Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-08-15
Great Circus Day.

Monday was ideal circus weather, hot
enough to make pink lemonade seem par
ticularly delectable as the ice tinkled tam
talizingly in the glasses passed around
the mass of sweltering humanity packed
on the elevated seats of the canvas amphi-
theatre. The vigorous agitation OF palm
leaf fans kept from suffocation the moist
perspiring units of the multitude, whose
joyous, crimson countenances, beaded
with sweat, sufficiently attested to the
fact that physical comfort is no essential
element of true happiness.
The crowd began to arrive at an early
hour, one enthusiastic family even get
ting here in time to have a picnic break
fast and put in whole day of solid en-
ioyment. At 10 O'Clock in the forenoon,
Main street took on the congested APP
pearance of Broadway and necks were al
most perilously stretched in an attempt to
see the glories of the parade. Elaborate
chariots were drawn by four and six
spans OF handsome horses; two bands
were playing different tunes; calliope
belched forth smoke and music in equal
parts but not of equal force for the smoke
was unable to choke off the music, and
the latter was worse than the smoke; a
Chinese laundry scattered soapsuds and
fun along the route; clowns dropped
pebbles of wit into Mafeba lake of up
turned faces and were rewarded by rip
pies of laughter; babies were held up to
see the elephants and altogether the ex-
citement was intense.
The afternoon performance Of the Wal
ter L. Main Fashion Plate show was wit
messed, it is estimated, by $500 people.
The menagerie proved to be a tent OF
exceptionally fine horses, calmly MUNICH
ing hay in a manner too familiar to salts
| fy eyes longing for sight of camels and
giraffes, cages of monkeys, and lions and
tigers now and then emitting roar to
make the roots of your hair tingle.
| The circus was not so bewildering ar
affair but that one pair Of eyes could easi'
ly attend to all the acts, which were ex.
cellent of their kind. There was no bare
| back riding except that done by little
black dog jumping through paper-cov'
cred hoops and over streamers with the
ease OF gauzy equestrienne.
A first-class feature was pack Of won
derfully trained dogs, and one trick horse
displayed almost human intelligence
Four elephants, under the direction o
two trainers, conducted barber shop
lathering, shaving, powdering and brush
ing the littlest, and possibly most pa
tient, member of the herd. Afterwards
they participated in sham fight so real
istically conducted that two OF the bis
numbering soldiers picked up traine
with their trunks and carried him out o
the tent while another elephant followed
limping on three legs with fourth grea
foot held up in pathetic fashion. Den
keys, in numerous cunning tricks
showed that education is not so wasted
on the four-footed as on the two-footet
variety.
The Nichols family of four, including
a boy of six or eight, had repertoire o
slack wire performances that proved then
possessed of superior skill and daring
The tumbling and trapeze work meritet
commendation, and the clowns were "fel
lows of infinite jest, of most excellen
fancy"
The evening performance was rathe
slimly attended with not more than thre'
J or four hundred in the tent.