The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-08-11
THE woRLD,s oRnArEsT SNOW.

II
| OF the magnificent and greatly en-
larged Barnum and London Show, which
Is to be here for two performances on
| Friday, August 18th, the daily Chicago
Times OF June 9th has the appended
cOmmendatory remarks:
By the great crowds on the streets YES
terday twas manifest that something un
usual was going on. 1t was not the strike
| OF the car conductors nor the railway
exposition which brought the people out
and filled the streets with young misses
fresh In a wealth of straw hat and spring
| dresses, and young men and middle
aged matrOns, with cooling babies in
| their arms. It was not these two events
1t was nothing less than that institu-
tiOn popular to the American heart, the
BAFRHm Show. "The circus is coming"
wait for Barnum." What thrill of
glad expectation the announcement of
the Former and the Injunction of the
latter caused In so many breasts, small
boy and gown boy, and little girl and
dig girl alike. How many sleeDless
nights the little children must have
passed in anticipation of the great event.
And they were realized yesterday. The
great parade in which the emblazOned
and gilded wagons mingled with gaudy
trappings of the magnificent horses and
the bright. and shining accOutrements
OF the elephants aud eamels started at
$3.50 o'clock. Great crowds, such as
nothing but BArnum eau attract, lined
the streets. and ib Was not seldom that
clapping of hands and cheers attesLed to
their appreciation Of the elegant appear
ance and eOmmendable precision Of the
procession.
The great canvas on the lake front
was all up, with gay and gaudy stream
erS floating from the dRg-staffs, by the
time the parade was over. The first per-
fOFmanee was in the afternoon, and the
crowd which attended was simply i'm
mense. Though the circus tent covers a
vast area, and has a seating capacity of
over fifteen thousand people, there was
hardly a seat vacant. The visitors
fingered long around the mammoth bulk
OF Jumbo, who lowered In mastOdOnic
proportions above his smaller, but by no
means small, brother elephants, and
when the wonderful system which has
become second nature with the circus
people In manipulating crowds nad seat
ed everybody the circus commenced. 1t
was an exhibition ereditable to the mast
erly genius OF Barnum, and without |
doubt 1t was one which II Is difficult to |
believe succeeding shOwmen, even with |
the advantages Of progressive century |
can excel. |
How any human intellect can devise a |
more varied entertainment, and one Il
that covers the entire ground of eQues-
trtanism, RcrObatic and gymnastic feats |
trials OF strength and animal intelli- |
gence and sagacity, Is apr0blem. The |
organizer and promoter of this marvel |
OF ingenuity and executive ability was
himself present and seeming none the |
older, none the less agile and energetic, |
superintended the great treat which |
half dollar seems q meagre price for |
The show has three rings, each one of |
O nj In L.,
nance is conducted simultaneously and |
include fancy and difficult bareback and |
other fequestEianism, wonderful and |
startling acts on the flying trapeze, fen
cling, wrestling, tumbling, boxing and |
leaping. There is also an additional at
traction In the centre platform. Surely |
there was sufficient entertainment In |
the circus last year without Mr.. BaFnum |
having added troupe Of actual Nubi- |
ans, snake-charmer, who with chilly |
Indifference and uncOncern wraps her |
self up In bOa-cOnstrietOrs; a troupe Of |
bicyeltsts WhodO some very hne wheel |
ing, and that funniest of all absurdities |
the obstacle race. The Nubians are /
wonders In themselves, and the dbsta- |
Gle race Is the funniest thing out. 1t is
Q novel and original idea, and illustrates |
Che fertile resources the great Snowman
possesses. The hippOdr0me track is fill
ed with obstacles In all sorts Of shapes.
The boys who run the race have to climb
over these once around the ring and
through q long net on the hOme-streteh.
The net catches them, as IL Is meant to
do, and gives rise to some Of the most |
ludicrOus mishaps. The hippOdrOme Is /
by no means the least feature OF the
show. To the lovers OF racing the sight |
Of half q dozen Thoroughbred horses
running around the track, straining eV-
cry nerve for the lead Is exciting. Nor
ls the perilous and marvellous feats of |
the woman with the iron jaw, who runs
down rope 200 feet long by means Of
pulley she holds In her teeth, a sight to
be witnessed without wondering at the
pluck and strength dis
played The night performance was
fully equal to that Of the afternoon.
More grateful weather than Barnum has
enjoyed could be imagined, and the
crowd was gratifying as much from its
size as the fact that many of the best /
citizens were present.