Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-09
Home Life Runs Smoothly Under the Big Tents

The busy old world in the hard and fast
race for success In finance and commerce
win always pause when the band begins
20 play. 80 VIII Il also siaekeu its pace AZ
the time OF year when that maiady con-
trncted IN childhood becomes acute In
manhood. and which Ia always and I'M
rnistskabiy diagnosed a. red wagon
fever" For all the world loves circuS,
and IL ever interested in the people OF the
canvas-canopied arena.
There IL an Irresistible charm In the
sawdust and spanEies. and hard-to-
conquer, lingering fascination In the gold
sieam and glitter Of the big tented enter
prise. And yet the world does not know
half a. much about the circus as It
thinks Il does. Back OF the curtain and
the glamour. and the hoop-ia Of the rings
there is another worid-a world all TO
itself. filled with humanity, but. by the
very nature Of their calling. made a
world apart
Nearly every performer. or at least s6
per cent OF them. are born into the world
preceded by generation after generation
81 ancestors who have been with the cir
Gus since IL became mankind's nevertiring
amusement. The athletic essentials, and
the perfection OF physical training made
this a fact. and every star OF the arena.
every bareback rider. every daring aerial
performer and nearly every clown learned
the rudiments Of the work when they
we're children. and when their muscles
were receptive to training by the supple
ness OF youth That foundation and long
In the host Of people who live under the
canvas OF the Ringing Brothers circus.
which is TO spend today and Monday in
Omaha. there are 100 performers who hail
from every part OF the universe. In all,
there are nineteen languages. or dialects,
spoken among the 1880 people who travel
IN the four long trains OF this. the larg-
est show ever organized. Language IL
not necessary to the circus performer.
for his work appeals altogether TO the
eye. which Is its sole Interpreter Be-
cause OF this. the daring and skin OF all
nations blend harmonlously in the arena
OF the white tops"
And just as tremendously does the same
quality enter into tho daily life Of these
performers after the show work Is over
for the day and tho crowds have gone
homo, However. an anomaly II may seem,
circus people the greatest wanderers OF
all entertainers. love domesticity. One
has but to take a peep at the tidy ar
rangcments OF the dressing tents or catch
a glimpse of the staterooms on the Ring
ling sleeping cars. to realize this fact.
And more than that circus people have
sure enough homes, own them. and main
tain the most wholesome OF home life
during that period when the big show
hioes away FOR the winter They work
hard. train with avldity. rest easy. enjoy
their life, are thrifty. save their money
and their physical beings and are never
seen at play In the haunts OF the great
white lights OF the cosmopolitan thor
oughfare, or the garish glare OF the lob
ster palace. As one OF the women bare
back riders expresses Il;
II know nothing OF the requirements
for the care OF singer or an actress
accomplishments but / do know that a
woman who must always be at the height
Of physical perfection. strength and agll-
ity, and also possess youth, beauty and
grace. cannot mix with late suppers ana
all the alleged Joys OF the after-play
parties. II ia eternal practice with us"
The women OF the circus are WONDERFUL
specimens Of womanhood They have de-
veloped the physical being to its highest
state ana achieved feats Of great daring
and marvellous skin. Yet they are Just
as feminine as.their sisters OF the every
day world. whose applause Is won by their
ring and arenic accomplishments.
The little woman. who, with a thrilling
shrek makes the perilous leap from a
sixty-foot trapeEe. and IL caught by her
ankle. Is an expert at needleworls. An
other, who rides and leaps over gay ban
ners. and IS at perfect ease while per-
forming toe dance from the back OF
a gailopins horse. may be found on the
greensward OF the Tot" between per-
formances teaching her little boy the mys-
teries Of twice one Is two and "c-a-t