Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-08
CARNIVAL OPENS.
CROWD IS SMALL
Parker Amusement Company'S
Shows Open For the Week
at Twelfth Street
CHILLY WEATHER INTERPRETERS.
High Wind Interfered With Setting the
Tent Shows Up, and Some Were Not
Ready for the openne-Has Group
of Good Shows, Without Objection
able Features.

With the usual band music and
under the flare of lights, the Parker
Amusement Company's carnival opened
on the grounds at Main and Twelfth
streets Monday night. chill IN the
air, that made open air and tent per-
formances really uncomfortable, cut
down the crowd very materially, and
not more than 400 people passed thru
the entrance during the evening.
Not all of the shows were open for
the first performance, delays having
vented getting everything in readiness.
A high wind, which made it very Diff
ticult to set up the larger tents, wa.s
chiefly responsible for the delay. BY
this afternoon all was in readiness for
the weeks business.
Makes Good Appearance.
With its many electric lights, fur
nshed by its own dynamos, and its
elaborate and highly decorated show
fronts, the carnival makes a good APP
pearance. The breaking of the gov
ernor of one of the traction engines.
which operates the dynamos, caused
the lights to go out for short time
last night, but the break was repaired
Immediately, and no serious interrupt
ton resulted. 4 number of the shows.
which the company has together in
this carnival, We're seen on the streets
here during the summer of 1905, dur
ing the first visit of the company.
Shows of Merit.
Some of the shows are of special
merit, and the number Of free acts
is unusually large. There are none of
the so-called girl shows, and while
it was impossible during one visit to
see all Of the performances of the var
iouS attractions, 1T is the boast of the
company that there is not the least
Objectionable or suggestive feature
about any of the shows. Parker trav-
els on his seal Of cleanliness" and
clean shows are a hobby with him, In
| fact this is what has made Parker.
| Twelve years ago he was court house
JdIHlol DIT &Abilcllt. Mas. 1OudN he Is
the largest owner of carnival attrac-
lions in the country. and manufactures
at Abilene all of his paraphernalia.
The largest of the shows is the
trained wild animal circus, which oc-
cupies the southeast corner of the
| grounds. Its animals consist of lions,
bears, dogs, monkeys, leopards and
ponies, fiftyseven in all. A troup of
trained Shetland ponies, and a troup
| of dogs are two of the several features
of this show. In addition there is a
group of five performing lions, and be-
sides the performing lions there are
nine lion cubs, four of which are only
a few weeks old. A composite act of
a lion bear, monkey and dog is given
prominence in this show.
OF the electrical and mechanical
shows the 1yrolean Alps, a miniature
mechanical village, is one of the best.
Effects of dawn, sunset and thun-
derstorm are realistically produced by
electricity. This is one of the prettiest
scenic eXtravaganzas on the ground,
The Johnstown Flood shows the disas-
ter which overlook the town ir. the
flood, and is pictured by mechanical eff
fects and electricity.
Hale's Tours is an illusion, repre-
senting the changing scenery of a
beautiful country, as seen from car
window.
| The moving picture show has on the
Thaw trial, train robbery and other
motion pictures.
Superba is spectacular perform
ance of dances, in which Miss Nellie
NJ Glenn executes a representation OF
| the story of the statue turning to life
| Illustrated songs are also feature OF
| the attraction.
| "How Old is Ann 2" and the Katzen-
| TANNER Kastle are two of a kind, both
| intended to make fun and amusement
| for those who enter them. Both are
| topsy- turvey houses.
The Free Acts.
| The free acts, put on twice daily. are
"Clever Clark" a slack wire perfor-
mer; I1lreno the diving Shetland
pony; Velare & Clark, trapese perform
ers, and Elmer Velare, bicyclist, in
leaping the gap" The pony Jumps
| from a height of thirty feet into a tank
| filled with water of a depth Of five
| feet.
In addition there is an immense Fer
ris wheel and merry-go-round, both
operated by electricity.
The carnival is under the manage
ment of Cramer & Tyler, and is one of
the five which the Parker company
| has on the road.
1