New-York tribune., 1896-04-03
THE CIRCUS OPENED.
SURPRISING AND ENTERTAINING SIGHTS
CAT THE GARDEN.

AS BIO SHOW AS EvDR-rRAINED ANNALS AND
TRAPEzE PERFORMERS THE LEADING FEAT
UREs-JoHANNA RECEIVES GUESTS.
All the promises have been kept with the faithful
ness Characteristic Of circus managers Ever 80
many people the big Barnum Bailey snow
yesterday afternoon and evening" and nobody was
disappointed. The parade on Wednesday night did
not finish It's route. but there was no rain In the
Madison Square Garden yesterday. and everything
was done from start to finish. just set forth In
the programme.
Once. many years ago. Mr. Barnum reassured the
children Of America. for themselves and their chill
dren and their childrens children. by telling them
that ne had arranged all things that after he was
dead the great circus would go on just the same.
so that they need have fear Of ever missing II.
From anybody except Mr.. Barnum such a promise
that might sound arrogant. but not from him.
He knew. great men do know. his own worth ana
his Importance. and he knew that the children OF
America would be. glad to hear what he said to
them. and they They know now he spoke
truly.
The circus that at the Garden yesterday
had all In It every circus needs to have. and. as
usual 1t had novelties. II there any features
that seemed to outweigh the others in Importance.
they were those Of trained animals and trapeze
performances. What with the circuses Of other
years. what with the Hagenbeck show. and what
with the educated elephants and seals Of the music
halls. the Newly public has pretty distinct no
tion OF what animal training means. 1t would per-
haps be impossible to make any finer displays OF
animal intelligence than have been made here al
ready. but variety and picturesQueness may still
be added.
1t would be hard to find pretter display OF horse
evolutions than the one given yesterday. The pro-
gramme said that there were fifty-one horses but
that statement must have been prompted by profess
ot,,i,, ro1
were more. They beautiful horses too. hand
some In coors and finely matched. and they all got
into little ring and made perfect Kaleidoscope
OF themselves
New -Yorkers have also had education In
the possibilities Of the trapeze but they have never
before II Is believed trapeze performers wear
ing evening dress. The programme said that 1t was
evening dress though 1t Is to be feared that the
gown which the beautiful young lady wore (every
who appears In a circus Is constructively
beautiful young LADY, would excite remark In al
most any NewYork drawing room. even below the
Cooper Union. But there doubt that II had
long skirts. and that is the real point with refer
ence to It's novelty in a trapeze performance.
1t IS also 10 trapeze performers put bags
over their heads a preparation for aerial nights.
The achievement Of the human arrow may not be
extraordinarily difficult trapeze feats CO. but It
looks attractive. The beautiful young lady is shot
from bow goes through target and is caught by
the hands Of man who Is hanging on the trapeze
waiting for her.
II seems almost like wasting the time Of the writer
and the reader both say that In the circus there
is abundance OF daring and dashng bareback rid
ing. ground and lofty tumbling. Juggling. process
sions and racing or course there IS II Is OF the
usual quality and provokes the admiration OF the
eyes and the wonder OF the mind After all. the rea,
marvel OF the whole show Is how all the hundreds
OF men and women and beasts that make 1t up can
be managed and controlled. and brought exactly
,Aat. to ffnh In fhA nor
formance. and everything goes along as II Il were
one little act stead o. eewdering nun numoen so,Gs OF
on all once and three or ha.f dozen
Of them waiting 20 come next >,, p.,,,r, ,,-r.s,
with ali his prophetic clearness to the show
business ever suspected that the new woman would
clown. Past question. times change and clrcuses
change in them but perhaps there & Is time yet 10
her face in the manner Of the man clown and still
Garden. as Usual 1t is particularly noticeable that
soe 6s for s Of M as
Pfebay e ei oad
make very rsspec,abe attempt at s eating all the the
his size il is rather hard for an elephant to get
% s has Ra5s n' and
them with their trunks permanently propp.d on
the % 70 drop % f2nt nit G the sna Of
peanuts too. and do me nost outl.ndsh- looking
ors 10 a circus themselves have been known to eat
them, but there s opportunity seldom paral-
eled 10 give them away. These remarks are
thrown in OF calling attention to one OF 'he
chief Joys Of a circus-tha Of feeding the animals
with peanuts.
Johanna made her temperance in public yes
terday She is looking remarkably well, and Is as
beautiful as eyer-just. She vas assigned to con-
spicuous place in the basement and sat In her
Apartment all the aftern and evening receiving
ter guests. She not heard TO say much. and
indeed her reticence with these with whom she Goes
rot feel personally acquainted Is we'll kn )wn; How
ever It Is privilege to see her. and with that the
public must be content.