Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-16

Thousands of people thronged to the
Island bridge park yesterday and
crowded around and into the big tents
of the Ringing Bros. circus. Unlike
most organizations of the kind, the
showmen generously allowed the peO-
pie to enter the big tent and soon the
three rings, where some of the per-
formers were practicing, were lined
with men and boys and not a few
women.
Eyes opened in wonder as the mag
nitude of the show, which has never
been in Wheeling before, gradually
made itself known to those who wan
dered about the city of canvas. Hun
dreds visit the stables, where over 500
beautiful horses are kept 1t required
the entire afternoon to see every de-
partment of the mammoth institution,
and then there was not time to see
all that is required to operate such a
big enterprise.
The only part of the show that was
closed to the public was the menagerie
tent, where things are not yet i'll
place. There was under that canvas
yesterday, however, a row of ele-
plants at least a block long, and one
which is as large as two of the or
binary
Wheeling will have the honor OF
witnessing the debut in the show bus
mess of two tiny leopard cubs, one as
black as night and the other with the
conventional spots. These, the young
est members of the circus, were born
a few days before the show left its
winter quarters. Their mothers
watch them jealousy, and it
will be necessary for a day or two
longer to keep them closed in their
cages. On Thursday, however, they
will be given an introduction to the
public of Wheeling, and from their
healthy appearance yesterday there is
no doubt thai they are already pleased
with the show business.
The Ringing Bros. menagerie can
without doubt lay claim to possessing
the two ugliest specimens of the ami
NAL kingdom in existence, in TIE shape
of pair of wart hogs recently sent
from Africa. If the everyday Ameri-
can porker should see one of his for
eign brothers he might well congrata
late himself on his good looks. These
two wart hogs are the only ones in
America. Aside from their ugliness,
they have certain roguish and inpu-
dent look that is more apt to provoke
laughter than unkind remarks about
their beauty. Everything in the ami
NAL line, from monkey that chews
gum and uses a tooth brush, to an
ostrich that can tie its neck into a
true lovers knot, is exhibited under
one canvas, and it is safe to say that
no other show ever brought such
large menagerie of rare beasts to
Wheeling.
There are many people in Wheeling
who have never seen the Ringing
Bros. circus, and those who attend the
performances next Thursday will no
doubt receive one of the greatest sur
prises of their life, when the trumpets
in the grand pageant sound the sig
spectacular acts and ushers beneath
the twelve acres of canvas a regiment
of the worlds greatest performers, 500
magnificent horses, eighteen perform
ing elephants and enough other fea-
lures besides to satisfy the ordinary
run of showmen for the next ten years
The crowds that visited the exhibit
tion grounds yesterday had but to look
for a minute about the labyrinth of
tents to realize that next Thursday
will be Wheeling's greatest show day.
Rehearsals will begin to-day, and it
will require but day or two to per-
feet the acts, as the performers have
been practicing all spring in prepara-
ton for the opening of the season.
O'Brien's 61-horse act, the wonder of
the world in its line, will be a revela-
ton to the people in what it is possible
to accomplish in the way of training
animals. Lockhart's performing Gle
plants stand alone as the most remark
able specimens of their kind, and
Souder's elephant brass band will be
one of the surprises of the show.
In the way of clown acts. Spader
Johnson's band is guaranteed to make
a horse laugh. In England this last
winter these unique and awful must
clans created such a furore that a
prominent club in London presented
them with a medal declaring them to
be the worst band in existence.
Thursday morning the big street
parade will begin the season