The Portland daily press., 1881-06-18
BARNUM'S DAY.
A GRAND OUTPOURING OF THE PEG
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"The Greatest Show on Earth"

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"The Greatest Show on Earth"
The sun had not arisen yesterday before the
crowds began to pour into the city to celebrate
Barnum's Day,-for such is the name that the
people everywhere have bestowed on the day
when "Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth"
visits their vicinity. Immense trains came in
over the Portland & Ogdensburg, Maine Gem
trail, Rochester and Grand Trunk roads. No
body knew what the route of procession would
be and consequently it was more difficult than
usual to estimate how many strangers were in
Portland. It is safe to conclude however that
there were at least 1000 visitors. The weather
was all that could!be desired, bright and cool,
without being too COOL
This great show employs G30 people, 80
horses accommodates in its tent Is, 900 people
and costs $500 day to ran. That these
figures are not exaggerated no one who saw
the different departments yesterday-in the
thorough way they were taken in by the
members of the press, under. the guidance Of
the most courteous press agent, d. s. Thomas
will care to dispute.
The procession was not quite as extensive as
expected because public curiosity was very
much excited for days before the arrival of the
show, and spectators thought they were going
to see something which would surprise their
widest dreams. And yet it was twenty min
utes passing given point and was pageant
of remarkable brilliance. There were golden
chariots of immense size covered with mytho-
logical figures, and golden charlots of small d.
mansions, a troupe of twenty elephants,
not the least curious OF which was the baby
elephant,a dozen camels covered with gorgeous
trappings, open cages filed with lions, tigers,
snakes and their trainers, the stud Of splendid
Trakene stations that drew delighted cries
from the multitude, ponies without number,
as cunning and spirited as they could be, and
after band of musicians attired in rich uni
forms troups of retainers in every new and
costly uniform known to the armies OF the
world, chariots with fantasies, pipers and jul,
biiee singers, steam calliopes, chimes Of bells,
Tom Thumbs carriage, and the long line of
closed cages elegantly painted, and drawn by
splendid four and six horse teams. These
were but few Of the prominent features. All
through Congress, High, Spring, Middle,
Franklin, Federal and Free streets, doorways,
doorsteps, windows and balconies were filled
with dense mass Of humanity of every age.
race and condition. The line of march was
taken up at nine o'clock and by eleven the
procession reached the tents. @
At Up. m the doors were opened and tre-
mendous throng of people, in q steady stream,
began to file into the tents. The menagerie
was the first attraction, and we venture to say,
that better one has never been seen in Port
lands The ventilation was admirable, and the
takes an awful amount to feed them. The
item of meat IS very expensive feature Of the
menagerie. Each lion is given IS pounds of
beef day, each tiger Is. every hyena IL, and
the leopards and panthers pounds each, and
it must all be trimmed of the fat, The sea-
lion eats 20 pounds Of fish every day, and the
northern polar bear consumes FIVE pounds of
fish, as many Of beef and as many of bread,
while the monkeys divide between them five
gallons of milk and 20 pounds of bread. The
rhinoceros gets 200 pounds of hay, half
bushel of oats and as much bran besides pota-
toes, carrots and other vegetables. and the hip
popotamus gets oats, bran, carrots, cabbage
and the like, all cut up carefully. The ele-
plants and horses among them consume every
day five tons of hay, three of straw, half ton
Of bran, 1875 bushels oats and 20 bushels of
corn. This is vast enough quantity to pro-
vide an ordinary farmers stock and family for
year, but it only lasts a circus one day, and
the local dealers reap the benefit.
Many Of the animals are very expensive.
The cage of lions is probably the finest in the
country, and the little cubs born few months
ago in New York gave rare treat to the press
party (that accompanied Mr.. Thomas around
after the show in exhibiting their agility and
cunning by trying to get the great meat-bones
held aloft by the lioness. There was an i'm
mense rhinoceros that just before the doors
were opened escaped from its cage and the
employees had hunt after him, while the poor
beast evidently enjoyed his temporary liberty
little thinking Of the scare he was giving the
few spectators who knew he was loose. Final
ly he was caught and seemed as glad to get
back as the keepers were to-: have him back.
The monkeys were many and in superb condi-
ton. One great fellow, who was leisurely
munohing biscuit, had only the day before
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the next cage, had caught him mapping, and
by thrusting his paw between the rails caught
the paw Of the first monkey and tore the finger
off. The sloth bear had earned the name OF
Henry Ward Beecher ID because he would
stand on his hind legs and appear as if he was
preaching. Then there were the giant horse,
panthers, leopards, a den-of boas and anacon-
das, some Of them Is feet long, an immense
soatlion, ahippopotamus, wolves, deer, mon
keys, the baby elephant, two CRATES, sacred
bull, birdssand numerous other attractions.
There was: an elephant, quite young, that is
called the only mean-sprited one in the show.
He is rather treacherous and may give blow
when least expected. Mr.. Arstingstall, the
trainer, has long pole with sharp hook on
it, and alittle touch on the beasts ear with it
quickly takes down all rebelious feeling.
AT 2 p. m. the grand entree occurred. Long
before that time!the circus tents was apparently
full, and yet there were many empty seats, so
that after two or three acts had been perform
further performance would be given until all
were seated. At 3p. m. there were 1900
people present and ticket selling stopped. A
strong feature OF the entertainment was the
fact that it was patronized so extensively by
our very best people, almost every family be-
ing represented by several of its members, SO
that long line of private carriages were in
waiting. The cavalcade was very large, the
costumes new and fresh. We object to the
three rings because where SO much is good no.
body can concentrate their attention on these
rings at once, and where every act is excel emit
one desires to take the show all in. 1t is like
seeing the centennial exposition In one day.
In fact man requires to go three times, at
least, to get an idea of the magnitude of the
show. We fear the rising generation in trying
to accomplish the feat of seeing everything will
be afflicted with strabizmus. Chang, the eight
foot Chinaman, is remarkably pleasant, gen.
tlemanly fellow, and in size, is in strong con-