Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-10-03
The Barnuno ShOeU.

me BNr71JL19 ShOGC.
Last Thursday in this city was given
up wholly to Barnum and his show. Even
at daylight crowds of all classes of ouR
citizens were at the Milwaukee & st.
Paul depot to witness the unloading of
the three trains by which Barnum'g show,
Jumbo and pharaphernalia were trans
ported to our midst. AS the wagons,
animals, &c, proceeded to the grounds on
the Duffy farm great interest was excited
along the route, and indeed from Begin
ming to end it was all Jumbo, Jumbo,
Jumbo! Of course there was no order
by the Board for the closing of the schools
but for that matter the doors might as
we'll have been shut as it was found all
most impossible to muster corporaPs
guard of "young ideas at any time dur
ing the forenoon and in the afternoon
the schools were closed by "unanimous"
consent. The banks, even saw no advan-
tage of keeping open and so shut up their
doors and vaults for the afternoon. From
eight o'clock the streets were thronged
with people every road leading in from
the country adding to the already assem-
bled multitudes and the railroad trains
brought in their full quota from every
direction. BY the time tie procession
moved at IL o'clock nothing was ever
seen here like the crowds on the sire cts.
! 1t is fairly estimated that the people wit
Messing the parade numbered fully 49,
600. The gorgeousness, grandeur and
magnitude of the street display far ex-
ceeded anything ever witnessed here be-
fore. This part of the show, given with
out price, represented cost of over one
million of dollars. We can hardly make
estimates of the number of people attend
ing the show as we were given no actual
figures. The circus tent is said to have
seating capacity of $4,000 and it was
we'll filled although not crowded on this
occasion. In the evening the attendance
was much lighter, but still sufficient to
fill an ordinary sized circus tent. We
should place the number of people at
tending both performances at 100000.
1t is reported that the management
claimed patronage for the circus and
: side-shows here at $4,000. The entire
receipts could not have been far from
$4,000. The museum of such as the
Zulus, native Australians, Borneans and
others formed fine feature of the show
and the menagerie was filled with splen-
! did specimens of animals. But the re-
nowned Jumbo was the great and alb
r scribing centre of attraction for young and
/ old, little and big; everybody was inter
: ested in Jumbo and Jumbo was appar-
! emily interested in all who attended to
: his demands for candy and other dainties.
/ Hundreds of little ones were mounted on
: his back during the day and will always
g have reason to remember their visit to
r Barnum's Show this year. The almost
D unanimous opinion of the circus was that
s there was too much of it. The idea oil
!. humans with only one set of4optics hav-
8 ing to witness three circuses going on al
!. the same time, which was really the case
: with the London & Barnum, was going
too far even in the line of amusements
The performances were grand and
marvellous beyond description andy the
elephant exhibition, especially the antics
of the clown elephant, almost exceeds
5 belief. No one left the tent without be-
}. ing filled up with grandeur and magnif-
i cence of the entire exhibition. Those
having the management of the different
> departments of the show wee found to
be gentlemen in all cases and everything
was conducted with the utmost order and
decorum. In this connection we would
say that d. S. Thompson, the press agent,
performed his functions in manner that
= won favor from all he came in contact
with, and placed the newspaper men un'
der obligations for numerous favors. The
gigantic concern was packed away after
l the evening performance much easier
t than you would move your household
effects, and by daylight was in Milwaukee
. for its appointment Friday.
l Preaching in English by Rev. VIM
Paul in the Baptist Church on County
line street next Sunday evening. at 7.30