The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-11-14
SPARKS BIG CIRCUS
EXHIBITED TODAY ON
THE FAUSETT GROUNDS

IHE AUSEll GROU NDS
The sawdust, tanbark and spangles
season opened today when Sparks
big circus came to town for two per-
formances on the Fausett grounds.
This circus is so we'll known to resi-
dents of this city that it really needs
no introduction and it goes without
saying that it is the same high-class
exhibition of old-the only difference
being that it has nearly doubled in
size and now stands as one of the
very leaders in the big show class and
in point of cleanliness stands alone in
the tented world of amusements. The
free street parade spectacle which
took place this morning on the adver-
tised hour, 1920, was punctuated
with many novelties which gave evil
dence of the wonderful performances
that followed this afternoon in the
big top. From the eight-horse band
wagon in the lead, to the cumbersome
elephants and steam calliope in the
rear, it was just one surprise after
another and it is safe to say that
never has there been seen such fine
gathering of horses as those that
were seen in the Sparks parade. All
cages, trappings and paraphernalia
were resplendent in gold and silver
which is and always will be the trade
mark for all we'll regulated circuses.
The old parable about all circuses be-
ing alike was shattered completely at
the performance this afternoon and
the opening spectacle, "Visions of
Arabia" with it's score of high-step-
ping thoroughbreds, its handsomely
gowned singing and dancing girls,
was a vision long to be remembered.
It was brought to a close by LaVerne
Venable, "the songbird of the white
tops" rendering in a charming man.
ner selection to the accompaniment
of the Jack Phillips Concert Band,
while seated in huge howda strap
ped to the back of mighty Zulu, the
largest of the elephant herd. The
spectacular pageant gave the per-
formance a proper start and it con-
tanned act after act of more than ex-
ceptional merit, chief among them
being the Aerial Walters, the Larkins
troupe of balancers, jugglers and
comedy furniture movers, the great
Koban and Emo troupes of japanese
marvels, the Flying Yorks, Aeria
Earls, Beatrice "the golden girl on the
golden whril." the famous Bardo TriC
and Selles Bros. acrobatic groups
Trained animals predominant at th'
Sparks performance and many act
of startling nature were in evidence
the featured ones being the Capt
Tieber talking and rope-walking seals
Bartlett's Barnyard Circus, the Wood
ford posing horses, dogs and humans
LaVerne Venable and her traine,
doves and marble horse, Mimi
Thompson and her pretty assistant
introducing the Sparks Dancing
Horses, Florence Harris and her priz
winner Mabel, Hurd's Riding baboons
two elephant groups introduced b
Madge Fuller and Beatrice Jung, bot
lady trainers of wide repute an
Caesar, champion hurdle jumper G
the world. The riding contingent ir
cluded such we'll known "rosinback
celebrities as the famous Guice fan
lily, the Riding Hollis and daint
Flora Bedini. Thrills were plentifl
and many gasps of wonderment wei
in evidence when the daring little Jal
anese artist Sakata descended fro1
the top of the huge tent to tt
ground with lightning-like rapidit
while balanced on slender wire ar
incidentally another 1.-THE little ia
Kaichi, actually walked up an enti
flight of steps while balanced on h
dome. There is much to amuse in Il
Sparks circus and one of the ma
factors are the two producing Glow
Pete Mardo and Paul WentZell, VI
with their group of merry assistan
create many a hearty laugh duril
the two hours program. The evenil
performance starts at 8 o'clock, wi
the doors opening an hour earlier.