Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-16
IS BIGGEST SHOW
Mammoth Aggregation of Ring
ling Brothers Having its
Day in Rock Island.
TENTS AT THE FAIR GROUNDS
Fine Parade in Morning, Despite Un
favorable Misunderstanding Per-
Torrance at 8 O'Clock.
My, what a parade!

IN circus way Inat was ABOUT me
finest thing ever seen in this city. The
Ringing Brothers have everything else
put off the boards-and then some.
Over coo horse, a great herd of ela-
plants, camels TO spare, strange beas :
III open dens, 1,2SG people, and hun
dreds of golden floats and tableau
vans passed the thousands on the side
walks in a column two miles long
A calliope footed "Everybody Works
But Father" cathedral chimes ra ~
out Aud Lang Syne" and a mounted
band added march music to the
er bands, one clown organization
| that murdered opus 924 of John Philip
Sousa TO the delight of spectators -
also a Colonial YankeeDOodle drum
and fife corps in powdered wigs and
George Washington hats, and a ba'-
barian reed and tOm-tom orchestra
| that suggested the streets of Cairo.
Drawn by 81 Horses.
The parade was led by troupe IF
buglers and a golden band chariot
drawn by "a white horses. Later on
| there was Il ''hitch" of "a ponies no
larger than Kansas jack rabbits. There
were any number of 10-horse teams
and many beautiful thoroughbredS
driven tandem. 1t was display Of
horsehesh that devOtees of the track
and stable well might rave over
The Ringing Brothers are not spar
ing of gOldleaf and paint and there Is
a freshness and brilliancy about Their
pageant that charms. And their PEG
pie are 4 superior class of men and
women Even the children have a dig
nifty about them not seen with other
circus displays. And the costumes were
rich and picturesque. The perform
ance is now in progress. II is not 10
be dealt with in detail. 1t is too great
for that. The only thing to do is -
bunch the whole thing together an,
say. well. it's the greatest on earth.
And that's what it is. The perform
ance tonight begins at s. The show
grounds are at the Ninth street race
track
Making Big Jumps.
| Ringlings are making some of the
biggest jumps this year in the history
lof circuses. They started at st. Louis
and went east to New England. Their
they doubled back and are now on the
way across the country to the Pacific
where they will arrive before colo
weather. The aggregation came il
from Macomb over the Burlington thi:
morning. This is n rather difficult
> nights travel, and the trains We're
trife late. The first section bearing
the heavy chariots came first. and Wa!
, unloaded during the morning hours a
: the foot of Seventeenth street. Late
! the second section. which brought mos
! Of the people and some of the larg
9 animals which leave the cars on foot
arrived. The show carries in all g
cars, being the largest circus on tn
road. Eighty-five of the cars go wit
the show daily. being used in transport
8 ing the people, animals, and effects
The other four are used i'll advanc
r work.
= A representative of the show wa
! asked this morning if Ringing Brotl
ers had considered cutting out tn
lstreet pageant Not much he II
. piled 1T cost Barnum too much to d
that last year. Barnum's receipts las
= season were the smallest in years. al
n the loss is attributed to dropping tn
parade. The people expect a pagean
# and the circus without one loses
# feature that is necessary in the eyes ;
y the general public"
r Rain makes no difference with Rim
IS lings. Their tents are of the heavie:
is canvas, and absolutely waterproof.
re -