The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-14
TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE MAR
VEL AT ITS WONDERS AND
TTSr0
GREAT TRIPLE COMBINATION.
LF',.- 7 yls 10
Most Extraordinary Collection of
Nature's7 Freaks and CuriOsi-
aa ties.

designating the exhibition, the Official
programme does not make unwarrant--
ed use of the superlative. 1t simply
states an obvious truth. Certainly
there is no show that can compare
with it in mammoth proportions, in
variety and in quality. 1t is circus
par excellence. Nothing is wanting.
yet nothing is superfluous. Everything
that circus can possibly employ for
the wonder and delight of the people
is there. No less, praise should be be-
slowed on the arrangement of the pro-
eramme itself, which is excellent. The
various events succeed each other
without tiresome delay, and in sucn
order with respect to their general
character, as to avoid a suggestion of
sameness and monotony. And what is
fully as important the programme was
OF just the right duration-two hours
and one-half. e-'
To. call the Barnum & Bailey outfit
a circus is to ipadeQuately express the
IDEA of its gigantic proportions and
completeness on Which rest it's repu-
tation and popularity. The circus is
but a single department and this cir
Gus is three ,Qld-time circusses in one,
in respect to siZe;2 character and mag
nitude of the Performance. AS the
three rings and double stages are
worked to their' fullest capacity from
the opening moment, it would be I'M
possible to crowd any more into
single ring even if these rings were
separate under three distinct tents.
Eight elephants might be exhibited in
a single ring, but not tWenty-fOur ele
plants in the magnificent triple act
seen yesterday. One set of trapeZe
artists might entertain an audience
that could be assembled about one
ring, but three sets of aerialists per-
forming simultaneously would be an
impossibility under the old conditions.
And so all the way through the varied
and remarkable exhibition Mr.. Bailey
simply gives three times as much un-
Ger his circus big top" as was once
given under the old fashioned "round
top But it is not only a three-times-
bigger circug-rit is three times better
and all for the same amount of money.
Let those who will long for the "old
+ time show" the fact remains that the
quality of the present performance,
taken. as a whole, is as far. superior
to that Of the earlier days as the tent
is larger. There was scarcely an act
performed here under the Barnum q;
sut'pass acts prAEiously, witnessed, on
the, circus, grounds. In the older days
bareback riders were rare, the broad
platform or roSined pad being the rule
of the ring, and those bareback riders
did little else than pose. Bareback
riding is now the only kind of ring
riding and tine riders are accomplished
acrobats They leap on and off their
horses at full gallop and turn somer-
saults forward and backward-even
the women do it, as witness the per-
Torrance of Rose Wentworth in the
ring yesterday. This clever young
woman and the Meers sisters, Josie
Ashton, Nellie Reid and Nine. Maran-
tette are not surpassed anywhere III
excellence in their respective schools of
Craftsmanship.
One of the NEST beautiful and eff
fective equestrian features ever wit
messed in the ring was the tabieau of
seventy horses, exhibited under the
direction of John O'Brien. Seventy
thoroughbreds7. execute a Kaleidoscope
march in concentric circles and pause
at the word of command. All of the
horse features are admira BILE and some
of them, like the one described, and
the skipping rope and the couchee
cOuchee dancing steed being unique
to a degree. The high jumpers, AMI
indeed pretty much all of the hippo
ufOlife Work proved vastly eHleIldiH-
ing. e..
Other novel and remarkable features
were the trained bull, who permits his
master to stand on his head between
the animals horns, and to ride him al
full gallOp around the ring, and thu
bull dog who plays football with as
tonishing agility and pertinacity. This
dog contributes the most laughable act
of the entire show and all regretted
his 0ep9rtnIp from the ring
The SilbonS and the Zedoras in their
daring leaps and flying mid-air catches
were watched with breathless inter
est, as were the DunhamS in their I'M
exampled feats on the aerial horizontal
bars. Among the ground tumblers the
famous Spanish family of acrobats, the
Heras, were unique, their work being
performed in ordinary street attire.
The three women in long skirts We're
quite as agile and supple as the best
male performers in silken tights.
The foregoing are but a few acts of
programme replete with unusual and
astonishing feats.
Before the circus performance began,
an hour was allowed within which to
visit the menagerie tent and view the
curiosities and freaks of nature. which
are the most extraordinary ever
brought together. Here, too. there
were three shows in one, for there was
a vaudeville entertainment in progress.
The collection of animals is said to
be the most complete of any in the
United States. 1t is certainly superior
to that of any travelling show. Thou
sands of dollars have been spent to
secure every known specimen that will
live in captivity, and Mr.. Bailey's
agents throughout the world have carte
blanche, it is said, whenever they can
find any valuable addition. There are
of nil oil in
only single specimens of which are
exhibited in cages by other shows
animals that are easily trained to the
halter and harness. land are as harm
less as sheep and 3cows. There are
scores of animals, 43t to be seen else
where in this couEfry, including one
of the only five gHaffes in the world
known to be in ca EHHvity.-
The educated gTFla, Johanna, was
inspected with graA interest She is
a greater enigma tfean most of her sex,
which is saying saeat deal. Johanna
now wears dresseS and has adopted
other evidences of civilization, includ-
She also smokes cigarettes and holds
a daily leVee at her &age.
But the human freaks are the strang-
est and most incredible of all. Think
of woman almost nine feet tall and
man only twenty-three inches long
less than two feet. The Missouri giant
ess seems fully ten feet high when
standing beside the Russian dwarf,
who can lie down in her shoe. This
minute specimen of humanity weighs
only six and a half pounds-iess than
the average man begins life with. Sure
ly no greater contrast of humanity
than that afforded by this Brobdiena-
gian and her Liliputian companion.
Peter, as they call the little fellow.