Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-08-23

loreeonian.l


These veteran managers Of cirouses
and menageriea give too much for the
money. Time was when one tent with
forty foot center piece, half q dozen
ring hsrses, three riders and q troop OF
acrobat made up q satisfactory show.
Nov they have 10 have three rings. and
three separate performances all going
AZ the same tins. IL a spectator looks
at one man riding horse in ems ring,
he can't watch another man riding an
ether horse IN another ring seventy
i've feet away, and he's Ia misery
because be Il afraid bell miss some
thing; and when it comes 10 boriz ,ntsl
bar perform noes in one place, very
muscular bat shapeiy woman swinging
Indian clubs better than q man in an
other, a homeless mau tying himself
into knots and wrapping his legs around
his neck Ia still another place, and
eaRnon ball performer carrying a
chair in his teeth and a large lnan seat
cd in the Chair-why, confound u,
the show gets beSilderine. That's
the kind Of show John Robinson has
brought TO Portland. IL IL an immense
show. What has he got In the way Of
animals? Well, rs easier TO tell what
be hasn'E get Come to think over all
the menaRefIes that have travelled these
United States, and taking an inventory
from memory OF animals seen in the
writer's twenty Ave years experiences,
the oaIy missing features are q hippo
posamus and a sacred white elephant" T"
An the rest may be seen under his can-
vas, from the Asiatio lion down 20 job
lot Of very hne performing monkeys. TO
say nothing Of the giraffe who eats her
hay suspended sixteen feet from the
ground. She was the cynosure of all
eyes. There's one little cage that a
visitor is likely TO overlook, uhieh is
well worth seeing. ID contains two
bloodsucking vampires. Their natural
position h hanging head downwards by
their hind pinions. often not moving
for half a day az time. The prettiesi
things IN the menaRerie are three Italian
antelopes. as delicate and soft IN color
ina as flower.
For the afternoon performances the
tent was filed. the house" being main
ly ladies and children. In the evening
il vas packed "chock fuli' and the
tiaket Office shut down very early, about
1000 people being turned away froua the
doors. The Afeaic performances are
faulty In one thing. Nothing Ia herald
ed, and q spectator doesn't know whai
is coming until il Il on hand, aud jee-
whillikenss they do rush things; never
a half minute between acts. A more
daring set than the Zalu allowin9 him
self 90 be thrown from eatapolt u
never seen IN q eircua IL Is true thai
an be has to do IL 10 lie still and be
hurled, bot 10 Is terrible 30 think OF bis
chances, IL some tnislIok should be
made. Zsla's leap IL remarkable feai
and . very daring one. A troupe OF
trained dogs give ~ neat peEtormsnct
as Que wsuid wish 10 Sc. There are
foar bareback riaeFs-Misses DeMOtts
and Marks. aud AymaF and Marke-ai
very Ene, and iasi lots and lots OF good
acts to ali up two hOurs. Ose old fash
toned feature remains II is the clown
John Loviox, Wao has been with Rob
inson foe twenty-one years. he doe
bis wurk with - much Esal ~ Iohn
ouens plays comedy, and actually seam'
20 enjoy IL as much a. his aadience-