Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-10-11
(From the GAINESVILLE Gazette)

| or entertainment that reaches the
whole human family with equal inter
est. Another point of advantage of
the circus for amusement generally
is that it does not depend upon
knowledge of any tongue. There is
no dialogue to follow and no text or
story to understand. Eyes to see and
ears to hear are the essentials for
perfect pleasure. The French Cana
dian, who cannot speak English, and
/ the Mexican, who can only talk Span
| ish, are as fond of the circus as the
American born In short, the circus
seems to be possessed of that strange
something which makes the whole
world kin and wondrous kind.
Of the many types of circus-goers-
and the habit is pronounced in all
sections and among all classes-the
Indian is the most striking. He will
travel further, endure more privations
and skimp himself harder to get the
price of admission than any other hui
man being, probably, in the world
More than this, he really enjoys the
circus, even better than the negro,
though he doesn't make fuss, over it.
With the negro circus going is almost
a disease. He will sell anything he
owns, not excepting the most neces-
sary things in life to get money to
see the elephant. The same may be
said of the Indian, only more so. He
will barter off his pap0ose, his squaw,
| or even his most cherished possession,
his horse, to get a ticket. After these
come the Chinaman. The Mexican,
| too, is prompt to turn out on show
day with all his kith and kin, and
| bedecked with all the cOlorS of the
evening sky. The LATEST greaser on
the Texas border who never paid a
debt in his life, hobs up proudly on
! circus day with his fifty cents, though
nobody knows where he got it.
In the far west the Ringing circus
| is known among the Indians as the
Heap Big Brothers Show" The red
man waits for its yearly appearance
as confidently as he awaits the COM
| ing of spring. The Indians come
| from as far as 200 miles on horse
back, and even on foot, starting on
their long journey days before the cir
cut day it is a case of every man for
himself with the Indians. The lord Of
the tepee brings enough trinkets in
the shape of moccasins and bows and
arrows to peddle around town, and
in this way gets enough for his admis-
sion ticket. His sQuaw brings will
| low baskets and has to hustle former
own ticket. They generally come in
couples astride of pony, and if the
market is overcrowded with Indian
relics they will sell the nag.
I When the show trains arrive in
! these western towns, early in the
| morning, 200 and 800 tents have al
ready been pitched by the Indians
some of whom have arrived the night
, before Their little colony is almost
as interesting as the circus itself
1t is veritable bazaar Of relics and
papoose exhibitions. While the
squaws are getting breakfast, the chill
dren are playing games, and the
chiefs are taking their knicknacks
to the market They are the first
ones after the doors of the tents open
! to land on the blue planks. They fill
a good part of the arena, and they
never move during the entire perform
ance. Applause is unknown to them
They make as little show Of enthusi,
asm as their brothers in wood in
front of the white mans cigar store.
i If the trick elephant were to climb
the center pole they would no doubt
enjoy the performance, but they would
make no more show of surprise than
| if they were nodded of clay. II the
J performing mule were OF walk on the
hippodrome track and make a circus
announcement in the Indian tongue,
they would only grunt.
Among the Pacific coast Cinnamon
are among the firm friends Of Ring
ling Brothers. Like the Indians, they
are good patrons of this particular
show. At least $4,000 Cinnamon saw
the performance in San Francisco last
i season. The merchants gave box par
| ties. the men wearing rich embroid-
cred gowns, and the women costly
silks cut, not in the form of dresses,
but as a man wears his broadcloth.
The ieweled stickpins that held the
women's tightly drawn hair in grace
full fold at the nape Of the neck, the
filigree neck chains and the spark
ling bracelets and ear ornaments, add
ed to the sheen silks and satins, made
a theatrical picture of these CHINA
mems parties not soon to be forgotten
bv the travelling showmen. The China
man is as undemonstrative as the In
dian. He expresses appreciation OF
! the performance by attending time
after time. Though the Cinnamon
and Indians are undemonstrative. the
cow punchers, Mexicans and negroes
are as noisy as their threats and hands
will allow When one OF the big
shows tours the south, the cotton
fields are practically deserted. Every
negro within a radius of 100 miles OF
TOWNS whore the circuS is to exhibit