St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-03
THE BIG SHOW
Spreads Its Vast Canvas to Re-
ceive the Glad Throngs
Today.
A Ramble Through the interest
ing Menagerie Before the
Opening.

One of the most thoroughly repulsive
things to view is the open mouth of
genuine, sure-enough hip" as the cir
Gus men call hippopotamus. Yester-
day afternoon, when Col. Charles See
ley, press agent of the big Sells Bros.
show, made one of a magnificent pair
open his mouth for a GLOBE mans
benefit, the astounded reporter was al
most ready to drop into the enormous
fiab-sided cavity. The two great ami
mails we're buried in water except their
backbones. and only whisp of fra
grant hay induced Dick, the male chip"
to raise his mOnStrOus SnOut for inspec-
ton.
In tank alongside were the trick
seals and sea lions, much alike in some
respects, but diSSimilar in others. The
seals have the better head, and are far
more Intelligent than the lions. They
bObbed up from the tank bottom and
slid from one box to another as slick as
grease, and altogether seemed to be hay
ing jolly time.
Away over at the other side of the
corral, i'll separate compartments, were
pair OF tigers, magnificent in their
restlesSness and fearful in their indica-
tion of terrific strength. In size these
tigers are probably not excelled by any
pair i'll captivity. At MaysviIle, KY,
one of them recently slaughtered a
keeper who had become careless for a
moment while in the animals cage.
One of the greatest attractions of the
menagerie is cage containing a jeal-
ous-looking lioness and four cubs, not
much bigger than pug puppy and as
fluffy as kittens. Queen" as the
mother is called, springs to combative
attitude the moment stranger comes
into view, and can only be quieted by
word from her keeper.
A perfectly hairless horse-a freak of
nature with skin of solid black, as
smooth and soft as a garden hose, with
never a sign OF hair, not even an eye
winker, from fetlOck to neck, from tip
of the short, carrot-like tail to the tips
of the ears-is one OF the natural Won
derS that will interest and astonish
thousands of people.
The menagerle was simply a corral,
with a canvas wall around it, yesterday,
and in the center were secured the in
teiligent ASiatic and the ignorant, sail
cared African elephants, toy ether with
the camels, dromedarles, yakS, llamaS,
sacred oxen and other Semi-domestic
animals. The surrounding cages were
lull VI HClCC dLu Ugly anu
some animals, strange and odd beasts
and birds, and fine specimens of the
DarWinian progenitorS of man.
On the lot bounded by Fuller, Aurora,
st. Adams and Dale streets the big
main tent will be raised today, and on
the Aurora avenue side will be the side
shows. Every stitch of the vast spread
of canvas is brand new and glistening
in its virgin whiteness, having been
shipped direct to st. Paul by the maker.
In speaking of this Col. Seeley Incl
dentally mentioned that no less than
four canvases have been destroyed by
wind and weather the present season.
Decked out, as it will be today, with
| flags and bunting, the big show should
| present very gay and attractive APP
pearance. Inside everything will be
| shining like new, too, for all day yes
terday the employees were repainting
| poles. stakes, seats, properties and
| everything that could be frightened
and improved by color and brush. And
| it required large quantities of white
| lead, oil, turpentlne, ETC., to do the
work. The mess tents. with their OPEN
| air kitchens and smart-looking walters,
were surrounded by crowds all day.
The Sells Bros show is SURPRISINGLY
rich in promise of elaborate and enjoy
| able entertainment. Their Roman hip
podrome, wild Moorish caravan and
| Spectacular pilgrimage to Mecca, enor-
nous menagerie, triple circuses, trop-
ical aquarium, royal Japanese troupe.
circus of the Sahara, aviary. caravan of
| trained animals, Arabian Nights enter
tainments and superb fairyland street
| parade contain more than enough
strange sights, thrilling races, sensa.
tIonal acts and glowing pageants for a
whole carnival week. Nor does mere
| quantity Danish quality from the colos-
sal tents. Such features as the pair of
| lilliputian cattle, the flock of ostriches,
the hairless horse and the pair of giant
hippopotami are not to be found else
| where.
For today's parade the pagent will
move from the exhibition grounds, cor
ner Dale and University, and traverse
the following line of march,: Univer-
Sity TO WabaSha, Wabasha to Seventh,
over Seventh to Seven Corners, down
Third to jackson, OH jackson to Sixth,
Sixth street to Nelson, Marshall avenue
to Dale, to show grounds. where two
exhibitions will be given at and p.
m. today.