, Miss
Linda Jeal astonishes the audience by her fear
less hurdle riding, and by her leaping on
horseback through rings of fire. Madame
Dockrill is unquestionably the best most, grace
full courageous and skilful rider known to the
arena. Her drawing-room manege act is beau
tifully done. She causes her intelligent white
Barbary steeed to waltz and pirouette in per-
feet time with the music of the band She
next appears on wild Kentucky thorough
bred, Brilliant a high-strung spirited ANIMAL
that no one could manage until few weeks
since, when Miss Lake took him in hand and
conquered him; while Miss Lakes equestrian
act is one of the prettiest sights we ever saw in
circus
The acrobatic feats of the Herbert Brothers,
the wonderful feats of the Egyptian jugglers
and last, but not least Mr.. Antony's trained
stations are recipients OF the most generous
applause. Take it all in all, if this show is
one of Barnum's humbugs we hope we shall
suffer from many more such. We noticed that
the Turkish trousers worn by the ladies last
year were transferred this year to the merry
clowns.
Last night there was an immense audience
packed into the tent. Today the show goes to
Augusta and thence to the provin