The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-31

Saturday was a regular old-fash-
ioned circus day. 1t might not have
been an old-time circus day, as there
are many people hereabouts just now
who could bring themselves to the
hardship of letting the elephant go un-
seen, but II was a legal holiday and the
first of the warm weather holidays and
so the people, the common people, who
make the circus mare go said to them
selves, come what may We'll see it and
they did.
The circus, too, was a regular old
fashioned circus. 1t was as big as the
biggest of them and as good as the
best of them and it had some feature
which to the minds of many caused it
to excel the most excellent of them.
One of the principal features was that
more regard was shown for quality
than quantity. There wasn't ground
tumbler" in the whole show, excepting
one woman and she only turned hand
springs as a side issue. And 1t Is
great temptation for a show that is
| running three rings and stage to trot
out all its tent hands, cooks, wagon
ers and the like who are capable of do
ing a handspring and use them as bal
last in the end rings while one of the
principal acts is going on in the GEN.
ter. This circus allowed the end rings
| to remain empty when an especially
good turn was on in the center and the
| innovation was a welcome one.
THE BEST WAS GIVEN.
This same rule prevailed throughout
the entire programme. Whatever was
| presented was the best of its kind.
| The bareback riders each had a spe-
| ciality. One juggled balls and knives
| and flaming bars, while going about
| the ring at a break-neck pace. Another
| in addition to the ordinary feats turned
| summersaults on the horses back. An
| other did vaultng from the ground
| to the horse. Others did double acts,
| two horses and two persons appear
ing in each ring, and so on down the
list
The aerial work was certainly the
| finest ever seen here. The bar and
| trapeze artists, 1t might be said be-
gan where their rivals leave off. The
new and lavishly advertised feat
ure of the bicycle work must, how
ever, be left out of this laudation.
1t is novel. but that is about all that
can be said for it.
What was unquestionably the great
| est feature of the show or, in fact, of
any show ever seen here, was the
work Of the performing seals. These
animals, Alaskan travellers tell us, are
so lacking anything approaching intel
ligence that they allow themselves to
be driven into a shallow creek or upon
the shore, ard stand calmly by to be
killed one after the other with a club.
Yet the five that Captain Woodward
exhibited here Saturday did tricks that
will equal those done by the most in
telligent Of animals.
They, to all appearances, understood
certain commands, and one of them
was made to do some reasoning or at
all events the spectators were led to
judge that it was an act of reasoning.
The trainer asked one of the seals to
strike chord on the banjo, that the
others might sing. The others SEEM
ingly waited patiently for the chord.
FISH WAS ALL GONE.
Just before the musical number had
been announced the trainer had passed
around some fish, and Mr.. Accompan-
ist has not Jared as we'll as the others
When he was called to give the chord
he turned around around and whined
a remonstrance. IT haven't got any
more fish. That's right now. &C
ahead and play" The seal stopped
whining, but hung his head sullenly
as if to say ''Well maybe you haven't
but doubt you" II guess he doesn't
believe me-" the trainer says and sum.
moning q helper he has the fish tut
brought on the platform and places
in front of the sulking seal.
Mr. Seal looks into the tub, pokes
his nose around the sides, hesitates g
minute as If satisfying himself that II
will do no good to keep UP the trick
and tossing back his head bangs away
at the banjo with his topper or front
leg, or whatever 1t is. AS may be be-
lieved, this brings down the tent.
The menagerie, with its two mon
, strous hippotami, the parade with it:
dozens of open cages and every othel
appurtenance and part of the circus /!
) big and up-to-date, and all in al
Scranton votes the Forepaugh & Sell;
Brothers circus a first class entertain
ment in every respect.