Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-08-12
Circus Day in Randolph.

circus Day IN Nandoiph.
The Van Homberg and Howe's London
shows exhibited on the UdaIl meadow in
this village Monday afternoon and even
ing and proved to be good clean circus.
A special train brought the outfit from
Montpelier in the early hours OF Sunday
morning and for two days the encamp-
ment on the meadow was a great point of
attraction 10 young and old. In all that
time not an arrest was made, nor was the
Sabbatical quiet disturbed by any loud
talking or bolsterous behavior on the
part OF the circus people. Everything
moved like clockwork and something
similar to military discipline seemed to
prevail.
A rumor to the effect that a gang Of
clever piekpockets followed the show and
that it would lie well for cireus-goers to
leave jewelry and bills OF large denomin-
atoms under guard at home, prevented the
crowd from blazing out in diamonds and
bullying its pockets with green backs, as
would otherwise have been the case, no
doubt. Severe simplicity OF attire was in
order, and It was next to impossible to
learn the time Of day except from the
town clock or the sun, so scarce were
watches. A few greenborns, however,
carried enough change to keep the gam
bling games going and the experience
they gained will perhaps be worth more
to them than the money they lost. One
Braintreeite is said to have saved $40 from
the saloon OF his town by investing il in
game that bis exaggerated egon made
him think he understood better than the
man who was running it.
Though, according to the word Of trav-
elers over that stretch Of highway, dust
on the Braintree road was not allowed to
settle Sunday or Monday, there was, in
the eye of the law, no intoxication in
town. No one was conspicuously in need
OF police attention or the seclusion of the
lookup. Chief Ketchum discovered sew
eral bottles Of liquor that some Rochester
gentlemen had procured at Braintree, pre-
sumably for the purpose of retailing on
the sly, but such purpose was defeated
for Mr.. ketchum placed the stun in safe
storage until the gentlemen started for
home when he allowed them to take il
with them.
The extreme heat of a few previous
days moderated in its intensity Monday,
and by teams and trains q multitude
poured into town from the outlying dis
tricts. They were happy lot, lunching
in shady spots, devouring soda, ice
cream, candy and fruit and seeing the
sights, OF which the crowd was not the
least interesting. They lined the streets
for the parade, guiiawed at the clowns,
and wondered at the elephants and cam.
els, led by some local kids transformed
by oriental costumes into sslittle Arabs'i
for the time being.
While net large, the menagerie offered
a sufficiently good course in natural his.
/ toryt to make it worth while for induI.
gent parents "to take the children" The
most attractive features were. the -four
baby lions, roliy-poly little pussies, and &
cageful Of monkeys looking as natural al
/ the pictures in family album.
In the single ring, fancy riding wal
/ done on handsome trained horses and
overhead three trapeze artists were busy
I all at once in hazardous feats. The five
elephants went through. some curiou,
tricks for elephants, and family of slack
wire artists proved themselves uncom
monty well-balanced. A japanese jug
gler and three tiny Jap boys upheld tn,
national reputation for nimbleness, anC
the little fellows especially were amazing
/ " cunning. Running, jumping anC
/ tumbling stunts were excellent, and thre,
sisters with iron jaws swung in mid air
apparently by their teeth, and did othel
things that would make 3 bull dos
ashamed Of his weak tenacity.
There was an assembly OF fully 1000 il
the big tent at the afternoon perform
ance, but in the evening only two OF
three hundred attended. Teams anc
autos ran from the depot to the circus
ground for the convenience OF the public
and good many dimes were picked NJ
in fares.
This circus has spent the last thre,
winters in Atlanta, Ga, and is considera
/ bly, Southern in its personnel. The com
ing winter it will be in Chicago, where i
has hibernated before.