Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-16
Barnum-His Show.

year. There isn't any question but this is
ne elephant. Mr.. Blrnum has associated
with him in this seasons business j. A..
bailey and j. l.. Hutchinson who next TO
their chief are at the head of the list
among managers.
The Barnum combination exhibited in
Montpelier Thursday and the number of
visitors was 10000 to $4,000. At White
River Junction on Friday the crowd was
said to have been even larger. and at ST.
Johnsbury on Saturday 10000 are said to
have attended-so many indeed that the
hippodrome races had to be given up as
the crowd filled the course needed for
them, and admittance had to be refused to
many at that.
Ifthis about the giving up of the races
at st. Johnsbury is true it's the first in
stance where Barnum has not done as he
advertised-and being humane man of
course be couldn't be really expected to
ride over a mass of living humanity lust
out of pride in doing everything on the
bills.
Circus bills are always wonder in the
way of exorbitant English; but how any,
body can so and see ''Barnum $" and
wonder at the colossal words or the way
they are used. and indeed keep clelr of
singing few of them himself, is ipcom-
prehensible. Terse Anglo.Saxon has its
uses, but the fact is Jumbo is from Africa
and the Upper Nile" and down by the
pyramids and all along that way, and
monosyllables don't really seem to do the
requisite business.
There was so much of Barnum's show
that about all that can be said of it is that
it was away ahead of anything ever ex-
hibited here, even by Barnum himself in
years gone by. The ring performances
were up to his usual standard of produc.
ton in that line; the athletic feats and all
the ordinary work of the circus likewise.
Men and women were duly "hur-r-r-led !"
and fired through the air; and the races
excellently done and formed feature that
takes perhaps better than any one thing.
But putting aside all this sort of thing
OF which Barnum gives more than any
other Snowman; his lean man and fat
woman; his Norwegian giant and bis
Chinese rebel dwarf; and his-woll land
so forth" is the only word to end with
however long one writes: his menagerie
is where he again leaves all other show.
men out of sight. The lions-of whom
old Canada" the keepers friend and
ally, has the most kingly countenance; the
tigers and all the other Gagged animals
they don't take the cake, because Jumbo
and the herd of elephants get most of that,
but they are the best conditioned lot that
goes about the country.
The camelsand dromedarios and giraffes
deserve special notice--the latter for their
beauty and real grace and the former for
their evident comfortableness and awk-
wardness of which they will display more
in given length of time when they get
loose than all the other beasts of the field,
plain and forest put together. The herd
OF elephants-over twenty of them-are
the browning excellence of the show.
These same elephants are not out of one
box Emperor is ugly and uncertain and
his Troy exploits have cost the manage
ment some thousands of dollars. Gipsy
is kind and likes nothing better than to
play by the hour with children. Colum.
bia the "baby' of 1880 is getting nois
and contrary and lifts up his voice in
remonstrance when made to turn hand
organ. Then there is the stupid one of
the lot-Tippoo, who can accomplish no
feat except that of turning around.
Jumbo is the great attraction. But the
trainer says he has never been to school
and is to begin next winter, This ele-
plant. the biggest known to man, is only
Il years of age and may grow a little
more and fill out good deal more. He
is eleven feet from the ground',to the
back between his shoulders, He was
caught by Arabs when taby, in Abys-
sinia. This was in 1861 and his captors
disposed of him to a Bavarian collector
one Johann Schmidt which interpreted
is John Smith and suspicious name to
trace Jumbo's history BY were it not that
Sir Samuel Baker saw the big baby that
same year and is unimpeachable authority.
His purchaser sold him in Paris where for
years he was kept at the Jardin des
Plants, and in 1865 was sold to 90 to the
Geological Gardens, London, where for II
years he was in charge of Mr.. Scott his
present keeper.
Barnum bought him last winter for two
thousand pounds, and had deal of trouble
In getting him out of England. The Lon
doners were displeased at the sale for
Jumbo has carried thousands of children
on his back, and all the London youngsters
were outraged at his leaving. He was
sold because he was so big and because
somebody thought he was getting ugly;
but he acts as kindly as ever and is thank
full for any favors, from several loaves of
bread for mouthful to single peanut.
His elephantine majesty has one bad habit,
that of chewing tobacco when he can get
it; an indulgence however that those in
charge keep under control. Jumbo was
shipped for America the 22I of March, and
is of course the unique feature OF Bar
NUNS show. He is goodly beast, and
the procession around the great hippo
drome course headed by the baby, Grid
get" followed by the mother, Queen"
with the rear brought up by Jumbo is the
grcetest "walk around" ever seen in a
tent. The three were taken to the river
and had bath in the afternoon, in which
as In other matters as to Jumbo, the great