The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-16
THE 0 NJ OF THE CIRCUS.
As INTERESTING IN THEIR DRESSING
Rooms Is BEFORE N pUBLIC

Floor wiIie the Others Preperc-The
Pretty woman who Rides the Dancing
Horse-IIard Luck Lately OF the siibon
Girl who Does the Aerial Flying Act
Tho Strong Woman q. Fun OF Fun.
II you would SEQ system systcmatizod and
order disciplined. come in behind the Alham-
bra Palace ut tho Madison Square Garden
and watch tho marvellous stage management
which controls the thousand or moro people
that figure In n single session OF tho Greatest
Show on Earth"
Como carly. with the small boys that feed
peanuts to the elephant and the pious old
parties that bring their sons to SEQ the n,enas-
erie. but stay themselves to study the ballet.
Tho great amphithentte Is deserted and
gloomy. but tho rings are sot and covered
with carpets OF scarlet In readiness. Down In
the stalls tho horses nre being rubbed and
surried to the last degree Of g!ossi-
ness. stamping and chnmping their bits with
impatience. Host.'rs are shaking out the
gorgeous spnngleJ irappings and making
thom ready for tho coming rush. Property
men. ascore or more in uniform. wait mt the
stage entrances with their paraphernaiia
about thom In orderly array. Hero tho ways
divide. A woman may climb the narrow stair
way to the right. where Nine. White. the lady
Of the wardrobe. guards h'r %cloister. A man
O0Iak6S DlmSell u tue OppoSite slhe VI lux
building. whence issue knights in nrmor. men
OF war. eauestrlans and gymnasts. kings and
mobiles Al the head OF the stairway Is a sew
ing room. where tho machines are never Idle.
and whore sumptuUNs gowns OF velvet and
satin. nll lowered and hroidered with gold.
are made and repaired. Whom one has a
family OF two hundred or more like Mrs.
Whites. ono must needs be like tho Princess
IN the fairy tale. iore,er ripping. shipping.
cutting. aud contriviue."
Up another flight and In n single large room
the women OF tho circus are chatting nnd
laughing at their dressing MS II making ready
for q cotillon. rather than for daring feats OF
danger. The first girl to come into tho place
10 Leonora. the bion female contortion-
list. She is q slow and pains,aking dresser.
though to see her costume as sho spreads out
what there IL OF it on the table 1t would seem
to require little limo for adjustment. Tho
chief popularity Of the dress is that 1t is loose
and hangs out In a full pouJ around the waist.
where the average woman's gown Ia most
close and smooth. Once the sash is tied
with Infinite care and many little pats and
caresses. and the last touch has been
given TO the curly bang and rouged lips.
Leonorn spreads a sheet down upon the floor
to protect her costume and begins to practise
tying her 1.-the body up IN tangtes and UNITY
ing II again In a most nonchalant fashion. The
veins and sinews in her bare arms stand out
like cords. Not an ounce Of superiuous tissue
appears on her frame. She belongs to the old
school Of circus performers who learned their
art as children. and has been adding new
business " to It ever since. She Is never out
Of practice any more than q ballet dancer.
rarely III. and as happy with her head in the
small Of her back as anywhere else.
While Leonora ties her anatomy up In double
bow knots 0 little maid comes In guarded by
her mother. who never leaves her. and files
into tho riders dress Of ~tarlatan. The innocent
lace Of the girl. the tender pride and solioitude
OF the mother. who laces the pretty frock and
brushes the long. glossy hair. or sits beside
the dressing table sewing more fnery and
frills, seem i~ncongruous with all preconcelved
ideas Of the circus and its environment The
mother. Nine. Dockrell. was one Of a famous
family Of riders. and In her day commanded
the highest salary ever paid IN eques-
~txisn-$1.0O0 o week. A fall and q bruised
knee ended her career. The father ia the
trainer Of the horses at the circus.
and this little Rose. just graduated from school
last year. learned the trick known as the
double oQuestrian act during the winter at
Bridgeport She would have told how
y hours . day she practised. but the
mother warned her in French that she was
talking for the newspapers. and she answered
docilely that she rode half an hour twice a day.
Right beside her the Jockey girl is making
ready for her daring leap from the horse to
the ground and from the ground to the run
ming horse again. Now. the Jockey girl is q
typical circus woman. who has performed be-
fore every crowned head In Europe. received
honors and medals galore. and says she has
been invited to dine with the Shah of Persia.
Bhe ran away from home. in England. at IL
years old. to Join the circus.
1T was the fne clothes that caught me-" she
said. at least I thought they wore fine clothes
than. went to the big tent and begged the
manager to take me In. He asked me what I
wanted to do. and I told him to ride tho horses
md wear pretty dresses like those the ladies
rode in. Well. I Learned a lot Of things about
the cirouA That was before the days OF me-
ehanica contrivances. There wasn't any nice
little arrangement In the ring with a belt for
your waist. revolving as the horse travels. SO
that II You fall the belt suspends you and
holds you In midair. When we got a spill. we
rot o beating as we'll as tho spill. That's
how we were taught. and that's what makes
tho great performers. I am thankful now
Tor every beating. The circus isn't what
sit used to be- You cant train the children
nny more. and 1t Is simply impossible to
learn to do the best things after
you ara grown. The circus hero is 80
different from the other side. Here 1t is all
rush and 90 and bluster. tricks rather than
artistic work. There we have the stationary
soircus and the splendid. daring acts. not the
pretty. SNOWY things that any girl learns
quickly II she has nerve and doesn't get
lfrighteped. The circus is like q jewel box
iovsr there. 1t Is 80 beautifully fitted IN. There
10 but one ring and but one performance a
DAY. only we have to perform on Sunday over
nsrA It 10 our hardest day. What do l do to
Besp welip Just as I please. I eat what l like.
~ the KIND OF exercise get Is bnd for dys-
'5spsia and indigestion. or course. Just be-
fare The performance have to be careful.
.YOu know you can't leap from the ground on
10 running horse II you have a lump OF lead.
heayz pie and stun. in your stomach to handi-
Things are beginning to grow brisk In the
dressing room now; More women come, hur-
k.lr-suIling. fase-frescoing process; Perform.
ibroAthless and psrspiring., There Is no call OF
z hall hour and quarter hour" as you hear
q 10 the theatres, 70 admonish the players that
he act y near. There are no cues or signals.