Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-03
YANKEE ROBINSON
CIRCUS SATTRACTS
HUNDREDS TO OC|TY
SHOW PRESENTS FINE APPEAR
ANCE-LONG STREET PARADE
is VIEWED BY HUNDREDS
HUGE CROWD ON CIRCUS
GROUNDS.

ucdIiy Sia,y years as" was d"'eo ia
incident for the Yankee Robinson cir
Gus, exhibiting today at the east side
field. The original Yanke Robinson
show, played in Ottawa in 1858, the
year of the Lincoln Douglas debate,
and today the finished product return
ed. A picture of the parade then is
exhibited at the Free Trader-Journal
Office
Long before the sun was held way
up, hundreds of Ottawa children. many
of them accompanied by their par
ents, were at the @" tracks to see
the arrival of the circus trains.
The eight ton wagons. carrying the
center polls for the big top was
not taken across the Fox river bridge
at Main street, but was sent over the
aaueduct bridge Eight horses were
used to transport the wagon. The
horses were unable to take the laod up
the incline on the approach of the
bridge and one of the elephants was
taken to the scene and easily pushed
the heavy load up onto the bridge.
The unloading of circus has al
ways held keen interest for young
and old and Yankee RobinsOn's cir
Gus affords a much greater interest
as 1t is said to have more animals
than all other shows combined and
carries the only auto trucks ever used
in a circus. Hundreds OF men un-
loaded hastily the immense gold and
silver ornamental cages containing
animals from every part OF the globe
| Hundreds upon hundreds of horses,
some of them great Roman draft
horses that haul the wagons, others
are Shetland ponies that are seen as
actors In the shows program A
herd of elephants, a caravan OF cam
els and some sacred oxen were all
driven from the stock cars To the
show grounds, the acres of waterproof
tents hastily erected and the animals
given shelter, food and water An
immense mess tent was the first rails
led and here hundreds of hungry cir
Gus people fed with produce purchased
here. No doubt there Will be many
hundreds of small and large boys with
sister and mother to look after them
In the shady spots goats were te'
thered where they will enjoy the
green grass and day of rest before
they exhibit themselves as tight rope
walkers and horse back riders. A pen
of pigs are performers in the show
This morning these people and the
animals we're decked out In gay re-
gala, the great dens OF animals WIN
their trains open to view, and foul
bands. including, of course, the ID
evitable ballyhoo, calliopes and a Slo'
600 pneumatic pipe organ were fea
lures of the long street parade
A herd of elephants has star ac'
with the show A complete farce com
edv and some difficult posing teatS
are done by these ponderous brutes
= Aupmenting the wild animal tea
. lures are many others presented VIII
domestic animals Dogs, goats ant
the challenge horses and ponies arr
prominently displayed.
: Mr.. Wheeler, one OF the Yankee
= Robinson Circus agents, was mere yes
terdav and told some interesting III
side facts about the big show.
He said "Notwithstanding the hig
, , cost of living for both man and beas
the old show is now making It's i1t
. annual tour, not only finer and grea
or than ever, but at over double IN
nsnal expense. as will ne seen when
. comes to Ottawa on Thursday, May
a is showing in Ottawa today
Mr.. Fred Buchanan, is an optimist
high degree, the clowns are as mefl
as ever, and the bare back riding pr
ma donnas, the beautiful eduesllel
4 ues and the snake spangles and dl
u monds than ever before.
Every elephant requires six balt
IN of hay daily in addition to his reg
in lar pastime lunch of oats, bran, cor
es peanuts, candy. apples ana cracKe
IN lab DR.. Beasley the shows phys
III cian. says when an elephants stomat
Is aches he can hear 1t a mile away. III
nd forest bred performing lions ana
I'd eers must see the trainers preparil
ke ,heir daily feast of fresh meat,
there will be a bowling concert Leo
Ir ards. polar bears, seals, camels al
Of zebras are not particularly interest'
he whether visitors are paying to S
~ them eat or not, but the entire mer
Is gerie would be In pendemonium U
ds roar If the boss tried to tell them the
#, would be no dinner today, becau
prices had gone up
Likewise, the six hundred perfor
ers, working men and attaehees,
three hundred valuable horses and
s ..a seventy agents and advertisers In
~ vance are all entitled to considerati
-, and receive the best the market