The morning call., 1894-10-07
A Stroll Through Canvas Town.


A Stroll Through Canvas Town.
The great syndicate circus has had ten days
profitable stay at Central Park, Market street,
but will fit after tonight to Lvermore and
there astonish the rustics by showing the
wonders of animated nature and of equestrian
and other art In the three-ringed arena. The
managers, Messrs. Sells, d'Alma. Holton, ct
ais. are more than pleased with their reception
and treatment by our citizens, OF which fact the
invitation they extended to all rhe school
children OF the city on Friday afternoon last is
quite sufficient evidence. There has surely
never been such gathering of young San
FraDciseans. That congregation of joyous
"kids'' wOulc have awakened emotions even in
the heart of prospective eensuS-taker.
There are NJ ore things 10 see in this canvas
town. Win lis main while tent 2S0x120 feet,
and a seating capaciy of 4S00, than the feats
In the arena, the animals IN the menagerlr or
the freaks of the annexes. All interesting
study, for example, is the manner In Which the
173 people-malnlv the worklng-n auds-nYe,
move ana have their belDg-the free, gypsy-llke
conditions Of their existence. There is large
dining house on The grounds. and outside the
cooking goes forward, attended by corps OF
cOlOred cooks, with walters 10 serve those VINO
are seated at their meals The ar was iuii OF
sav0ry sIeamS, al the time OF our VISIT and the
muE d SOUND of bubbllng caidTons. where
palaIable soups and stews were gradually
reaching perfection. With the roast the ooi ed
and the stewed, with tasty dessert 10 follow.
the men 1--we well. SO We'll that circus life is
more OF a pleasant picnic now than IL used 10
be. Live well % said our conductor. with
slight curl OF his liz, answering this remark,
al should say so. When they come TO US they
look as if they had been skirmishng for a
square meal all their lives and hadn't found it,
After a short stay with such good f.re-here be
made sweeping motion OF his hand toward
the open-atr kitchea-and when the grasses
are smcothed out OF III ir bellies, they gener-
ally leave US and go back TO playing hobo
again"
Circus men will talk that way.
"CudadOI' warned a ca ballerlZO, as he led
close TO US large handsome horse TO join the
drove in the stable hard by.
THAT fellows a Mexican" said the circus
man. "Our crew is made up OF ali nations un-
der he canopy OF heaven"
''How many horses have you in this circus?"
''About ITO, more or less. But come, lel's go
and see The snakes"
They were In a small annex, and cared for by
a genIlemanly sort OF fellow and his wife. The
wife, very good looA ing woman, by the way,
plnIs'' with all the ease and complacency in
the world. There was an anaconda, boa
constructor and TWO brightly mottled
fellows from Kansas, alert as possible,
that glIded about like small streams of
wafer glintiDg IN the sunlight. The ana
conda and th constructor were "sufhng"
or changing their skins lying iangaid and III
disposed TO exertlOu. They re Just in the
condition TO afford the photographer. who had
trained his camera on the serDentine group, a
fair chance Tor good dim in his snap shot,
After gIancng at an armadillo, sometimes
called the South American badger. with his
coat OF mail, who had just dined on live SQUAD
and acted very much as If he wonld like to
have had brace, we passed into the meuage-
RE, and remarking 10 our COMPANION that the
collection OF animals and of The strange things
nature mas fui nlshed ID our time was limited
for such large concern, he over on his
fingers the ISL or valuable Quadrupeds lost
from various causes since the tour began.
They are line specimens. though, what you
see around you.
There's Jess, for instance, the big elephant
who was driven wild last night wi rat that
had found place in the wide opening at the
end OF her trunk While the animal was asleep
Through sheer terror Jess started out TO run
amuck, apparently. II WAS thought the beast
had become irFltated by the heat OF the weather
and v as seeking The Mission Creek 10 enjoy a
wallow 10 the mud and water. No one knew
what was The matter with the usually peaceful
animal ill a bystaDder suggested Something
In her trunk Sure enough there was rats
tail hanging onI, and Jess having run Into
cul de sac by this time one OF the circus hands
took hold OF the proboseis and drew therefrom
half dead rod Mt. hen the elephant became
quiet Immediately and followed Nj. Sells back
to the tent, he feeding il on the way with
couple of Oayes OF bread. That vast mass of
flesh quVered all over with alright like sen
sltiye girl''
did you ever see young tiger eat?''
'No; nor old one eithPr, thank God, il
you mean in theIT native jungle state"
II mean in Captivity. We feed ours on live
fowl. NoW's The time TO see the animals way
Of tai Ing dinner"
This tiger is beautifully coated little crea-
tnre, scarcely hali-gfown, but fierce as nature
and captivity can make ham. He lay snarllng
and blinking bis baieful green eyes, waiting for
his me a.. a fuli-siZed hen was put through
the bars Of the cage, and ia moment il lay
dying under his strong paws. Then the beast
looked uD ana gave low gfowl, as il he
wanted 10 know Who questioned his right TO the
repaSt In moment he was at WORK prepar-
Ing his chicken dinner, and he plucked tile
feathers from that fowl with a sWifIness aud
completeness thar would have mace a Cfay-
street Quicken picker enYious.
The evening Of the night Thursday lasD that
the elephant Jess oil with a rat fn the
trunk, It's Keeper, Burmese, to whom the ami.
mai is much attached, and who also attends 10
the wants OF Rocky Mountain black bear in
nelghDorIng cage, got an embrace from Bruin
.hat he did not relish. He was watering the
beast, and becoming incautious it seized his
hand and tore out nearly the whole palm. Tie
East Indian suffers pain with be same FORT
tude as the red man of North America but the
bears handgrasp was too much for him. He
gave snort, sharp cry, and e ned against the
wagon wheel as If about TO faint.
courage, man." Whispered one Of the man.
ayers who happened by. in his ear "Mhere's
your sand2 Don't make a scene. Are you
much hurt 2"
Pretty bad" answered the Burmese keeper
showing bis bloody hand al the same time draw
Ing himself up TO an erect position.
he was taken to the Receiving HospItal
where the wounded member was treated.
again at his post aud led his charge big Jess
into the arena TO perform. The endurance of
the mani Circus life Will give one heart for
every fate ''
There are many things of interest about a
CIRCUS besides the feats III the arena.
SuiIy's "The Millionaire"