The New York herald., 1921-03-27
BETTER THAN EYER
VERDICT ON CIRCUS
Many New Features Make Up
Big Programme at Madison
Square Garden.


yesterday afternoon Fro.a the pre-
| liminary fanfare of trumpets and grand
crash of brass that burst open the broad
doors leading to the mysterious regions
at the back of the Garden and let into
the arena the grand Introductory page
ant. led this year by the eight foot giant,
George Anger, until the very last epi-
sode of all. the laundering. four horse
Roman chariot race, Ringing Bros. and
Barnum & BaiIey's spread feast of
three hours of thrills and fun.
It's the same old circus that comes
hvery spring to make one forget how
disagreeable winter was and to show
how much fun 1t is to be alive, and yet
ii is much more, for with every added
season there are elaborate new features
that would have Phineas It. Barnum
shake his head with amazement The
circus never stands still. II is always
absorbing. Some years It is more fas-
cinating than In other years. This Is
one OF the times.
Besides all the old attractions that
have been dear to clrcusgoers for half
century, and the many new features
and acts that have been added from
season to season, the Ringlings present
at least four brand new exhibits this
year that would be hard to beat.
The circus begins with three sets Of
savage beasts performing simultaneously
in steel barred arenas under whip and
prong, leopards lions and polar bears:
centres then upon seven Bengal tigers
that are flicked Into housecats obedi-
ence by the slim man who faces their
wicked emerald eyes; turns after much
variety of smooth and graceful aerial
work and arena performance by less
dangerous animals to the trained Hun
garian stations, six iron grays, six bays
and twelve coal blacks that drill at
the mere command of a trainers up
raised whip, wheeling and turning In
Intricate evolutions; passes on over ia
miliar but always interesting acts of air
and sawdust to the performing drome-
daries and camels strange, supercilious
creatures. taught to do the tricks that
my lord the elephant is famous for and
so on through a programme of almost
infinite variety and interest.
Probably the new acts that will hold
the attention of circusgoers most tenseiy
are the opening exhibitions of perform
ing leopards. lions and polar bears, pres
emily followed by the seven tigers and
the Hungarian horses
The business of introducing the big
cats and the snow white bears into the
steel arenas is worth seeing AT the
eastern end Of the Garden oval the polar
bears are brought to their barred cage
III ndEOAN ana are pTOuQed INTO
the arena. In the middle the lions en-
ter the Garden by means of tunnel
that runs from the Garden basement,
pass into long, cagelike approach that
runs from the north exit or the building
across the north roadway and connects
with the middle steel cage At the west
end tho leopards are introduced In small
wagons backed against the doors of
their cage.
rTror, a snort dir4anca a.,a, thn r,o-
way through which the lions come
bounding Is not especially conspicuous
and as the tawny beasts make their
appearance one gets the impression
that lions are propsnading across the
sawdust floor a trifle casually.
A young woman, olga Celeste, blonde.
robust, good looking. works with the
sinking snarlng leopards, lashing them
/ lightly as they threaten ner with teeth
and claws. and turning her back upon
them with nonchalance that makes one
catch ones breath. In the middle arena
4 Peter Radke sends the lions skipping
! from chair to chair or somersaulting
over each other, occasionally isciplin-
Ing one with the hooked end OF spear.
Aud In the east cage Christian Shroder
puts through their tricks six polar beare
that show plainly how much they would
like to destroy him. All of these acts
dio tttl NHTlitefSs DUL lHC ITO5I tITlk~
ing OF ali comes when ieopards lions
and polar bears reremoved and seven
striped Bengal tigers stroll into the
Garden and make thoir way through
the runway into tho centre steel cage.
IT is rare indeed that animal men
dare to attempt the training of single
tiger. but here are seven. patiently
| trained and forced through fear to obey
the sweep or their masters arm.
There are many features OF the circus
worth mentioning. including the Wild
West riders and ropers. little beitzei.
aerial gymnast. who hangs head down
from the Garden ceiling and then throws
herself over her own shoulders so rap.
idly that II makes onlookers feel a bit
dizzy trained bears. camels. seals,
ponies and dogs: snow white statue
horses and dogs In poses OF living stat
uary; Nine. Bradna with her thorough
bred horses and dogs, and the snowy
doves that hover over all; the Daven.
ports with amusing bareback riding
tricks: tna Scafords In birdlike fllghts
and swoops high over the rings--nany
more, until the performing elephant ana
the chariot races At the very end or the
show.
The new strange people---it Is not good
form 70 call them freaks-had their
callers before the main circus opened In
the Garden auditorium. Among the new
comers Is the man with the revolving
head and the bear woman. Among tho
more or less familiar ones are the tiny
Princess Wee Wee. Kllcko the bushman.
Zip the human what is II. the half
woman and the snake oharmer. They
are all there. And this year nobody will
omit q visit TO John Daniel, the new
gorilla. or to Jerry and Jane the chim-
panzees, or to the baby monkey, only