The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-26
CIRCUS SIDE LIGHTS
Twelve Thousand People At
tended the Show Yesterday
SNAKES AT THEIR BATH
GIimpes Through the City
Of Tents.

-
chant, his wife and babies the lover and
his best girl; the soda water, lemonade
ice cream and peanut fends-au 20 10
make up one great aggregation circus
bound. Some in cars, others in carria ges.
Some in the Old farm wagon, and others
on foot and a horseback.
Long before the hour appointed for the
Street parade yesterday the avenues and
oy-streets were filed with solid mass Of
people lining the curb, stretching their
necks to get first glimpse Of the great
Foreapugh-Sells Brothers consolidated
Show coming down the street in loud and
Ehimmering single file.
Most people have greatly exaggerated
-oea OF the number of people that attend
performance. This circus spreads the
largest seating tent IN the United States.
and their seating capacity is 5000. Yes
tenday afternoon and evening brought
out IN the neighborhood of 1900 people
Al Kansas City week ago Monday THE
largest crowd that ever attended anv
circus al that place at any time went to
see the Forepaugh-Stlls combination.
There were 1000 people at each per
tornance. They packed the tents. and
St times the show had TO bt suspended
until the crowds were showed back from
the rings. Kansas City is one Of their
banner towns and they always draw big,
The next day, at Lawrence. about 69O
ATTENDED the afternoon show. but the
evening crowd was small, owing TO
heavy wind and rain storm The attend
ance afternoon and evening, during the
remaining days Of the week was as fol-
lows: Chanute. 10000; Pittsburg, p o00:
Parsons, 1000 and CoffeyvilIe, 1000;
Wichita. 1880
The show was great Every act. every
effort. every feature and every success
Of each performer only furnished evidence
beyond question Of the splendid supe-
riority of this genuine amusement. There
were elephants, rare wild beasts, the
noblest Of horses and the greatest per
formers in equestrian, arenlc gymnastic.
aerial and comic art. ForepauCh-Sell
Brothers intended that every person who
came should be given an opportunity to
witness that what had been told to them
through the press was true-that this IS
a great consolidated, combined aggrega-
ton Of hippodrome and high-class eoues-
trianism and stars of the first magnitude.
Sunday afternoon Special Representa-
1ves c. A. Davis and T. O. Miller and a
carriage load Of newspaper men visited
the grounds. Under the guidance of these
gentlemen the press representatives were
shown the various departments. In the
menagerie tent the men were cleaning
UP the wagons and feeding the animals.
Crowds lined the tracks Sunday morning
10 watch the unloading Of the numerous
plants. To have circus sunday in
town is an event that seldom happens in
Wichita, and the people took advantage
TO get a glimpse of the other side OF cir
Gus life. Everyone is familiar with the
giittering parade, inspiring music and the
performance following, with its maze Of
wonderful startling and almost awe-in-
spring acts But few people not in the
business are familiar with the circus and
It's people on the one day of rest they
have each week The performers and
many of the workmen take advantage Of
tbs day and spend it in writing letters.
renewing their soiled wardrobe and rest
ing. A visit to the tented city reveals the
fact that It is a small municipality in it
self. The monster tents are laid off with
d precision OF a plated town. There are
storekeepers, buyers, harnessmakers,
blacksmths. holsters. cooks, walters. ami
nal trainers and keepers. beside the can
vasmen and performers, in all comprising
an army of 500 employees with the circus
proper. Four cars with their advance men
and billposters are always ahead of the
show
In the side-show tent many of the peo-
pie were found 70 be down town or at
the cars. Colonel Cooper the giant,
amused everyone with a recital of some
Of his experiences. and Miss Rem was
giving her snakes a bath. She said they
enjoyed Sunday as much as the humans
did. for they always were permitted 10
spend the day in a tank of water. She
exhibited a skin that a python had just
shed and left It in perfect condition. It
was about fifteen feet long. and plainly
showed the eyes and nose IL the trans
parent hide.
BY this time IL was announced that the /
elephants would start for the river, and
getting into a carriage the party pre-
oeded them to the bathing pace. On ar
rival there 4 sight greeted their eyes,
Lineda-ong the bank on both sides Of the
river was thousands and thousands of /
ptople. \ mCrmur of deigat surged !
through the crowd as the huge animals !
splashed into the water. Then the fun 1
began Jumping around like little chill |
dren, the elephants performed al sorts /
o. amusing things. They would dive IN (
DIR the water, sometimes coming up feet |
first They would squirt wafer at one /
another and thrash around wi,h their /.
trunks. Then they started up the river. 4
despite the trainers calling After spend /
ing some time in the water. seven OF them 1
went 70 the opposite bank. where their T.
keeper was awaiting, and assembled the /
bank. As they We're lined up and started .
on their return look OF sorrow seemed 1
10 be IN their bead-like eyes. but they 1
marched homeward like obe5ient children. |
On arrival at the ground Mr.. Davis took !
the party 20 The eating tent for supper. /
There they met Colonel Lewis Sells the /
general manager OF the circus M Sells /
IS one OF the noted circus men % the 4
country. and is thoroughly IN touch with /
every detail OF his business. He likes /
Kansas very much and was pleased a. \
the evident improvement made n the /
state. and especially Wichita. during She /
last year. During the Hea~ winch was
fa- above the average hotel table the
performers and heads OF Departments
were waited upon by whije-unformed /
negroes. who served al the de.cacles Of
the season.
The value OF q big menagerie Is some