The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-07-16
1T WAS CIRCUS DAY
Campbell Bros Circus Draws a Big Crow
to Princeton. e.

Campbell Bros Circus Draws a Big Crowd
to Princeton.
Circus day in Princeton, with Camn-
bell Bros show as the attraction was
the biggest thing on the calendar for
long, long while, and Princeton was
crowded with people. The morning
train brought down a big crowd while
farmers poured into town from all WAYS
and in all ways and there were fully
5000 people in town in the afternoon.
The day opened with hard storm, b,1t
it cleared up by noon, and by this time
Princeton was on tip-toe attention. and
ready to see the parade, which came
along about O'Clock, with band wagon.
| circus riders, the elephants and camels
and animal wagons, at which the chill
dren gazed with wonderment and Wis
ions OF monsters of the sea and forest.
Then there was the calliope with it's
old familiar strains that is the same
now and forevermore, to the kids and
grown folks without number. The
clowns came along in their little carts
and comical moods, and then there was
dash for the show, which pitched it's
tents right south of the Commercial
hotel in Ross-Mere addition.
The weather cleared off hot and made
a typical circus day. The ticket wagon
was the center of attraction for a surg
ing mass of town and country folks for
nearly two hours and with side shows
with flaming banners and bowling bus
mess agents, with the curious and
pleasure seeking crowd taking in side
attraction here and there, the scene
was one that looked cosmopolitan.
Campbell Bros show was we'll sup
piled with very good attractions. There
was nothing ''fakey'' about it in anv
respect. From the time the bugle
sounded the grand march until the
hippodrome the crowd was well enter
tanned. The big two-ring tent was
packed and it was necessary to provide
seats for over thousand more people
than the circus management had pro-
vided for, and when the show began
there were fully $500 people present.
The trapeze work and acrobatic per-
formances were very good for show
making the smaller cities. The ring
performances were not at all bad and
the general character of the perform
ance was good throughout. 1t would
not do show of this character Justice
to criticise and make comparisons with
attractions and performances of much
larger shows, which never make the
places the size of Princeton. Camp
bell Bros circus aggregation gives the
smaller cities an opportunity to see
circus. There is much to a circus
even the best-that is commonplace and
ancient, but people love to go to cir
Gus, Notwithstanding there is very lit
tie new to see, and then there are the |
children--and always fresh crop to 60
to a circus.
But one performance was given and
that at 3 P. NJ, and it was followed by
the usual concert, which was not much
more entertaining than the perform
ance given by the roustabouts and tent
men. who were busy taking down the
seats and part OF the tent equipment
while the concert went merrily on. But
this is all part of show.
The show got loaded out about S |
O'Clock for Alexandria. Campbell Bros
were more than pleased with the pat
ranage Princeton and vicinity gave
them, and the ticket sales amounted to
$4,000, lacking just $14 of reaching the
sales at Bemidji on the Fourth where
two performances were given. The
show could have been repeated in
Princeton in the evening to 1000 peo-
pie at least. There were many who |
came in from the country late in the
afternoon and intended to attend the |
evening performance.