Evening star., 1909-05-10
CIRCUS NOW IN TOWN CONFESSES TO BLAME
Ringing Brothers Big Shows Treasurer Causes Sensation IN
Here for Two Days. Birth Abraham Convention.
GORGEOUS STREET PARADE |DEFICT DUE TO NEGLECT
Dazzling Pageant Through Pleads That He Merely Followed
Ctys Thoroughfares Precedent of Others
CLOWNS ELEPHANTS PONIES EXCITEMENT MARKS SESSION
Two Tickets for Officers Put In
Herads Lead the Way, Nomination While Pandemonium
Calliope at End. Reigns-Eecion Tomorrow
Ringing Brothers Big Shows
Here for Two Days.
GORGEOUS STREET PARADE
Dazzling Pageant Passes Through
City's Thoroughfares.
CLOWNS, ELEPHANTS, PONIES
Camels Work Well in Harness.
Heralds Lead the Way,
Calliope at End.

Calliope at End.
All this was a great day for the boy
who stayed away from school! That line
OF elephants and that wagonioad VI
clowns-ah. man. wasn't it fine? 1t was.
And the whole business was given abso-
lutely free to the ten. twenty or nun
dred thousand persons who gaped at II
by Ringling Bros, who carry around
with them little attraction scheduled as
the greatest show on earth.
This parade that upset Washington Tor
a time this morning was built somewhat
on the lines of others that have been
given here, but somehow or other II
seems that a circus parade can do more
in the way of stopping the wheels OF
progress than almost anything else. Folks
even take their lunches with them, SO
that they can stand long wait In case
anything goes awry at the start and de-
lays matters. Commuters who nave OF
fees on the line of march turn tnelr
windows into box seats for the benent OF
family which comes to town only once
in so often and never misses a circus
parade.
Always Catches On.
It's the same thing every year. but 1t
always catches on. From the cavalcade
OF outriders with flags and trumpets
down to the the smoking and steaming
calliope. with it's gentle harmonies all OF
it looked familiar, but everybody en-
loved it. This big parade of the Ringing
Bros belongs TO the same family as
did the little parade sixty years ago,
back in the little town where lived some
of today's spectators, and the memories
of barefooted days must have tickled
some of the old boys immensely this
morning. Those were the days when steal
ing under a tent was easier than 1t is
now and gang of barefoot farmer boys
with a plentiful supply OF green apples
could make watchman's life miserable.
Also those were the days when the tin
sci and cotton of the tights and uniforms
were real gold and silk. and looking down
from an Office building today the oldtimer
who has not missed circus since 1850
remembered that the uniforms would be
discarded for working clothes when the
parade got back to the grounds. and the
horses would be put to hauling much less
picturesque stuff than band wagons.
Hum" he said to his stenographer.
''fooishness."
And then he went right down and
bought tickets for the show, which would
take him and his long string OF grand
children to every one of the attractions"
Street Parade Was Great.
Indeed. it was a great parade. There
wagon, bedecked with gilt and Offset here
and there with a mirror. On the inside
of the wagons are kept the fearful wild
beasts that would 80 into a frothing rage
should they be bothered by the changing
Of street cars IL the blinds were left open
On the tops Of the wagons were skillful
drivers, who could handle dozens Of
horses at once. With them were men
dressed in the uniforms of every army
upon earth. Flags fluttered from the
corners of these pretty wagons, and with
the plumes on the horses each individual
team was gorgeous enough to make a
king envious.
And it was not only drivers and uni
formed attendants that held the fort on
the tops OF the wagons. BY no means,
for there were half dozen bands whose
brilliant playing was matched only by
the variegated colors of their uniforms.
They sat. some Of them. In low-cut wag-
ons. shaped very much like the ships pic
tured in old prints. with high bows and
sterns and a fade-away middle. The
leaders poised high upon the bridge Of the
ship would direct matters with experience
ed eyes and batons. and alongside the out
fit would walk swirling eddy Of street
boys. to whom the music of the band was
as delicious as the harmony of some
paradise.
Everybody Saw the Elephants.
And everybody saw the elephants. Some
day somebody is going to start a circus
and try to cut down expenses by cutting
out the elephants and it is a safe bet
that that circus will fail. Those were fine
elephants this morning. Every one mani
cured and bathed, with his nice soft skin
drinking in the balm of a spring morning
on Pennsylvania avenue, some Of them
decorated with chains just so that they
would not get too gay, and all walking in
correct time-tell you what. it would be
hard to get ANYTHING more inspiring! Upon
the heads of these delicate beasts there
perched English soldiers, according to
the uniforms. and neither elephants nor
soldiers seemed to minde the situation q
bit. 1t was quite a scene from India
only the street cars kept getting in the
way and the East Indian effect was soft
ened somewhat by Washington surround
ings.
And that big, beautiful wagon, with
a red tower. drawn by a long line of
camels. That was fine. too. wasn't it..
Did you see that group of ladies inside
the tower? They were all Egyptians
and were dressed UP just the way they
all do In Egypt. Must be great on
hot day. Those camels are not very
pretty. but they are so awfully nice
and cute-looking. They take to harness
right well. 1t seems.
Lady Charms Snakes.
There was the lady in the glass cage,
sitting In rocking chair, wishing for
an ice cream soda, and fondly toying
with snake about ten feet long. Other
snakes were grouped about the room
in attitudes of extreme comfort. If
they all had taken 1t into their heads to
squeeze the snake charmer at once,
there would have been excitement. AS
II was. the snake charmer had them
all thoroughly tanned and allowed not
more than two to approach her at ono
time. Her wagon was mostly glass, but
had red and gold trimmings, and was
drawn by a long caravan OF heavy
horses, driven by a German emperor
Near her was a wagon load OF clowns
Fine men. these clowns. Fverbody knows
them and everybody feels called upon to
speak to them. Everybody who has been
saving an unlikely joke for a long time
bellows II at the wagon load OF clowns
under the assumption that the clowns are
sort of blotting paper to gather up all
the loose humor that Is spilled around
However no one has yet been able to find
joke that the clowns like better when
riding in a red wagon with their confreres
than the mere placing OF the thumb upon
the tip of the nose and the wriggling of
the fingers at a delighted populace The
more they do that the funnier they are.
and the funnier they are the better the
parade.
Steam Calliope at End.
But 1t is not all clowns and elephants.
Indeed not, for there was q long, long
troupe of beautiful lady riders on horses
that pranced and danced. and many a