The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-09-09
Ringing Brothers Show Arrived Early
This Morning and Pitched
Their Tents on
Lot.
A FINE STREET PARADE
Show Grounds at Thirtieth and Main
Streets Can be Reached
on the Car
Line.

Here she comes, fellers!" This an
nouncement passed from boy to boy
lined up on the curb as Ringing
Brothers big circus parade, bands
playing and wagons creaking, APP
peared down town today. Elephants.
clowns, band, snake charmer and all
the rest were there. After several
thousand urchins had tagged the big
procession to the show grounds, 1t
was pronounced ''the best over"
Grown folk were on hand, too. With
little girls clinging to them. mothers
and fathers became as restless and ex-
cited as the younger ones.
Circus day had hardly dawned
when people began coming into the
city. All railroads and country roads
led to the blue pennanted canvas city.
All the railroads brought In excur-
sions on special trains and long be-
fore the parade reached down town,
the streets were thronged with peo-
pie. The Ringing Brothers have al
ways kept their promise and their
loudly heralded street parade was an
other proof that their word is good.
No more glittering and brilliant dis
play has ever been made In this city.
The parade, nearly three miles In
length was one unending array Of
novelties, light and color. The IA
nous Ringing horses, both in the
teams and the cavalcades, mounted
by men and women In gorgeous cos
tunes, made a splendid showing.
Pretty and effective pictures were
made by the tableau cars which were
filed with girls in gay garb.. There
was plenty of music and our old
friends, the clowns, received well
come equal to congressman coming
home with job for every Office
hunter
The first Of the four trains which
transport the Ringing outfit from
place to place, reached the city short
ly after dawn. As fast as the sec
tons arrived they were shunted on
to the sidings.
Here the unloading took place and
continuous cavalcade of wagons,
red and golden chariots and all the
rainbow trappfngs Of SpangletOwn,
wendell its way from the tracks to
the show grounds at Thirtieth and
Main.
Scattered groups OF youngsters and
those grown-ups who are always Peter
Pans when the circus comes to town,
were on hand when the first train ar
rived. They watched and marveled
at the swiftness and precision OF the
unloading process. There was neither
lost time nor motion In getting the
show equipment from the cars to the
grounds. The grinding brakes Of the
incoming trains seemed as signals.
The interior OF the sleepers was astir
in twinkling. Men stretched their
limbs and tumbied from the cars A
gigantic task awaited them, but they
were ready for 1t. With scarcely an
order, so well are these men trained
in their duties. hundreds jumped to
their places and at once became parts
of that engine Of life, each going
about his appointed work without
hesitancy or doubt.
Red Wagon Fever.
Then came the procession through
the streets. And there was that pc
culiar something about the neighing
of the horses, the deep thump OF the
wagon wheels and the clanking of
harness which every community longs
to hear at this season of the year and
which infects one with that indescrib-
able longing for the interior OF the
white tents which, for want Of bet
ter phrase, Is called red wagon
fever"
At the show grounds, the scene was
one of methodical turmoil. Men emp
tied huge wagons and began pitching
the dining and cook tents. One nam
=, aos. 4. IL sA<
sides, and behold, there was twelve
foot range which twenty minutes later
had been fired and was alive with
sizzling chops and bacon. Another
wagon disclosed donkey engine
boiler that as quickly emitted steam
which. carried to immense caldrons
by means OF pipes, was merrily boil
ing potatoes or turning cold water
and Java into piping hot coffee. In
the meantime, the. white OF the din
ing tents had risen ghostlike against
the night sky, vast tables had been
presto! all the people of the first
train section were seated for all the
world like some gigantic picnic party
At dawn this morning, the grounds
were alive with men. The menagerie's
top had begun to go into the air and
likewise the mammoth main tent,
which measures $50 feet in length
and which will this afternoon and to-
night roof the big spectacle OF Solo
mon and the Queen OF Sheba" and
the thousand wonders Of the Ring.
ling circus program. Big, beautiful
horses. driven in teams OF eight and
ten. were pulling the cages into that
vast circle which constitutes the Ring
ling zoo. Elsewhere tents of every
size. twenty-four in all. were going w
and ferruled stakes being driven
home by men who whistled at their
work. The chug-chug of the nina
ture piledriver, used where the
ground was hardest. sounded a deep
noted accompaniment and stretches Of