The Washington herald., 1914-05-05
Children and Elders Shout Applause
for Performers of Barnum & Bail
ey's Greatest Show on Earth"
BY MILDRED DILLON.

I can't see it all. mama. Tell thai
p'liceman to make EN- stop down at tha
end of the tent It'll they get through
here" youngster walled during the aft
ernoon performance of the Barnum and
Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth" yes,
terdsy.
He voiced the thoughts OF the othe:
several Thousand VINO sat under the OUT,
spread wings of the big white tent and
wept almost because there was so much
show going on that they could not begin
to see even half OF what was under their
very noses for casting hurried glances
about i'll fear of missing something
nicer
1 wished during the afternoon that l
had six sets of eyes, at least. There
were 81 many clowns doing so many
funny things and the bird-mcn and the
daring horseback riders and the human
flies walking about the roof of the tent,
it vas really bewildering.
President Wilson IS expected to attend
the circus this evening. Among the
people of prominence who were there
Yesterday was Joseph P. Tumulty. sec
retary TO the President, and all the little
TUmultys.
The crowd was good-natured-the kids
always love the hair-raisers and the an
tics of the clowns-and their elders
watched with rapt attention and were
happy because the children were, and
then, too, IT reminded them OF the good
old days down in the little village.
But circuses have changed since those
days, which any Of the grown-ups. who
had been notwithstanding. realized with a
start OF delight when the newly intro
duced spectacle THE Wizard Prince of
Arabia, opened the performance In
costumes that for dazzling elegance sur
passed anything that have even been
shown in the circus before. over 40 wom-
en- and fifty men took part in the fairy
romance written from the sagas of the
Arabian Nights.
The first to perform. of course, was the
King of the Circus. the elephant. After
he had stepped on his trainers tummy
rolled over and said his prayers. and put
through the usual elephantine tricks. an
elephant baseball game was staged
johnson" pitched: "Ainsmith" caught
andi Foster" was at the bat. Foster
seemed TO be a hard one to put out so
the pitcher and the catcher held many
whispered consultations which availed
nothing and Johnson was soon outcr4ssed.
though not before he chased the Imp
out OF the field.
A suffrage parade was held by the
clowns. The Upside Down Bows boxed
with their feet and clogged on their
hands and. with the human flies, made
the audience feel it was living in Topsy
Turvy Land. Demonstrations of mar
yelous tricks of self-defense as practicei
by the ICelanders was shown by a rative
troupe, and the Jiu-Jitsu method was
demonstrated by japanese Meanwhile
the Two Babettes gave exhibits of their
strength and the Berne Brothers. expo
nents Of Switzerl and's school of physi-
cal culture, gave an exhibit. During the
equilibristic performances the clowns.
among other shrieking antics. gave a
mock wedding that was ended by a fire
cracker under the brides chair.
Bird Millman the dainty daring queen
OF the wire, did the tango on the slack
wire. Statuettes in four of the rings,
made by snow-white contortionist. horses
and pretty girl trainers. brought loud
applause and the Imperial Chinese circus
and Australian boomerang throwers whr
wcrr no less entertaining.
Bareback riders met with their usua.
favor and sCme excellent performers
were shown. Aeridlists followed And |
proved of much interest. The Dozen who |
cali themselves the Viennese Imperial !