The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-05
FUN FOR Big AND LITTLE
THE HECK CARNIVAL SHOWS
THROWN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Grounds Crowded with Children, Who
FrOlicked and Feasted-AttractiOns
Pleased Grown-Ups and TOddlers.

With several brass bands doing their ut
most to outplay each other; with number
or merry-go-round organs shrieking forth
their harmonies to a sympathetic world;
with gaudy canvases picturing wild ami
mails, dancing girls, acrobatic geniuses and
other fascinating things Hopping backward
and forward in the summer breeze, and
with many "barkers'' yelling out laudatory
speeches regarding their respective enter
tainments, the Heck Carnival Shows were
thrown open to the amusement-seeking
public yesterday afternoon. The carnival,
If located at big exposition. would doubt
less be called Midway Plaisance" 1t is
a collection of tent attractions of all de-
scriptions. and is very much like the car
nival annex to the big horse show given on
the same site-the West Washington-street
show grounds-last October. The various
tent shows are made to form a big circle,
with large open space in the middle,
wherein are given the free entertainments.
high canvas fence surrounds the group
of tents. with a many-colored arched en-
trance facing Washington street.
Yesterday was children's day, and the
show grounds were crowded with young
sters who stuffed themselves full of pea
nuts and popcorn, listened to the eloquent
"spielers" with open-mouthed admiration,
cheered the free open-air performances with
all the power of their lusty little lungs and
steadfastly refused to give up their good
Ter, ten centses to the pay shows until
fuiIy convinced that there was no earthly
chance of failing to get their money
worth. The big one-ripg circus, Woodford's
dog, pony and monkey show and the Bos-
took trained animal exhibition were all well
patronized, for the little folks had seen
entertainments of the sort before and knew
in advance that they would like 'em.
ONE OF THE GOOD SHOWS.
The circus proved to be the best attrac-
ton of all. 1t is situated at the extreme end
Of the grounds, facing the entrance, and is
we'll worth the admission charged. Prom
inent in this performance are the Merediths
"a man, woman and boy who handle knives
and battle axes as common folks handle
baseballs, and then proceed later on to do
some surprising things in mid-air on the
flying trapeze. Then there are interesting
acts contributed by family of seven Jap
anese, who juggle, tumble and perform feats
OF balancing; De zelda and Zeldo, French
gymnasts, who give a splendid speciality,
and the -Four Brownies. a quartet of young
fellows who do trick riding on bicycles and
unicycles. The Brownies are afterwards
seen out In the big open space, where they
perform the famous cycle whirl' act as a
free attraction. The one-ring circus is sure
to prove the most popular feature of the
carnival during the week.
AT bostocks tent good animal show is
given. Here 1t Is that Professor Arnoldo.
billed as the greatest of wild animal train
ers, puts company Of pumas, leopards and
jaguars through series of really remark
able tricks, winding up his act by calmly
picking up fell-grOwn leopard in his arms
and walking from the arena with the wild
beast. Captain lie Page is also an impor-
tant factor of the performance. as he shows
what can be accomplished with a happy
family of boer hounds, wolves and black
bears. The animals, intended by nature to
be bitter enemies, seem to be on very
friendly terms and enact their routine of
comical stunts as If they thought the whole
business was nothing less than huge joke
which it is, when you come to think of it.
Wallace, the untamable lion," who turns
up in Indianapolis with persistent regularity
whenever show of any kind comes to
town, is on hand with the Bostock aggrega-
ton, growing ferociously and daring the
spectators to come anywhere within paving
distance of his cage. Madame De Vora, a
snake charmer gives an exhibition with a
number of giant reptiles as special feature
of this show
SOME ANIMAL ACTORS.
The W0odford dog, pony and monkey cir
Gus is another entertainment that attracts
much attention. The ponies and dogs are
fully up to the standard set by animal
actors of their kind while the monkeys are
somewhat above the average. One of the
monkeys, in all the glory of a blonde wig
and a giddy seashore toilet makes a hit
by merely walking across the ring in a
ridiculously coquettish way. This clever
little animal afterward-with the assistance
of his trainer-makes several lightning
changes of costume and is seen in a series
of living pictures.
1,,r <0f
lions in the big circle of tents, and you
pays your money and you takes your
choice" At the Streets of Cairo are a
number Of dancing girls, dark-slxinned and
robed in Kaleidoscope fashion, who do the
usual Oriental gyrations and whiting Derv-
ish exhibitions in regular Midway style,
and at the Moulin Rouge" are to be found
six more specimens of feminine loneliness
each of whom is accomplished in her own
particular terpsichorean speciality. There
is a big canvas theater where a company
of ''unbleached Americans, give vaude-
vile show that Is worth while. Eight col
ored performers-four women and four men
make up the company, and they are all good
dancers and singers. THE Girl from Up
10 cents: 1t would never do to
tell who the girl-from-up-ther is, or what
she does, for that would doubtless be spoil
ing the pleasure of countless Indianapolitans
who have been lying awake nights in an
tcipation of the treat IN store for them
when the girl came TO town. There are liv-
ing pictures, too, and German Village
where six vaudeville acts are given and
some poses plastique" in a strange place
called Under the Red Dome" and couple
of wild Aztec children and a man who eats
'em alive and other wonderful things.
The free Open-air performances are among
the best features of the carnival. Besides
the Brownies In their "cycle whirl," the
Weitzmans-Jene and Marie-perform a very
daring act on a high wire that extends al.
most the entire length of the big canvas
Enclosure. Mile. Olga does a thrilling ''slids
for life while hanging by her teeth from
a rope far above the heads of the spectators
and one of the members of the japanese
family from the one-ring circus gives
sensational rope-walking exhibition. All In
ALL the carnival furnishes plenty of fur
to either the Juvenile grown-up amuse-
ment seeker, and If you want to have a
good time stuff your pockets with 10-cen-
pieces and take trip to the old show
grounds some afternoon or evening this
week.