Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-07-03
SELLS.FLOTO CIRCUS
IN EXCELLENT SHOW
Thousands Witness the Two Per-
fOrmances at the Lot on Shell
burne ROad-PerfOrmance In
cludes Well Known Stunts
and Some Startling New Ones

Circus day brought hundreds of people
from surrounding towns to Burlington
Monday. The day was ideal. and the
Sells-Foto shows showed to crowds
which practically filed the big tent both
afternoon and evening. Throngs of Gu
rious people young and old, gathered
along the line Of march of the parade
Monday and judging from the many
favorable comments, the big spectacle
Of the Sels-Floto street exhibition pleas
ed everybody.
/ Long before the hour of the parade
Monday morning, small hoys and big
boys, curly-neaded maids and dignfied
women of the world. who had sudden
| ly lost their dignity, stood on the street
corners, waiting for the sound of the
! first band of the parade to strike upon
their ears. Soon it came. The young
sters were following it everywhere. as
it continued the line of march up South
! Union street down Main to Church street,
up Church to Pearl street, down Pearl
to st. Paul street and thus to the grounds
once more.
1t was quite a spectacle, extending more
than the entire length of Church street
and keeping the spectators looking stead
lily for more than a quarter Of hour.
Five bands. three calliopes, large num-
Der of animals, including lions, tigers,
camels. a sacred COW, panther, blood
sweating hppopotamus, etc. also many
gaily adorned ladies and gentlemen on
prancing horses, a number of grotesque
clowns. Uncle Sam on horseback, and
many other features made the exhibition
very alluring to the circus-lover.
| large number of followers kept close
on the trail of the parade when it re-
turned to the show-grounds on Shelburne
Road, and the side-show Immediately
started n rushing business, which con-
tnued until the opening of the main
performance in the afternoon.
| Both the afternoon and evening
shows were well attended, the big
top" being filled almost to capacity
before the opening parade Of both
performances. The crowds were not
as enthusiastic as they might have
been, but it was the general comment
that the SellsFloto aggregation put
up a good show. with many new fea-
lures an several which eXcelled any
thing in their line ever seen in Bur-
lington. A large number of people
took occasion to visit the animal tent
before going into the main tent, and
crowds were gathered all the time
about the cage in which the three little
lion cubs were gambling about with
tons over these little animals.
From the time the big Rainbow Spec
tacle opened the main performance
until the final act, the spectators were
kept busy every minute watching the
three ring exhibition, with the side.
play by the various clowns. Among
the feature acts were the aerial dane
ing act of Herberto Beeson. very
graceful yohng lady who tripped every
imaginable kind of dance on a tight
wire; the work of the Japanese tun-
blers and balancers. who exhibited a
class of entertainment not often seen
outside the Hippodrome in New York
city; and the aerial swinging which
was INDUCED in by several groups Of
performers. The ladder balancing act
in the early part of the show is one
of the best things or its kind ever
seen here.
The trained elephants under the di-
rection Of Blanche Walsh, Irene Mont-
gomery and Voncile Evans were de-
} cided features of the show, as were
: the trained horses which danced to
perfect time under the expert guild
! ance of their riders, who were all
$ young women. In fact the trained ami
mails were all of the best, and the
} show lacked nothing in expert and dar-
ing performers.
Many remained for the musical com.
, edy concert which followed each per-
Torrance of the big show. From all
Indications, everybody seemed of the
opinion that the Sells Floto shows are
! all right.