The times., 1899-09-05

Circus day is circus day the country
over, and the staid citizens of Washing
ton are not more immune from the siren
song of the steam calliope than are the
residents OF Carter's Crossroads. This was
evidenced yesterday, when the Wallace
Shows attracted nearly 5000 people to
the afternoon and night performances, and
caused such an outpouring of sightseers
to witness the street parade that even ice
wagons were stopped in their headong ca
reer and the new postotice clock ceased
operations until the pageant had passed.
At the exhibition grounds in North Capitol
Street there was fully as much excitement
and hubbub as in even the most remote
rustic burg when canvas is raised, and the
cynic who had long ago foresworn such
things purchased peanuts and tickets with
the same delight as of yore.
The show grounds were the Mecca of
surging, expectant crowds all day long and
far into the night. Here the fortunate who
possessed the necessary wherewithal to OBJ
tain tickets passed into the charmed main
entrance and disappeared while the penni-
lcSS Slldll DOs Thought out WnOIe VOLUMES
on the unjust, unequal distribution of
wealth when a circus is in town. Here
the country visitor found deep springs of
unalloyed delight, and alternately stared
at the flowing art posters depicting the
wonders within the sideshow and eiacu-
lated, Gosh all hemlock," All was or
derly confusion, in that all were bent upon
one errand, but found many indirect ways
in which to arrive at the delightful re-
suit.
The great menagerie tent was, of course,
a Joy and a wonder to the thousands. The
small boy wondered II the lions would bite,
and laughed to see the elephants eat candy
and peanuts. The fifty or more dens con-
tanning animals formed an attractive fea-
ture of the show. Inside the main tent,
however, remained the great attractions
of the circus and long before the hours
announced for the show to begin in the
afternoon and at night every seat was filled
and hundreds eagerly strove for admission.
Twelve thousand expectant faces shone
from the tiers of seats last night, and
formed a wondrous panorama. The prod
igal peanut cracked a merry accompani-
ment to the swish of fans and the lumin-
Gus lemonade, which is akin to every cir
Gus, found many lovers. Everybody
seemed to be there and everybody seemed
to be happy.
When the concert band, led by G. z.
Bronson, had received a lavish share OF
applause the changing of a gong announced
the grand introductory pageant and ush-
cred in two solid hours of laughter and ap
plause. The clowns were as funny as
those which played to small boys in by
gone years. the acrobats were even more
wonderful, the races were more thrilling,
and every man within the tent was a boy
again for the length OF the programme.
None doubted but that all was real for the
time, and the sincere enjoyment of the
olden days, when circus day, Christmas.
and the glorious Fourth We're the events
of the year, returned to make men forget
that they had ever scoffed at these things.
So when the grand march circled about
the tent the alternate roars of laughter
and torrents of applause We're unanimous
until the last act had passed.
The merry clowns managed to mingle IN
mischief every few moments, and the old,
old tricks were played only to excite new
laughter The bonfire was built in the
race track and was, of course, eXtinguished
by pouring water all over the greenhorn
who volunteered to save the place. The
same inQuisitive woman had her child
stolen by clown and the chase through
the audience was as realistic as ever. All
this and scores of other pranks caused
laughter until the spectators tired from
sheer exhaustion.
Every event in the programme of near
ly fifty acts received deserved applause and
the features were admired for their cleanli-
ness and high rank. The Dellameads.
eight shapely and graceful women, opened
! the list with series of six groupings rep
resenting marble statuary. Each picture
received great applause, as the posing was
perfect and away ahead of anything hith-
| erto offered by show OF this kind. The
! Livingstones managed to keep the audience
roaring with laughter by their unique COM
edy work on aerial bars. and under cover
OF ludicrous makeups performed many difil-
| cult feats
| Other especially good features in an ex-
cellent programme were the Stirk family of
| bicycle riders, who do turn" which is
1 actually entertaining after years OF tire
| some so-called fancy bicyclists. Eddie Pi-
nard, the tramp cyclist, showed the possi-
| bilities of the modern wheel by doing any
thing he pleased with it and winding up
with hurdle race, in which he leaped over
the platform. Mile Norada French caused
sensation by rolling to the top of a
steep spiral stairway while enclosed in a
small ball. The Ferris wheel trapeze act
| by the FIVE Vartex sisters caused much
wonder, and dozen other clever artists
attracted applause
The renowned Nelson family showed that
| the members have lost none OF their cum
ming, and for fifteen minutes treated the
! spectators TO a series of acts which have
ever been regarded as next to impossible.
| The nine members of the family are won
| der acrobats. and alone would prove a big
attraction. The long series of delightful
] things which make the circus a big show
are too numerous for classification, and
no one departed dissatisfied. The bareback
| riders, the dancing horses the wonderful
troupes of Japanese, the clever high and
| low wire artists, the ballet OF dancing
| girls, the educated horses, dogs, and birds,
| the strong men and women, the comical
| mules. all were there and all were en-
| ioyed. The hippodrome races were very
| thrilling and caused much excitement the
| contestants going at a very high rate of
speed and making narrow turns as though
| it were pleasure. The fiat and hurdle
races and the chariot races were cxcep-
| tionally well ridden, and when all was
| ended the spectator wanted TO come and
see the whole show over again. A splen-
| did concert is given on a platform in the
| main tent after the show, and the many
features OF this entertainment elected great
| applause Every thing was carried out
| smoothly and in perfect harmony. and not
| one unpleasant feature occurred TO mar
the old d-fashioned delight Of seeing a good
| circus. Two more performances will be