The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-07-14
THE DAYS SENSATION.
An Event Which Calls for More than
Passing Mention.

An Event Which Calls for More than
Passing Mention.
From the San Francisco Daily Call.
The steamship City of Sidney, which
arrived on Wednesday last from Aus
tralia, brought back to the United States
the most gigantic and stupendous enter
prise that ever was conceived and sue
cessfully carried out by any one man in
the history of the show business. 1t
seems almost an impOssibility for an or
ganization of such magnitude as w. w.
| Coles monster exhibition, embracing as
it does so many varied features-circus,
menagerie, museum, trained animals of
all descriptions, and small army of
male and female performers, attendants
and trainers-to make tour of foreign
lands, but it has been successfully ac-
complished. A distance of over 5000
miles by land and sea has been traversed,
and instead of the mammoth combine
ton dwindling away or contracting in
any particular. as might reasonably be
presumed, it has greatly expanded its
| former proportions. In addition to the
original attractions, new wonders and
marvels have been secured in every land,
and in every cline, many of which have
never been exhibited in America or
Europe. On the voyage to Australia
storms and rough weather was exper-
fenced, and many of the ANIMALS were
seaslck, and presented the most comical
i 0nd vvOa haNOna avnrooc;0n nODnaiuab1o
The elephants, however, stood the voy-
age like old sea-dogs, and maintained
the same complacent solidity that they
do on land. 1t is a curious fact, and one
not generally known, that the peculiar
swaying motion which the elephant ex-
hibits in walking, is not his natural gait,
but is acquired by means of a sea voy-
age, and he retains the motion ever after
ward. In other words, having once got
his sea-legs on, the motion is SO pleasing,
and so well adapted to lis lazy, cumber-
some body, that he adopts it forever
The tour through the Australian colo
mics was the most remarkable success
ever chronicled in the history of the
country. In nearly every city in which
exhibitions were given, the crowds that
thronged around the ticket Office
to obtain admission were so
great that the Office had to
be closed, and thousands had to be turn
ed away unable to gain admission by
reason of the immense numbers that had
preceded them. In Adelaide, five per
formances were given, and upwards of
$1,000 persons attended, which is with
out precedent in the annals of the city.
The receptions in the colonial cities
amounted to popular ovations, and the
government officials issued proclama-
tions, granting half holidays, that the
citizens might witness the grand pageant
as it passed through the streets. Pre-
eminent among the many new and rare
attractions procured by Mr.. Cole dur
the foreign tour is troupe of South Sea
savages, or Maori war dancers, the first
and only ones ever on exhibition. These
savages, from the Cannibal Islands, arc
tattoOed from head to foot, and in their
performances produce, with thrilling
effect, their war songs and dances, and
exhibit other characteristics of cannibal
life.
A drove Of giant kangaroos has also
been secured, and these curious animals,
found only IN Australia, will be viewed
with interest. Many rare and beautiful
exotic birds have been added to the col
lection, and troupe of Bedouin Arabs
from Palestine perform the many strange
and acrobatic feats forwhich the sinewY
and muscular tribe are world-famous.
This mammoth affair will exhibit in
EmpOria, Friday July 10, 1891.