The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-15
THE DAY WITH THE CIRCUS.
The Fever as Contagious as Ever and
All Wanted TO See 1t.


The circus fever struck town yesterday
as bad as ever. The countryman and his
mother-in-law were here in ali their
glory, and spent the morning on Brough-
ton and Congress streets, and in watch
ing the parade, and the afternoon under
the tent Of the Adam Forepaugh and Sells
Bros big consolidated shows.
1t would not make any difference If the
circus came once a week. the fever would
be just as bad and just as contagious.
The first circus does not appear to have
detracted one bit from the popularity Of
the big show that was presented yester.
day afternoon and last night when audi
enees of about 5000 people witnessed each
performance.
The show was somewhat late in getting
here from Augusta, and the street parade
did not appear until two hours or more
after the scheduled time. The three
trains which carried the paraphernalia
and animals seemed to be have met with
several unusual mishaps, which caused
their delay. They were side-tracked 5nce
or twice for other trains to pass; they
had to stop and wait until an obstinate
COW was run off the track, and during the
night one of the performers who left his
berth, dropped a roll of bills amounting
to $500 from the sleeve of his undershirt
out of the car on to the track. He i'm
mediately sought the conductor, who, af-
ter trying in vain to stop the train, I'M
coupled the rear coach and succeeded in
stopping it in this manner. The owner of
the roll of bills walked back up the track
about mile, and succeeded in finding all
but a few dollars of it, all of which was
the cause of the very blue atmosphere
streak from the management.
The representative of the show who
looks after paying taxes, also had quite an
interesting experience. He rendered the
city treasurer $500 in silver in payment of
the city tax, but the treasurer refused to
receive it. He then took it to one of the
banks in the city, intending to make de-
post and draw a check in favor of the
city for the tax, but the bank seemed to
understand what was up, and refused to
accept the silver. After considerable diff
ficulty the circus man succeeded in getting
Mayor Myers to authorize the city treas
urer to take the silver and the circus
mans trouble was over.
The late arrival of the three trains great
~ delayed the street parade. Hundreds of
anxious countrymen and city folks, too,
with circus fever, were standing on street
corners or hanging from windows all the
morning waiting to see the clown and hear
the steam piano In the meantime the
countrymen who had little money left
after paying their railroad fare, blew it in
in Broughton and Congress street stores,
or in such bar-rooms as were not both
cred about closing on account of the pri-
mary. The parade came along about
o'clock. 1t was a good long one, well inter-
spersed with bands and Interesting fea-
lures, and several attendants who were
not afraid to brave the lion or the tiger in
their den.
The circus grounds at Bolton and East
Broad streets were pretty well crowded
at both afternoon and night performances.
There were three rings, and some feature
was in progress in each of them almost
during the entire show, 90 that it would
be impossible to mention specifically the
acts that were presented. There was
some excellent acrobatic work, both on
the horizontal bars and trapeze, and the
bareback riding and trick riding Is such
as only the Forepaugh and Sells Brothers
circus presents. 1t was probably the best
that has ever been seen in Savannah Per-
haps the most interesting feature of the
performance was the trained seals and
sea lions, animals of low order of in
extraordinary tricks at the command of
their master. The performance was con-
cluded with number of unique races,
which kept up excitement and interest.
1t needs but glance behind the scenes
and a moments conversation with some
of those connected with the circus to con-
vince one that the impression that circus
people always belong to the tougher
class is erroneous. 1t is true they lead a
hard life, and they may often be hardened
by it, but the circus life does not make
of them the degenerate class which the
many who give them the credit of being
Almost every woman who was a per-
former in yesterdays show was either
the wife or the daughter of some of the
male performers. 1t is with them a pro-
fession, just as 1t is with the lawyer
to plead case, or the physi-
clan to attend patient, and
though many are found among
them, among all classes and callings,
whose morals and manners are not the
best, there are others who stand in strik-
ing contrast to these. For instance, there
was an expert trick rider with this circus
whose manners and bearing would grace
a parlor or a ball room. He is accompan-
led by his wife who Is also an expert rider,
and between them they have a salary of
$500 week-quite a fortune for small
family. There is another rider of the same
class who, in addition to the most pleas
ant manners, has the taste in dress of a
Berry Wall, and takes good care to exer-
else it. There are many others of this
class WITH such a circus, and among them
can often be found some of the most pleas
ant and congenial of people.
The Forepaugh & Sells Brothers circus
began its tour in April, since which time
it has travelled almost from the Atlantic
to the Pacific ocean and back again. The
total number of miles travelled being 10,
S32. In that time it has missed only eleven
performances.It left last night for Charles
ton, where it will appear tomorrow, and
will disband to go into winter quarters al
Columbus, o., after its performance al
Charlotte, N. c., next Saturday.
AN EVENING OF SETTOS.