Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-11

alton before it's appearance and inspires
fantastic dreams in the minds of the youth
for days and weeks after its departure.
Long before the arrival of the first of the
four sections of the train bearing the
"Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on
Earth the railroad tracks in the vicinity
of the yards were lined with people.
Hundreds of small boys wandered up and
down the tracks watching for the appear
ance of the long, red cars, or stood about
in groups discussing the relative merits
as wonders of the different animals they
had seen pictured on the show bills Tor
the past two weeks. SO far as the young
sters were concerned the biggest attraction
in the whole show seemed 10 De the neru
of elephants.
The men congregated about the yards
and talked of the time when they mad IeN
their warm beds before daylight in order
to greet the arrival of the circus in the
small towns with the usual enthusiastic
welcome; of the time when they carried
water for the elephant in the days tnat
have long since passed, and they recounted
numerous happy circus experiences OF their
boyhood.
Shortly before. II o'clock the skirmishing
line of the army of small boys raised the
cry Here she comes, and there was a
mighty shout and scamperfng down the
tracks to the point where the cars were
brought to a halt. Places of vantage to
view the unloading of the animals were
eagerly sought, and the Impotence of the
youthful spectators was at its height.
Unloading the Cars.
The work horses were unloaded first
Sleepy drivers aroused from their hunks and
led the equine host from their cars down
the heavy approaches. There were $50 draft
horses, recently purchased for the show by
a firm in New York upon the terms that
every horse should be absolutely sound,
from four to seven years old. not to be less
than sixteen nor more than seventeen hands
high and weight from 600 to 1000 pounds.
Each horse had been harnessed In the cars,
and when led forth was ready TO De Mich
ed to the wagons
From various covered wagon cages
came sounds which were identified with
accuracy by the small boys. The small po-
MES were objects of particular interest to
the curious throng. Finally the camels
and dromedaries were led forth and stretch
ed their long legs and necks. and then came
the chief objects of interest to the specta-
tors-the herd of twenty-six elephants, big
and small. They numbered down the ap-
proaches from the cars with caution so
natural to the great beasts
The animal cages and wagons heavily
loaded with poles, ropes, canvas, seats and
other paraphernalia of the show began
moving from the yards to the scene of the
performance Hundreds of persons had
awaited since early morning the arrival of
the circus at the grounds at 18th and II
streets northeast. The first part of the
show. and one of the most essential. to
reach the grounds was the culinary depart
ment including the movable kitchen and
the dining tent and its furnishings. Slight
delay was caused in putting this part of
the show to rights from the fact that one
of the heavily loaded wagons containing
canvas and tables had sunk up to the hubs
in the soft earth where there had been an