The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-30

introducing thee ircus opening pa- geant. Maybe the circus folk enlarg- ed the old time grand entry" to a dazzling spectacle with a semblance of a brief, a very brief, story to it as much for their own enjoyment as for the entertainment of their audiences
 Geniuses on the Job.
 At any rate an observer of the an- nual appearances of the Barnum & Bailey circus at the Garden gets the impression that the spectacle gen. fuses of the big show, at one time rest less and peevish because they couldn't make the best show better, now are having the time of their gay young opening spectacle that will make the chromatic detonations of the previous year look like a rainy Tuesday morn ing in West Philadelphia.
 Last year they said: Lets make is Persian for 1916-what? You can't get any goshawful more coIorful than Persian without being arrested under the Sullivan law" So the opening of last years circus turned Persian and Battalion Chief Smoky Joe Mar tin almost turned in a third alarm the first night he entered the Garden, bu, suddenly got rooted to his seat and passed into a trance until the last chariot horses had pounded around the arena.
 This winter, one fancies, the circus spectacle little group of serious think CTS said heatedly to one another well, Af Cor Bill or Pete or Dick or whatever their names are), you sure spilled the beans on yourself and us when you pulled that Persian Pa geant-' What the deuce are we going to do noW?'' But after long thought the little group of serious thinkers motored down to Th1rdeth street from Bridgeport, climbed the stairs of No. 27, knocked at the studio door of Will R. Barnes-wlho psed to design the Weberfelds costumes and now makes Broadway musical comedies sci iati11iate with imaginative fneries- -+and, fash all the paints you own and go the Hmit!'
 "Cfmax of Gorgeousness."
 Therefore into the Garden yester- day, just as an eyeopener, blazed "Barnum & Bailey's Climax of All Gorgeousness (to quote the conserva- tive program), a Magnificent Chinese Pageant From the Story of Aladdin and His Wonderful lamp Billy Barnes must have poured pure gold and silver and Hqui-form a1hethyst and ruby and sapphire onto his palate before dipping his brushes to begin the costume plates. Then the circus spectacle l. g. of s. t. must have gone the limit themselves.
 On came the hundreds, the soft silks of man,1ari1s ablaZe with "gems," the lanterns a pearly forest that wasn't glass, but looked as if it might have been gashioned by Mr. Tiffany in his glass workshop up the street, and gongsi of bronze and brass banged, satin clad ladies held wreaths high in air and twfned fin and out among all the 1oveliness, gay banners swung high in still more forests until all the Garden was moving mass of shifting, shimmering beauty.
 Nowhere was there a suggestion of the cheesecloth tawdriness of the Grand Entry of the old days of cireuses. Down to small details there was 1avishness in quality as we'll as in quantity, with costliest silks fluttering from the shoulders of even the bands men marching by. And as climax came great red nouthed dragon, al. most city block long. fire in his eyes and green and gold on his yard after yard of gorgeous scales, and with just enough ferceness about him to send delighted thrills of comfortable terror coursing along the spines of the wide eyed Young America (and his grand ma and grandpop) trimming the rings
 Some of the Features.
 And after that not a thing happen ed except the trumpeting elephants. which is slang for circus bulls: and Chinese gentlemen sliding from the heavens by their hair and the mar. vellous Jock Pratt" who may be a performing chimpanzee, but is prob- ably dwarfed manrthe program asks you to make guess on this inn portant matter yourself-and the star of the show, Miss -Leitzel, who whirls high in air, witHf<au the rest of the circus staying back in the dressing rooms so she may have all the spot. light to herself; and ''The Fairy on a CobWeb,'' who is better known around the house as Bird Mi11man, and is to wire walkers what Tom Edison is to the photograph business; and Nadje. the Perfect Woman; and George Han. naford, than whom as a happy go lucky bareback person there is no than whomer; and Prince, who undoubt- edly is a chimp, whether, "Jock Pratt'' Is nor not, and a whole Iu1labaloc that lasts from luncheon time mil dinner, not to mention nightly from dinner until it's almost time for mid. night supper.
 Also Zip and the Princess Wee Wee are on the job in Freak Hall. so is Andy Siuz, the tattooed man, and h1s running mate, not to forget Al MacWiIkie, whose 12 foot whiskers are longer than the Chinese drason,s and almost as long as Dexter Fellows. LIONS NIGHT TO BE
 OBSERVED AT PLAZA