The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-07-11
A Grand Exhibition and Three Delighted
Audiences.


the season. There is no show, no entertain
ment of any kind that possesses the drawing
power of Barnums magic name. VI late years,
associated with such experienced managers as
Messrs. Bailey and Hutchinron, with the great
resources at the command of the three, both
professional and pecuniary, the great Barnum
and London Show virtually scoops the coun-
trv.'' Its proportions daze the spectator, as it
travels through the land Eon its long railroad
trains, with its army Of employees at least 500
in number, including $50 canyassmen alone.
Yesterday this "Greatest Show on Earth"
exhibited in Portland-or Deering rather
giving three performances for the first time in
Portland since 1871, when Barnum's Hippo
drome first startled old-fashioned circus-goers
by it's marvellous wonders as presented on the
field at foot of New High street. While the
character of the performances has not changed
since then-Barnum always securing the very
best and most expensive performers In every
branch of the businessmen features have
been annually introduced that have always
caught the popular fancy. This year it was
the mammoth elephant Jumbo, and he fully
bore out all statements made in regard to him.
Great talk has been made of Mr.. Barnum's
humbugging the American people. Where
the humbug comes in is the question. fMr. D. S.
Thomas, the well-known press agent, is 80
careful in his statements that when journalists
draws long bow in speaking of the show,
Mr. 7. says"I wouldn't say that because people
won't believe it, and it is better for them to
see and judge for themselves, and then the
surprise they receive is the best adveatise-
ment of that features remarkable character"
So with Jumbo. Everybody was satisfied that
he was mammoth, as he looked down on the
other elephants as the giant looks down on or
binary men. When the keeper put the largest
elephant alongside of him he was "head and
shoulders" to sspeak, above him. His great
corrugated trunk seemed to start from the top
of his head and stretched out to the end of
time. The immense audiences all admitted
that Jumbo was no humbug.
The procession in the morning was not as
large as usual for the very good reason that
little time was afforded for parade before
the first performance. But it was brilliant
and dashing and excited much favorable COM
ment. The streets were jammed with people
who chad travelled one hundred miles to see
Jumbo and the unrivalled menagerie and cir
GUS From an early hour they poured into
the city by every possible conveyance. Long
extra trains ran over all the railroads, steam
boats made extra trips, and farmers wagons
of every conceivable shape, drawn by every
kind OF nag were put into requisition. The
horse cars aud spicnic wagons did thriving
business conveying passengers from the city
to the grounds, while thousands patronlzed
"Shanks Mare"
Once there the great tent stretched before
the spectator to the ''crack of doom, !" while on
either side were arranged the tents DEVOTED to
the curiosities of the side shows. Every
thing was orderly and well behaved The
first tent embraced q splendid collection of
animals better than is usually possessed by the
best menageries Beyond this interesting ex-
hibtion was another tent even larger than tho
first one. In this were three large rings in
which performances take place slmuitanoous-
ly, while enclosing all these rings was wide
race course, and beyond this were seats Tor
about seventeen thousand spectators The
grand entry was fine display OF superb
horses, elegant trappings, rich costumes, golden
chariots, elephants, dromedaries and ponies,
oil passing around the race course. and form
ing glittering spectacle, continually chang
ing like an immense kaleidoscope and dazzling
the eyes of the spectators with its new COM
binations. When this triumphal procession
had passed, the special curlosltles OF the ex-
hibition, the Norwegian giant, eight feet high,
the wonderful Chinese dwarf, and other mem
bers of the family were presented, and the
baby elephant, jealousy guarded by Its
mother and the monster Jumbo passed around
the track to give all one more opportunity to see
how small and how big an elephant may be-
Tho Trakene stations displayed their wonderful
intelligence in one ring. A grand leaping
contest in which a host of athletes participa-
ted gave an opportunity for some wonderful
exhibitions OF jumping, Mr.. John Batchelder
turning double somersault over several ele-
plants, one of them standing upon pedestal.
By some mysterious continuance, Lulu was shot
inward to the top of the tent-up like a rock
ct, but not down like stick, fer the descent
was made by means OF rope adro1tly caught
at the highest point of the ascent. Miss Eva
Walker gave a graceful exhibition OF tight
rome dancing, and William Dutton followed
with a bareback somersault act in another
ring Then while the Clifford Brothers were
lifting immense weights, the Egyptian attn
letes in another ring were building pyramids
on ladders with all the skill which familiar
ity with the massive specimens of that style OF
architecture in their own country would give,
and in the third ring the Japanese were per-
forming wonderful feats of balancing and Jug
Cling. Madame Elise Dockrill gave some tine
bareback riding, and later rode Tour pare
back horses in her well-known daring manner
After balancing on an invisible wire, Iazel
was pulled up to the top of the tent, whence
she took headlong dive into a net spread far
below; and, not content with this, was tired
from a huge cannon. AT the same time
Maggie Claire was performing high in air
upon the flying rings Then Lulu, hurled
by powerful Roman catapult, came fly
ing across the arena hundred feet or more,
whirling over and over, and finally alighted in
safety in the net spread for that purpose.
While the huge elephants were perform
ing in one ring, the smaller ones were go
ing through similar series sof evolutions in
another part of the enclosure, all showing re-
markable degree of intelligence, and one per-
forming many funny tricks. But the most ex-
citing Of all the performances were the races,
with which the entertainment closed. They
were among the very best and most interesting
features a wheelbarrow race by ten men
was followed by an exciting standing race, each
rider being mounted upon two horses. A race
between ponies with monkeys for riders. caus-
ed much amusement among the children,
for whom it was intended. A handicap race
between Zulu and horse was wons without
apparent effort, by 1.-THE former. The chariot
races were superb. -
How many people attended the circus we did
not learn but as the tent holds 1000 it is prob
able that at least 80, 900 were present at the
three performances Mr.. Thomas took every
care Of the press, and showed them everything
from Alpha to Omega, while Mr.. Blackwood,
the courteous head usher, was unremitting IN