The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-07-21
CIRCUS DAY.
Thousands ThrOng the Streets
During the Day.
A Parade a Mile Long Monday Forenoon
and a Show that Afternoon
Crowded with Attrac ions.

Uccn OIucIou lOT Cl0 OCCdSlOu. IuO
day opened cool with a cloudless sky
and gradually warmed up wherever the
rays of the sun fell, but remained cool
elsewhere. People began to come in
early in the morning, forming process
sions over all the roads leading to the
city, and long before the parade started
the streets were thronged with thous-
ands of people from the adjoining
country as we'll as other thousands from
the city. Front street was crowded
from end to end, and numerous fakirs
shouted their attractions to the passers
by and took in good many dollars. The
vendors of circus lemondade, toy bal
looms and other things inseparable from
circus were on hand early.
From 5000 to 5000 people from out
of town came to Mankato Monday,it is
estimated. The farmers took day off
and came in with their families, and
the farmers sons came with their best
girls, and the scene was an animated
one Every livery and feed stable was
quickly filled to its utmost capacity.
Every train brought crowd. and the
hotels and restaurants could hardly
handle the people.
The circus train arrived Sunday
forenoon in sections and the unloading
was watched with interest by thousands
of people. The big tents were pitched
of %ha o,f ha n
of a modern frst-class show is
no swall matter, but it was carried out
with the regularity of clockwork.
The parade Monday was all that
was anticipated, and was about mile
long, while the various vehicles were
close together. Several bands of music,
the steam caliope and chime of bells
made the air resound with melody,
while the magnificent animal wagons,
resplendent with gilt and fresh paint
and drawn by we'll fed draft horses, at
tracted the eye The animals, the
mounted riders, the horses, the big
string of camels and elephants filled
the heart of the small boy with glad
delight known only on circus day, and
/ made parents determine to drag their
children to the afternoon performance.
Everything looked neat and clean, from
the costumes of the riders to the inter-
ior of the animal cages.
By two o'clock that afternoon, the
hour when the performance began, ev-
cry seat in the big tent was filled. 1t
was estimated that $4,000 people were
seated under the big canvass. The side
shows were also we'll patronized. The
pink lemonade man, the dealers in palm
leaf fans and the vendors of peanuts,
popcorn and the like did rushing bust
ness.
The menagerie was unusually large,
and the different animals were fine spec
linens of their kind-large and healthy
looking The scene was. a good deal
like that which must have been pre-
scented in Noah's ark, for there seemed
to be few animals not represented here.
AS soon as the vast audience could be
F.. seated the performance began with the
customary pageant, only on larger
and more complete scale than usual.
The climax to this was an excellently
conceived and executed patriotic spec
tacle representing the last days of the
century. On the central Stage was a
pantomime representing Uncle Sam
striking the chains from Cuba at the re-
quest of Columbia, while soldiers in
blue and gray and sailors and marines
stood by. In the rings on each side
were represented different nationalities,
appropriately CARRIED each carrying
American flags, in addition to the en-
I blems of their own countries.
Then came the gen raj performance.
Now the three rings and central stage
would be teamed by artists giving sim
Infamous acts that evoked deserved ap-
pIause. Anon the sphere of activity
would change to the air, where on fly
ing rings, trapeze and bars were shown
feats of skill and muscle and daring
that exceeded all expectations. Events
fsllowed thick and fast. 1t was quite
impossible to see all that took place,
much less to describe it. To point out
some of the best features is difficult
from such long program of excellence
Probably the particular act that was
most enjoyed by the audience was the
work of the three herds of trained ele-
plants. They did everything from
doing cake-walk steps to standing on
their heads
Next in Importance of the animal
events was O'Brien's horse act, introduce
ing 81 animals in complicated and intri
cate maneuvers that were given with a
precision that seemed phenomenal
The backward dive of Joseph LeFleur,
who falls about 10 feet, alighting on his
hands, was an act that was particularly
applauded One of the most daring
and dangerous bits of entertainment
was the trapeze act of Mile Tornour.
On slender bar, suspended by wires
high up near the center of the tent, she
balanced herself and did dance steps.
Thop che Epolt on tho. trono1o ond