Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-10
CIRCUS DAY.
HargTeayes' Show Gives
Two Good Exhibitions.
An Up-to-Date 0Id-tash|oned
0ne-ring Circus.
Jumbo Il a honsier..6ood Crowds Afternoon
and Evening. Gardner Today.

Hargreaves' United Railroad Shows
the first circus of the season, gave two
exhibitions, one in the afternoon and
another in the evening, together with
a parade, in Augusta, yesterday. The
performances were given at the usual
place, the Driving Park grounds, and
were greeted with large and enthusiasts
tic audiences. The ladies and children
we're out in force in the afternoon, and
while the crowd was not as large as
at the evening performance, they
proved fully as appreciative of the
merits Of the show.
Hargreaves' shows, as they are des-
ignatCd in the advance posters, con-
sist of an old-fashioned one-ring cir
Gus, the price Of admission to the main
show being % cents, with the tradi-
tlOnal 10 cents to see the wonders of
the side show and after concert, and
il is worth the money. OF course no one
expects to see a second Barnum and
Bailey show, but at times are rather
surprised at the variety and excellence
of many of the acts in this show.
The circus train arrived from Ban
gor, about 7.30 o'clock in"the morn
ing, and Immediately unloaded the an
imal cars and in record time had every
thing transferred to the Driving park,
where the morning hours were passed
i'll the erection Of tents, etc. For some
unknown reason to the outsider, the
parade was late, and crowds of men,
women and children whiled away the
hours between and 1890 o'clock wait
ing for the monster spectacle of the
p-to-date circus parade. which final
ly wended It's way down Rines hill,
up Water street to Bridge and around
the corner of State. from whence the
return to the grounds was made.
The parade consisted Of two bands,
Il number of Arab acrObats on horses,
several closed cages Of animals, cam
ell, several other animals afoot and
Jumbo II. He Is claimed to be the larg-
est elephant in captivity and those
who SaZed upon the monstrous form OF
the animal at the circus grounds and
on the street, are willing to admit that
1t is the largest elephant they have ev-
er seen. Altogether the parade was bet
ter than the ordinary country circus and
those who attended the show were will
ing to admit that the show was better
than they had expected.
The preliminary to the regular show
was the side show. and contained many
freaks such as go to make up such an
attraction. There was Captain Jack
Kuhn, the most gorgeously tatooed
man in the world, the baton artist,
snake charmer, Mile Anette Cahan,
champion woman bag puncher, and the
worlds wondrous Mankin actors. Each
of these numbers of the program were
shows in themselves, each being worth
the price Of admission, but like all 9TH
err side shows, see one and you see
them all.
Entering the main show the first
sight to meet the sightseers' gaze was
the exhibition of the many different an
imals. This exhibition is not as large as
with the higher priced circus, but each
and every animal exhibited is peer of
their respective kind and furnish an
ideal lesson in animal history. There
we're exhibited here, the famous Bengal
tiger two lions, an elephant. camel,
many monkeys, panthers, cinnamon
bear, wildcats, and an African COW.
The lions especially. are fine types OF
the animal and to see them slumberinS
peacefully in the cage one would hardly
think Of their apparent RIGHTEOUSNESS
in their native CLINE. The one really
great feature of this part of the exhl-
bition is the great elephant, Jumbo ii,
and he also adds a part to the main
performance by many clever things
performed under the guidance of Tile
Hail. that seem apparently Impossible
by an animal of so huge a bulk.
The main show is we'll arranged and
contains lnany pleasing and clever eX-
hibitions Of skill almost to numerous
to mention, and for the most part is a
smooth pl Oduction. The feature of this
IS the remarkable work of a troupe of
Arabs who do whirlwind acts with the
most remarkable agility and precision.
They build human pyramids and exc
cute a series of sensational and thrill
ing fca;s in tumbling and vaultinS
Other features are the "Benoits." elias
tic table workers, Miss Hall in an
an equine act and the Grippe brothers
in the tabclleen act. Beside these all of
the ordinary circus features are carried
i'm the Hargrcaves shows and taken all
together the performance is surely
worth the price of admission. there be-
ing only one feature that Is anyway
criticizable. The hippodrome. feature
of all circuses, lacks the snap and dash
and true contests that make them tru-
ly interesting, but otherwise the show
| is first-class.
At the conclusion of the evening per-
Torrance. the paraphernalia of the
| HarSreavcs' United Railroad Shows
was bundled together and transported
by their special train of II cars to Gar
| diner. where the performance will be
given. today.