New-York tribune., 1891-05-03
VARIETIES OF CIRCUSES.
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC KINDS.
oBRIEN TALKS ABOUT THE EUROPEAN SHOWS
"A PERMANENT CIRCUS FOR NEw-YoRK

o'BRIEN TALKS ABOUT THE EUROPEAN SHOWS
"A PERMANENT CIRCUS FOR NEw-YoRK
-Ex-JUpGE GEDNEY's IDEAS.
The circus have 1t Is a peculiarly Americas
institution. IL bears about the relation TO tho
European circus that dinner OF frstclass hotel on
the American plan does 70 a French table dhote. At
Madison Square Garden New-Yorkcrs had menageric,
gorgeous ballet and spectacle, race track and a
crcus proper IN which there sometimes seventeen
acts in progress simultaneously, all bill Of fare,
so to speak II the circuses that the inhabitants
Of European capitals there rarely more than four
teen acts on the programme, and they are usually
strung along at time.
The original circus people were gypsies, and their
successors Of to-day great travellers All the great
circues Of Europe stationary, but the performers
travel Individually Many Of the best in this country
to-day are of European origin. One OF the best known
among these Is John O'Bren who causes the hair OF
thousands to stand up fright at the reckless manner
N which he drives five horses In tandem around the
arena and over the hurdles In the BarIum q Bailey
circus.
OBrien was born in the business and sits on horsS
as IL he grew there. Though a Frenchman by cduca
tion he was born Of Irish parents as his name ind-
Gates and Just the antest suspicion OF brogue nngers
around his French accent Several years ago he was
appointed equestrian director OF the Paris HIPPO
drome and remained in that place until Mr.. Bailey
tempted him here and captured him win q h's
years. contract
eve don't have the big travelling railroad circus
in Europe said he in discussing the question tho
other evening" because, among other reasons the
AelA Is not large enough. German cirCnS cOulniit
do much business in France, for Frenchmen wouioht
patronze the square heads as they call the uerans'
Neither could the French crcuses go into Germany SO
the territory Is circumscribed The performers traVe'
widely however. l remember one season wheh was
in Paris that every other performer In my company
was German.
"Is there n Barnum in Europef Well, not exactly.
REM is a we'll known circus proprietor, running TWO
shows one in Ben and one in Vienna; out ne uocsh'
cut much Of a figure In the public eye Ihere are "'s
Of little circuscs that travel around from town 70 o"n
I'm wagons but all the big crcuses are s'auoh'fS IA
the capitals Paris supported two in the summer the
Cirque d'Ete and the Nouveau Cirque one runs NV
and tho other seven months. Then the remaining gap
in the calendar is brdged over by the Cirque dh'er
Tbase are all circuses pure and simple NO menaser'o
no Nero Only one act goes on at a tiHe' iho "i",.
throng of spectators, and the Paris hppouron'e VIZ
seat about 1000 people, can concentrate 'e" "
,,on on that act That gives one better chahce'
- ,o,, ont n number of performers who are prac
ticallv lost in the present Barnnm Bailey snow" vu'
any ono Of whom would create Juror II piaceo in ~
single ring Of Partisan circus. ...
S.s Tho salary list and other expenses are mucn
,ess the prices for admission TO the European o'"'
are lower one franc general admission IS the rue IA
Paris and two francs will get you inc oeS' '0'' "
house IL You come early enough. , .,,,
,,hua riding every day for business, O'Brien sun
o,,ovs Il as a SPORT He is famous fox-hufter' anu
has a collection Of trophies showing his aohty 70 'os
~ the front in the chase In egam 10 hi' 'n'I.'
uorlk of training horses, he says that pa''e''' ""u
toIcent work will make a trick animal ou' VI a
~, horse but unless he is handsome quadrupeo nc
&C. of little value for show purposes no mate
how learned Thus in all stages U, ~
a,ma, kingdom beauty ranks over orans
An evcn disposition is also a necessity ior Wv"
horse The Trakene stallion has TINS TO perie''.,'
The Trakene is q cross between KusSiau'IN"o 80
lion and the German mare. When once Ta'neu 'n.''
animals can be depended OH. whle the P""0 o''
pu.ean horse may work as smoothly as ward caucus
tr torr nights and then, on the fifth night, he'll
,noc. og work I'm the middle Of the ring refusing '"
move and the unfortunate trainer Is lett hcspess'
The Paris c,rcuses running the year round are money
making institutions, so that IL Is na'u'ai ,'"s -
York capitalists should turn their tnougnts ""ai"
the establishment of similar enterprise IN tns .s'
A company has already been incorporatoo WIN
nronosd capital OF $3.50 to float an undertaking. 10
no fnown as The American Nouveau Cirque. The IN
generators are Theodore Heman. Ernest Andree
Jurgens, of the Eden Musee: ex-Judge FREDERICK W.
Cedney Richard C. HOLMAN and Frederick 'ie"is'
This nIan includes the building OF a large apart
ment-house with stores underneath, and the circus
hack Of that The circus part is 10 be cseu also luz
games and exhibitions OF various kinds.
Another scheme is the New-York Circus Company,
limited which Is 10 be started more modest scale,
with a capital of 100000. 1t Is proposed 10 pun
This i'm q small neat building, in Forty seconasI'
near Broadway, the building to be In the moher'l
Frcncb STYLE OF architecture With seating capacity Ok
500 1t is thought that an average atehdahce Vi
900 could be counted II a htghclass performances
were given There would be only two matinee per
formances a week. The Paris circuses give only TWO
Of
A third enterprise has been seriously considered oy
j. A. Bailey of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Ihat
is TO expend $780, 900 In large building, that VIII
seat 600 people and contain an arena large enough
TO accommodate his present show football and baseoh
games and every species OF what is now known aA
opcn.ar spors. Arrangements for the purchase OF
the necessary land were actually made by Mr. Bailey
some time ago, but the affair was postponed
Judge Gedney, who Is Of the corporators OF the
American Nouveau Cirque Company, mas given gooo
deal OF thought TO- this subject crCus m W se Sard
in New York before long by somebody or tnat you
may be certain for the simple % reason se nS nat that ec re-
member was that OF Lent who set up IN Fourteenth
ST. opposite Irving Place about ioS d fad ta bs T SSe
proof until it burned down one fine night Lent nadc
money but couldn't recover from the losses incurred
For myself. 1 am free TO say that favor modest
plan of operations like that of the proposed american
tIrcus COMPANY Ny idea would be to make the place
neat and attractive that people might go in evening
dress before or after other social functions Aquatic
a little pond This is sometimes done in the Nouveau
Cirque, at Paris you know That IA used & to De- an
end Of the performance the cork mattresses which
the horses run are removed and the water begins 70
reSre ON wcb the e musicians are stationed on this
isolated spot picnic carnival Of fun then takes
water with crescendo lower c, and other wstery
casualties saved from serious Examinations BY using
bassdrum as nte-preserver.'