Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-01
FOREPAUGH'S GALA.DAY.

rade.
Today was signalized in Rock Island
by the advent of the famed Forepaugh
show and great national wild west exhi-
bition, now welded and welded in one
stupendous whole and giving one grand
exhibition for the same price of admis>
sion for which there was formerly sepa.
rate charge The shows were a little late
in getting in owing to the long run from
Peoria and trouble with ''hot boxes" on
the heavily loaded cars, but they arrived
in good shape over the Burlington road
and the well drilled gang of experts were
not long in getting the tents pitched in
Brooks field in the eastern part of the
city and situated between the lines of the
Moline & Rock Island and Union street
railways, all east bound cars running
direct to the grounds, and Supt. Schnit-
ger had provided ample Accommodations
for all
1t was afternoon when the parade got
pageant passed were crowded not only
with people from this city, but Daven-
port, Moline and all the neighboring
hamlets ano villages. The street display
was In many respects novel one. There
were hundreds of magnificent highbred
horses. scores of lady and gentlemen
riders, dozens of open dens of wild
beasts, golden tableaux cars, camels. ele-
plants, and, not least, band of genuine
Ogallola Sioux Indians, with their chief.
Lone Feather. all in war paint and wear
ing their primitive blankets.
The opening performance began at
O'Clock, ano attracted a large crowd of
people. From beginning to end the per-
Torrance was succession of pleasing
| and often startling novelties. 1t opened
with a series of graphic pictures of life in
| the far west. The Indians attacked the
Deadwood mail coach, and after much
firing on tae part of the cowboys, were
repulsed; then they caught trapper and
would have burnt him alive only the cow
boys oppor Junely arrived a second time
and drove them off. California Frank
and Wild Horse Harry, pair of wild
western cowboys, rode bucking ponies
and created world of merriment, and
everybodys blood run cold when negro
horse thief was chased lassoed. dragged
along the ground, hung to the limb of a
tree and finally riddled with blank cart
ridges. Tie climax to the Wild West ex-
hibition was the Custer battle, in which
| over 900 scouts, soldiers Indians and
horses were brought into play. In this
! remarkable scene the horses, trained with
amazing skill by Adam Forepaugh, Jr.,
either ran back to their quarters as their
riders dIsm Dunted to fight as infantry, or,
as the firing commenced, fell to the
! ground in perfect stimulation of death.
In the arenic performance which fol-
lowed, Adam Forepaugh, Jr.. a prince
among animal trainers. presented his
school of educated elephants, horses,
ponies and dogs. A herd of eight ele-
plants laughingly went through the
movements of an old fashioned quadrille,
taking their places, bowling to their part
ners, crossing over, and finally wsltZing,
like veteran devotees of Terpsichore:
"Pickaninny," clown elephant, pros
II
Sullivan" a baby elephant, held a
boxing glove in his hand and knocked
out his keeper in two rounds; Blon-
din, a brave little pony, unhesitating>
ly walked a narrow rope covered plank
suspended in mid air; troupe of bron'
chos displayed amazing intelligence in
dancing Iigs, seesawing and picking out
figures and words; school of stations
jumped rope and performed many othel
remarkable feats; aud greatest of all
Eclipse" the most gallant pony in TIT
world, actually sprang from a swinging
platform to another, and then repeated
the jump through paper rings and {
blazing hoop of fire. This was Adam
Forepaugh Jr's. greatest triumph, and II
the only horse in the world that performs
the feat.
The ring performance, which embraces
Mile. Marguerite Sivado. famous Span
ish equestrienne; Orrin Hollis, now the
greatest somersault horseback rider; Ju'
liza and Tony Lowande, and Charles
Watson, a so noted horseback riders; the
Eugenes, three remarkably skilled aerial
lists. who performed some astounding
feats upon the trapeze; the Maurels
three grotesque dancers from Bengler's
circus London; the Farnum Brothers, in
a pyramidal chair performance; Her
beck, extraordinary contortionist, wh'
seemed to bend his body inside out; Mill
Tournour, whose balancing in high
trapeze without a net provoked admira-
ton; Kelly and Ashby, amusing Chimes,
acrobats; Johnny Purvis, the old-tim'
clown, who delighted the Youngest witt
his two Lit tie donkey comedians, and for
ty other performers.
The hippodrome, with its Roman
standing and four.hor chariot races
was intensely exciting, and when Adam
Forepaugh. Jr., proved himself the great
est horseman in the world by driving
thirty one horses with the speed of
whirlwind around the quarter mile tracl
the enthuf iasm knew no bounds.
The last performance will be given to
night on the grounds in the east part @
town.