The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-09-27
GREATEST SHOW
ON EARTH is HERE
Arrived This Morning And
City is Full of Strangers.
Crowds Watched the Unloading and
Big Top Is damned This
Afternoon.
ALL DRY UNDER THE CANVAS.

|
day the grounds back of the Illinois
Central machine shops were a rolling
stretch of green fields, today there is
sweeping sea of canvas. Tents
cover twelve acres of ground.
Precisely at 2 O'Clock this morning
the first of the special trains pulled
in from Hopkinsville. Four others
followed in the next couple, OF hours.
and then the performers and the
monster array of paraphernalla of
the Barnum & Bailey circus was
there
No time was lost In beginning the
work of preparation for tire days
shows.
To watch the preparations of a
circus for the days performance is
In many ways no less fascinating
than TO watch the performances them
selves. Tinsel and bright costumes.
the blaze OF the bands. the pink lem
onade and peanuts are all absent
when the preparations are on foot,
but one then has an opportunity of
seeing something of the system with
out which circus would be disor-
ganized aud farsical. The system of
the Barnum & Bailey people is in
comparable. Shouts of command,
the scurrying employees, counter
manding of orders-there were none
OF these this morning. Men took
their places quickly. The foot of
whistle or a word or two sharply
spoken, and stakes were driven. can
vas raised. cages arranged or seats
sprang into their places as If by
magic. Everything went smoothly,
the wrangling and profanity common
with many shows were absent here
the work was done, aud II was done
quickly and without a semblance of
confusion.
There was great deal that was
of interest to be seen as one took
when the sun" man walked among
the tents II was clear that the joys
of circus day We're coming home to
thousands. Added pleasure came
about IL O'Clock, when Prince You
turkey, japanese. did marvelously
clever feats of wire walking. Uni
doubtedly the representative of the
mikado can have few equals as the
performer of such acts.
Long before the time set for the
afternoon performance thousands
had gathered in and about the tents.
In the main tent the performance
kept the crowd in supreme humor.
Marvellous thrilling acts by horsemen
and horsewomen no less skilled and
daring than the performances of the
sterner sex, by acrobats, wire walk
ers, trick bicyclists and others with |
various races, fun-making of the
clowns and the trick animals trained !
to such a degree that they seemed |
possessed of almost human intelll- |
gence. never failed for an instant to
hold the attention.
None of the events. however. ap-
preached the "Trip of Death" in pow
er to hold rivited upon every move
ment of all concerned in 1t the at
tention of the thousands seated in |
the vast tent. One cannot describe |
the sensation which grips one as the |
flying auto, with Miss Butler strap
ped to the seat, hustles through the |
air, turning a somersault, and then |
rushes down the incline to the
ground The act IL truly a fitting !
climax to a show which in all its
features thoroughly deserves the ad-
jectives wonderful" and Unique"
The "Dip of Death" at night comes
third upon the program so all should
go early. Despite the rain of the |
last two days the grounds are in ex-
cellent shape and where It has been
found necessary the management |
have used straw lavishly to insure
comfort to patrons.
And what of the show itself?
Something Of its size may be gained |
from the statement that its tents
cover twelve acres OF ground, its EN-
ployes number l,065: its daily ex-
penses are given as over $1,000: IL
over 200 rare wild animals.
AS is the case with every circus.
the horses OF the show first attract
ed the attention OF many of the
crowd. And better horses were
never seen here. One thing was es-
pecially noticeable. too-the races In