The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-11
DREW GREAT CROWDS.
over Twenty Thousand Persons
Saw the Forepaugn and Sells
Brothers Circus Yesterday.

The Forepaugh- circus came to
town yesterday and pitched its i'm
mense tents on the Ash street grounds,
whereat the small boy became eXuber-
antly happy and his parents and
grown-up brothers and sisters tried to
make themselves believe that they
didn't nave any more use for the big
tented show. and failing in the at
tempt, dressed up and took the young
ster.
The first great feature of the day
was the big parade, which started
promptly at 10 O'Clock and moved over
the principal streets in the central
city. This parade was very much like
all other circus parades and was wit
messed by fairly large crowds of peo-
pie.
The show itself was Witnessed both
afternoon and evening by two eno"-
nous crowds which filled every avail
able seat and surg1d into the hippo
drome track. The performance, on tn :
whole, was the best seen in this city
in many years. The menagerie was
especially complete and large. There
We're four lions, four magnificent Ben
and almost every other animal of any
consequence to be found in the world.
The performance was given in three
rings and on one stage. A feature
was that during the performance of
the star acts, performances in other
rings were suspended. so that the at
tention of all might be directed to the
special performances. The act that
probably won the greatest applause
and the one that most deserved ii was
Captain Woodward's marvellous
school of trained Alaskan seals and
sea lions.
These ungainly creatures performed
some of the most wonderful things,
betraying an intelligence almost hu-
man. They balanced large rubber
balls on the end of their noses. bounc-
ing them up and down in the air; they
caught felt hats thrown by the trainer
from distance of twenty-five feet.
they smoked cigars, they played musi-
cal instruments, and one of them rem
dered a beautiful seal-soprano solo.
Captain Woodward kept a bag of fish
hanging by his side, and kept con-
stantly feeding the animals from this
during the performance.
Another wonderful and novel perfor
nance was that of the Melroses, who
rode a single and tandem bicycle
upon a tight wire. The man carried
an immense balancing pole to enable
him TO keep his position. Another re-
markable feat in the bicycle line was
the exhibition given by William A
Schan, the tramp cycist who rode up
nf CT
feet high.
'Hassan Ali, whom the lecturer as
sured everybody was the tallest man
on earth, was introduced at both per-
formances. He certainly bore out the
lecturers announcement, as he meas
ures feet inches in height, has fee,
like miniature canal boats and hands
resembling a Ferris ham with five slits
in it. He walked around the entire
track and was gazed upon by the awe
stricken crowd.
Especially good, also, were the eX-
hibitions of bareback riding by seven
or eight clever performers. There
were several novelties in this line in
troduced, including double riding, 4
man and woman on one horse. There
were the usual trapeze and acrobatic
acts, including a daring trapeze swing
and leap by a blindfolded performer
And the clowns-there were Irish
clowns, German clowns, female clowns
tramp clowns and every other kind
of clown. Several ingenlousiy funny
acts We're given, including burie sque
on Sousa's band. Whoever the rer-
former is who renders "Au Revoir'
on the trombone he Is certainly vast
ing his talents iE a circus, for anyone
| who can draw such shriekingly funny
music from this instrument should i'm
mediately go into vaudeville. where
| fame is recognized. The performance
concluded with the usual series of hip
| podromatic races.
1t was estimated that over 10000
| persons saw the performances giver
yesterday, That is almost its capa'
| city for two performances. Today the
| circus exhibits at Middletown. n. Y
| When the show was over last night the
| first train load of the effects of the cir
Gus was ready to start from the Erie
& Wyoming Valley station for Middle
| town,
Smoke the Pocono Egar, SC. ~
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