The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-05
BIG CROWD ATTENDS
UNIVERSITY CIRCUS
Student Gymnasts With the Aid
of Menagerie Give Fine
Exhibition.

After several weeks, preparation the
long looked-for university circus gave its
first public performance last evening be-
fore an audience of several hundred peo-
pie at the university armory.
Long before the doors were opened
friends of the students, accompanied by
their ladies, began to arrive, and by 8
o'clock there was no doubt that the cir
Gus was going to be success. From
that time till II o'clock the crowd man
Tested it's appreciation with well merlted
applause
The first act of the circus was the
grand entree of all the performers, led
by the main band. The collection OF
wild animals, the athletes and gymnasts,
the freaks. the soldiers, cowboys, Indians,
clowns and the various hayseed and
clown bands formed "a striking array.
whose splendor was not at all dimmeds by
the appearance of the chief directors and
star performers in autos.
After this grand procession had disap-
peared from view the trained animals
took their places in the rings and furnish
ed remarkable examples of the power OF
the human race over the brute creation.
In the meantime the central platform
was occupied by performers on the va.
rious pieces of gymnastic apparatus, some
outside performers on the 1eaping board
being the finest, although the university
gymnasts trying for places on the varsity
team did excellent work, which will bring
them well toward the top when the inter
collegiate meet comes off. The work on
the parallel bars was good, while the
performers on the horse and rings were
well up to the standard. Some clever
club swinging was done by the gymnastlc
squad the bewildering maZes of the drill
being almost Incredible Then came a
troupe of horizontal table tumblers, who
went through a series of remarkable con-
tortionS-
Wild West Show Exciting.
The Wild West show was an exciting
exhibition A party Of emigrants cross ross
surprised and captured by a band OF IN
dams and were carried into captivity.
Just as the Indians had the helpless VIC
Tins at their mercy and were in the midst
of wild celebration party of soldiers
appeared on the scene, fought and drove
off the Indians and rescued the settlers.
The smoke of battle being cleared away We ~
an exhibition drill, which was well up to
the standard of precision shown by anna
teur military organizations.
the rings while the central platform was
occupied by the Wonderful Case, whose
unusual skill in hand balancing attracted
so much attention at the circus last
year.
The next performances were given on
the slack wire, the center performer be-
ing George Ledgerer, the famous Flying
Dutchman." These exhibitions were as
good as one often sees. The Arabian tum-
blers gave an exhibition which was very
clever considering the flowing garments
which would seem to prevent agility of
movement and were highly applauded.
The last feature of the evening was the
pyramids made by the strong. mems squad;
The variety of forms into which crowd
of men can group themselves was a reve-
lation to most of the audience and from
the simpler movements to the more COM
plicated the wonder increased. Last of
all came the woodpile pyramid, and as 1t
collapsed to the tune Of the varsity Ski
U-Mah'' the show was over,
The glee club and few Ministries gave
the usual after concert, which was pat
ronized by a large part OF the audience
performance crowd of clowns, foolish
and wise, clever and witty, kept the
crowd in a constant uproar by their
pranks and antics.
Two more performances will be given
of the circus; the first of these will be at
230 this afternoon, the gates opening an
hour earlier to enable spectators to visit
the menageries and sideshows. The even
ing performance will be given at 8:15.