Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-10-17
BARNUM's CIRCUS IN GERMANY

BARNUM'S CIRCUS IN GERMANY
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette ]
Ksiserslautern, Oct. 3.-The great
event of the season in this provincial
town was the visit of Barnum &
Bailey's great show, which took place
here yesterday, and thinking it might
interest some of your readers what
people in Germany Think and say of it,
| feel tempted to give you short de.
scriptioD OF the same. About month
ago the advance agents OF the show sp-
peared here and had numerous large
| sign boards erected, as we'll 10 the city ,
| as in lbe very large number OF neigh
boring villages within a radius of 80
miles of the city. The rapidity with
which these sign boards we're erected
by Barnum's men and with which the
great advertisements was stuck upon
them, was quite revelation to the
people of this couDtrya nd l heard a
competent judge say that it would
take the average paperhanger day to
do the work two of BarDum's men per-
formed in 10 minutes. Siuce then
the circus has been the talk OF
the town; all sorts of opinions were
expressed, a good many denouuc
ing it as a great American humbu9. I.
When finally the day OF the show
came the city was all expectation and
excitement. Barnum's three gresl
trains rolled into the railroad station OF
4 o'clock in the morning and at 6
o'clock thousands of strangers in all
sorts OF vehicles and trains, as the
management had arranged for eight
specials on that day. continued to ar
rive here and by s o'clock thousands OF
people had gathered around the show
and filed the adjoining streets, and
the restaurants were doing al immense
business with concerts going on in a
number of them. Nearly ell the large
factories and all the schoolhouses were
closed and the hole event celebrated
as a regular holiday. BY O'Clock all
the tents, about Is in number, with the
were erected, the hundreds of horses
were stabbed and fed, the meals
for all the employees were cooked, the
blacksmith shop and al other depart
ments being in full operation. The
erection of the main tent was completed
in less than three hours. The quiet
unostenIatious systematic way IN
which all this was done was a revels-
ton TO TIE people around here and tn
speed with which 1t was accomplish
cd amazed them, to say the ieasi.
An old lady was beard saying thai
witchcraft must have been instrument
al in the erection of this immense show.
All agreed that it would be matter Il
impossibilily for German set of work.
lngmen TO accomplish such an immense
task 10 such limited time. There wa
apparently no haste, 10 excitement anG
no whoOping and following of the
overseers with the men at work, which
is so customary here. The manage
ment of ell the hands was simply sn-
perb. In America the public would
give little or no attention to such pro-
ceedings, because it is nothing new,
but here it was watched with the mos
intense interest, particularly by the
better classes. Even the work OF the
heavy drsught horses was done in
similar manner, not whip being used
| by any of the drivers of the numerous
elk and eight horse teams, every horse
taking it's proper place for the purpose
of being hitched up. The transports'
| ton depart ment was keenly wstcbea
by several army officers and highly
praised for ts efficiency in unloading and
loading the immense show in less than
three hours. The animals In the me
nagerie were all in splendid condition
and much better kept than they usual
ly are In such shows. When one takes
| into consideration the fact that some
times for a week running this great
show gives two exhibitions daily In a
different city, it must be conceded that
the management is simply marvellous.
and that men as we'll as beasts are tax
ed to their full capacity. Last night
the show travelled four hours to reach
The city of Maipz, where it gives two
exhibitions today. The opinion OF the
show itself is, that it is meritorious
one, containing, besides great number
OF common place features, various ones
which are new 10 the public here, and
it ia conteDded that some features 10
European shows require greater skill
and more endurance on the part OF the
actors, but the often very unfavoraole
criticism, which existed before tie ar
rival Of the show has entirely disap'
| N A LIT