The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-23
LA TfHA'S CIRCUS
PLEASING TO BIG
CROWD TODAY
SEAL TROOP IS Big FEATURE
Many Acts and Good Degree of Va
riety Kept Audience Interested
This Afternoon at Morgan Park

La Tena's circus made its first visit
to Bennington today and pleased an
audience that taxed the capacity of
the tent this afternoon. There will
be another performance this evening.
The show arrived here early from
Manchester where it played in the
rain yesterday. The parade was
prompt at 1890 and while the show
does not claim to be on stupendous
scale ii has numerous acts just as
good as any show on the road and bet
ter than most The seats are near
enough to the things so the spectators
can enjoy what they see and the per
Torrance was all good.
There was not merely one good act
but there were others. Walter Allen
and his performing elephants, Balch-
mans bears, Sylyester's dancing
ponies, and last but not least, Mar
guerites lions. fancy riding act
featuring a tango on horseback was
done with grace and ability by two
clever equestrian performers. The
program also included very clever
troupe of wire walkers, who did many
novel tricks besides a number of aer-
ial performers OF merit The trained
dogs, small army OF clowns and
host OF other attractions added to the
necessary variety and taking every
thing into consideration it was a fine
entertainment.
Wesley's trained seals, alone, are
worth the price of admission. Half
trained seals are common the world
over, hut these seals seem to be col
lege educated and worthy of a degree
from any seal university in the Artic
ocean.
Few circuses. large or small, have
visited Bennington in the past few
years, that have given more general
satisfaction than La Tena's Wild Ami
NAL ci-cus at Morgan park today. 1t
is entirely complete, and there is
real enjoyment.
The acts are clean and interesting,
the horses were neat. attractive and
looked contented and well-fed and the
performers were all that could be
asked for. 1t is doubtful il there is a
better circus than La Tena's on the
road today.
There were "a acts in all, but the
wild animal acts gave the most real
enjoyment except the trained seals.
These took place within a high bar
red arena. The first was an act with
bears and dogs, the animals perform
ing feats at the spoken command of
the trainer In the second, four lions
were driven from large van and a
woman lion tanner took charge. The
huge beasts We're put through their
PAGES, being held in check apparently
by a heavy whip which the woman
used vigorously at times. At such
times The lions growled savagely and
exhibited flaming eyes and barred
teeth.
Most of the regular circus acts took |
place within one ring, but the man
agement kept things hustling and
there were few pauses. The two trick !
elephants and a herd of trained pom
es furnished much amusement to the |
audience. and there were two good |
acts by a family of tumblers and aero |
bats The family consisted of a wo-
man and two children, boy and girl, |
and they did some amazing work on |
an elevated platform. Besides these |
an exhibition of slack wire skill and
some high school work with pair of |
white steeds by man and woman rid |
er contributed to the pleasure of the |
crowds.
The management gave no concert |
performance, but in place combined |
the regular sideshow performance |
with the animal feeding at the close. |
The feature OF the sideshow was an |
exhibition of trained cockatoos They |
had real freak in a six-legged COW, |
the extra pair of legs being in plain |
evidence, but they were if anything a |
hindrance to the animals movements
The manager of the show is l.. d. |
Proctor of Lancaster, o. He is an Elk
and while in town has met several
members of the local lodge.
Mems Elk work shoes. Endicott
Johnson mako colo s1 az at tbe New |