The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-04-01
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
THE Eou1NE PARADOX.

Prof. Bartholomew's Equine Paradox
packed Portland Theatre last night Every
seat was occupied and many stood. There
were over eleven hundred people in the house.
That they we're delighted by the wonderful ex-
hibition OF "horse sense" is putting it mildly,
and the applause at the end of each act was
loud and long continued
Prof. Bartholomew is tall, spare man with
tremendous forehead and deep set eyes. At
glance it can be seen that he is a man of no
ordinary ability and that he possesses the
bump of patience largely developed. This is
not to be wondered at when we consider what
number of years he has devoted to this
business. AS child he was passionately fond
of horses, went to California with his father,
and there became horse-breaker and horse
doctor. Later he owned and ran several cir
cuses at the West. He trained the celebrated
troupe OF Broncho horses that exhibited here
with Coup's circus aud five years ago he COM
mehced training this team. He had three in
hand at first, and gradually increased the num-
Der until now he has nineteen. The stage at
Portland Theatre is thoroughly cleared for the
performance, light rope railing elevated over
the foot lights, and the stage strewn with saw
dust.
1t would be impossible in the limits at our
command to give detailed description Of the
performance Horses went to school, dis
tinguished colors, danced, paced, trottsd.
galloped, played see-saw, played leap-frog,
rolled barrels up and down inclined planes
went through court-scene, INDUCED in mill
tary drill. and went through all the incidents
OF battle. Through all their various acts it
seemed impossible to realize that they were
animals. Caesars jig dancing on little plat
form, and his exhibition OF disgust when the
music stopped; Pope's turning on teter-p!ank
only twenty inches wide; Sprite's graceful
Jumpiag at leap-frog; Denver Jim's obstinacy
In the drill, and his cuteness in falling into
line with his comrade when the platoons
passed on the march; Mustangs efforts to
make Abdallah jump when he was ordered !:
all these exhibitions were human rather than
animal. The court scenes and battle scenes
were really marvellous and showed that few
people have any idea of the extent to which
that noble beast the horse can be educated.
The character of the audience last night
was OF high order and embraced many well
known church people. The endorsements of
leading clergymen elsewhere, and of such
MOUNTAINEERING as frof. B6rgh, has, in other
cities, crowded Theatres for weeks, with people
who never visit a theatre 10 witness dramatic
performances. The Paradox will exhibit here
oil this week, and the parents must not forget
the matinees tomorrow and Saturday.
There was one feature last evening that
ELECTED much amusement, and that was the
spirit OF mischief in the horses. The agent
says the horses know new theatre as soon as
they go into it and on first nights they play ali
kinds of FRANKS. nothing vicious or ugly, but
they seem TO like TO joke with the professor
and chaff each other.
CONCERT AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
There will be a concert at Plvmonth cburcb