National Republican., 1883-05-10
LuMpo,s REcEpr1oNs.

The First Performances OF Bsrnun, Bailey
a. Hutchinson's Circus-Crowds in At
tendance.
The advent Of circus is an event which
fills the small boy with delight, and which
appals the man with large family and not
over plcthoric pocketbook. The man, how
ever, goes to the circus, and he takes with
him his large family, or else he goes with q
section of the household himself and sends
the other member of the firm with the re-
naming children the next day. The small
boy of course goes, and gazes with wonder
and admiration at Jumbo and the other
elephants, at tho lions, the tigers, Loop
ards, hyenas, monkeys, and that dainty ami
NAL with mouth like the entrance to the
Mammoth cave, the hippopotamus. Then he
goes into the exhibition tent and laughs at
the antics Of the clowns, wishes he could turn
somersaults like tho sacrobats, and goes wild
with excitement over the races, which con-
clude the programme.
The name of Barnum is inseparatbly cor.
nected with the circus business, and when x
is known that Barnum's show Is TO exhibit
the excitement is greater than on the occa-
sion of a visit from circus under any other
name. Consequently early yesterday morn
ing the streets were thronged with people,
young and old, white and black, strong and
inirm, all waiting anxiously to see the street
parade of tho great and only moral show,
as Dave Thomas calls it. All along the route
of the procession were crowds of people, and
when the head OF the column reached the
grounds on its return the lightning ticket
sellers were already hard at work furnishing
cards of admission for the afternoon perform
anCe.
The immense array of canvas makes the
grounds at the corner of Ninth and S streets
look like tented city, and all is continual
hustle and activity, for there isno rest for the
circus man during the season. Entering the
first tent, which is much larger than the per-
forming tent of years ago, the first object that
strikes the eye is the massive form of Jumbo,
the king of elephants, who towers above tho
other beasts like the Washington monument
above five room shanty. Around him are the
other elephants and in the cages ranged along
the sides of the tent are animals of every de-
scription. Among the human curiosities are
tribe of American Indians gorgeous in their
red blankets and war paint; party of Nu-
bians from Central Africa, strong and stall
wart specimens of the genus Africanus, the
white robes with which they are wrapped
contrasting strongly with tho ebony of their
skins; number of Cannibals from Australia,
found, rs the gentleman who brought them
over said, lying in the sand. They are the
lowest specimens of humanity known, with
their spindle legs, their backs all Scared over
and brutal looking faces. Then there arc the
Zulus, who have been travelling with Barnum
for three years now, and Col. Goshen, the
giant, whose ponderous form and mild face
are well remembered here.
The vast circus tent proper capable of
holding 1900 persons, was packed with peo-
pie from every station of life. The Chinese
legation were out in full force, and their
gorgeous costumes induced bright child
sitting near TO consider that they were u part
of the troupe, and to ask her mother "when
those jugglers were going into the ring y
The other legations were well represented
and the families of nearly every prominent
official were present.
The performances were fully mp TO the
standard which Barnum has always given,
and included riding, tumbling, tight and
slack rope walking, trapeze and horizontal
bar feats and contests of strength and skill
of every kind. The programme included
such names as Maggie Claire, Louise Boshell
Mile. Eta, Mile. Rose, Lizzie Rollande, the
Elliott children, Emma Jutan, Frank Mel.
vile, the Elktons, Frank Ashton, the Daven.
port brothers, Buislay and Worland, Col. Al
bert CASTOR, Capt. Albert Thiebault, George
Brown, William Ducrow, the Gilfort brothers
Crossley and Elder Low and Herr Nycgaard
the Egyptian athletes; Harris and French
and Others. The clowns, William Conrad
Dllly burke, anu george MelNllle, turnlsnet
considerable fun, but the biggest hit wa
made by the dude clown, who wa
continually trying to get a seat without a
check, and whose costume, banged hair
and single eyeglass caused him to b,
mistaken for one of the clerks in tht
State department. The ring was under
the management of Mr.. II. W. Freyer, ant
Mr.. S. $. Smith acted rs the judge in tn,
hippodrome races. Messrs. Barnum, Baily,
and HntphinGnn hnNTn pnrtuiplu a ma ntl
exhibition in every respect, and there is IL,
doubt that the two crowded performances OF
yesterday will be supplemented by two equal.
| as largo audiences Ln.daY