The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-22
WHEN The CIRCUS WAS YOUNG
AND CIRCUS GOING WERE Was
4 PASSION.
mat mas DAM ~ the q When o
We're Continuous. with AcSs n
Thrilled and an AdmiNuure Of the Nov q.
Ans, Forgotten Equestrian Drama

Ans, Forgotten Equestrian Drama.
New YOrk's 4!OOO.1 400 still like the circus.
but eighty years ago circus going was more
than a habit. II was a passion which af-
feoted not only the little boys and girls
but the RrOwnups aIeo.
Then horsemanship was the main feature
81 the circus. sam Tatnell. THE Flying
Horaeman," stood preeminent for his fcats
on a single horse, and jumped his mount
over a pyramid Of men and over n dining
table set for twenty-five PERSONS. Two
boys and a little girl performed on one
pony; a'Spanish horse called Romeo "leRpt
through a hogshead placed on tho back Of
another horse and the 'COmbust,ble
Horse Surrounded by Fireworks" rs the
handbills proclaimed him. thrilled and
mystified thousands.
But the circUses Of that day provided \
varied entertainment There were Nowns
who would "lenp over five horses and throw
son1ersaults through u balloon Of fire.
There were slack wire dancers, ground and
lofty fumhlers. clever baiauccrs and other
specialists. one OF whom. Mrs West. wife
OF the proprietor Of the Broadway CIRCUS.
got particular mention because abe sang
several songs and accompanied herself on
the pianoforte. n feat never attempted by
n other person" That was in 1872. And
besides these acts the c~ircuses Of that day
had "~spectacles,' which according to
contemporary chrOpiclings wore almost
as grand as The Dunbar. The Destruction
Of Pompeii. " and others Of ~threc-qusrters
Of a century later.
The circus came TO New \ ork soon after
the theatre. Its growth in favor was
very rapid and naturally more spectacular.
and at the time cf Vhich James Hardie
wrote i'm his Description NJ New York" it
vac particularly popular.
Looking backward one sees New Works
first circus troop" az what vas known az
the Collect in Broomr street, on the out
skirts Of the city, in 1911. Astage was built
in the open air. II w9s merely a ,platform
about six feet high. ten or twelve feet wide
and sixty feet long.
There was no ring for display IT horse
manship and no charge was made for
heholding the performance, the company
relying on the generosity Of the spectators,
= lady handing around a tamhourinc
They soon afterward removed 10 tho lot
At Prince street and Broadway. Aring was
formed and tho PORTO. nance commenced
every day q XCPpt sunday At { o'clock and
kept up until dusk.
The Broadway Circus, first in Mr.. Hardle's
enumeration, wa 1T the east side Of Broad
wsv az the corner nf White street. TIE
tambOur;ne first served IN the double
duty of orchestra and collection box, hut
II grew into n band consisting Of three
drums lone bass, a trumpet and two flies.
In 1912, when il was called the New YORK
Circus. a company Of players came 10 it
from Boston and gave the Military NanTu-
wseA y WuhaNaN.ar that MA t4Ifl, ~..Afg 80,
horseback, ground AMI lofty tInbling, and
Don OuiXote on hOrsN and foot" The
management announced that an elephant
had been engaged for the evening q June
rs, and that "NIessrs. Meiial. COderj, Oufie
n Tatneu will sppedr on her back IN !
pyramids, groups. So" The whole per- /
Torrance of that nignt was 20 conclude
with the "Combustible H1r='' at hat !
has been mentioned.
The prices were BOX. 81; Grlrn box. Is
cents; Pitt, so cents" Performances began
at 8 O'Clock this was the GSsr night Cir,usI, :
no smoking was allowed, amt season tickets
could be procured from Aicssr' CayctGHo
and Redon at the circus or 2! their rSsl-
dence. 405 Broadway, nearly opposite. D
That circus WAS given no in four years,
and n year later James West, an English
equestrian manager who hal exhibited
in Boston and Phila elDhia. erected another I
large wooden building "on Broadway near
the Stone BridRe"-that -. just above
Canal street. It. opened ON Angus, p.
with the same fine troop and beautiful +
horses which had drawn crowded houses
In England
Among the performers were Mr.. VILLAIN :
on the slack wire. Mr.. Campball, tha clown, ,
who would leap over five horses and thre'
somersaults through Il balloon OF fire, nd
Mr.. Blackmore, who would balance on IN
slack wire and ride around the ring. his
head on the neck of aquart bottle" The
Flying Horseman's" particularly adyrr- I
tised stunt then was leaping through the
body Of a mail coach and lighting on the
saddle of a horse in full speed.
There was a pony IS inches high, and an
Egyptian Pyramid. or Men Piled on Men"
was a famous act. just before the end OK
that first season West Introduced Roman
Attitudes, never before performed in
America II was an act popular in England
about hat time.
Manager Vests wife was a great dancer,
at least she was announced a. late of the
Opera House. London and h gave lessons
in -all the late new and fashionable dances"
Vests side line was conducting a school
for Ladies Il Gentlemen in the Polite Art Of
Riding"
Victor Pepin, who a few years before bad
appeared with "a very brilliant train
and opened a circus at Broadway and
Magazine street. returned in 1918 TO open
another on Broadway between Hester
(now Howard) and Broome streets. He
had -an airy, elegant and convenient
establishment erected at considerable
expense
There appeared Tatnell. still renowned,
and Miss Wheland In IAN Allemande on two
horses; Mr.. Maybe on the slack rope. and
Nine. Cossin. second only 60 the celebrated
Sacqui. ascending on a tight rope from the
stage TO the gallery. There was "A troupe
Of Vaulters; Mr.. Campbell was the clown,
aB he had been with West; the fireworks
act still hung on. with a trained horse.
Mentor. doing the fiery stunt, and Romeo
did that jumping through a hogshead on
another horses back.
In September of that year they had "A
bsusft there for Campbell, the clown. and
then produced for the first time a piece de-
signed and prepared by Campbell him
self. being IAN engagement between an
American u and two ~frigates. the latter
being blown up after several rounds"
After being closed for a few months this
circus was reopened by Pepin in 1919. -en-
lsrEed with an additional tier OF boxes and
with windows cut in for ventilation" A
grand entry Of eight elegantly mounted
eQuestrians" was given.
Two boys and a little girl performed on
Apony. and Sam Tatnel leaped over garters.
hoanda NJ IiRhta- and through a balloon NJ