Evening star., 1909-05-09
BIG SHOW IN TOWN
Ringing Brothers Circus Bet
ter Than Ever This Year.
EQUIPMENT IS BRAND-NEW
Many New Acts, Some Of Them Real
Heart -Thrillers.
THE MAN.MONKEY A WONDER
Jennie, the Elephant That Knew
George Washington, Favorite.
Big Parade Monday.
EQUIPMENT is BRAND-NEW
THE MAN.MONKEY A WONDER

04S Z d0O 4xAOA00ys
There will be scenes of hustle today on
| the circus grounds at 18th and II streets
northeast when the paraphernalia. me-
nagerie and what-not Of the Ringing
Brothers big shows arrive and the army
Of employees pitches the great tents. The
sideshow canvases will be pitched. too.
and the peanut and pink lemonade vend-
ers will prepare for the salefest to-
morrow
The parade is scheduled for tomorrow
morning over the following route: Leave
show grounds at 14th and H streets
northeast at 9 o'clock over Maryland
avenue to 1st street northeast, to B
street northeast to New Jersey avenue.
kto Massachusetts, avenue, to 7th street
northwest, to north side Of K street
northwest, to 22d street northwest. to
Pennsylvania avenue, to 18th street north
west, to Pennsylvania avenue, to 1st
street northwest. to street northwest,
to Maryland avenue and back to the show
grounds.
The first section Of the mile-long circus
train will arrive in Washington early
this morning over the Pennsylvania rail-
road, coming from Philadelphia. The
walls of an hour. BY noon 1t is expected
the circus will be under canvas. The
eighty-fve cars will be unloaded at the
yards at New Jersey avenue and G street.
the heavy wagons, cages and parade We
hicles and the elephants proceeding i'm
medlately to the grounds.
Equipment Brand-New.
This is the fourth stand Of the Ringing
Brothers this season. They opened at
Madison Square Garden. New York,
March %, closing there April "a. and
showing week each in Brooklyn and
Philadelphia. All Of the canvas and the
entire equipment is new. On the pay
roll of the circus are 1893 people. OF
these, 375 are performers, fully one-half
of whom are foreigners appearing in
America for the first time Some of the
more important features Of the varied
European bill are the Arthur Saxon trio
of the world strongest men; Roblidello,
the Mexican wire walker: the Lorch fam
lily Of acrobats from Germany. the tele-
phoning elephants. the double-somer-
sauit1ng automobile flight through the
air; Alexander Patty. who walks on his
head; the fifty best clowns in the world
and the wonderful Schuman performing
horses from the Circus Schuman at
Berlin
The circus will remain in Washington
tomorrow and Tuesday. giving four per-
same in every detail as those presented in
New York. The afternoon performances
will begin at o'clock and the evening
shows at s, the doors opening an hour
earlier for an inspection of the menagerie
and the enjoyment of an operatic con-
cert by Albert c. Sweets military band.
Those who wish to avoid the crowds on
the show grounds can buy reserved seats
and admissions at the downtown branch
Office at the same price charged at the
regular ticket wagons,
See the Man-Monkey.
The Ringing Brothers have an un-
usually attractive menagerie this year.
At its head is Darwin, the man-monkey,
who lives in miniature house with bay
| windows. tables and chairs pictures on
the wall and a steam heater for cool
weather. Another member Of the me-
nagerie that has recently come into
prominence is Jennie, an elephant which,
April 8, celebrated its 213th birthday.
Probably the most unique banquet ever
held In America was given at Madison
Square Garden in honor of the occasion.
The feast was served In the arena.
Jennie and her constant companion, John,
sat at the head of the table. In front of
them was an immense birthday cake. on
which was a Statuette of Jennie done in
plaster and surrounded by 213 candles,
which burned while the guests were din
ing. Among those present were DR.. Har-
vey w. Wiley, head of the United States
bureau of chemistry; Mrs. Winifred Har-
per Cooley. secretary of the American
Pure Food Society; DIR. Elihu King, the
English traveller; several newspaper men
and magazine writers and Martin Green,
Irwin s. Cobb and Carl Decker, the hu-
| morists. Many speeches were made and
an elaborate dinner was served, Jennie
and her companion eating peanuts from
a large tub.
The first known Of Jennie is that while
George Washington was still President
Of the United States she was brought
become an exhibit in the Geological Gar
dens at London. England. That was
April 8. 113 years ago. and her age then
was estimated at 100 years In 1906 the
elephant was transferred from London to
| park in Liverpool.
Some of Jennie's History:
For a time after this all track Of Jen-
ME Is lost, but it is known that in 1S46
Jerry Fogg and Evenetiz Howes. who
operated small show in the United
States. bought the animal and brought 1t
to America for it's first tour with the
red wagons. In 1855 Jennie became the
Later She was again identified with a
| small show and just after the civil war
was sold to the city Of Rockford. ILL.,, to
become for the fourth time q park at
uactlon.
The next heard OF Jennie she was a part
Of the menagerie Of railroad show own
ed by Charles Address. now retired and
living In Chicago. Address sold the eIe-
phant in 1889 to the Ringing Brothers.
They still own her and 1t is not likely
they will ever part with the beast, as she
has become great pet in the big circus.
And Jennie pays for her board many
times over, too, for in the south during
the rainy season she can throw her great
frame against a mired wagon and move
it into solid ground when forty horses
could not bulge 1t.
She Can Do Stunts, Too.
Jennie took easily to higher education.
She uses a telephone, can beat a drum
with her tail. operate one end of a tee
ter-board and play tenpins What is more,
she is a gentle beast. She has never
given one of her many keepers a mo-
ment's worry. and she has probably fed
from the hands of million people, She is
still in her prime, being an elephant, for
elephants have been known to live for
900 years. So 1t is more than likely that
Jennie will live to eat peanuts from the
hands of children whose great-grand-