The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-09-24
THE DAYS SENSATION.
An Event Which Calls for More than
Passing Mention.

[From the San Francisco Daily Call.
The steamship City of Sidney, which arriy-
ed on Wednesday last from Australia brought
back to the United States the most gigantic
and stupendous enterprise that ever was con-
ceived and successfully carried out by any one
man in the history OF the show business. 1t
seems almost an impossibility for an organiza-
ton of such magnitude as w. w. Coles mon
ster exhibition, embracing as it does so many
varied features-clrcus menagerie, museum,
trained animals of all descriptions, and small
army OF male and female performers. attend
ants and trainers-to make tour of foreign
lands, but it has been successfully accomplish
ed. A distance OF over % 900 miles by land
and sea has been traversed, and instead of the
mammoth combination dwindling away. or
contracting in any particular, as might reason
ably be presumed, it has greatly expanded its
former proportions. In addition to the origi-
nal attractions, new maryels and wonders 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 Aus
tralia storms and rough weather was expert
enced, and many of the animals were sea-sick.
and presented the most comical and woe-be-
gone expressions conceivable. The elephants
however, stood the voyage like old sea-dogs,
and maintained the same complacent stoHdity
that they do on land. 1t is a curious fact. and
one not generally known that the peculiar
swaying motion which the elephant exhibits in
walking, is not his natural gate, butt acquir-
ed by means of sea voyage. and he retains
the melton ever afterward, In other words.
having once got his sea-legs on, the motion IS
so pleasing and SO well adapted to his lazy,
cumbersome s body that .s ne adops II forever,
the most remarkable success ever chronicled in
the history of the country. In nearly asrarv
city in which exhibitions were aiuan az
crowds that thronged around sthe ticket
to obtain admission were SO great that the ONCE
had to be closed, and thousands had TO Do bhrl-
ed away unable to gain admission by reason OF
the immense numbers that had preceded them;
In Adelaide five performances were giyen,lano
upward of $4,000 persons attended, when IS
without precedent IN the annals OF the seity;
The reception in the colonial cities amounted
to popular ovations, and the government oll-
Gals issued proclamatiens, granting half-holl-
days, that the citizens might witness the gtanu
pageant as it passed through the Streets RE
eminent among the many new and rare atlrac-
lions secured by Mr.. Cole durlng the foreign
tour is troupe of South Sea savages, or Mao
ri war dancers, the first and only ones ever on
exhibition. These savages, from the Cannl-
bal Islands, are tattooed from head to 1oot,
and, in their performances produce, Win
thrilling effect, their war songs and dances,
and exhibit other characteristics of cannlbal
life.
A drove of giant kangaroos has also been Sc
cured, and these curious animals found only IN
Australia, will be viewed with interest. Many
rare and beautiful exotic birds have been add
ed to the collection, and atroupe OF Bedoud
Arabs from Palestine perform the many
strange and acrobatic feats for which the SIN
envy and muscular tribe are world famous.
This mammoth affair will exhibit in Portland
on Saturday October 9Th.