The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-25
NE W ACTS ADD ID C|RCUSMACN|TUDE
Visitors "Wednesday Specially Impressed By Magnificent
 Animals In Menagerie

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 Brothers-Barnum & Bailey com bined circuses were modest. The &C., tuality far surpassed anything they had promised. From the bugle's sounding of First Call' to the finale, three rings, four stages and a network of trapezes were populated for two hours With an assortment of highly trained men, women and animals, and the great encircling track was populated with speciality acts most of the time.
 To all of the great acts of the past decade, those circus classics, which are welcomed with added in- terest each year, was added galaxy of other stars, entirely new, that kept some 16,o0o spectators at each performance athrill with interest an gasping at feats of courage, dar- ing and skilful physical develop ment all will long remember.
 The animals of the circus are, per- haps, the truest spokesmen for the class of the organization. They were in splendid condition, despite season. It was evident that money and care had not been spared to give them every needed attention. Some of them were actually fat, and the attenuatee basts of bygone years were conspicuously absent. Even the hyenas, surly, loathsome brutes, were in the main, rolling fat. clear eyed and full of pep.
 Animals Take interest.
 Many who passed around the circle of the menagerie, for the first time saw the hippopotamus standing up. This king of all the porkers is usually observed as a board ex- panse of pinkish gray back with some straw on him. Wednesday Hippo was on his all fours taking an interest in things. What the ad- vance agents have said of the lions was fully born out. There were ed with black, we'll groomed, round bodied and active. The same condi- tion was apparent throughout the whole menagerie, easily the best cared for wild animals that have have been in Birmingham.
 Under the big top there was so much to be seen that the only accu- rate report possible would have to pc taken with d movie camera. One person could not write 1t all, But there were several high spots in the program that left lingering im- presslons--a small black box, about large enough to hold silk hat was brought in, run up to the ridge Of the Dig top, opened and left Junoesoue damsel pendant and pirouetting. a Dit Of leather to which she hung by teeth, her connecting link between the circus and eternity.
 A grlzzly bear riding bicycle elght feet high intrigued everyone, and all eyes followed the great beast as he rode his machine in fig ure eights about the platform, with out assistance from anyone.
 Four lions lying side by side Quletly, after being put through a strenuous act, and then used as a mattress for the trainer to lie on held the crowd in silence for half minute before the storm of ap- plause broke
 But for once the circus came to town not entirely dependent on the pure daring for its charm. Into the nnouern circus has crept strain of that held attention through the simplicity of their sheer beauty. Tab- leau arter tableau was shown of people and horses, all in white. re- plicas of famous pieces of statuarv to De seen throghout the world, as stlli and as beautiful.
 Circuses of the past 10 years hsva seemed to strive to show som ethine new at the expense of leaving out shlngs that were good. Ringing Brothers-Barnum & Bailey evidently nave better judgment. It was back m lS92 when two steps" were being played by the bands, that Barnum & Bailey's circus exhibited the first cake walk" horses. Their descend ants or successors, are with the bie circus today, dozen of them. mag nltlcent creatures that dance all sorts Of varied steps, snappy. spirited, seeming to enjoy 1t as much as the
 
 bow that those who danced the graceful minuet 100 years ago might envy.
 An unusually attractive act was that of group of girls, bonneted and hocpskirted, dainty and bewitch- ing, who&danced in the center ring about shiny coated white horse, concluding their turn with the re- lease of flock of pigeons that cir cled and then alighted together on a parasol. the whole group, girls, pigeons, horses, dogs leaving in a grand march with each of the ani- mals in the act doing 8 speciality.
 A novelty was a tightrope dancer, Berta Beeson, not a balancer or slider, but dainty girl, who literally danced, happily, attractively showing novel step and g lightness and grace that was superb.
 The spotlight was thrown on ari- SONhSoloip SlTl WlLn masses of shiny brown hair, who, high in the air, using only one hand, ex- ecuted the famous giant swing" time after time. 8 feat that few of the best acrobats could dc with both hands on firmly braced horizon tai bar. Perhaps she was the one entitled to the spotlight. certainly such skill and daring have never been seen in any other circut. She was none other than Lillian Leitzel, at the top of her profession.
 The circus introduced a new thing in clowns, the time-honored slap stick" was gratefully missing, and Cn their ability to entertain the play CTS were thrown to do things that were funny, and they did. The auto- mobile that went to pieces, and later, as four wheels. a motor and chassis, followed the clowns about the ring was literally 8 classic of it's kind.
 Throughout the whole great show there ran an undercurrent of pure, unadulterated merit, clean, fine, worth while. They are high-class entertainers, with an exhibition mag nificent in it's conception, portrayal and atmosphere.
 Never before has there been such circus in Birmingham. It is doubt ful if 1t could be duplicated.-G, M.