Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-08-18
BARNUM,s BoHANSA.

t1dOh GpAeGhOg ~ sAAD As.eAo'
The great show has come and gone.
Behindft,..is left the'pleasantest OF recoi-
lections and the temperance OF this
mammoth eonglomeration OF surprises
and curious sights will be anxioussy
awaited next season.
The big show was little late 10 ar
irving yesterday, owing TO delay III
Pittsburgh, but about ii O'Clock all Oh
the GO cars had arrived over the I. W !;
XIV. and were unloaded. The crowd
on the wharf, ss in fact all along the
principal thoroughiares, was terrinc'
and one could hardly get through inc
crush. .Lo In
Although the day was warm.the III
anence OF that genial name-BIrnum,
hacked and strengthened by those OF
Bailey and Hutchinson, turned the DAY
into a yeritable tste chdmpetre.
First of all came the street pageant
Watching the long train passing up MAN
street, the spectators who th'onged uie
walks, doors and Windows, were I'M
pressed with two things: First, that a
Colossal sum of money must have been
expended for the show, and secondly,
| that il had been expended well. All
was not glitter, by any means, though
there was plenty OF that; the real, SOLID
merits of the exhibition were as sell
assertive as the trappiDgs were gorgeous.
| The most casual observer knew without
referring to the hand-bllls tina! the herd
OF elephants was composed oil twenty oil
those wonderful beasts and that they
were the finest ever seen together in this
G untry, and he must also have been
astonished at the docility displayed by
the powerful beasts.
| Frequently interspersed among the
MANY vans were chariots drawn by
camels and trained oxen, and the more
gorgeous and golden chariots drawn by
elephants and superb teams OF horses,
and bearing symbolic characters on
their lofty SUBMITS, and these were
sources OF delightful surprise, and
elected such EXPLANATIONS from the
multitude as we had not heard in many
a day.
| When the grand pageant had passed
out OF sight, a scramble ensued for street
cars, and was kept up all day. The u eat
4
ing, and its 26S.000 yards Of canvass
were suggestive OF accommodations ioi
everybody. The three rings promised
an endless round of exhiliarating fun,
which the events OF the next two hours
made good. Indeed, the brilliant txhi
bition could not do otherwise than
please immensely. p. I. Barnum's rep
utation as a man OF his promise was
fully sustained; while the wisdom OF his
gigantic venture in consolidating his
own with the London show, managed
by Messrs. Bailey & Hutchinson, was
not less amply demonstrated. Enter
| prise" was marked on every feature OF
the vast consolidation. 1t seemed as
though everything that was wonderful
and curious in creation had at least one
representative in the menagerie. There
were no STUFFED" specimens at all,
nothing but what was alive and vigor
GUS even to fierceness. The two
graceful gi,atfes attracted con-
slant notice. The male has had the
name "B,llee Taylor" painted on his
cage, while his gentle companion in an
adjoining apartment rejoices in the So
briouet of "Hazel Kirke," in compli'
snce with a promise made to Ellie
E!lsler by Mr.. d. S. Thomas, the news
paper mans friend, when she was meet
ing with great success in that character,
that the prettiest thing in the show
should be named after her. There are
people WHO will consider the taste OF the
| Judges faulty, but the two giratfes are
undoubtedly fne animals, though not
| to be compared with the horses, the
Ukraine and Trakene stations being rs
peclally fine.
The enterprise s stupendous one,
and is emphatically deserving OF pat
ronage. There are some 800 attaches
and 800 horses, which is by far the lsrg-
est circus combination on earth. The
performances are given in two rings
simultaneously. Between the two rings
there is quite space which is used for
the different specialties, trapeze, rings,
athletic sports, etc. Most people
thought the performance too numer.
Gus, but Of it, too much cannot be urged
in praise. 1t was really brilliant and
fascinating from the beginning TO the
end.
Twenty-eight distinct features are pre-
sented. The dresses OF the performers
are rich, and the trapping5 are finely
wrought. The bareback riding OF Mime.
Cordona. Nine. Dockrill and F. Melville,
who ia champion OF the world, was re-
ceiyed with great applause. The flying
trap, z, act OF Hswley and Baisley was
loudly applauded amt was apparently
very daring. The Boisset Brothers, the
and the Ricardo brothers performed at
the same time graceful posturiDg acts.
Pretty Maggie Clare, in ring number
two, seemed veritable child Of the air.
The way she swung and grated at
point as high as a house top made the
little ones stand breathless with awe.
Miss Emma Lake, the side-saddle rider,
drove the ladies nearly wild by her con.
summate skill and grace.
The capstone Of the ring events was
touched by the graceful, agile, ever
pleasing Nine. Dockrill, aud never did
the Empress OF the Arena appear to bet
ter advantage before Wheeling assem-
blage.
Chang, the monster Chinaman, proved
himself to be a very gentlemanly giant,
in the crush OF visitors who attended
his levees. No man can take the hand
of lady with more grace than this tall
son OF the Orient.
Gen. ION Thumb was happy-and he
ought to be for he is fat and fortunate
and has good looking little wife. The
little lady keeps the General straight,
and their cup OF happiness is not less
swaat hpcauSa IN in so small
The animal collection. carniverous,
graminiverous AMI omniverous, is unu.
sually fine, as also the retilia. Little FL.
ephants, the size OF hogshesds, stood in
the most amazing and side-splitting
fashion upon their heads, and looked
ashamed Of themselves atterward; large
elephants, drilled like a trained band la
dies smiling, 1.-THE and shapely, flew
upon the trspeze and rode amid q gen.
Il L.1okh loll,n, attla1 obi