The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-21
RingLings AstOund
ThrOngs In Mighty
Tented Exhibition
BY NED

no. SSSEN
Grand, noble, exalted and most uu-
comprehensihly glorious Thus in tie
larry pos did that king of press agents
TIody Hamilton, long since called to hi3
iathers, characterize Nero or The
INSTRUCTOR OF Rome mighty spectacle
lrne k!ralfy, What Would that press
agent, who once had the distinction OF
pastlng circus bills on the walls of the
palace garden At Potsdam and other
european domiciles of royalty, have
written had he seen the supercircus
produced twice Monday at n. Dunlap
end Parkway by those kings Of cir
cusd"m-tho Ringing Bros?
ouperlauyes of .superlatives, where
are our adiecttNes ID II performances of
the early 'gos desarved superlatives and
hose shows are compared with this
latest achievement of the Ringlings,
then is the English language indeed
Weak-too weak adequately to record
the wonders of the Bacnum ~ Bailey
and Ringing shows which thrilled ca
a2ity audiences at both matinee and
night performances Monday.
The cream OF eireus1om was there,
TO enumerate the acts would be to
catalogue the aristocrats of the circus
world and would be as bewildering as
the performances itself.
or course there was Bird Millman,
beauty of beauties, to whom a slender
"hN 20 Il DdllIt'bIl ltDbGt WHO lTlDS,
waltzes, pirouettes with excruciating
lovellness and in seeming great delight
on the wire. She is a poem of motion
and beauty, an epic in decentralization
of physical perfection and charm. It
Is one of the few acts in the sawdust
ring that nightly makes che audience
call for encores.
Another extremely female woman OF
the mere robust or cornfed type Is that
little Australian bunch of fire and dash,
May Wlrth, Backward somersaults
through hoops, back to the ground, on
again, daring poses and mounts with
out numbe succeed each other In be-
bildering succession in her single act.
Later the Wirth family featuring May
and her brothers and sisters commands
the applause of the whole house, Next
to the Hannefords this is the last word
in equestrian acts.
Before we get through with the ladies
no mention Of the show could be made
and leave out Mile, Lily I.eitzel, Here's
about 100 pounds of the most compress
ed, pent-up human energy ever crowded
into one body CT a member Of the
deadlier sex. Mile, Leitzel, dainty as
a debutante, grabs a rope and in a
twinkling, "one -hands-it' to the top OF
the tent, As dainty as Dainty Marie
and three times as fiery and strenuous,
she performs like a hurricane on the
rope and finishes on a single rope with
one hand. She hurls her little body
around and around, looks. jerks and
swings not only once but scores Of
| times until the audience wonders WHY
| her lttle arms don't tear out of their
sockets. WayesYo applause follow when
| the frowsly headed little Miss tired and
| smiling, wiggles herself to earth again.
Opening with a quarter of a million
pound elephant act, a revelation in the
| education OF these mighty beasts, the
| main circus performances Is amazing,
astounding and beggars further de-
scription.
The usual courtesy which is a Ring
ling motto characterized the handling
of the Immense crowds Monday from
the time the parade returned to the lot
and there rang out the stentorian voice
of Lew Graham announcing the open
ing OF his palace of wonde until the
last sleepy child with its mother had
been helped out of the tent down from
the seats at night.
incidentally the side show is another
revelation. Lew Graham has gathered
curiosities from the seven seas and
caps il all with a jazz band that did
not let feet behave all during the day.
How this mild faced, dignified gentle
mar Keeps peace among his polyglot
family Is q puzzle. Incidentally, Mr.,
Graham makes the announcements.
They say when the show opens at
Madison Square Garden each season
they use Lew voice 10 aust OH the
r~afters.. IT is not an unlikely story for,
using only apparently a conversational
voice. his words plainly are heard in
The remotest corner of the tent,
Under the Joint direction Of John a.
gee and Fred Bradna, eNequesterian
directors. the show moves with a whiz,
John Agee is a great tavoritee, In
Nemnhis SO Is Fred. John under
stands the performers kicks in English
And &. S. Slang. Fred good humored-
~ hswls them out and gets ditto in
| return, IN about 20 different languages
AZ as many nationalities represented
nae show trains pulled out early
Tuesday for Jackson, Tenn, where a
matinee Only will be given, the jump
70 Nashville preventing h staging Of
\ night show,