The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-04
Old Reliable Features Not to
Be Crowded Out,
However.
pAzzLING STREET PAGEANT.
Children Happy, Almost As Happy
in the Prospect as Older
People.

The circus-its splendor and glitter, its
merry clowns, its tights and tight-ropes,
its aerial flights, its wonderful horseman-
ship, its trained animals, the familiar
cries of peanut-venders and sideshow
men, the roar GIFTS menagerie, the fascina-
ton of its gilded and pictured wagons and
the smell of its sawdust-the circus is in
full bloom IN Central Park.
The great oval surrounding the three
rings was filled with an eager multitude
last evening, the great space lighted by
unnumbered gasjets and the band settin g
expectation on tiptoe before the "trium-
plant entree" OF the animals and actors
OF the great combined shows.
From the moment of the entry of the
great pageant to that of the chariot races,
which have formed the finale of circuses
from the beginning of time, one dazzling
spectacle followed another in such rapid
succession and in such variety of form and
multiplicity OF actors, that it kept the big
audience on the alert not to miss any part
OF 1t. The numbers on the programme
were very properly labeled displays"
The second display was series OF illus
trations of history and art, executed by
eight young women, chosen for their
mold of form, on huge revolving ped
estal. This was in its way a novelty. In
fact there has been some genius at work in
the circus realm evolving novelties this
year, for the programme presented num-
Der. But the lover of the good old one
ring circus, or the good old three-ring cir
Gus for that matter, need not be alarmed
there are plenty of the same time-honored
features that he yearns for and goes es-
pecially to see still on the bills.
The third display was a real novelty. 1t
was heralded as an Introduction of am
phibian wonders, the only pair Of monster
hippopotami, male and female in can
tlvlty driven loose around the hippodrome
track" This of course called out the
plaudits of the wondering multi ude, as
did afterward the strange exhibition of
the trained seals. Five seals placed upon
their pedestals did number of remark
able things, such as beating drums, blow
ing horns, singing ca songs and twirling
baton in the mouth after the manner of
a drum major.
Messrs. Garnall, Lozeu and Ryan did
some sensational aerial performances on
the swinginP-bars the trained ponies of
Frank Melville and then a bewildering
display, No. z, OF posturing in the air,
performance on a balancing-ladder, DOS
turing on stilt-skates and dozen ''aerial
queens" all going at once.
The trained elephants, the riding men,
women and monkeys, tum bling in air,
leaping hurdles and plunging through
hoops-an were there, together with the
clowns in old and new styles. including a
couple of shrill-voiced women.
The bicycle riding and posturing of the
famous Stirk family, the long flights in
air of the Arrigossi sisters and then the
hippodrome evenis-a long and exciting
series of them, including broadsword
com bat and the remarkable riding of
Mustang Wattes. And then the never
forgotten concert" afterward.
In a word the Forepaugh and Sells
Brothers Circus is the best that ever came
to this City and will attract throngs, no
doubt, to every performance.
The street parade is a notably excellent
one and very well indicates what is seen
under the tent.