Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-22
CIRCUS LIFE ON SUNDAY
How the Animals, as Well as the People,
Observe the Day.
INTERESTING SIGHTS AROUND IHE TENTS
Manner in which the Elephants
Travel and what They DO in
nnd out OF Their SPEC
cial Cars. 10

! Sunday is proverDlally lazy uay' Norh-
ing people the world over, look forward to
1t as day OF rest and who is it that does
not mentally vow that when Saturday night
comes that he will sleep just as late as he
likes on Sunday morning, just because he
has the chance?
When Sunday Immediately precedes circus
! day however, and the long expected myriad
of wonders is to arrive in town on Sun
day morning, it is an entirely different mat
ter Then, to the average small boy and his
numerous adult relatives, Sunday morning
takes upon itself another aspect and every
one feels it dependent or incumbent upon
himself to arise early, HE to the show
grounds and carry water for the thirsty
I camel.
Doubtless thousands of early rising citi-
zens will see the five big trains that bear
the Ringing Brothers show from place to
place arrive in the railroad yards this morn
ing They will see the mastery system
! which pervades everything there pertaining
to the unloading of the show, and there Will
be some sights worth seeing.
In six huge stock cars will be seen the
largest herd of Asiatic and African ele-
pnants ever assembled together under one
management. This show announces In ad-
vance that it has twenty-five of these huge
but always interes ling beasts. 1t eXhlblts
according 10 the press Vi every CITY III "hlIh
the show has appeared this year. twenty-four
elephants of ordinary color and one genuine
white elephant-the only one of its species
ever brought to America.
The largest elephant known to exist in
captivity is Old Badly, owned by the Mes3rs
Ringing. An interesting sight incident to
the unloading will be witnessed when Bady
comes out of the car. The other elephants
walk down a heavy gang plank, which is
made fast to the sill of the car door, and
which leads to the ground by an easy in
cline. The car door is ten feet high and it
makes the big elephant stoop to get under
it's top, as 1t steps upon the plank. Ola
Badly is so tall and WIDE however, that
he caunot get out of the door, or into 1t,
when they load the cars, until the gang
plank is taken away. Therefore, he calmly
waits until all the other elephants have
walked the plank" and are grouped to-
gether awaiting the coming of their leader,
when the gang plank is removed and Baldy
shows his keepers how to do the trick. rle
drops to his knees, fore and aft and wrig-
gleu his huge body forward into the door
way until he can get his front feet out and
upon the ground. The floor of the car is
about five feet above the ties, but this is
nothing for Baldy. Once his fore feet are
on the solid ground, he draws his body
forward, allowing his hind legs to drag along
the floor. Eventually-for the process
is slow-he manages to get one hind foot
out and the rest is easy. With trumpeting
and waving trunk he steps out and ambles
off at rapid gait to join the herd. There
are answering trumpets from all of the ele-
plants and every morning when the un-
loading is finished they greet their leader in
so efusive a manner as to give rise to the
impression that he has been absent for
week
WHITE ELEPHANT DEMANDS CARE.
Local feed dealers have preceded the show
to the grounds and have deposited great
piles of paled hay, hundreds of bags of grain
Of various kinds, straw for bedding and
everything necessary to the comfort of the
animals. tub of finely cut carrots and tur-
nips indicates that the happy family who
dwell in the monkeys cage are to have
grand Sunday dinner. The elephants, staked
out in long line. are some of them lying
down sleeping, whilst others are munching
hay. Still Others are scraplng up dry earth
and throwing it all over their backs, and
upon thia day no keepers appear with long
handled brooms to sweep them off. Keddah,
the dainty white elephant, is staked out
with the others and blanketed with great
care. A watchful attendant sits near him
and watches him all the time. Underneath
his blanket peep out his four legs, and
through it's folds about his neck protrudes
his white head wagging from side to side
in that peculiar, waving motion seemingly
so pleasing to these animals. He is of
bright. clear mouse color, a delicate tint of
grayish white. and is kept as neat and clean
as pin all the time. Keddah, by
! the way lives and travels in the finest ami
NAL wagon ever constructed 1t is large and
well appointed and is padded inside with sofe
cushions upon all sides, so that the rough
jolts of the cars, at times, may not injure
him. He is the mcst valuable animal ever
owned or exhibited by any one,
The Ringing brothers, at their winter
quarters in Baraboo breed all their own
"cat animals" In one cage are four of the
| prettiest Nubian lion cubs ever seen any
where They are from twelve to sixteen
| months old and of a light tan color much
! lighter than they will be when fully grown
The young males just sprouting nance
! and appear to be proud of them Their ccats
are now spotted, almost as distinctly
leopa ds. but by the time they year
and half old, these spots will disappear.
FEAsTING AND FASTING.
One of the special cares is young kanga-
! roo. As is well known, tie kangaroo Is a
pouch animal and its young, after birth
until they are four or five months of age, are
, carried in the pouch which nature has
, provided. Mamma Kangaroo never allows her
little one to appear in public, or when tner9
is a crowd in the menagerie. On Sundays,
however when all is STILL the little fellow
peeks out of his downy pouch, sees the ccast
clear and in an instant is skipping about as
lively as cricket He Is not more than a
, foot and half high and is six weeks old
Before the summer Is over he will be dis
possessed as it were, and then will have 10
bear the gaze OF the staring public, just as
the rest of his family do
Sunday is a feast day all throughout the
big show with the single exception of the
carnivorous animals All showmen have
! learned that lions, tigers, leopards and other
= beasts of their ilk thrive better and keep
: in better condition If they are compelled to
= fast one day in every seven. The animals
!, are used to 1t, and while some of them
: manifest a little uneasiness when o'clock
comes on Sunday afternoon, they are soon
. | over 1t and appear to be cOntented until the
. same hour on Monday. The monkeys have
an especially good time for they get all the
: carrots they eat on Sunday and this is
the vegetable they are most fond of. Bears
. are given bread on Sunday and eat great
: deal of il. baby cinnamon bear, that
joined the show in Park City, Utah, short
time ago refuses to eat bread, however, and
therefore, like the other carnivora gogs
hungry until Monday, with the exception of
. pan of sweetened milk, which he laps up
: delightfully."-. The performers, all of whom
travel on special train OF standard Pull
!, man cars, have no call to visit the show
. grounds on Sunday. They are breakfasted
sumptuously in well appointed dining car,
, and are at liberty to go away and remain as
long as they like, on Sunday By 10 o'clock
in the evening they will be seen vending
their way to Hotel de Ringing" as the
:, Pullman train is known among them, and
will be in their berth at a very seasonable