Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-04-19
FIRST CIRCUS REHERSALS
VERY TAME AFFAIRS
No TiRSGI and Show in the
EARLY Days

New York, April 1S.-To those who
have chiIdhood's circus memories Of
real queens with gold crowns, dusty
faithful line OF Roman women in flow
ing blue robes and busy women dane
ing on the fat backs of white horses;
a uniformed band playing never to be
recognized nor forgotten melodies; the
smell of sawdust, peanuts and by all
means lemonade, the first rehearsal Of
a great Barnum & Bailey show will
come as something of a jolt.
There was Cleopatra, every inch a
queen, sitting in a gold coach, wear
ing a brown cloth costume, a hat with
many dropping plumes and carrying
d handbag, followed by two dozen OF
more Egyptian hated individuals in
American attire, shuffling into a
knowledge of court bearing and step
and the chariot ladies attired in
tailor clothes, tight skirts and 1911
hats, topped with flowers, wings and
velvet things; there were, too, the fat
horses, always white, whose broad
backs were adorned with figures in
bingham jumpers or a shirt waist anC
any old skirt
The men, women, animals and mus.
clans were just escaping from winter
quarters and the costumes were in the
wardroom room being remodelled to ii
the great army of circus workers
All of Madison Square Garden i
filled with the smell and vibration O
the CIRCUIT note. The animals are bel
lowing for the larger cages of thc
past few months; the seals suspec
the city water; the great two-horne(
rhinosceros shoves one horn into tn,
open and rubs his cage with thu
other, while he sends out none toc
pleasant chances from apair of keen
though not alluring eyes.
Big Brute Has Nerves.
what is his chief trouble?" I ask
ed. He seems to have a vital mes
sage of some sort to deliver"
HE has nerves; that's all" reptile;
the keeper.
What would he do if I met him il
the open?"
He would kill you. He's not fierce
he's just nervous. He would run a
you because you frightened him-h
wouldn't mean a thing by it."
Oh, the blessing of iron bars an
the charity of keepers understand
ing.
And what aiIs the giraffe?" I ask
ed. This exhibit was lifting his hea
in kind of tower-like dfiance an
sweeping the air in the room.
''He wants his milk"
Is that the result of a milk diet
Humans may learn lot at this show
And it appeared some of the dee
had shed their horns, exactly as 20
hang up your hair for the night, an
put forth their noses unashamed
There are no new styles in the kan
CARGO promenade. Mothers still nav
the old picturesque way of carryin
their children-no go-carts with whic
to block up the avenue, no babies /
arms; why they could hang on Z
straps with vast ease and grace.
Animals Are Expectant.
The baby tigers shifted New Yor
for the first time, the little camel
and lion cubs, the trained dogs, tn
Iponderous band of elephants, the hu,
dreds of horses, the animals collecte
from all over the world with curiou
names one would scarcely dare pro
.nounce, much less spell, waited wit
manifest discomfort for something I
happen. They We're a little excited b
their journey on the train and SCENE
inclined to start something. Even tn
little growing rooster couldn't con
vince them that it was best to be pa
tient and play the game, that circuse
are American institutions, and recog
nized excuse for play in every Twin
man and woman.
Did you ever reside as a youngste
in country town and stay awak
all night for fear you would not &c
up to see the foolish one-ring shoN
come in the morning-it always al
rived at o'clock? Wasn't it dreadful
when it got in an hour late? TIL
freaks came with it, but modern cos
mopolitan circuses don't have freaks
Only the 2O-year-old midget is per
mitted in the show class in Ney
York The others are used on tn
road, where no circus would be recog
nized without its accompanying side
show.