Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-14
THE SELLS BROS AND BARRETT.
The Afternoon and Evening Performance Wit
messed by Large Crowds.

Yesterday was circus day, and the circus
came bright and early. 1t was Sells Bros.
& Barrett sure enough. Early in the
morning the farmers and their families
could be seen arriving from all directions.
They had started early to get ahead OF the
high thermometer near at hand. 1t was
not difficult matter early in the morning
to reach the conclusion that the hot season
had not left for parts other than Kansas.
The morning trains showed evidences OF
something beyond the ordinary. The
crowds looked like they were going to the
circus, and later this suspicion was found
to be correct. By 10 o'clock the sidewalks
on Main and Douglas in the central part Of
the city were crowded. Everyone seemed
anxious to get a position command
ing a good view Of the street. The
usual morning circus parade
was expected. An hour later
the word passed along the line that
the parade was fully organized" on
back street and would be On hand in due
time. Finally it was seen coming out on
Douglas from North Emporia and proceed
ed west to Main, north to Oak, and west
to Riverside. Along the line the usual
amount of interest was shown; the ki DIS
making demonstrations very much like
they did eight or ten years ago. The ele-
plant Of course, with the average Kid was
the big" feature.
The parade was accompanied by three
bands and the wagons, horses, cages, and
the usual sights In first class circus
parade were furnished the crowds. The
people seemed satisfied that it was all right
and they would take some more OF 1t later
in the day. AS the parade passed the
court house number were alarmed over
the situation of the man who had charge
of the hyena cage. He was in the cage
and two of them commenced to fight. He
beat them over the head vigorously, and
while running big bluff for peace in the
family, changed his color to marked de-
gree and seemed to realize that he was in a
dangerous locality. He got them apart in
a few moments, and there was no more
trouble 1t was learned that dog fight
near the corner of Main and douglas
caused the animals to be disturbed, result
ing in the dangerous situation. Nearly
/ two years ago a man was killed IN the
! same cage under similar circumstances
while in California. This fact, no doubt,
was readily recalled by the fellow in
| charge yesterday while he was engaged IN
some hard work for peace.
An afternoon and evening performance
! WAS given: the former witnessed by seven
! ty-three hundred people and the latter by
seventy-nine hundred. The managerie
/ tent was eighty by two hundred and ten
/ feet with the annex show in tent eighty
! by one hundred and ninety. The main
/ tent was three hundred and fifty by two
/ hundred and fifty with dressing room
| sixty-five by one hundred and twenty.
! In the menagerie the people seemed to
| be well pleased, aside from the usual col
! lectiOns were four ostriches, two male and
! two female over eight feet high. Three
cub lions eighteen days old were OF the
less common while the cage containing a
pair of hppopotami seemed to be an at
tractive feature.
| The circus performance opened
with an imposing spectacular
entree in the two rings, on the
elevated stage and hippodrome track in
Producing all the professional features OF
the combined shows. The beginning was
a very satisfactory one to the people and
so indicated by cheers from the immense
crowd.
Those most deserving OF special mention
were: Tight rope dancing by Mr.. Park
Melrose; English bounding jockey by the
! equestrian Master VIM. Sells and Amer
/ lean bounding jockey by VIM. Showles;
the Melrose family, four in number, on
the bicycle received liberal applause for
their fancy and intricate maneuvers. The
bareback riding by Miss Addie Bell and
| Miss Josie Ashton was pronounced very
! clever and received with cheers from
around the row. One of the striking fes-
lures was thirty five horses, refined,
ridden and driven by Signor
Bhau. This was put down among
the very best changes accorded
to the program of Il circus performance.
/ The hippodrome races were attended with
more excitement than is usual. The west
end of the ring took in some sand and on
two occasions horses fell down, throwing
riders, but fortunately no one was hurt. a
large per cent of the crowd would have Of
fered no objection had this part of the pro-
gram under the circumstances been dis
pensed with The management, however,
were afraid some one would kick" and no
feature was omitted.
The performance was three and half
hours long and was quite enough circus
for any one. for one day. The show seemed
to give complete satisfaction and 1t was
observed that 1t had been improved greatly
since its appearance here two years ago.
The crowds were also larger.
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