The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-24
Ringling Brothers Circus Is
Greeted by Fine Weather.
Great Crowds Watch the Pa
rade on Topeka Streets.
PREVIOUS EFFORTS OUTDONE
Spectacle of Joan of Arc Opens
Tent Program.
The ''Big Top" Filled to Ca.
pacity by Admiring People.

Circus day, the one big holiday OF
the summer for the youngsters as well
as the grown-ups, dawned cloudy, but
turned bright and clear by O'Clock.
Just about the time of sunrise four
long trains brought the thousand won
ders of Ringing Brothers worlds
greatest shows" to the city.
The entire aggregation rolled quiet
ly into the city. coming on Sc cars
from st. Joseph, where the circus ex-
hibited Wednesday. The usual quota
of excited small boys and quite a num-
Der of their fond parents gathered in
the railroad yards to watch the big
show unload and move to the circus
grounds. A number of the youngsters
were accorded the privilege of carry
ing water for the animals, and in re-
turn for their services received q tick
ct admitting them to one of the per-
formances. In a surprisingly short
space of time the city of white tents
was erected and everything was ready
for the start of the street parade.
One of the interesting sights at tho
show grounds during the early morn
ing hours was the "cookhouse." where
the entire aggregation of performers
and workingmen sat down to a break
fast, consisting of some $50 dozen
eggs, 5000 griddle cakes and 500
pounds of chops, not to mention a lib.
eral supply of fruit. breakfast food and
coffee.
The Parade.
show grounds shortly before noon and
was a revelation of beauty and gran
deur. 1t was by far the longest and
most gorgeous procession ever seen in
, the streets of this city and was COM
posed of the neatest and cleanest ap-
pearing men and women that have
ever visited here with a circus. The
costumes and trappings were bright
and fresh and the female contingent
of the procession surprisingly fair to
look upon. The Ringing Brothers
have always kept their promises and
their loudly heralded street pageant
was but another proof that their word
can always be relied upon. The pro-
cession was more than three miles in
length and was one unending array
of novelties. light and color. The ia
nous Ringing horses, $50 in all, were
in line, both in harness and mounted
and they made a splendid and i'm
pressive sight. Pretty and effective
pictures were furnished by the long
cavalcade of massive and .glittering
tableau wagons and allegoricaI cars.
filled with pretty ballet girls in gay
costumes Then came a long string
of menagerie wagons displaying the
choice specimens from the Ringing
Brothers big menagerfe. The herd of
80 ponderous elephants was another
/ interesting and impressive sight, as
was the team of sixteen camels, brok-
en- to bit and harness and hitched to a
big parade wagon. Two calliopes and
six bands furnished a continuous
round of melody and the clowns were
out in full force to amuse the children.
Streets Lined With Spectators.
Every train, trolley and wagon road
brought throng Of people into the
city this morning and long before the
parade started, the streets were lined
with men, women and children. Inn
mediateIy after the procession a FREQ
show grounds and a large proportion
of the crowd followed the parade to
the grounds. The doors of the big side
show, containing the freaks, was
thrown open at an early hour, and a.
rushing business was done by this in
stitution until time for the doors OF
the big show to open.
This afternoons performance began
promptly at o'clock and the gigantic
''big top" seating more than 1000
people was crowded with humanity
Opening the program came the elabor-
ate spectacle of Joan of Arc, in which
more than 1880 characters appeared,
including ballet and 800 beautiful
dancing girls. Nothing so richly cos
TUNED and effectively presented has
ever been seen here before, either un-
der canvas or in a theater, and the
crowds were more than generous with
their applause when the curtain de-
scended upon the final scent of this
production.
The spectacle was followed by the
regular circus performance in the
three big rings, two stages and in the
novel and sensational European novel;
ties are on the Ringing Brothers pro-
gram this year than have ever been
presented under a circus banner. More
than 375 artists appeared in this por-
ton of the entertainment and of these
the majority were foreigners making
their first appearance in America this
season. The riding, aerial and aero
batic mum bers were exceptionally cIev-
er and unusual, and the fifty funny
clowns kept the entire audience in a
constant state of good natured uproar.
The circus will give another per-
formance at 8 o'clock this evening and
the doors will open an hour before the
show starts in order that spectators
may have ample time to visit the
menagerie-
The circus moves from here to
HufcbinsOn