Evening star., 1909-05-20
RECEIVES HER PONY
Minl,ie c. Simms, Winner of
The Stars Contest, Happy.
PRIZE FOR THE BEST ESSAY
Appearance at Gentry Brothers
Shows Signal for Applause.
BIG CROWD WITNESSES AWARD
Animal Actors Entertain and Chill
dren Ride About the Tent After
the Performance.

| Many rounds Of applause have broken
forth in the tents of the Gentry Bros.
shows since their engagement began here
| last Monday. But all others We're as
chrping of crickets when compared with
that which greeted Miss Minnie c. Simms
when she STEPPED into the ring last night
to receive from representative OF The
Star the pony won by her for the best
essay about the Gentry shows.
! Miss Simms as was stated yesterday,
presented an essay in the pony contest
| that easily landed her as the winner.
She was notified of her good fortune, and
hurried home from school to make plans
| for caring for the little prize pony
Dressed in white, and her face lighted
up with the broadest of smiles the school
girl essayist took her family to the
Gentry Bros shows TO witness the pre-
sentation.
Pony Appears in Ring.
| The Simms family was ushered to the
middle of the grandstand, directly in
front of the ring. The performance was
well under way when Ben Austin of the
Gentry Bros company stepped into the
ring. He announced that the Gentry
| Bros were ready to deliver to the rep
resentative of The Star the prize pony.
\ member of The Stars staff accepted
the little prize animal and then spoke of
The Star and the Gentry Bros. in
making the award. He said a pony from
the Gentry farms is one Of the finest
| prizes in the world. After a brief adj
dress he asked for Miss Simms. The
little girl stepped. trembling, from the
reserved seats and ran to the ring. She
was handed the bride of the pony and
| told to lead it away. She started from
the ring and the audience broke into a
round of applause. Those in the grand
stand stamped on the footboards, the
boys in the general seats clapped their
hands. and the fellow with the loud whis-
/ tie had his share in the commendation.
Leads Little Horse Away.
| Miss Simms led her little horse to the
dressing room of the Gentry Bros.
shows. There she was met by the but
! Ter for the Simms family. He took the
! pony and led it to the Simms home, 1853
| Clifton street.
| Having delivered her prize pony into
safe hands Miss Simms turned about to
| resume her seat with the Simms family
| in the grandstand. As she stepped
through the curtains at the back Of the
| tent another roar of applause greeted
her and 1t continued until the twelve
! year-old school girl had taken her place
alongside her father.
| Accompanying her to the show We're
many of her friends and the members of
her immediate family. Before the night
performance Miss Simms' father visited
| the Gentry Bros. shows. He was taken
into the menagerie tent to look the pony
=. over When Henry B. Gentry pointed
out the pony Mr.. Simms eyed the animal
with the critical eye Of trained horse
man As he turned away he said: Two
years old-in fine shape He was think
! ing audibly of the prize his daughter
/ had won.
Capacity Crowd Attends.
! After the night performance Miss
Si:nms held reception in the show tent.
There were scores of her little friends
who had heard she was the winner of
The Star-Gentry Bros. pony. They were
on hand to witness the presentation and
| late, congratulate her.
| There was capacity crowd at the
| Gentry Bros. shows last night. Late
comers We're made the subject of es-
pecial attention at the hands OF the Cen
] try Bros. official family. The uniform
courtesy which is characteristic Of the
employees of the Gentry Bros was in evi-
dence everywhere. One party Of eight
came in after the show had begun. There
We're no reserved seats to be secured.
! The blue seats were packed. But that
party had to have seats.
Platforms and other properties with
the show were uqickly hurried into the
canvas. An emergency platform was
thrown together Immediately in front of
the bandstand. The party arriving late
was seated there In addition to seeing
/! the show at close range they had un-
usual chance to study the order and dis
cipline of the Gentry Bros shows.
| The present visit to Washington has
been marked by record business for the
Gentry Bros At every performance the
crowd has come up to expectations. The
crosstown lines on L and those OH 14th
street are bringing the crowds from re-
mote sections. while those from closer