The Portland daily press., 1884-07-05
Rarnum,s Great show,

Yesterday being a combination of Fourth OF
July and Barnum's DaV there was trarren=.
dous rush to see the greatest show on earth"
at the grounds in Deering. Immense audiences
packed the auditorium at both performances,
and all went away thoroughly pleased. The
members of the press were afforded every OPP
portunity to take in all the sights, and they
thoroughly did so.
OF course the menagerie is one of the most
perfect collections of animals known to the
world, and attracts, as is natural, the most Gull
tivsted people, who are thoroughly delighted
with the exhibition. Besides the great herds
of elephants and camels and of other beasts
there are lions, tigers, girsffes, sea lions pink
oxen, white monkeys, and of course, the sacred
white elephant, and the now famous Jumbo.
The white elephant does not specially astonish
the spectator, because his skin is not much
lighter than that of the common elephant; bat
he has such symmetrical shape and fine skin
it is easily to be seen that he is of more aristo-
cratic birth than his fellows. Around His Sa-
cred Highness the priests in rich costumes are
to be found seated on brilliant rugs, and
making native music which may delight the
elephant if not the audience. Jumbo has eyi.
IDENTIFY grown some since last here, and is as
good -natured and more colossal than ever, and
delighted the children who mounted his back
and fed him with comfts. 1t is an evidence OF
the wonderful magnitude of this show that
several elephants of restless disposition were
not taken from the station yesterday, but they
were not missed.
The chronological Congress is composed of
all sorts of strange races, and is striking fea-
ture of the show. Here will be found Indians,
Burmese, Todas, Squaws, Nautch girls, Zulus,
Arabians, Hindus, Congees aud others.
The ring performance is admirable, and the
only objection is the two rings and stage, as we
have often said before, because the attention
is SO distracted by the varousrfeatures present.
ed. But if it were not for these it would be
impossible to present all the people in one per-
formance Each act follows its predecessor
with clock-like regularity and with brillian-
cy that makes the arena perfect Kaleidoscope
of glittering costumes and moving forms All
kinds of sports from the games of the an
clients to those of modern times, are reproduc-
ed, amid the applause of the immense audience
of some 1900 people.
Among the performers are Herr Nyegaard's
six trained stations, performing goat and
educated ponies. Then wonderful leaping
from spring-board over elephants. This is
succeeded rapidly by no less than fifty
acts, not including the contortions and COM
II there is anything wanting in the long list
of performances given ia the two circus rings
and upon the elevated stage it is not missed in
the abundance given. Finally, word remains
to be said for the fine appearance of every
thing connected with the great moral show.
The costumes are rich and new, and positively
elegant-not the tawdry bespangled coverings
of the average circus, but dresses that might
be shown with fine effect upon the stage of
any first class theatre. There is an entire
absence of the hawking and vending nuisance,
the sittings are comfortable and so arranged as
to afford an uninterrupted view of the per-
Torrance from every part of the house.