The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-04-21

ots were arranged in valued chambers, each stall being a little behind the oth- CT in position, but all being so arranged i on slanting line, so that as the doors were lowered, one after the other, by l the slaves who stood at their posts, the | entire number of competing charots would all meet simultaneously at the given starting point short distance in front of the stalls and at the head of 1 the course.
 The pole of each chariot while stand ing in it's stall, was directed to this common point and the assignment of l the various stalls was decided by lot,
 As a rule only four chariots ran at once in the Roman Circus. Seven times
 these chariots had to pass around the course, a marble egg lifted from tall
 cone or meta of gilt being set up at the goal for every lap.
 Horses were not broken until three years old and were not entered for the races until the age of five. The best of the old Roman racers came forn Cappa- doeia and Spain. How much was
 thought by owners of their famous steeds is still attested by the mosaics which have come down to us, and which represent racers, standing
 clothed in the stall ready for the chari- ot.
 Very few mares were bred for the track in those days, and the stallions
 were consplcuously branded on the flank with the badge of their owner. A number of old race-cards still remain to show the kind of betting that was car ried on, and one of the impreial race cards records the wagering of an entire palace on the result of one race of the famous hrse Tuscus
 One unique souvenir of the old Circus Maximus is q mosaic of race horse of 1 the time of Constantine, with the model ''Vincas non Vincas to amanus, Poli- doze" (Winner or not winner I love thee, PoIidoze.) This is singularly af- fectionate tribute, indeed, from an own CT to his racer.
 The Circus Maximus must have pre- scented wonderful spectacle during the reign of Trajan. The immense tiers of seats were crowded with three hundred and eighty-hve thousand Romans of all classes and degrees from the nobles and the thrones of honor nearest the course the freedmen and slaves in the upper galleries. But even where the slaves sat everything was of gleaming white marble and the spina or backbone of the track was magnificent sight of Oriental marbles richly tinted colors and large statues and jewel-like glass mosaics, The scene as a whole pre- scented the festive spectacle of an enor- mous holiday outpouring of Rome in marble structure twenty thousand feet long by six thousand feet wide, with a multitude thronging the slopes without, The marble seats were softened by liberal use of rich cushions (pulvinD and the most fastidious spectators pro- vided themselves with foot-etools, (Scabella.)
 It Is a section of just such vast hol- iday outpourings of Romans at their favorite races that is presented as the unique spectacle in the Klaw and Err langer production of Ben Hur." A vivid idea is given in this great race scene-one of the most triumphant at tempts to realize the motion of horses past a crowded circus full of spectators facing the real audience itself-of the appearance of the Circus Maxmus during that most exciting portion of the race, the wild straining of the racers almost neck-to-neck and chariot wheel to wheel along the home stretch. When this scene was first conceived it was thought to have been suspectible to ev- cry elaboration, so remarkable was it's original presentation; but during the past two seasons so many hitherto un- thought of devices and Improvements have been made that now not nny has the number of chariots been increased, but the entire effectiveness of this ex- citing dootlight tableau has been car ried to the acme of perfection.
 So delighted was King Edward of England with this spectacle upon its presentation in London, he ordered royal box to be specially built in the center of the theater auditorium in or- der to appreciate the scene to it's ut- most; and he was present at a number of performances in the British capital. Messrs. Klaw and Erlanger still treas ure letter of thanks written by His Majesty, in which he bestows the ut most praise upon the American ingenu- ity which has achieved this signal sri- umph of stagecraft. Ben Hur" en- joyed a record run in London, bre eaking all records ever made abroad by any theatrical prduction at the Drury Lane theater, the home of great stage spec tacles, And it Is safe to say that no production on the American stage has played steadily to such enormous audi ences within the given space of its ca reer as has this richly equipped drama tization, of which the race scene is only ne episde after all.