The times., 1897-05-04
WONDERFUL PEDESTRIANS.
Champion Bareback Riders Who AI
pear in the Barnum q
Bailey Show.

There is no class of aCrobatic work which
attracts a deeper interest from the people
than bareback riding. No class OF circus
performers draw so big salaries as do the
best bareback riders, and in no branch of
the profession is it so difficult TO find
performers of the very highest grade
The men who have attained worldwide
Celebrity as bareback riders can he easily
numbered, and the women who have be
come famous for excellence in equestrian
WORK can almost be told on the fingers
OF one hand. Hence it is remarkable that
one show should get such a number OF high
grade equestrian performers-men and
women, whose salaries are above S100 8
week-as the Barnum & Bailey Greatest
Show on Earth is carrying on its pay rolls
this season.
Josie shtOn, the champion principal
bareback rider, is little American girl,
whose characteristic pluck has won her a
high stan ding on both sides of the ocean
She is petite, pretty and graceful, and her
work is both daring and dashing. She
had received thorough training in acrD-
batic work, aud was skilful and popular
artistic on the pendulating rings before she
had ever mounted a horse's back. This
given TO her equestrian work an appearance
of ease and artistic finish that few attain.
She is as fully at home on the back of a
horse a. others would De on a solid floor,
and has such a firm balance that it is
hard TO imagine that her difficult tricks
are accomplished on the uncertain support
of flying steed-
Miss Ashton is almost the only American
female rider who is not large and heavy,
and she has shown American managers
that it is possible 60 get talent of the first
order without going to the other side of the
water. Miss Ashton has been riding for
six years, and almost all that time her
name has stood for the highest excellence
in equestrian work. Another i meTican
equestrienne who has won an international
reputation is Rose Wentworth, also with
the big BarDum Show.
Miss Wentworth is a very young woman,
who is very pretty as well as accomplished
She is the only woman in America today
who can turn back ward and forward Sonler-
saults on the back of flying horse. She
can, in addition to her superb riding. per-
form every kind of a circus act, and she
has learned them all by diut of hard work
and the perseverance that knows no de
feat, since 1889. Her unerring balance,
her agile grace and her beautiful costumes
oil add to the attractiveneSs of q style of
riding that, whileit has the true American
dash, is as perfect in finish as any pretty
parlor equestrian act the capitals of the old
world have produced
With these two representative American
eauestriennes are riding the Meers Sis
ters, the most perfect equestriennes Eng
land has sent out, who Were engaged in
London, with their fathel, especially for
the present season of this show at COM
bined salary of over S100 day. The male
riders are William Showles and Mike
Rooney, the two champion principal equcs-
and Archie O'Brien, the American Jockey.
This list of equestrian talent alone woCld
establish the superiority of the BaInum X
Bailey Show to all others, but ii does rot
rest it's fame in any one thing, but stands
first in ALL It's herd of elephants num-
bers twenty-four, q greater number than
all other shows combined can produce 1t
has seventy trained horses, which go into
one ring together and perform a compli-
Gated act, forming q mammoth pyramid and
going through an intricate Kaleidoscope
Gtiadrille under the direction OF Their
trainer This act is the greatest circus
novelty of several seasons. Even on the
street, in the free parade, forty-five black
horses are driven in single team.
The big show will visit Washington to-
morrow and Thursday. showing at North
ConitoI and NJ streets