The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-04
CIRCUS DAy.
Large Crowds Visit Forepaugh's
Performances.

Roanoke has emerged from the ordeal
OF another typical circus day and is only
about $4,000 short this morning as the
results of yesterdays events. AS this
was the last date for tho season the
show has been disbanded, and doubtless
q considerable amount of the door ro.
ceipts will go back into the channels OF
Roanoke trade before all Of the attaches
OF the show get out of town. Yesterday
was an ideal circus day. EARLY in the
morning long lines Of wagons, carriages
and vehicles OF every conceivable de-.
scription that are used for trayersiug
tho highways of the mountains of South
west Virginia began to pour their load
OF human freight into the city. The
most humorous conveyance was the two
horse farm wagon, and it usually carried
the whole family and commodious
lunch basket.
The circus doesn't come every year.
but when 1t does como Roanoke has
more OF it's neighbors from the rural
districts than on any other occasion, and
yesterday was no exception. There
were several thousand visitors in the
city, and the greater part of them came
In in tho commodious and substantial il
not comfortable, farm wagon. OF course,
there was an occasional buggy, carrying
youth and his sweetheart, and the
mountain teams OF oxen did not fail to
como down and get peep at the ele-
plant.
The streets were not long in showing
the the evidence of the fact that some
thing more than ordinary was about to
occur. Our country cousins" were not
allowed monopoly of the Sightseeing
business by any means. Nearly every
housewife in Roanoke was ready and
willing to make an early start for mar.
ket, and almost without exception sho
took the children along to see the
parade. But the parade didn't parade
at the time IL was expected, and many,
worn out by waiting, went home dis
gusted, to forget their cares and to pre-.
pare dinner in q rush in time to take in
the scenes under the big tent.
The show train was delayed several
hours and did rot arrive here before 10
o'clock. Hence the parade did not oc
cur till in the afternoon. This gave
the visitors plenty OF time to look at the
city and enjoy the dinners they had
brought with them, and in tho mean
time the vendors of peanuts, candy,
harvest of nickels.
rather slim affair. The herd of eleven
elephants and the unusually largo mum.
Der of homely women were the most
noticeable features. The show has a
fairly good menagerie and the animals
are generally in good condition.
Inc big tent, with seating capacity
OF over 5000, was nearly full, but the
circus was something of q disappoint-
ment. On account Of the lateness Of tho
hour the usual programme had to be
| rushed through with. Tho Fall Of
Ninevah" was the feature of the enter
tainment. Tho tambourine dance was a
meritorious performance and the final
scene was decidedly realistic.
The acrobats and trained animals, es-
pecially the dogs, were interesting fea-
lures. On the whole Forepaugh's show
gave satisfactory entertainment. Tho
performance was repeated last night.
In the street parade yesterday seem
ingly old countryman was noticed driv-
Ing an old wagon, which contained milk
cans, and occasionally ne would pass
the larger wagons and get in front Of
them. He carried COW bell in his
hand, which he used quite frequently.
| Sergeant Gold noticed how the seem
ingly old countryman would get in front
of the other wagon and impede their
progress and determined to arrest him.
He caught the horse attached to the
wagon and began to back him out OF the
way, when the milk man began to ring
the bell and yell police, at which the
crowd on the street set up loud hur-
rah.
The sergeant saw his mistake at once,
and, blushing to the roots of his hair,
gracefully raised his cap and acklowl-
edged his mistake by bowling and MAX
Ing his escape among the throng OF peo-