The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-12
CIRCUS COMING
TO TOWN TODAY
Barnum & BaiIey's Three
Trains Got In Early
SHOW TO Be AT SMITH PARK
Parade Will Start at 10 O'Clock and
Cover the Principal Downtown
Streets Some Interesting
Features of the Show.

Boys who can still bark back to the
old-time stunt with the water pail, and
girls who In other days clung to their
mothers In awe while bespangled per-
formers fiirted with death, can romp
to the show grounds today and see tn
| latest and best DEVELOPMENT of the
circus idea as exemplihed by the Bar
mum Bailey circus. The boys" can
take along their sons and the girls"
| their daughters, and for three happy,
bowling hours live again the time when
all was peaches and cream" Yester-
day the circus exhibited In Gadsden
and long before the average mortal
had turned In bed this morning for his
beauty sleep the first sections of the
show had pulled into town. Eighty-five
cars make up the four long trains, the
first section, aptly termed the flying
squadron" conveying the commissary
department and the larger percentage
of the working force. The second and
third trains brought the circus zoo,
tentage, etc, while the last train
brought the performers, ring stock and
led" animals, including 80 elephants,
"a camels and more than the usual
quota of zebras. sacred cattle, llamas,
alapacas, etc.
| There will be but few sleepy heads
among the youngsters this morning.
Kids that ordinarily kick upon having
to get up at reasonable hour In the
morning will be on hand at the railroad
| yards bright and early to keep earnest
vigil until the first train comes footing
| into town. Ever see a circus unload?
Some years ago when the Barnum
show was touring Europe, Prince Bis
marck watched it detrain. Then he
said to the kaiser 'Hoch, Willie L
thought the German army had some
discipline, but these guys give us
cards, spades and big casino and win
| the pot without dealing from the bot
tom. Hadn't you better hire the boss
and let him try to put little system
into the imperial cohorts?"
| Four trains of about 20 cars each
come chugging in, each pulled by
double-header. Before they come to a
full stop about 800 men jump off the
| platforms and out of windows and
start running in different directions
like two football teams after the kick
off, The trains unloaded In juffy
I and the start made for the circus lot.
Three minutes after getting there four
or five hundred horses and score of
elephants are at work pulling and push
ing huge wagons, stakes are being
driven, canvasses erected, a half-hun-
dred cooks are erecting Titanic res
taurant, and the work is well under
way. For about three hours there Is
to the unskilled eye such a chaos of
confusion as was never seen, when sud
| denly there comes a lull and the cir
Gus is ready for It's parade and per-
formances. The Barnum show this sea-
son covers more real estate with it's
| tentage than ever before-some 20
tents, big and little, combining to make
the circus city.
The parade this morning covers the
principal streets leaving the grounds
at 10 o'clock. Four years ago the cir
Gus abandoned this always interesting
feature of circus day, but there was
such hubbub raised. especially In the
smaller towns, that last year the man
agement restored 1t and once more the
glorious. glittering, golden pageant"
forms an integral part of the circus
day programme. There will be fine
showing of open cage, and the long
| cavalcade will be rich in fine horse
| flesh. One chariot will have a hitch of
"a Normans. Ornate floats typical of
many countries will be seen and a long
string of camels and elephants will be
turned out. Men and women riders at
]
thoroughbred horses will help to make
up the colorful display. All in all the
circus people promise to make all eyes
pop wide open.
The performances will occur at and
o'clock p. M, doors being opened at
l and o'clock. The menagerie will
claim first attention and the claim is
made that the circus zoo Is far and
away the best ever carried about the
| country. Distinctive features are a
herd of three giraffes, 80 elephants "a
camels fine specimens of the rhinoceros,
| hippopotamus and most of the types
hunted by Roosevelt. Most circuses ad-
| vertise these animals, but the Barnum
| show produces them. The circus proper
! is almost entirely new this season and
| given by performers new to America.
| The one dominant idea has been to pre-
sent novelties and the bill of events
carries out this plan Jupiter. the bal
loon horse. the musical elephants. Ber-
| zacs ponies, La Belle Victoria are the
| prominent novelties, and to top off the
| feast of good things comes Desperate
| who supplies the thrills in his head
long dive from the top of the tent.
| Summing up, circus is promised such
as our granddaddies never saw and
| which lives up to the best traditions
| of show which people expect to pro-
duce "the goods" and which does
Reserved seats may be purchased al
A. B. Rains drug store at the same
| price charged at the grounds
The Barnum & Bailey circus parade
will start at 10 "a m, the route being
as follows: From old fair grounds up
Fifth avenue to Nineteenth street to
| First avenue to Twenty-first street to
| Third avenue to show grounds.
| THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION