Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-06-21
His Great Show Holding Forth
for One Day in Rock
Island.
Is IN A GLASS BY ITSELF
Imposing Display I'm the Parade
Novelties I'm the
Arena.

small boy is crying: Hey, kids, de
cylxus is here"
The small boy is right, of course;
the circus has come just in time to
make the summer vacation worthy
of its name. 1t is the same old cir
Gus, sawdust ring and pink tarlatan
skirts. There is never generation
that lives too long to go to the cir
Gus each season and to enjoy it
heartily.
1t is there that the wondering small
boy gathers himself morning and
night to hang gracefully over the
edge of the fence and watch ''de
show" 1t is there that the woman
with the very large Pompadour hangs
snakes about her neck at exactly
half past 1 o'clock and half past Z
o'clock daily. 1t is there that you
get the first scent of the "grandest,
greatest and best menagerie in
America" 1t is there that you go
into wonderland.
Everyone wants to go. old man and
young man; small boy and baby. 1t
is in the blood; they simply can't
help it; the circus must be seen.
Fathers are playing the same old
trick of taking the little ones to the
circus; there is always one of these
good excuses to be found if they
have to snatch one off the boardwalk
at the entrance
Children hang about the door to-
the big tent like flies, waiting for
good fortune to overtake them.
Sometimes il comes in the person of
good and guilty looking samaritan.
sometimes it comes from the help
needing popcorn man and again ii is
a plain case of hustle. However that
may be, il is safe To say that the
better part of the audiencei which
opened the show today was composed
of children. They sat everywhere
and they applauded everything. The
acrobats were not too brave for
them nor the clowns too funny.
Gave Big Parade.
The Wallace great aggregation ar
rived on time this morning and put
on n swell street parade. The per-
Torrance was one of the best ever
seen here and far ahad of the usual
circus.
The street parade was rather late
about getting started. owing To the
distance that had to he Travelled TO
and from the show grounds on For
lty-second street, but il was worth
waiting for. 1t is conceded to have
been one of the best pageants of the
kind ever seen i'm Rock Island. Ev
erything about il was clean and
wholesome. and the specialties APP
lpeared to good advantage. About
half an hour was consumed in pass
ing a given point.
1t is notable above all things that
the reserved seats are very nice new
chairs and the seats for the rest of
the folks are neither too narrow nor
too low. The center of the stage is,
of course, nearest the reserved seats,
but there is generous distribution
of favors and the reserved scatter is
very apt to wish himself at the far
end of the tent. where the little Jap
anese with red Parasols give people
their moneys worth. However one
tries three rings and platforms cam
not be watched at the same time and
as the small boy said, Gee whizz,
amt this too big show fer any
thing"
There is nothing new or appalling
about an elephant and il is worth an
apology To mention him. And if you
can believe it. there was at least one
man, right-minded and able-bodied
man. at today's performance who
had never seen an elephant.
| Among the many noteworthy fea-
lures of the Wallace show and which
excited tumultuous applause this
afternoon were the great Silverson
trio in lofty wire acts. the sensational
Collins from Australia in their cele-
brated whirlwind dances making
sudden stops, a Partisan act that is
both new and novel; the Eddy fam
Ilv of acrobats which are far SUI
perior to anything on the road and
thought To be the best ever with a
circus; KercIock with his trained
pigs, an act intensely pleasing and
amusing for the children. The riders
in the show are the best in the bust
ness and include the great Hollis,
Alex Lawanda, Blanche Reed, Sween-
~ and ST. John. the colonial act
being especially noteworthy.
New sIdeshow feature.
| Col. Wallace has introduced n new
| feature in circusdom this season. He
| has cut out the usual side show with
the freaks and instead has a side
show of vaudeville forty acts being
given for ten cents. The show COM
menced as soon as the tents were
Up and there is a continual perform
lnce until IL o'clock at night. The
lsightseer can go in at any time and
4 ;tay as long as he pleases. This fea-
ure has proven to be n happy sub
;titute for the freak future and has
lrawn enormous patronage every
where. This novelty in the side show
loes not interfere or clash with the
concert after the big show This
concluded feature of the Wallace