The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-20
TRAINED DOGSAND PONIES
GENTRY BROTHERS. SHOW AMUSED
LARGE CROWDS YESTERDAY.
Pony Drill. Elephant Band, Mexican
Rough Riders and japanese Aero
bats Are the Features.

Greatly enlarged and improved in all its
departments, the Gentry Brothers dog and
pany shows opened weeks engagement at
Capitol avenue and Sixteenth street yes
terday afternoon. There will be perform
ances each afternoon and evening during
the week Rain during the afternoon pre-
vented the tent from being crowded, but
at the evening performance all of the seats
were taken. The show is the most inter-
esting trained-animal entertainment ever
given in this city. 1t is more interesting
and instructive than the Gentry shows
seen here in the past. The ponies. dogs.
monkeys and elephants do more tricks and
there are other features that stamp the
entertainment a regular circus.
The programme has been so greatly
changed and enlarged that it is hard to
recognize it one of the Gentry shows.
Opening with grand ensemble of ponies
and horses. it moves along with dash and
vim for nearly two hours. including the
best of the old and many new features.
The opening feature of the entertainment
is the wonderful drill by the company of
ponies, in which the little animals give a
drill that is intricate as the maneuvers
of a military company. Unlike many OF
the old drills of trained ponies, the COM
pany marches and goes through the move
ments to the command of the ringmaster.
The number ends with grand pyramid,
showing the full company of performing
ponies posed in artistic and interesting po-
sitions.
The dogs-and there are a score or more
of them-are the next to take possession
of the ring. Tricks that were featured in
former years have taken back seat on the
programme, while new and more interesting
acts by the wonderful lot of trained ca
nine amuse the children and old folks as
we'll. The children had hardly ceased adj
miring the wonderful act Of DIR. Muir
ply" the monkey DOCTOR curing one of the
ponies during the first number. than their
attention was attracted by the array or
performing dogs. The trick dogs and
nifty, ii was the first day and they knew
they must make good" They performed
many new tricks in addition TO the Waiting
acts, meat stealing, high diving, etc, that
have been seen before.
TRAINED ELEPHANT ACT.
The act by the three trained elephants
was probably the most interesting of the
entire performance to the older people.
These baby elephants, Pinto, Satan and
Diamond. entertained the crowd for about
twentJ minutes, performing tricks that
have been seen in larger curcuses and
playing on musical instruments with a
monkey as the John Philip Sousa" leader.
The aerial act of two well-trained monkeys
in which they performed on the trapeZe
in the dome of the tent was one of the new
features that attracted admiration.
The Mexican rough riders, six young
boys, who are expert riders, furnished an
interesting feature of the performance
costumes, and mounted on spirited little
ponies they gave a drill. May pole dance
and performed many tricks Guy Scott,
a young lad, who is leader of the rough
riders, gave a separate number on the
programme in which he did much fancy
riding, causing his pony to do a cakewalk
waltz and do many other tricks.
The Yamadi troupe of Japanese aero
bats and jugglers six in number and billed
as one of the features of the performance,
is no doubt the best aggregation of Jap
anese performers ever seen in this city.
They gave an entertainment that is a cir
Gus in itself. performing on the high wire,
doing difficult acts of Juggling and many
other tricks in which they are masters.
has been seen in show Of this kind in
Indianapolis. The 'slide for life" on a rope
stretched from the top Of the canvas to
the ground by one of the japanese per-
formers is the most thrilling act of the
entire performance
The large tent containing the ponies,
horses, monkeys, elephants, camels, etc,
of the show was crowded after both per-
formances by the children who desired to
hold a reception with the wonderful trained
animals. There will be performance each
afternoon and evening during the week.