Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-11
THE CIRCUS.
Forepaugh & Sells Bros.
Shows Visit City.
Parade Was Gorgeous and the
Circus Itself Excellent.
Fine Weather Brings Great Crowd
10 See the Show.

The great show of the season, the
show for which the people OF Augusta
ana Of the adjacent cities ana towns
had been waiting in pleasant anticIpa-
ton ever since the paper was posted
which announced its coming, the Fore
paugll & Sells Bros. circus. menagerie
and hippOdrome, has come and gone,
and has left, as great snow always
does, only a confused memory of the
countless features which unite to form
its magnificent entirety. And in go
ing it has taken with it all the glamour
and excitement attendant upon circus
day, the music, the gorgeous chariots,
the gaily capariSOned horses and rid
ers. the dens of wild animals, the
thrilling features of the circus itself.
and lastly the great crowd which as
So mbled to take in the sights. The
crowd did not go with the circus of
course, but those who composed it
have gone back to their homes to take
UP again their various vocations in life
which had been laid aside for the day
in order that they might take in the
shows.
The weather was all that could be
desired for Il circus day ard the show
was thoroughly in keeping with the
weather, for it has long had the repu-
tation Of being one of the best big
shows on the road, and it certainly
loses nothing in quality from year to
year. The first event of the day was
the arrival of the show itself which oc-
CURED in the early hours of the morn
ing, three trains being required to
transport it. And following the show
came the crowds to see it. Hundreds
of young folks and some of the older
ones got up very early yesterday morn
ing to see the show unloaded from the
trains and hundreds Of others living
outside the city had an early breakfast
in order that they might get into town
in season 10 see the big parade.
And the way they came. Some came
in double teams that would carry the
whole family, and others came in
single teams that would carry but two
or three, and still others who had no
teams contcnted themselves with foot
ing it along the highways or making
short cut across the fields. A favor
ito means of transportation was found
in the clcctricS and the morning cars
We're packed to the running boards.
Others came on the steam cars and 10
l O'Clock found one of the largest
| crowds that had assembled in the city
for long time.
The great feature of the forenoon
was the parade. which left the grounds
at the Driving park soon after 10
n'c.cck, and which was n brilliant
spectacle. 1t was 4 big one and Of
pleasing variety. The horses. which
are always in the Forepaugh & Sells
Bros. shows fine animals. were plump
and well kept and their tralpings We're
also in good condition. The riders
| looked contented and the chariots and
vans We're respondent in gold and
| cnlors. There were bands galore.
| scores of horsemen and horsewomen.
| an almost endless array of ornamented
| wagons, open cages of wild animals,
| the circus fire department which fig
| ureS in the opening feature of the cX-
| hibition the thrilling spectacle en-
| titled "Fightin@ the Flames" and last
Of all the inevitable steam caliupe. The
| route of the parade was through State.
| Bond, Water and Grove streets and
| during its passage those thOroughfares
| wcre vcritable seas of humanity.
| The show itself was in keeping with
| the parade. first class throughout, and
| both the afternoon ana evening per-
| formanCes called out two of the big
| Scst crowds of the season. the after
noon attendance running far into the
| thousands. Before the big show
opened the crowds found plenty to in
tcrcst them in the menageric and side
/ shows The mena gcrie was in n tent
as large rs the average circus tent and
| contained therein were representatives
| of wild beasts from all over the
Iworld. \ feature of the animal tent We're
three herds of elephants of assorted
sizes and which came in for large
| share Of attention. The lions. tigers.
| lropards. and all the animals. even the
! hippoputamus. looked well fed and as
| contrnted as they could be expected to
look so far away from their native
haunts and at the same time up
against a crowd of sight-secrs.
| Tho performance was very satisfac-
tory. The big, advertised feature
| called "Fighting the Flames" was