The Portland daily press., 1894-08-01
CIRCUS DAY.
The One Ring Show of the Fathers
PIeases Yet.

Prepares Tor his fart-COSG OF CIrcuss
The advent and exhibitions of Fore
paugh's Circus were the leading events
yesterday in this town. The hard times
have had their effects on the circuses as
well as on all other enterprises but most
of those who attended yesterday after
noon and evening seemed as we'll pleased
with the single riding exhibition as for
merly with the great three-ring perfor-
m ances. The Forepaugh three-ring show
in all its glory costs about $4,000 day
an expense which was all right in the
good times, but W hich prudent manage
ment finds it unwise to incur this year.
The show in it's present form costs S25oo
a day and having all the crowds it Can
accommodate comfortably is undoubt-
eddy making money for its owner. So
far as the circus itself is concerned it is
question whether or not the one ring
feature is not an improvement. The au-
dience being nearer the ring and not
having the tantalizing distraction of
three performances going on while only
one can be seen, became interested and
enthusiastic very early in the show.
There were waves OF applause and
laughter such as are rarely raised in the
impressive audinces of the bigger circus
es.
If anywhere the curtailment is felt it
is in the menagerie; but this in all es-
sential features is excellent. The herd
of elephants mbers only seven this
year but they are superb animals,
drained to variety of interesting feats.
Forepaugh has at times had as many
as IS of the huge beasts in his herd, but
as it costs SIS for the hay and grain re-
quired to feed an elephant week, it is
obvious that seven elephant herds must
be more popular with showmen during
this Congress. The leopards were more
nun erous than usual from the fact that
two little leopards, aged four weeks,
and about as large as well grown kit
tens. These two tawney, notified little
creatures, mewing and tumbling about
like kittens, were great attractions.
They are perfectly good natured and
Dldy Gu dUOuL tuO hCOpCl LILO SlC0bOco
good humor The mother leopard, a fine
animal from Hagenbach's Hamburg
collection, looked on with the greatest
composure while her children were hand
led. When one of them would be, put
back into the cage. she would open her
huge mouth, seize the kitten by the
back of the neck, and fearfully but
ge ntly carry it into the farther corner
of the cage.
The trained dogs. more properly be-
longing to the circus than the menag-
erie, are delightful feature. In the
group are dogs of all sizes and kinds,
but most of them ours or mongrels in
point of breeding. For it is a curious
fact that the thorough bred dog is much
less susceptible to training than the dog
of mixed breed. The Flo epaugh dogs are
none the less handsome, however, On
account of their intelligence.
The horses are in no wise inferior to
the high standard of the great shows,
and in Filemaker. the greatest jumping
horse in the world, and the jumping
pony. Jupiter, the show has two special
features of exceptional interest and mer-
it. Madame Marantetto, who owns File
maker and ridesMhim with faultless
seat, is sister of Myrtle Peek, the
young equestrienne who is such favor
lite at the Maine cattle shows in the fall
When the circus was loaded onto the
cars after the performance last evening.
a curious fact was noticed in the treat
ment of the horses. A circus horse is not
at his best until he has been with the
show about two years. At first the trav-
elling wears upon him, and not until
he is used to that does he get in good
condition. So much travelling would
injure the horses if they were not very
carefully handled. In the cars they are
"wedged," as the expression is. The car
is filled with horses standing side by
side. Then two horses near the middle
are pushed apart as far as possible, and
a horse trained to the part and calle d
the wedge horse" runs up the plan k
and crowds himself into the space. This
wedges the whole car full so tightly
that they are pratt cally prevented from
moving at all. They are thus prevented
from thrashing about and getting
bruised.
The performers are, without exception,
among the best ever seen here, and the
riding, trapeze work, wire walking,
tumbling and japanese exploits were
of high order. The japanese family
have grown some since they were last in
Portland, but the baby of the family,
moon faced little Nanki, is still child.
Yesterday, as the PRESS man visited
the performers tent, Nanki was limb
| ering up" preparatory to his part. This
process consisted of standing erect, then
| bending his head back until it touched
the ground between the wooden-shod
little feet. Having performed this pro-
| cess two or three times, little Nanki
was ready for his part.
| Pleasant Occasion