Milford chronicle., 1931-03-27
GLENDALE
SCENES OF LONG AGo-No. 8
"The Old Time Circus SHOW

vert back to the scenes of years age
will remember well before the. Civil
War, the old time circus shows they
used to have in those days.
The shows in those times used to
travel by trains of wagons, and
would carry the paraphernalia COM
posing the circus from town to
town in which they intended to
show.
The advance agent with the col
ored bills. which was to advertise
the show would arrive weeks before
the advent of the show, and proceed
to adorn the barns and stables n
the towns with pictures of men and
women doing all kinds of stunts.
both on the trape2e and riding on
horseback
The men of those days who per
formed on the trapeze did some
things which at that time seemed
wonderful, but would be called
commonplace today. The women
who were advertised to perform
wonderful tricks from the back of a
horse going at full canter, jumping
through rings, and hoops covered
with paper, were heralded as the
greatest feats ever performed be-
fore by any living being.
The horse from which such feats
would be performed in the first
place would be very gentle and in
the next place a platform nearly as
large as a good size door would be
strapped solidly to the back of the
horse and this was covered with
some soft material. and from this
position the women would perform
their, then considered marvellous.
stunts.
If the old people living in those
far off days who have long ago gone
to their reward could see the feats
performed today by both women and
men from bare backed horses, run
ming at full speed, and note with
what ease they perform their tricks.
they would open their eyes in Won
der that such things could ever be.
The clowns of the old time circus
were the funny part of the show,
dressed in suits of many colOrs-
LlCll lclNED hdUbCu bFNA " III pt+tAA'f ]
They were often bugaboo to small |
Ter children present. They generally |
kept the audience in good humOr by /
their grotesque actions and funny
sayings. Their old time Jokes were
considered great by those present
and the clowns generally received /
more applause than any other actors /
of the show
Shows of those days, rarely had /
more than one clown, and it kept /
him pretty busy in saying such +
things which would keep the people .
in good humor. Shows of. these days |
have as many as eight or ten .
clowns and if they would use some /
of the old jokes got off by the early .
clowns-they would be missed from
the ring.
The old time circus seldom had
but one ring. In this all feats were
performed, even the funny actions of .
the clown. Now the shows have as /
many as three or more rings in .
which something is going III each, /
all of the time.
The writer must not forge5 the /
parade which was held the morn
ing of the arrival of the show 1t
generally took place before the af-
ternoon performance and was look
ed forward y with a great deal of
pleasure by those people who gener-
ally lined the streets or the town
through which the parade passed.
All shows had brass bonds though
some of them were very common,
but they answered the purpose as
the people in those days were not.
used to hearing bands very often
John and Elzey Palmer beating
drums and Woolsey Palmer manipu-
lating the fife was about the best
they had in those early days in the
way of music.
The parade would start from The
ground on which the tents were
pitched and it took about all the
help the show had to man the was-
0ns. The wagon with the band came
first whose occupants were dressed
in uniforms and the six or eight
white horses with their glittering s
harness, made something worth
ooking at. This was followed by the
women riding fine Arabian horses
md the clown riding a Shetland
pony, saying funny things as he
passed along; keeping the motley
crowd in good humor and full of
auehter, and then came the wagons 3
painted red whose drivers :
we're equipped with gorgeous uni l
orms, and the horses hauling the
wagons, which were equally match
ID in size and color, making the {
Gene more enhancing. In this man
Ter the parade would traverse the {
principal streets of the town, the
and playing and the people kept in @
constant excitement by the antics of y
he clown y
If the band happened to play a
une suitable for dancing, then ev-
ry door step, cellar doors or pave A
lent would be full of people. both Il
yhite and colored, and such round 6
f jigging, it would be hard to e
latch Sometimes a little tirewater h
ad much to do in helping create so o
luch enthusiasm. It was very plen- c
Y in those days and sold as low as f
lree cents per glass. a
After the parade was over and the S
had returned to the
how ground, then the people gath O
red there and before the afternoon h
commenced the side 6
bows had their innings The bark b
re- would cry out and tell the nec- s