The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-25
CHILDREN WERE MUCH DISAPPOINTED Could Not Understand Circus
 Without Parade WAITED FOR ELEPHANTS Farmers Brought the Little Ones to Town to See the Procession
 Through the
 Streets.
WAITED FOR ELEPHANTS

Had Mayor Drennen and the board of aldermen seen the unhappy, disappointed young faces which lined the streets of Birmingham yesterday waiting in vain for the circus parade It Is likely they would Lave hesitated before placing a practically prohibitive license on this an- nual free entertainment. While the mem- bers of the council doubtless looked at the matter in a business sense and did what they thought was best for the inter- est of the city. 1t cast a heavy gloom over the expectant young hearts, and hundreds of children after waiting sev- eral hours slowly trudged homeward with sunken spirits and look of abject misery on their faces.
 From o'clock in the morning until noon the scene presented along the busy thor oughfares was one singularly pathetic. Farmers and working people for miles around Birmingham had brought their families to town with the expectation Of seeing the circus march in annual review. These children had studied the bill- boards for weeks. and at nights had
 
 open animal cages, the clowns. and last, but no least. the great circus tent with it's many mysterious and hidden attrae- tions. Hundreds of these youngsters had not the money or the opportunity of see- ing the real show with it's gaudy color. running horses and daring acrobats. and they came to town hoping to see the great parade and then go home with mar vicious incidents to discuss for many months to come.
 Wagons Filled With Chairs. | On many of the side streets wagons 1 could be seen filled with empty chairs where the fathers had brought their chil- dren to see the great sights. They had evacuated the farm vehicles to secure points of vantage along the accustomed route. and here for hours they waited ex- peeting every moment to hear the blast of horns and see the elephants come lum- bering down the street. As the minutes fitted by and gradually grew into hours looks of anxiety began to spread over these innocent little faces. and by noon had developed into expressions of pain
 
 spread from lip to lip that there would be no parade. and as the patient walters be- gan to realize the situation tears trickled down the palned little faces.
 Many could not realize that circus | could come to town without a parade. and not until the noon hour had long passed could they be convinced. Never Tn thelk lives had they heard of such proceed-A ing, and when the situation was ex- pained by some of the wiser heads in a vague way they began talking of the city council as some mysterious bugaboo which had never before crossed their youthful 1 minds.
 Went Home at Twelve.
 When the clock had sounded the hour of 12 the nurses began to carry the city children home, and there was waillng 1 and gnashng of teeth. and when the fathers and mothers of the rural contins gent had finished their days trading. the youngsters were lifted in the farm wagons and driven homeward. As the wagons passed the huge circus tents on their way home many eyes were dimmed with tears. and hundreds of little ones were put to bed sad, dejected and disappointed. An appalling catastrophe had fallen upon young America. It was a sad day for Birmingham.