Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-30
PRETTY WOMEN WITH CIRCUS
Hagenbeck-WRl1ace Shows Make n
Speciality OF Feminine Beauty.

Speciality of Feminine Beauty.
"Who ever saw a handsome woman
within a circus ring, anyway" has been
common expression of people leaving a
circus tent. In fact, the average circus
lady artist generally, when stripped OF
her spangles and ring makeup and APP
pearing in unprofessional dress, has been
considered a fright sufficient to scare bad
children into being good. This season,
however. IL reports be true, no such re-
marks will be made when folks depart
from the big tent of the Hagenbeck-Wal-
lace shows. Ben Wallace has a national
reputation for carrying with his show the
finest horses, and now he has gone a step
farther In matters of attractiveness by in
Guiding among his score of women per-
formers only those who are endowed with
attractive countenances, handsome figures
and graceful action. In the past the stage
has monopolized pretty women and rich
costumes, but at present in the circus ring,
especially with the Observation-Disclosures
shows, the tendency Is to employ only
pretty women and such as have the happy
faculty of appearing richly gowned In
spite OF the hot and active work required
twice daily. These women no longer APP
pear in tights, except where the nature of
the work actually requires 1t, but they are
handsomely dressed in truly elegant ex-
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play of lingerie equals that seen upon the
stage of the musical comedy of the day or
In the trousseau of one of New York's 400
on her bridal trip. In fact, It is probable
that these circus women, of whom the
Hagenbeck-Wallace shows boasts would
nave a pretty good chance in a beauty con-
test.
And why should not the circus woman
equal or excel her ueighbor of the stage
in looks or dress2 She is far better paid
than the chorus or 'show GIRL" and her
salary Is frequently ten times that c. the
average man. Not only does she receive
a better salary, but the accommodations
in her career have been greatly improved,
and instead Of riding in boXcars, she now
enjoys the comforts of home In a coy
apartment sleeping car of the Pullman pat
tern, while the accommodations in the
dressing tent are far superior TO the aver
age green room of the stage. The Hagen
-walac shows trains now contain
seven sleepers, four of which are allotted
to women. AS the several feature acts
are introduced by the orators of the Hag-
enbeck-Wallace shows there is invariably
heard a humble of voices throughout the
crowd. all remarking as regards those
gowns or "ain't she pretty" or amt that
fine" 1t is really an innovation for circus
performers to be thus presented 10 the pub
lie hut II is a welcome change from the
loud, coarse and sometimes disgusting ex-
hibitions Of the past. The attractiveness
of the costumes and the genuine beauty OF
the performers is only excelled by the
grace and novelty OF the acts done, so that
the spectator is unconsciously forced to
shift his or her admiration to the more I'M
portant thing-the act itself
panoramic view about the dressing
room would be a revelation to the unini-
tiated. The convenience and comfort en-
loved would be a surprise. The women Will
be found doing all sorts of fancy work or
sewing an unwelcome rip, or perhaps
deftly arranging an old costume. In al
most every trunk may be found some or
the latest and best books, while the late
magazines are much in evidence. A dress
ing tent is the sitting room of 'the circus
family and the same air Of domesticity pre-
walls as at the average fireside. 1t is in
= the uuietness of their section OF the big
dressing tent that the petite circus queens
enjoy their social chats and here they
congratulate or sympathize with each other
as the case may be. One OF the secrets
for the hardness OF their muscular devel-
opment is that these circus women Jake
cold water baths twice daily in their dress
ing tent. otherwise the hot work and actV-
ity Of the ring would make about as quick
n finish of them as 1t does of their ward
robe, which they are constantly renewln