Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-12

Thank goodness the circus came to
town, Wednesday. For spell, back,
it looked as If we were not going to
have a circus, but Mr.. Sparks show,
bright and sparkling and with all
the old time thrills. was in our midst,
all day Wednesday, beginning with
the early morning arrival and the
business of unloading. What would
summer be without at least one cir
Gus and one Fourth of July-delights
to the hearts of the young and the
old-young.
The two daily performances, after
noon and evening were largely at
tended The big main tent was full
on both occasions. They were all
there, all the old favorites, the
trained wild animals. the sleek
horses, the acrobats and don't for
get the clowns, flocks and focks Of
them.
1t was an ideal circus day. warm
with some breeze and plenty of dust
and pop corn and pop beer.
The Parade
Here they come, Pa, up the road"
and sure enough, at about 11.30.
Wednesday forenoon, after an hours
waiting, the Sparks Circus parade
rounded the corner at Bridge and
Water streets and moved up the line.
The parade was snappy, clean and
just long enough to satisfy even the
smallest circus-hungry boy. The
officials of the circus were borne over
the route Of parade in Buick cars
from the Lewiston branch of the
elephants sported blankets which
tho too,.ifS nf tho R1ick
cars.
The first aggregation of horse back
riders, including women and men.
were very gay and very pretty in
their bright red velvet suits with
white fur trimmings. The horses
were full of pep and the lassies who
rode them were good for the eyes.
The animal cages were doing good
business, each cage being full of
| wild ones, who paced haek and forth
in their cages or sat looking at the
curious mob, as befitted the habits
of the creature. Hot cross brown
bears, imposing in their bigness,
paced in their cages, instilling ter
ror and delight in the hearts of the
young ones, clutching gay colored
| balloons by the roadside.
Ostriches, long and lanlly, search
| ed for places to hide their heads
from the hot summers day as they
| were carted up hill and down. A
| team of ponies, pert and dapper in
their trappings, hauled a calliope
| along.
Then snarly tigers, with dizzy
stripes running all around them
next held the curb stone artists at
tention. And Happy Family" q
l p n nf,t1 r
order.
| 1.-THE old gray mare amt what she
used to be- footed the rubeN band
atop an animal wagon. They looked
as if they were posing for ANNA
crackers or something like that, as
their sweet 60 music was dispensed
upon the air.
1.-THE Big Show"
! Everybody had chance in the frs
number of the big show. 'Echoe!
from the Reign of King Tut" is wha
it was called. A dusky little lady
Bessie Harvey by name. seated upo1
a huge elephant, sang like a bird
Her rich, clear voice filled the hug
tent. 1t was a pretty sight, the Ions
line of hundreds of performers, NAL
and beast, as they marched arount
the course.
The wild animals. sleek and wei
behaved with their tricks well learn
ed. were thrillers of the day. Their
were lions, tigers, polar bears ant
dogs and ponies. There were tw'
groups of elephants, seals and evel
pigs with monkeys riding on thei
backs, and whether you believe it O
not, racing ostrich. One distinc
feature was the appearance of pal
of trained llamas, an entirely new
sight.
The 16 rotation horses, which ar
valued at $4,000 or $4,000 apiece, AM
which have come direct from Ger
many, were a delight to the eye an
the heart alike. Their drills an,
maneuvers were highly entertaining
Sparks stable of dancing horse
showed the Augusta audience some
thing new in dance steps or rathe
new presentation of such. They di'
the cake walk and they did tn
shimmy and other steps such a
walking the roy"
A very pretty act was the appear
ance of Miss Harvey on a whit
horse. She sang an Irish song ant
her entrance was most effective. A
she sang in the center ring, dove
flew through the air and lighted upol
her head, her arms and her shoulder
as we'll as upon the horse and upol
the attendant leading the horse. TIL
proud Arabian horse appeared to b.
happy because of his burden.
There were three rings and the.
were busy ones during the entir
show. No waits were experienced
The whole show went off with pei
and vim.
The Queen Of the Silver Wir
they called her, Nadia Miller, AM
she was all that. Her costume wa
yards and yards of billowy swans
down which fascinated you as yo1
watched her step and dance alon
the wire. The Flying Walters wer
aerial bar Artists and thei act was o
the egula cicus type which thrill
and awes.
The Nelson trio of acrobats, a lad
and two boys, was another cleve
number. The comedy acrobats wer
the Mardo boys. They did some mos
surprising things.
The Koban Japs, clever little fel
lows. who always have lots Of trick
up their sleeves, did some wonderful
stunts. One little brown man walk
ed a tight rope, upwards to the top O
the tent and then slid down taste
than we could think. Another littl
fellow, not to be outdone. walked Il
flight of stairs on his head.
The closing act Of the big show wa
, a hunting scene. High and broa
, jumping horses went over fences an
J handicaps that thrilled the audienc
into a state Of breathlessness.
And. the clowns, where did they eve
! get such ideas? AS they say in tn