The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-10
THE CIRCUS OF THEM ALL
BARNUM & BAILEY SHOW THE BEST
EVER SEEN IN THIS CITY.
Novel Features at the Performance
Yesterday-Remarkab Exhibition
of Trained Horses.

Across the river, yesterday afternoon and
evening, was the feverish excitement which
centers about the old show grounds once or
twice a summer. The big Barnum & Bailey
circus, giving ample evidence of its claim
to the Greatest Show on Earth, was
there, and the thousands waded through the
usual tumble of lemonade and peanut
stands wagons, carriages and street cars to
get to the big tents. In the afternoon there
were, as the baseball reporter would esti-
mate, about 10000 people divided by four to
get the exact TRUTH, while at night the
huge stretch of canvas covered all that 1t
could well do, making due provision for
safety. The unusual influx of country Wis
itors was a noticeable feature of circus day.
The parade in the morning over the down
town streets was the most gorgeous affair
of the kind ever witnessed in Indianapolis,
embracing several novel features of more
than ordinary attractiveness. One of these
was the representation of the return of Co
iumbus to Barcelona, with gay historical
pageantry of apparently historical accu-
racy.
An almost endless task it would be to re-
view all that is offered by the Barnum &
Bailey management in its ring performance,
where a perfect maze of acrobatic tricks
and specialties, magnificent capers of
horses, elephants and other animals and
feats of all kinds confront the spectator and
almost make him weary seeing so much
for his price of admission. In speaking of
good circuses it is only worth the while
nowadays to speak relatively and compare
the entertainment with what has been Of
fered in the previous year. for people are
still saying, 20 well. it must surely be the
same old thing over again" 1t is the evil
dent intention of the Barnum d Bailey peo-
pie to get away from this idea as much as
possible, by obtaining every novelty to be
had for money and yet not diVest the cir
Gus of the glamour and the atmosphere
which has made such form of entertainment
q permanent American institution. OF the
tumbling, aerial flights and numerous other
recognized programme numbers this circus
has only the best to be obtained. OF the
new things, 1t has many worthy of more
than a passing notice With the show is a
French bulldog who has rapidly risen from
the list of those advertised as land others
to a place as a star performer. He takes
the entire arena for his turn and gives an
exhibition of football playing that is pc
culiarly his own. A huge rubber ball is
tossed to him. and catching it on the tip of
his nose, he knocks it high into the air, fol-
lowing the ball and catching it again on his
rose repeating the performance over and
over again, the ball seldom finding oppor-
tunity to reach the ground Round after
round of cheers greeted the clever turn yes
leIutly ne uOS fancy LOT IOOtDdlI was
discovered by accident. a hurdle jumping
Shetland pony did some work that pushed
the thoroughbred jumpers to compete with
him. Econ La Roche gets inside a hollow
ball and in a mystifying fashion rolls the
ball to the top of spiral plane and rolls
down again, thrilling as well puzzling
the spectators, for the slightest carelessnesS
or lack of nerve on his part might cause the
serious injury or death of the actor.
Trained horses have a strong fascination
for many people, and in this line the Bar
mum Il Bailey show has one of the greatest
tricks ever shown. Mr.. John O'Brien man
ages seventy horses in one ring, compelling
them to dash about in four concentric cir
cles, each circle going in a direction oppo-
at the top of a pyramid of these horses on
his beautiful white steed. 1t took him four
months to train the horses to this work
There is bareback riding galore with this
circus, too many acts to give the riders the
mention they all deserve by their grace and
skill, but of them there is none more artis-
tic and graceful in their acts than William
lily they really do not seem difficult and the
MeerS Sisters, who come of a famous family
OF equeStrianS OF the hundred or more
acts. 1t can be truthfully said the Barnum
Bailey show fully redeems its promises
me circus, in three trains, left early this
morning for Terre Haute, where it has not
exhibited for several years. 1t has done
having been through the South. where ii
demonstrated the untruthfulness of the
statement that Southern people will nor
go to circus till after cotton picking
Ihere are eight people on the pay roll. The
verdict OF the press everywhere has been
that the Barnum q Bailey show this season
eNcells anything ever put under canvas in
America