Morning journal and courier., 1881-05-19
Barnuna Day.

A Remarkable Enter&afnment-Fun In
 Fog A Novel Combination of Museum
 MenaEerie, Circus and Aquatic Sports.
 Barnum's great aggregation of four shows consolidated drew out thousands of people yesterday despite the wet weather. All the trains into the city were thronged with excur- sionists, and the new depot was alive with the visitors for hours, every train swelling the surging throngs bound to see the greatest show on earth. Everybody, including all the young folks, seemed to be out in the morn ing to see the great procession, and on Chapel and Church streets the throngs were dense enough. The weather was dampsr, deter ring thousands no doubt from coming to the city and keeping at home hundreds of moth CTS and children who wanted to see the pro- cession. The procession, large as it was, was curtailed fully one half, owing to the weather, which prevented the display of the wardrobes and many other features cal culated to fire the heart of the small boy and the older ones. The great pavilions were erected on the big lot be- yond the Howard avenue base ball ground in short metre, and throngs of people focked to the tents to see what could be seen and surfeit the imagination over what was concealed in those gaily colored wagons Occasionally the roar of wild beasts inspired awe among the multitudes of the rising gen. eration congregated about the tents. The great excitement opened at noon, when all the horse cars and extra horse cars and om- nibusses and pignic wagons were taxed to their utmost to carry the burdens of human freight bound to the show, while a constant line of umbrellas, or people with umbrellas under the arm, was to be seen from Church street to the show grounds for & couple of hours. The great show pavilion at o'clock presented in every direction sea of human faces, tier upon tier. The clouds hung heavy with dew, but the undaunted people could not think of being disappoint- ed, hence the great audience assembled. It was difficult to see how Barnum could have had greater throng of humanity within those huge walls of canvas, and had 1t been pleasant it would indeed have been one of the greatest Barnum days outside of New York. The show was immense, from the baby elephants to the big elephants, the hip popotamuses, the royal Bengals, the great lions with their kitten sized cubs and the magnificent geological collection in general, many of the specimens being very rare and costly, to the great exhibition, with three rings and business lively in each-a great and costly aggregation of the best acrobatic, gymnastic, trapeze, equestrian and eques- trienne riding and slack wire performing, to say nothing of the trained oxen, trained ele- phants, tralned stallions, Tom Thumb and wife, Chang the Chinese giant, and many other features The audience was engrossed completely in watching the numerous and constant succession of attractions. At about three o'clock the great exhibition was over, a pouring rain setting in, and seldom was seen greater rush for private carriages, hun dreds of which were in waiting, and for the horse cars. Some 1000 people thinking deluge had set in Hooked in to the after show and were amused or interested in the bearded girl the long bearded man, the seven foot warrior with rude weapons, the fat child, the armless man, the albino and other human curiosities and the troup of colored singers. The weather closed in, as it proved, for rainy night, and it rained and rained at intervals and soaked the soaked earth, and the evening perform ance was omitted, to the regret of thousands who had hoped to see it clear up, and the tents of the great aggregation were struck preparatory to exhibiting to-day in Meriden, where, if another rainy day occurs, it will be the fourth successive day of this cheerful kind for the great show. The show as is well known, is the P. T. Barnum, J. A. O. consolidation. The courteous press agent, MT. D. s. Thomas, is a most able representa- tive of the great show, and was on hand placing the press under obligations for atten- tions and courtesies, which are with pleasure acknowledged. A noticeable feature yester- day was the attendance of large representa- tion of people of note, prominent and hon ored citizens It is estimated that 5000 peo- pie came to town to attend the show either on the cars or in teams. The number of peo- pie employed is 63O, number of horses 31O number of yards of canvas 268,00O, total capacity 15,OOO, and daily expenses $4, 800.
 THE REDEMPTION OF TICKETS.
 It was not until nearly five o'clock that the management decided to abandon the night performance. Treasurer Young reported that upwards of $2,O ,OOO worth of tickets and reserved seats were sold for the evening, and doubtless as much more would have been taken at the door. But the rain was heavy and the wind high, and Managers Bailey and Hutchinson decided to run no risk of acci- dent to visitors. Without a moments hesi- tation they issued orders for the redemption of tickets, and before o'clock nearly the whole $2, 900 had been returned. An agent will be at Loomis' music store until 10 o'clock this morning to redeem any stray tickets that may come in.