The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-04-21
From Tuesdays Daily.

BelleNS NE, lellOWS, JHdl WAS SOlHt
show" remarked a small boy as he
emerged from the Mankato Theatre
following the production of the Great
European Novelty circus, last night.
And the whole story was told in those
few characteristic words of the
gamin; and everybody that witness
ed the performance agreed with
him.
The program was of the proper
length and contained a variety OF
clever stunts. There was not dull
moment during the evening. Every
thing went off like clock-work. There
were no long and tiresome waits, an
evidence of the right kind of stage
management
Audience Was Large.
AS is usually the case whenever
the Mankato Lodge of Elks pulls off
anything for the public, the audi
ence was large and it manifested
its approval Of the several acts per
formed last night by giving the
actors liberal bunch of applause.
hearty appreciation. Its spontaneity
was self-evident.
The parade given by the circus
yesterday afternoon was dazzling,
spectacular and bewildering; but the
performance last night was even
more so. From curtain to curtain
there was something doing every
minute-all new and original thrill
ers that kept the magnificent audi
ence up TO the highest pitch of ex-
pectancy all the while.
Cynthia and Hiram.
While the audience was being seat
ed, Mrs. Cynthia Corntassle and her
husband Hiram-John Gerlich and
William Deyling-kept everybody
amused by their antics. Mrs. Corn
tassle was CARRIED in purple and
other colors that made many of the
Easter bonnets look as if they were
trimmed in crepe. Hiram could have
been arrested on suspicion of being
either pirate or horsethief. The
trouble with Cynthia and Hiram was
the readiness with which they would
plant themselves in seats that had
been purchased by others. The SER
vices of Frank Thompson, the con-
stable, were required to keep the
"rube" couple from ST. Peter NOV
ing on" And by the way, Constable
Thompson had the same official in
the play, Our New Minister" beaten
to fragile, as certain eminent
gentleman was wont to say on sew
eral occasions.
The Sideshow Opening.
The performance of the evening
was opened with sideshow scene
"a first class reproduction of the
real article. Dick" Hammett was
armed with megaphone and he
"spieled" fine, and it was caution
the way he bawled off to the crowd
the varied list of curiosities that the
inside Of the tent contained Even
the "ballyho" was not forgotten.
The freaks and "vaudevillians" were
exhibited, and swell aggregation
they were.
The performance in the main show
was given most satisfactory be-
ginning. The Elks' band lead the
grand entry parade. This parade was
in advance of anything that ever
was witnessed in any show any
where or any place. Nothing was
missing. The clowns, the lady rider,
and the "what-nots" The band, I'M
der the leadership of Ed Lamm, was
given an ovation.
Those Funny Clowns.
Professor La Nerbovig and his
funny clowns came forward. These
laugh-makers were DR.. G.. H. Ner-
boVig, Dr. d. B. Catlin, John r.
Snow, Fred Otto, Herb Hauck,
Frank Thompson, John Gerlich and
William Deyling. They kept the au-
dlence in the best of humor all the
while they were on the stage The
tight wire and slack wire acts of
Pete and Bud Hennessy were meri-
torious. Pete Hennessy was intro
duced by Ringmaster Charles r.
Butler as the man who fell sixty
iCCI lIOHl the nlSn ScnOOl building
and lived to tell the story. Bud
Hennessy is probably the youngest
tight-wire artist in America. He de.
serves the reputation of being one
OF the best in the business.
Mile. Jay, the Lady Rider.
One of the best hits of the even
ing was Monsieur Page and his ia
nous zebra, Blue Bell, the great
equine wonder, who told funny
stories and can beat an adding ma
chine in the matter of mathematics.
Then there was Mile. Jay, the
pretty lady bareback rider. She
is the real Polly of the Circus. a
little the best and daintiest bit of
femininity that ever rode horse.
Jay Flachsenhar was she. He was
given an encore that made the
bushes show clear through the
paint on his cheeks. And those
blonde curls. Oh, Mabel, weren't
they the cutest ever?
Ike Morris and his bear-the lat
ter Buffalo" Williamson-did an
act that brought forth much ap-