Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-24

The Big Show viii he Given at the Island
Bridge Park.

Bridge Park.
/ This is circus day in Wheeling. The
big Barnum and Bailey show will ar
rive early from Sistersyille, and will
set up it's tents on Bridge Park, Wheel
ing Island, where performances will be
given this afternoon and tonight.
The grand free street parade will
leave the grounds at o'clock, and
will proceed over the following route:
Kentucky street to North York street,
to South York street, to Virginia street,
across the Suspension bridge, to Tenth
street, to Market street, to Fourteenth
street, to Main street, to Twenty-fourth
street, to Chapline street, to Twentieth
street, to Market street, to Tenth
street, across bridge to Zane street, to
the grounds.
The circus is said to be far and away
ahead of any performance of the kind
ever brought to Wheeling, and filled
with fine novelties One of the great
est acts in it, and in fact the greatest
circus act ever put before the public, is
a performance by seventy thorough
bred horses working in single ring,
conducted by John O'Brien, the famous
horse trainer, who has been with the
show for several years.
1t is known to but a few persons that
the great show styled the Barnum &
Bailey Greatest Show on Earth has
absorbed during the past twenty years
nearly all those circuses that were
famous during that period. Persons
sometimes wonder what has become
of such and such show?" or $50 and
SOS Onrio 9' tlo
true solution to the question is that
they have all been conscripted bodily
into what is now the Barnum & Bailey
show. Like huge magnet this man.
moth show has exerted wonderful
influence in the circus world by draw
ing towards itself all lesser shows and
making them part of itself
Some years ago there were in exist
ence the p. T. Barnum show and
Cooper & Bailey's show. These were
consolidated into one with Mr.. ]. A.
Bailey as the sole manager. Then be-
gan the process of absorption, and the
Great London Show, Whitney, Cooper
d Hemmings, w. w. Coles show, San
gers Royal British Menagerie, The
Great London Show, The Ten Interna-
tlonal Shows soon followed. Finally,
Mr. Bailey bought the great Forepaugh
snow, but the BaTnum & Bailey show
had meanwhile grown to such NAM
moth proportions that it would not adj
NIT of any further increase. and so the
latter show was combined with Sells
Bros Enormous Railway Shows, and
as one show the latter two are touring
the country this season. This is real
history and accounts for the disappear
ance from view Of many of the oldest,
largest and most popular shows.
What shall be said Of the great one
thus swallowing all the others? Sim
ply that it is in very truth the Greatest
Show on Earth. This season it ex-
hibits "a trained elephants, two droves
on camels, a gorilla, blue-nosed man
drill, giraffe, and so cages of animals
that even European geological gardens
DO not possess. 1t also exhibits 20
tralSed horses, who perform at one
tllZe IN several concentrical rings. 1t
mas all the champion male and female
riders, aerialists, acrobats, athletes and
experts, who are seen in their wonder
full exploits in three rings. three stages.
racing track, and in the air. 1t has
'HO Aho0t picturesque oXulD1C1On ever
seen where groups of artists display all
their high class specialties side by side
with the giant, midget and the Orissa
twins, all of whom are the greatest
living human wonders ever seen. 1t
requires GA railroad cars of unusual
length to transport the circus material,
LOCO people are employed, including
300 performers, and the stupendous
street parade is over a mile long. All
will be seen here to-day. Matinee and
evening performances at the Island
bridge park.