The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-09-05
CIRCUS CROWDS
JAM HUGE TENT
SIXTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE
SEE CREDITABLE PERFORM
ANCE LAST FRIDAY


beck-Wallace circus auditorium is
5000 as they advertise it to be, fully
10000 people attended the afternoon
and evening performances of that
show when it was here last Friday.
Aat both afternoon and evening per-
formances, the big amphiteatre was
comfortably filled with but few vacant
seats. And there were not many who
can be classed as repeaters.
That the exhibition was a credit to
Caldwell and to the management OF
the circus which it put on, goes with
out saying. 1t was a clean, whole
some, thoroughly enjoyable perform
ance, differing not a great deal from
other circus exhibitions but excelling
many in the clean cut manner in which
each exhibition was handled. Per-
haps other circuses had greater va
riety of performances occurring at the
same time.
But they also make it impossible for
the casual observer to see the things
he really wishes to see because of in
ability to concentrate on any particu-
lar phase of the exhibition. Hagen
beck-Wallace shows have eliminated
this by presenting not many things
simultaneously. Leaving, one has a
fairly formed recollection of practi-
cally everything offered to be wit
messed instead of a confused tumble
usually recalled.
Crowd Comes Early.
Early in the morning, people flocked
the streets waiting for the parade
which did not get under way until well
after IL o'clock. So far as parades
go, there was nothing unusual in the
one offered by this particular circus
Some animal wagins were opened for
exhibition, others were closed for
speculation. One of these was decor
ated by clown jazz band which drew
the usual number of excited exlama-
tons from the thousands of children
who lined the streets.
Statesmen who offered balloons
canes, whips and other incidentals
which belong to circus day, did a
rushing business. Everyone carried
some sort of token indicative of the
day. Pop corn, peanut, ice cream and
lemonade vendors did their usual
business, their craftsmanship character
lied by the usual perennial optimism
Lions Excite Interest
Several refractory lions which
showed an inclination to fight back
and a doubtful disposition to do as
they were expected, probably featured
the animal circus. Hagenbeck has an
enviable reputation for animal shows
y but the exhibitions given here were
only a small portion of the show
which he used to sponsor when that
portion of the present combination
was operating by itself. Wise old ele-
plants drew their usual share of
p1audits.
Trapeze artists and acrobats were
good but showed nothing of an unus
ual nature. One pleasing omission
noticeable was the absence of nets
commonly suspended under especially
thrilling exhibitors, whether their
stunt happens to be particularly dan
gerous or not. Quite frequently this
method of camouflage is utilized to
convince people that some act is really
more hair raising than is warranted.
Long before the evening perform
ance began, circus kitchens were de-
molished, packed and loaded on cars
preparatory to making the trip to
Boise after the evening show. Side
shows disappeared while patrons were
watching the main" show. Circus
mobility, always a marvel of efficiency
to the uninitiated. was we'll exempli-
fled here last Friday.
Many persons from Emmett, and
Boise county came to witness the
show. Considerable inroads were
made in the potential crowd which
Boise could otherwise have attracted
when the show stopped here. Three
special cars were put on by the In
terurban to accommodate the large
crowd which attended from the juno
ton city.
All told, it was a pleasing show,
welcomed royalty by Caldwell and en-
Enthusiastically patronized by local PEG
pie. 1t was with interest that the
note was made that at the evening
performance, while may children, us
ually considered circus fans, the crowd
was largely made up of dignified
grownups who forgot, once the show
was under way, that they were sitting
on rother uncomfortable seats.