Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-05
THE SOCIETY CIRCUS
New York Exquisites Give a Bril-
liant Amateur Performance.
TONY sWELLS IN SILK TIGHTS.
The Large Audience Came from the Most
Fashionable Circles.
ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS EXPENDED
No Lady Bareback Rider Could be Secured, but a
Substitute Was Found

S-~-~~-
up another fad. The first amateur circus
performance has been given in very sue
cessful manner. The actors wore even
more dazzling costumes than those of the
regular ring, and the features are said to
have been excellent. A special train Of
Pullman cars conveyed select and bril-
liant audience to and from the scene.
NEW YORK, May 4.-The amateur circus
at atPleasaunce, the charming country place Of
Mr.. James M. Waterbury at Bsychester, on
Long Island Sound, last night, was success
ful even beyond his fondest anticipations,
and the outcome more than repaid him for
the thousands of dollars he had spent and
the time and labor the project involved.
The idea of an amateur circus. in which
society people should take the part OF the
performers is not original with Mr.. Water
bury, the Duo de Morny having astonished
Paris with one two years ago, but Mr..
Waterbury's friends are willing to give
him credit for introducing this latest and
most startling phase of social gayety on this
continent. For months he has been arrang-
ing details, and last nights performance
was the elimination of a vast amount OF
study and research. When he unfolded his
project to his friends they enthusiastically
volunteered their services.
SCENE OF THE CIRCUS.
The circus was held in Mr.. Waterbury's s
huge covered tennis court, which is a large
building, handsomely finished in oak. In
the pfar IS fha hni1dino a Of fior, forf "
foot ring was laid out by Jack Carroll, who
was in his day one of the most intrepid
bareback riders in the country, some
months ago, and regularly twice week
since then the gentlemen who were willing
to risk their limbs and necks In order to
win the smiles of their ladies fair, have
been at work under his watchful eye.
Mr.. Z. Roosevelt was the most unfortun-
ate of the lot, for while some tumbled in
gloriously in the sawdust, that young gen.
tleman received injuries which prevented
his taking part in last nights performance.
The rail enclosing the ring, instead of being
padded with canvas, as is customary, was
luxuriously cushioned in the richest Grim
son plush, and from the roof hung festoons
of the gayest bunting, which crossed and
recrossed the room in maze of red, white,
orange, old gold, crimson, green, heliotrope
through which shone calcium lights of diff
ferent tints.
MONEY WAS NOT SPARED.
There never was anything in society or
out of society that could compare with this
latest whim. Everything had been done
with lavish hand. The costumes were
beautiful and the costliest that could be
made.
It was 9:15 before ushers John @. Bur-
man, Isaac Iselin, G. Oliver Iselin, Harry Cos
ter and P. Lorillard, Jr., had the audience
all seated. Many beautiful costumes were
disclosed when wraps were thrown back,
snowy throats, dimpled arms and pearly
ears being ablaze with the diamonds, while
clusters of precious stones twinkled in the
hair of many of the ladies.
At $50 o'clock, amid blaze of trumpets,
eight spirited polo ponies bounded into the
ring, bearing upon their backs Miss Daisy
Hearst Miss Cary, Miss Adolph Laden
burg, Miss Sallie Hargour, Frederick Beach,
e. c. Potter. Comet and Woodbury. Kane,
and the circus began. The ladies wore red
jackets, white skirts of regular
riding length and black riding hats. The
men wore the stereotyped hunting costume
THE OPENING FEATURE.
They made the ponies dance a quadriIle
to an inspiriting air with dash and finish
that would charm any connoisseur of good
ring riding. They had hardly disappeared
when William Binninger appeared with his
trick baby elephant, very ably personated
by two young men. They did the old
amount of applause.
clad in silken tights of dazzling
hues, gave an exhibition of high and lofty
tumbling that caught everybody. The les
echelles, very intricate performance on a
three runged ladder suspended from the
ceiling was oleverly done by Messrs. Lesher,
Landon and Prof Goldie. They did very
startling feats. A huge net was stretched
beneath them to save broken bones.
The applause which greered this perform
ance and the funny antics of Messrs. Have
meyer and Appleton, the clowns, had hardly
ended before Edward G. Potter darted into
the ring to do his ''daring act on horse
back"
A SAFE STEED.
The horse used was demure white geld
ing named Johnny, which cantered so
smoothly that glass of water placed on his
broad back would hardly have lost drop,
out Mr.. Potter, who wore rose-colored tights
IF the finest silk, rode most creditably, new
'ully and went through one of the paper
hoops. but came to grief in attempting the
'econd.
He more than made it up, however, when
Howard N. Potter snapped his
ong whip furiously and Johnny cavorted
around the ring at lively gait, Mr.. Potter
lifting gracefully upon the beasts quarters
Without as much as checkrein to sustain
lis equilibrium. He was applauded. and
le received his reward, huge bunch OF
White roses.
Messrs. Lesher and Molyneux followed
With beautiful exhibition of horizontal
,ar work. Molyneux is an amateur cham
ZION at this sport, and his work last night
that of two-thirds of the profess
ional talent afoat nowad Us. Budd Ap-
,leton introduced his troop of trained dogs.
They did their tricks very creditably.
THE STAR LADY RIDER.
A roar of laughter, followed by burst of |
applause, greeted the appearance of Mr.. |
Frederick Beach dressed as female eques- !
rian. He wore black lace dress, with |
,old spangles, of the shortest kind. His
!. Istache had been sacrificed to the needs of |
he occasion and blonde wig of the gid
liest kind covered his head. Mr.. Beach can |
ide with the best of them, and his exhibi-
ion was one of the features of the evening.
lie was ably assisted by the Johnny afore-
aid Messrs. Landon and Lesher gave
hrilling act on the double trapeze, and
hen came Victor Sorchon, who electrified
verybody by riding three barebacked
lorses.
There were two or three other acts in the
rogramme, and it was nearly midnight
7hen the party made its way to the country
ouse, few hundred yards away, where
upper was served. Dancing followed, and
t 2:30 o'clock the special train of seven
'ullman cars which brought them to the
Gene of the inaugural amateur circus per
ormance was on its way back to New York.
he universal opinion was that the affair
Tas grand success.