The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-04-23
THE MODERN CIRCUS
Vast and Dazzling, 1t Is Really a
Very Simple Affair.
AN ANALYSIS OF A BIG SHOW.
Four Main Parts, Aerial, Ground,
Equestrian and Hippodrome, to
Which All Else Is lncidental-The
Actual Cost and Press Agent Figures.

Equestrian and Hippodrome, to
Which All Else Is lncidentai-The
Actual Cost and Press Agent Figures.
While the performance of the big
modern circus Is truly dazzling and
confusing to the average visitor, an
analysis will show it to be a very SIM
pie affair.
The performance proper consists Of
four parts-namely, aerial, ground,
equestrian and hippodrome. Every
thing else is incidental or adjunctive
The menagerie, freaks, curiosities, etc.,
make up the remainder of what we
call "the show
If one will examine the programme
of the circus performance carefully, it
will be seen that the ground acts al
ternate with, say, jockey act, an
aerial act, an equestrian act, another
ground act, another aerial act, and SO
on for the entire performance.
The performers are mostly foreign
ers, Japan furnishing the most of any
particular country France, Italy and
Germany give us the most OF the ath-
letic artists, while England and Amer
lea produce the equestrians. But the
Japanese furnish fully three-eighths OF
the whole entertainment.
The natives of Nippon have never
been equaled by those OF any other
country for tricks Of the feet and
hands The Japanese, however, are
never found on the programme as
equestrians, trapeze artists or clowns.
With these parts eliminated they may
be said to give the greater part of the
performance. Cut the equestrian and
trapeze acts and the Japanese will be
/ found in almost every number.
/ A single Japanese troupe of five or six
members, costing from $50 to $4OO a
week, will thus furnish the most of the
entertainment. AS every circus goer
knows. the Japanese are especially
skillful in every feature of juggling.
balancing by hands or feet, manipulate
ing OF objects. wire walking, ETC.,
which they have carried to such de-
gree of perfection that their acts are
unapproachable by the people of any
other nationality.
The first Japanese performer in this
country was small boy who came
with the first Japanese embassy to the
United States.
His performance created a perfect
furore of enthusiasm, and he attracted
more attention than the novel embassy
itself. Little "All Right will be re.
membercd, though the embassy and Its
important mission has long been for
gotten.
The name was acquired from the cir
cumstances that the words "all right
were the only English words the chil.l
knew at the time, and he used to sing
them out in his shrilI treble as he fin
ished what was then deemed Il re-
markable feat, to the intense delight OF
the audience.
SO popular was the little chap that
his advent was followed by several
other little ''All Rights" from the same
curious country beyond the Pacific un
til the Japanese performers here be-
came an old story.
The chief reason for the overwhelm
ing preponderance of foreign talent II
the American circus lies in the practt
cal exclusion of children from tht
stage and ring in the United States
SO many of the states have laws for
bidding the public appearance of chill
dren under sixteen that theatrical man
/ ayers hesitate to produce any pla!
with a child in the cast. AS acrobati
feats require early and severe training
the American is practically cut OF
from this way Of earning living.
In present conditions when Littl
Eva in .Uncle Toms Cabin" has he
come old enough to marry little "Al
Right would he an impossibility. TO
not only do these laws prevent tn
training of American children for til
stage and ring, but they prevent III
appearance III this country OF some
!" the most famous family troupes of Eu
: rope.
Abroad the show career offers Il be-
. ter means of advancement than tn
y trades, and poor parents frequently al
prentice their children to those VIII
y train them for the stage or ring. l
! this country we generously send thel
u to the cotton mills or the mines.
le The American circus performer ha
II gradually become restricted to tn
equestrian act, and in the act of ridin
he or she is not excellcd, even by IL
~ English, though the latter nation u:
produced some fine equcstrians. hau
~ ecole and daring bareback riders.
o Mime. Dockrill, wife of X. II. Doc
% rill, himself one of the best high scho
!" riders of his time, was famous Anne
ican rider in 1874 She used to rit
y four bareback horses abreast, her re
y resting OH the two outside horses
," Roman fashion. She also did the NJ
zeppa act and other thrilling bareba'
!" feats. Her pretty daughter Rose w
.. trained In the same act and afterwa
became a star rider.
y Emma Lake, who died quite recent
Z" at an advanced age, was another
nous American equestrienne. She
ways won salvOs of applause as Il
horse, with noble head high in the a
let rose almost perpendicular on
re- hind feet at the word Of commaI
while his skilled mistress retained
firm place in the saddle.
'ut Riders at one time were the chief
y traction of the circus and were bill
as we now bill our death defy
deeds.'' In the old one ring days
,e! whole performance was practically
tn vided between the rider and the clo'
When the rider was not riding,