Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-25

and three rings instead of one strikes the
audience an example of American ex-
travagance by which they profit getting
more than their moneys worth. Another
thing that surprises them is the fact that
the performance moves at top speed. They
cannot accustom themselves to the fact
that the horses gallon into the ring at full
speed and that the performers run in and
out. The ways of the British circus have
always been more leisurely.
AS for the circuSi itself it has been
changed somewhat since it reached Eng
land. On acoount of ITS popularity the de-
partment devoted to the "prodigies'' has
been enlarged. The familiar living skeleton.
the tattooed man. the bearded lady the fat
woman and the Circassian girl are retained,
added. q
There is an Egyptian giant eight feet tall
of whom the English papers gravely pub
fish the statement that he drinks four
quarts of whisky and smokes twenty boxes
OF cigarettes in a day. There is Tomasso
the human pincushion. If such excellent
news sheets rs the Aberdeen Gazette are
to be believed Tomasse can control the
circulation of his blood at will Likewise
there are the human ostrich the man with
an elastic chin and others too numerous to
mention.
Latest Fashion in Freaks,
One of the unique prodigies is Jo-Jo. the
human skye terrier. OF Jo-Jo it can onlv be
said that he looks the part. Another is
Mile. Ivy, who is described as the moss
haired girl. But the pride and ioy of the
circus is the pair of Chinese twins VIII,
are united much as were the Samese twins
and who bid fair to become as famous a,
that celebrated pair. They have been wifi
me circus only a short time, having been
OBTAINED from the city of Wau Kong
According to Col. Hamilton the British
take d greater interest in gazing upon the
freaks and abnormalities of nature than do
Americans. For this reason the n1lmber of
blOulglpS haan inprnY saI
THIS the performance has not been changed
except by the addition of trapeze and othe,
aerial acts and by taking on d number OF
English clowns. The two latter features
nave also found especial favor iii England
1t is difficult for an American to appre-
clate the weighty Importance which is given
TO all the movements of the circus over
here On the day of a parade ii is Gus
tCmary for the mayor of the town in which
L takes place to issue a proclamation which
is reprinted and distributed about tho
streets. The proclamation usually reads
something like this:
me, ], the undersigned mayor of the city
and county of -. hereby give notice that
no carriage or other conveyance shall be al
lowed upon the streets herein named from
the hour Of am. until after the parade
has passed. etc, etc.
Owns the Town.
Not only are persons summarily warned
orders are issued giving the exact points
at which omnibuses shall be permitted to
take up and set down passengers for the
circus. Railway superintendent issue SIM
liar long-winded orders for the moving Of
the special trains, giving directions ever
as to the manner of coupling cars fitted
with American couplings. The consequence
of all this fuss and feathers is naturally
that everything proceeds in the most or
derby manner and that. in the language of
the land from which the circus comes. II
owns the town during the period of its
stay.
Since Great Britain has taken the circus
SO warmly to its heart it seems doubtful
whether it will ever return to the United
States. Recently it formed into a Brit
ish limited company so that it is now
full-fedged English institution.
Il is said by the directors of the circus
that the noney-making abilities of the
show are greater on this side than in Amer
lea. because of the longer season during
which it can exhibit under canvas and also
because of the shorter distances between
the towns in which it exhibits
In the coming spring the circus will cross
the channel, and for the next few years it
will be occupied in an extensive tour Of the
continent BY the time that is completed
Great Britain will be ready for another
visit and so it seems more than likely that
Europe has permanently robbed the United
States of the greatest show on earth.