The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-23

| The lure of the circus. which has ! been answered by youth and old age down through the years since the wagon shows crawied slowly over I country roads. has not grown old to yestei day what seemed 10 be thousands of people watched Ringing Brothers 1 vast equipment drawn on the lot and put in place for the performances which are to be given here today. ... | 1t is a strange thing, this lure of the circus. No one has yet been able to define it, The answer was not to Le had yesterday for it was noticeable 1 that different people were interested in vastly different things. Some spent l hours in and about the great canvas I stables wherein were housedt the more ] than roo splendid horses in Ringling- vile. There were equines of every I type and size. ranging from big Nor man greys to Shetland ponies not much 1 larger than St. Bernards.
 LURE OF THE CIRCUS Other persons clustered about the dinins tents an,l mammoth kitchen | outfit as If they found the lure of the circus" In the tempting aroma of cof- fec and the many dishes which were on Sunday served the 137V inhabitants of the tented municipality Uf course the menagcrie tent and its roaring. growing, and trum peting contents at. tracted much attention. Now and then gust of wind or some youngster more daring than his fellows, would raise the tent flaps and so allow a ,nomen- tary glimpse of the wondrous sights within. There were giraffes with necks tha. seemed as long as the tent poles numbering hippopotami the top of whose submerged backs resembled [ floating mines and a ferocIous rhino- ceros with two big horns sprouting from his nose and who looked as | though he were ready to gobble he first youngster who would darc come near Ills den.
 MEATLESS DAY
 There was good reason for the growi- ing that resounded throughout the me- nagerie yesterday. for Sunday is now "meatless day in the Ringing Broth- CTS zoo. True, many of the animals seemed to understand tho necessary and patriotic reason for this rule and were not heard to So much as murmur throughout the entire day. On the othss hand, there were those that boldly voiced
 
 as well that MT. Hoover was not with in their reach. or course. the new rule pertained only to what the circus men call the meat-eating animals" As for l the many species of the deer family, | the birds of wondrous plumage, the mon keys, the emus, the sacred COW, the 1 gnues, the camel herd, the zebras and the naughty ostriches, the meatless edict l played no part. Nor were the elephants 1 troubled by it. There the big-eared fe- lows stood in great line that extended along almost one entire side of the me nagerie tent munching hay or, growing | tired of that diversion. casting trunlxfuls Of cool earth over their backs to keep ! the flies away. William Chambers, who is superintendent of the thousand and | more marvels of the Ringing zoo. stated that the circus is this season carrying more remarkable menagerie exhibits than ever before. An inspection of his department gave no reason to doubt the assertion.
 CIRCUS CITY
 But if the menagerie mad its audiences, other portions of Ringlngville were not neglected by yesterdays visitors. Those of mechanical turn of mind followed the gasoline driven stake-drivers from place to place; others who preferred to see the circus city erected in the old- fashioned way formed circles about the
 
 gangs of workingmen who placed the great stretches of canvas which vii, today house the thrills. the spangles and the people of the tanbark town. Over near the rear of the main tent site were a great number of immense vans containing the gorgeous wardrobe and paraphernalia used in the spectacle In Days of Old' which, with its vast cast of characters and hundreds of ballet girls. will be the opening feature of the programmes to be presented here. Other wagons of great size contained the stag ings, electrical apparatus and scenery used in the production.
 DOING THEIR BIT
 At another point on the grounds was the artists colony composed of many dressing tents both large and small The visitors were told that the smaller tops were the homes of the circus stars. Many of these were porched by awnings with comfortable looking hammocks swung underneath. Sunday being a hol- iday in Ringlingyille the larger portion of It's inhabitants were out seeing the sights of the city. Here and there. how ever, one came upon circus folk read ing ma axines. doing bit of mendink, knitting sweaters and socks for soldier boys or chatting in the friendly shade of tent. Many a garment has been knitted by the circus women this season for the Ringing show has given It's full quota of men.
 Of course yesterday the circus was minus it's gleam and glitter. Today the .1ure' will be of different kind. There will be tho ever-welcome performances at 2 and o'clock the doors opening an hour earlier Ringing Brothers have many new features tosoffer and the pro- the big spectacle added for good meas ttrA