The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-08-25
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
TIME DOES NOT STALE.

There was circus at Wenatchee
Saturday and 1t drew patrons to that
city from many, many miles around.
There is something in the saw dust. in
the antics and widowed jects Of the
clowns in their same-old makeup.
in the ring. the spangles, the gaily ca
parisoned horses that appeal to the
!, imagination of youth, and it is spell
| that few men and women shake off
even after mature years. The circus of
today in its general ensemble is just
! the same as it was so years ago, and
most of the jokes of the clown are
about the same as were palmed off
back yonder in those earlier days, and
they are sure to get the same rise out
of the open eyed and open mOuthed
audience that they did when the oldest
OF us were young. There is no other
entertainment provided to amuse the
public that can draw like a circus. The.
small boy is entranced with the pic
tOrial wall display heralding the COM
ing of the circus weeks before the
great event, and he begins at once to
tax his ingenuity to raise the price
that will let him in under the big top
when the canvas is once spread In his
balliwick. while older people, prob
ably with less outward manifestation
If eager expectancy. commence figur-
ing out ways and means Of raising the
wherewithal with which to secure
uncomfortable seats that surround the
charmed circle. Circus day is a gala
lay for any community, and it is safe
20 say that one of the largest crowds
that has ever been seen in Wenatchee
was the Mecca toward which large
contingents from every point of the
compass headed on that date.
The man who plumbs the depths of
his own feelings can we'll understand
the urge that attracts people to the
town where the circus pitches its
tents. Upon the mind of the average
man stands out like pictures on the
silver screen the realized joys of the
circus of his boyhood days. The bulg-
ing tent, the raucuous calls of the
speelers, the old-new procession, the
eager crowd clamoring at the ticket
wagon as though fearing that any de-
lay may mean missing some feature
Of the performance are allurements
that cannot be resisted.
And it is astonishing how far peo-
pie will travel. what inconvenience
they will put up with, what self denial
they will submit to in order to raise
the money to attend circus. We saw
this conspicuously illustrated many
years ago when the first circus visited
Spokane Falls. Spokane Falls was a
small town then and sparse pOpula-
ton was scattered throughout the ter
ritory contiguous to the town. Yet on
the occasion Of the appearance Of that
circns several thousand people attend
ed the performance. In those days
people travelled only by team, as the
Northern Pacific was the only line of
road through the state. yet whole fam
lilies came from long distances, far
beyond Colfax, and Colville and other
remote towns, trapeling by wagon
camping out at the Falls and spending
a week, including the trip and the day
of the circus, thus seeking for a few
hours pleasure.
Apparently the circus is an institun-
ito that retains its hold upon the pub
lie. 1t never grows stale and its popu-
larity will probably continue until the
end of time.