The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-01

nue.. There will be no street parade.
The big shows have entered into an
agreement abolishing parades.
1t is a popular and legitimate thing
| for pater familias to hem and "haw''
| a little when asked if he is going to tn e
circus. and finally admit in a half-dep-
| ricating way, that "he will probably
| have to go and-see the animals" But
way down in his heart, unless that use
! full member is warped and caIloused
| beyond all hope of recovery, there is Z.
sense of jubilation-a Surging of old
feelings of old Memories perfect
| flood of recollections in which the one
ring circus of other DAYS, and Dan
Rice, and Jim" Robinson, the "cham-
pion rider of the universe and long
F., list of other famous ring celebrities,
are photographed upon his mind in a
composite picture of other days. He
may possibly say that the circus of
these strenuous days, whe nthere is so
much to see that the spectator is con-
stantly threatened with stra bismus and
mental alteration, is not to be COM
pared with the old-time circus, with
single clown, one elephant, and a
lonesome family of acrobats, but never
theless, he wouldn't miss the show for
twenty times the price of admission.
and down in his heart he knows he is
a good natured hypocrite and that he
would take in the circus if there
wasn't boy this side of the North
Pole.
And so, when three long trains OF
cars, used to transport the Barnum &
Bailey greatest show on Earth came
rolling into the city. one after another
the curious army of greeting VIII not
be confined to the small boy. Not
much; father. will be there, and
mother, and the small bows big
brother and big sister, with few
uncles and aunts, and large contin-
gent OF the small boys neighbors.
Why? Well, that's something no one
can explain 1t is the fascination that
is part and parcel of the circus, and
that is all that can be said about it,
AS fast as the cars are unloaded IL
the railroad yards the vans and wagons
viii be transferred to the exhibition
grounds, and the work of erecting the
tents put in operation. This is one of
the most interesting features incident
to the arrival of the big show and al
ways furnishes the crowd a great deal
to see and to marvel at With the
Barnum & Bailey circus this is true to
an unusual extent, for the reason that
the tents are the largest that have ever
been constructed and require the heav-
lest poles ever utilized in a travelling
exhibition The center poles particular
ly are as heavy as any three poles used
by ordinary circuses, while their length
is equal to the tallest mast Of an ocean
going sailing ship. Notwithstanding
the great amount of canvas and i'm
-nense height of the poles, the tents will
go UP with almost incredible swiftness.
and within two hours after the arrival
of the first wagon on the show lot, the
erstwhile barren field will be trans
formed into a veritable city of canvas,
with all the life hustle and novelty of
a great fair. The people who go to the
show grounds to see these scenes, will
need a dozen pairs of eyes. Everything
is novel and interesting to the unin-
itiated, the housing of the hundreds of
well-groomed horses, the erection of
the managerfe tent to protect the rare
and curious animals from possible in
clement weather, and. incidentally, the
eyes OF the crowd the work of the ele-
plants which are used to push the
great vans and wagons into place; the
commissary department, with it's great
with places for over a thousand guests"
at a single sitting: the dressing tents.
where the performers are inspecting
their wardrobe and preparing for the
exhibitions; the mammoth hippodrome
pavilion, with its wonderful seat plat
forms and grandstand opera chairs and
long rows Of boxes, and triple rings and
the performances of the flying
meteors." Every way the visitor turns
there will be something new to see AMI
something novel and unexpected to talk
about.
Everything will be in readiness for
the free show which is to inaugurate
the engagement. This exhibition will
IL o'clock and will be repeated at D.
m It will be worth going miles to ses-
The initial performance will take place
at O'Clock and the final one at p. m
A great circus company has been gath
cred from all parts of the world Tho
performance is preceded by a beautiful
military and allegorical spectacl