The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-01
THOUSANDS VISITED IT
THERE WERE TOO MANY RINGS
FOR THE OLD-TIMERS.
PUNGENT SAWDUST AND COMIC CLOWNS
Trained Seals and Sea Lions. A Daring Diver
and Thrilling Gynmastic Feats. Dizzy
Flights Through Mid-air. many
Accomplished Horsemen.

Accomplished H0rseTen.
/ went early.
l always go early to shows and we'd
dings.
/ want to watch the animals-at the
shows, / mean.
The air within was redolent of saw
dust and without, the sun was bright
A circus would hardly seem natural with
out the sawdust.
People came in by ones and by twos
anb by tens and twentys, until there we're
some 5000 or more present. Happy
hearted, smiling-faced they We're. most
of them.
Flags and bannerets tiuttered III the
breezes, clowns ran about the ring. Here
and there were great splotches OF gaudy
color against the white canvas.
Altogether. it was a beautiful place
this circus ring, surrounded by sea OF
faces, each one in itself picture OF hu-
man loves, human passions, desires ana
humors.
A saucy clown turns a clever somer-
sault puts his hand admiringly to his
breast, bows in mock acknowledgment
of imaginary applause, then views you
with beady eyes.
Near you some one laughs, and far
down the ring there's a clapping' OF
hands. The clown runs away.
And then there fell upon the buzzing
air the aggressive blare of instruments
of brass, the scattering cheer Of the as
sembled multitude, the rush of horses and
the shout of performers. The circus had
begun.
You caught yourself following the
s'oompah. oompah. oOmpah.'' of the from
bones with your heels on the benches, or
tapping time with your fingers to the
rataplan of the drums.
The clown came back with his beady
eye and impertinent smirk, the riders
were on their horses. the ringmaster
whip was cracking and the band was for
gotten.
The performance began with grand
march. Horses beautiful enough for
kings. wolfish dogs in their leashes,
knights in gold-gilt steel. and women
decked in rainbow colors: ponderous eie-
plants. ponies of diminutive size, clowns
and choristers-all were in this process
sional entree Gaily liveried attendants
were running to and fro. Already the
rings and platforms and cross-bars ana
swings are alive with a confused tumble
of men and women and horses-horses
keeping time to slow music, now waltzing
and bowling like man and maiden IN a
minuet or kneeling as in prayer.
You gasp in amaZement and look about
YOU. Merciful goodness! There are three
rings. and platform, and a network OF
trapezes-all going at the same time, ana
always to the perpetual music OF the
band. Tumblers and acrobats by the
score are dislocating themselves \
strong woman is performing feats with
well-nigh impossible weights. bareback
riders are turning somersaults on running
horses. Gymnasts are flying from swing
to swing and net to net: and DIVER IS
dropping from the top of the tent INTO
shallow pool of water, 100 feet below.
There were races of men. races OF AMI
mails. running races, chariot races, dog
and monkey races.
Nor is this all. Oh, Lord no. not by
any means. But why should | try to tell
YOU of it. / didn't see it all. neither
would you had you been there. How
could you, with so many rings-all going
at the same time.
And herein lies my objection to the
modern circus. There are too many
things to see at once. You fastened
your eyes on the Davenports, brother
and sister, two of the greatest eques-
triennes in the world. A hand-clapping
called your attention to man building
pyramid of chairs on which he bal
ances himself in mid air. You look
back. the Davenports are gone. Paul
Tustin is being drawn to the top Of
the tent that he may dive into three
foot tank of water, one hundred rect
below it seems. As you watch him
making ready for the leap friend calls
your attention to two remarkable roller
skaters on the platform. You give them
only one glance, but that's enough.
Tustin has made the daring leap and all
you see of it is the splash Of the water.
You lean back in despair. You are
missing everything. 1t is too much, you
decide. for two small eyes and one small
brain. It's no use trying. But here's
this chariot race. It's between a wo-
man in white. driving four white charg-
ers. and man in red, behind four mag.
nifcent blacks. You'll see that and lei
ALI else 90. The woman being a woman
and n pretty one at that, of course you
hone she'll win. You admire her eager
eve and flushed face as she flashes by
Won. Nv. how the horses fly. Look
the blacks are gaining. will they WIN
No, it's the grays. the woman III white
They're ahead on the home stretch. bu'
the blacks. You lean forward GREATNESS
ready to shout for victory
Was that a piSol shot? You took. a
fellow is doing tricks with a huge I'm
glish bull. The race is ended and you vt
missed that too, and no one can tel
whether your favorite won or not
Thus it goes to the end of the pro
gramme, and finer, more artistic pro
gramme there never was. Not Il mum
Der on it but what was worth seeing and
seeing many times. Every performer
was an artist in his or her speciality; the
costumes were neat and costly; the
horses were in the finest order and
training. And what is more the Off
cials were polite and accommodating.
Then at night the crowd was as great
as ever and they went through it all
again, with slight variations until the
concart was ended and the thrOaty