Evening star., 1933-06-01
SMALL BOYS BUSY
TAKING IN CIRCUS
Jubilee Year of "Big Top
Has Many Added Features
to Entertain Them. Z

I
At least one spectator at the circus
, yesterday didn't miss a thing-the
small boy who had his parents describ-
ing the rings to left and right while
het kept abreast of the situation out
front.
Ne nearly twisted his head off look
ing three ways at once until he got his
party organized. After that when some
thing worthy of his attention occurred
in the wings he was nudged from one
side or the other.
Nevertheless, he must have had a
crtck in the neck when he got home,
what with so much going on at once
under the big top Of Ringing Brothers
ard Barnum and Bailey.
Slight hundred performers In silk
and rhinestones and grotesque clown
suits, flying from trapeZes under the
high canvas canopy, whirling around
SaWdust rings on the backs Of milk
white horses, gamboling about the hip
podrome track in the most ridiculous
antics.
Golden Jubilee Year.
No wonder little Tommy, or perhaps
It was little Harold. grew dizzy with
excitement and delight. If Tommy was
veteran circus fan, and this seemed
probable, frcm the way he had his
mother and father working for him,
he recognized many features new this
year-the Golden Jubilee for Ringing
Brothers.
The gilded elephant could scarcely
have escaped him ambling along with
a gilded rider ON his back. and a
majestic procession of 49 other ele-
plants and unnHmbered camelS and
dromedaries at his heels.
This was the opener at yesterdays
and today'S afternoon and night per-
formances-the Durbar a gorgeous
reproduction of India's famed corona
tion ceremonial Some 1000 perform
ers and animals, all decked in Oriental
splendor comprised this procession.
Perhaps the largest group of aerial
stars ever assembled-the Flying Ca
donas, the Marcellus Flying Ballet, Con
Colleano, Lucita Leers, the Wallendas
and GretonaS. the Comedies and the
Harolds, Albert Powell and many others
--Sonersaulted, dived and swung from
the elaborate gear with which the
whole huge tent was rugged.
Amateur In Circus.
Among at least 10o clowns. tall silt
acrobats and internationally famous
funSterS who gamboled about the ring
Portillo, a Government employe, whose
hobby is clowning and who has de-
voted years to perfecting his technic
Portillo could be recognized about
three feet behind cigarette which he
smoked in a holder bearing the inscrip-
tion, I'm trying to get away from to-
bacco."
Portillo shares his enthusiasm for the
circus with many other Washingtonians,
including Dr. William NJ. Mann, di-
rector of the National Geological Park,
and w. H BlackbuTTe, head keeper at
the zoo. They ell are members of the
Circus Fans Association, and rarely miss
performance.
DR. Mann numbers many circus en-
tertainers among his personal friends,
and the performers are as enthusiastic
about visiting the 200 while they are
in Washington as the zoo officials are
about visiting the circus.
Sometimes the circus and zoo trade
animals to mutual advantage; more
often they exchange information inval-
liable to rnEnagerie keepers. The rock
pythons which the lady snake charmer
shows at the zoo, for example, Wintered
at the local ZOO. where they were a
welcome addition to the Reptile House.
The SnakeJ will have to be trained all
over again. however, before the circus
can show them, as they become vicious
II not handled daily by some known
friend.