The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-15
A LOCAL WHITE CITY.
Forepaugh's Allied shows Have Spread Their
Big Canvas Tents in Indianapolis.

This is circus day. A small white city"
grew up In Indianapolis yesterday, con-
sistlng of the big tents of the Forepaugh
Allied Shows. and the innumerabIe smaller
ones of the side performances. and those
necessary for the housing of the stock and
people who accompany the show. The
circus arrived in the city at an ca rly hour
yesterday morning, and the long trains
were side.tracked near the grounds over
west of the river. where cirouses have
pitched their tents in this city for time
immemorial
The work of unloading was at once be-
gun. and by noon the canvases had all
been opened M, and the regular Sunday
work was begun. The Sabbath is generally
wash-day with those who accompany
the show. On the grounds yesterday after
noon the tentmen, the kostlers. the
animal tenders and the general camp fol.
lowers could be seen diving into q bucket
back or some tent flap. or seated on q
bundle OF hay busily engaged In mendlng
wearing apparel, and one man who was big
and hairy enough TO have passed for the
orang-outang which inhabited a cage in
side one of the tents. was laborIously
writing a letter on O piece of sOIled paper
which was spread across his knee as he re-
$500 eesAo tOas otohOs hO
m~anagerie tent was a scene of the utmost
activity. The cages of the animals were
being cleaned out. and many of the less
obstreperous kind had been allowed out on
as they pleased. An attendant would
20 up to a cage. dash q bucket
OF water into il. much to the
apparent disgust of Its occupant. and then
pened TO be of the man.eating stripe,
would poke vigorously about until salts
fed In his own mind that it was all right,
though his onslaught seemed TO have little
effect on the color of the speciai wagon he
was working on. The exhibit OF wild AMI
mails and of the various other specimens of
live stock is always one of the chief at
fractions OF a travelling circus. and that of
the Forepaugh show is better and larger
than ever before. Sunday is the animals
fast-day. They seem to know it, for they
have a quiet, patient. far-eway lock IN their
eyes which tells the longing for another
day to come when they can feed once more.
No reason exlsts. except that for years it
has been the custom on Sundays not to
feed the animals. 1t Is considered benefit
ciai by the trainer. George A~rstingstall.
Here 10 an elephant no larger than q good
sized Saint Bernard dog-Baby Ruth.
Young Albert StadIer, who exhibits the
group of trained wild beasts. shows how
easy it is for the lion and the lamb TO lie
down together. In one cage may be seen.
resting in harmony, lions, tigers,
~ phtfa1s otal6 IL uOkSs
In the main exhibition tent there was a
scene OF confusion which cannot be readily
understood by an ontsider. lt does not
seem possible that order could be wrought
ont OF the big piles of painted boards and
canvases that to-day will be seats on
which the spectators will sit and form the
background OF the spectacular psgeants
which form n principal part of the perform
ance. The usual three rings were being
followed out of the ground. and from the
tops of the tall poles were being placed the
swinging trapeze OF the aerial performers.
One tent almost ss large as the main one is
devoted co the quartering OF the horses.
The main part of IL has in It the draft
horses which are used in hauling
the heavy wagons TO and from the trains
of cars and in the parades. which are
given daily by the circus. They looked
sleek and we'll fed. and as contented IN
their canvas barns as though CHARTERED in
Nancy Hanks's favorite stalL. 1t is early
in the season. and the horses have not yet
had enough hard work to put them IN what