The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-28
ANACONDA NEWS.
ANACONDA'S CIRCUS DAY
Deer Lodge County Turned Out
a Big Crowd for the Occasion.
EVERYONE WAS PLEASED
An Honest Show and Good One the
Verdict of the Audience Many
Unique and Brilliant
Features.
EVERYONE WAS PLEASED

The pink clad young men who leaped
over elephants and camels, the red
lemonade, the palm leaf fan and the
peanut boys; the clowns with and with
out donkeys, the after concert and 1.-The
gentlemanly agents who will now pass
through the audience" the monkey
cages, about which clustered the juve-
niles; the zebras, the hippopotamus, the
fat woman and the tatooed woman; the
brazen tongued side show spieler who
kept up ceaseless imploring howl to
come in land see all the wonderful
people," the pretty little lady in fluffy
skirts who jumped over the banners
and smiled and pointed her toes while
she rode about the ring on the back of
the white horse; the ringmaster with
the long whip, the hippodrome, the
jockey riders and the acrobats-they
were all there, just as they have been
for generations past.
But there was difference They did
things well and there was such a lot
of them. In some circuses there are
many acts, but a few worn and weary
performers do them all, appearing one
moment in one costume and the next
In another and going through the acts
like men saving wood. But in Ring
ling's circus there seems to be no
doubling up and every act is given
with a freshness and happiness and
vigor that catches the crowd.
The dear old circus features that
every one looks for and would sadly
miss if they were cut out are only
part of the big bewildering perform
ance. Mr.. Freeman, the press agent,
asserts there are 1000 people with the
circus. People who saw yesterdays
performance are inclined to believe he
is right. And all the 1000 seem to be
doing something to help amuse the
audience.
Anaconda, Deer Lodge and all the
surrounding towns turned out for the
circus. People came in farm wagons
and on foot, on horseback, in trains
and on bicycles to attend. The weather
clerk gave a. clear and delightful
early summer day for the show; sunny,
but not hot. When the big, gay and
colorful parade went through the
< streets between 10 and II o'clock in the
morning all. Deer hodge county, with
contingents from several outside coun-
, ties, seemed to be watching ~
There was but one opinion among all
the spectators, and that was that the
parade was the biggest and most beau
5tiful and well arranged of any hereto
fore seen in the state. And the opin-
ion of those, who saw the show was
mentary. AS a matter of fact, this is
the first complete big show that has
come this way. Nothing was cut from
the performance: there was no taking
to cover defects, no taWdry accessories,
no lack Of men so1' women or animals.
Everything was new and complete and
bright and genuine. The spirit of the
whole aggregation was excellent.
There was no wrangling among the en-
ployes, no abuse of the public, no
''erafters" or confidence men, no short
changing.
Barnum's old maxim that the Ameri-
can public likes to be humbugged is a
thing of the past. American civiliza-
ton has passed. that stage. Ringing
Brothers evidently realize CHS and it
can truthfully be said that they give
an honest show.
The circus is extraordinarily rich in
musicians and horses. 1t seems to have
separate band for every feature. One
of the bands that made particular hit
with the public on the street was the
mounted one that rode in the parade.
1t was composed of excellent musicians
and it and its horses We're as well
drilled as any cavalry regmental band
in the country.
But the burlesque on Sousa's band
was the particularly amusing one. 1t
was the 'hayseed band" seen with
every circus, but the leader was made
up to delightfully."- lifelike carica ture
of the march king. When he and his
band appeared in the big tent for a
little concert of their own, the leader
bowed to the applauding audience and
replaced his cap with the little nervous
moments so characteristic of Sousa
himself that the audience was con-
vulsed.
Then there was a Turkish band
which played the airs made familiar
to Americans on the Midway Plaisance
of the worlds fair, and other bands of
many sorts and descriptions
Features, there We're were many To
enumerate them would be impossible
in short space. The performance is
given In three rings and an elevated
stage. Thus there are four distinct
acts going on at time. The whole
performance goes with a tilt and a
swing that is attractive in itself. even
if the spectator does miss some of it,
But to mention some of the bright,
particular features. The Introductory
pageant is one of the most brilliant,
1t concludes with patriotic spectacle
entitled ''The Last Days of the Cen
fury In this are introduced represen-
tatives of many of the armies of the
world, each with it's own band There
are British guards, French infantry
and French zouaVes, German rifiemen.
American rough riders and American
Jack Tars, and finally Uncle Sam
Columbia and Cuba in a pleasing little
tableauX.
The De Coma family perhaps scored
the greatest hit in the acrobatic spe-
cialties. Three women and three men
in evening costume give a marvellous
performance, the high collars Of the men
and the long skirts of the women SEEM
ing not to bother them at all. Later
the same family appears in a daring
aerial act, doing double somersaults
high in the air. The flying Fishers do
similar startling act in another part
of the tent at the same time.
The 61-horse act of John O'Brien is
another remarkable act. This famous
equestrian, mounted on a beautiful
horse, mounts a high platform which
contains three terraces. On the ter
races and on the ring below 81 beau
tiful horses maneuver in a graceful and
intricate manner, controlled only by
Mr.. OBrien'S voice
Did you ever see a big three-ton ole