The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-13
Topeka Man Brings His Circus
to Town.
His Old Horse ssChesterfleld" in
the Parade.
is NOW "a YEARS OLD.
Upon His Back VIM. Sells Be-
came Famous.
Circus Parade Pays . Visit to
North Topeka.

NOFBM IOp6kas
Kansas avenue and the side streets
between Second avenue and Ninth
street were for two hours before noon
today thronged with crowds OF people
who were waiting to see the parade OF
Sells e. Gray's circus, which gave q
performance at Ninth and JEFFERSON
streets this afternoon.
The management of the circus did
what has never before. been done in To-
peka for years, parade through North
Topeka It was on this account that
the people on the South side were forced
to wait SO long.
The parade itself was a novel affair.
from 'Souze's band to the caricature
characters on the tops of the wagons.
One noticeable feature was the bright
ness and freshness OF the costumes.
The wardrobe of the performers is en-
tirely new, it being made for the circus
at Savannah, Ga, last winter.
The Old-timers who were on the
streets to view the parade this morning
recognized in the white horse ridden by
Cecil Earl, one of the aerialists, in the
front of the group of bloomer girls, the
old horse Chesterfield, now "a years
old and which was ridden by William
Sells, one of the owners of the circus,
over twenty-five years ago when he
was doing a bareback riding act with
the circus managed by his father and
his uncles.
Chesteraefd has for the past ten years
been kept on one of the Sells farms In
the southern part OF Shawnee county.
where he has done nothing but eat and
keep fat
He was brought in today and taken
to the horse stable tent, where he
seemed to be familiar with the sur
rOundings and went to place as
though it had only been last week in
stead of ten years since he has seen a
circus. The old horse is as active look
ing now at the age of "a years as many
of the other horses of the show owing
to the care he has had since he was re-
tired from the ring. He was put through
the PAGES today, and responded to the
music of the band as he did in the old
times.
Young America is always interested
in the arrival of a circus train and the
youngsters who set their brothers
alarm clocks for 3 o'clock this morning
and who got up at that early hour to go
down to the railroad tracks to watch
the show come in We're disappointed
The show was late In arriving, and
II was after O'clock when the train
finally pulled onto the Santa Fe switch
on East Eighth avenue.
On this account the work Of unload
ing was started with more Vigor than
usual. To watch the circus employees
prepare to unload the wagons from the
long string of fiat cars is always in
teresting to the Onlookers, and this
morning when the gangway planlSs
were placed from the end Of the car
nearest to the show grounds and the
other ends of the planlSs placed on the
ground preparatory to rolling the first
wagon off the boys watched with the
same breathless interest that their faith
ers did when they were young.
AS soon as the wagons were ready to
be unloaded other meni had opened the
box cars where the horses are kept and
led them out ready to haul the wagon
to the show grounds. The four or six
horses, according to the size Of the
wagon TO be hauled, are waiting at the
end of the car; the wagon is guided
,TH h. rod II
in an incredibly short time the wagon
is on the way to the grounds. Another
team is waiting for the next wagon.
and as fast as each car is unloaded
little runways are placed between that
car and the one next to it and the
wagons are run off and over the re-
mainder Of the empty train until the
whole train has been unioaded. The
horses which hauled the first wagon to
the grounds are brought back to the
train to have another load jas soon as
the wagon is placed in the fright posi-
ton at the show grounds
While the wagons are being unloaded
and the horses hitched up, another gang
grounds. and BY the time the first wagons
which contain the tents-arrive. the sur
poes are T reS sea snd TIE e2Ss eresed
There is a method in everything done
has to do. and is there to do it at the,righr
time. else it would be utterly impossibls
one city to another and show every day.
The dressing tents, the dining tent and
the horse stable tents are the first tofbe
raised. And while the performers are in
the dressing tent preparing for the pa
rade the side show, menagerie and circus
tents are being raised And it is here that
Young America comes to the front There
is always the seats to be placed In posi-
tion, and rolls of canvas that are to be
pass to the show is all that the boys want
to work harder for the circus than they
had ever been known to work for their
parents. There is an excitement IN it that
they relish
Sells e CSray's circus is not a large cir
Gus, but IL Is claimed for it that the best
performers that can be had are engaged
They give clean performance They have
not been content 10 remain in the beaten
paths of circusdOm. but have added a
lively their own There Is not a dull mo-
Enent during the course OF the perform
ance.
Some Of the especially good features are
their series of acrobatic evolution. Their
performance is given in full evening dress
They go through their performance with
an agility and polish ht for q drawing
room. The Earl sisters, aeriallsts and
lofty trapeze- performers, are very good.
The Tybelles, who gave an exhibition
special mention These are only a few Of
the many which serve to keep the audi
ence in an eager expectancy while the
clowns keep uD a running rre OF JoNialty
and laughter
William Sells has not had his own cir
Gus here before for about ten years ne
months but win go out on the road Win
the show from Topeka He has made ,io-
peka his home and will be here every rev
weeks during the remainder or the snlii~
mer. The circus Will be Wintered mere
this fall
PEOPLE TURNED AWAY.
salla a. csrav,s Circns Draws a Large