The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-04-25


for The Times goes where he pIesses,
when he pieases. in search of odd stories
about shis and that.
TAxco. Mexico, April 2s.-Last
- night I went to a Mexican
circus. 1t was all right. I didn't
enjoy it as much as ours, but I en-
joyed it.
1t was little circus, playing
three and four-day stands in small
towns. The tent was a pretty good
sized one, but round instead of
oval.
Outside, four piece band kept
playing to draw attention, and now
and then young fellow would yell
something through a megaphone.
I handed the ticket seller a peso
note, and got 10 centayos change.
That gave me the best seat in the
tent for about 8 cents, our money.
The cheapest seats were 10 cen-
tavos Qess than 3 cents, with
children at half price.
About 20 Americans were there,
all in ringside seats because they
didn't know how to ask for any
thing else. There were four rows
of benches around the single ring.
Stat benches-the most uncomfort-
able seat ever devised for man.
Behind these was an aisle, and
then the regular raised board
seats, where the "hoi polloi' sat in
more comfort than the ringsiderS.
4 BOUT a thousand people were
4 n there altogether. They kept
coming in till after IL o'clock. I'd
always been told that Mexicans
went to bed at dark. 1t isn't so.
The show was supposed to start
fat $50. I got there at 10. The
first performer came out of the
dressing tent at 1925. The crowd
didn't get impatient. While we
were waiting there we're two dog
fights in the tent, and some I'm
trained f1eaS put on circus Of
their own around my ankles.
The first thing was a dog act.
Three little rat terriers. They didn't
do anything unusual. In fact they
wouldn't do half what they we're
supposed to do, and that made a
better show than if they had. The
crowd roared at every mistake.
Then there was a man who stood
on one arm on top of a high ped
estal; and a trapeze performer who
was fair; and tight-wire walker,
who put on drunken act on the
wire that was the best thing of its
kind I have seen.
THERE was a clown act between
4 every regular act. This (judg-
ing from the crowds enthusiasm
was the best part of all.
The clowns came out in pairs,
and there was long dialogue, as in
vaudeville or burlesque. About the
same type of gags, too. A young
Mexican from Mexico City sat next
to me and told me what they said.
There were a lot of burlesque
gags about Taxco not fixing up it's
cobblestone streets, and funny ref
erences to neighboring villages.
Their clown clothes and faces
were just like those of our burlesque
funny men-baggy pants and COL
lapsible unbrellas-and there was
much slapstick and tripping and
hitting each other.
HOWARD midnight two little
i girls came out and did tum-
bling acts And then a little boy.
He must nave been no more than 3.
Dressed in Japanese costume. He
was sleepy, and he couldn't keep
his balance. He'd try to turn
somersault, but he'd fall over as he
finished.
He tried four or five times, and
then he started to cry. But he kept
on trying. Finally the crowd start
ed throwing money. 7~'
odW pOOI-IOOhIt1S MeAlCdI1S
throw out peso notes, and a peso
is days wages here. I thought his
act was a setup Il would, Grass
Americano) but the boy next to me
said it was real; that the kid was
just sleepy.
It was nearly 1890 when the show
ended. They had already started to
take the tent down, for it was the
last night.
spent about half my time watch
ing the audience during the show.
was disappointed in myself.
guess I'm not sensitive to con-
trasts, or can't dramatic people, or
something.
Because this crowd here in far
away TaXco seemed to me with
the exception of brown skins and
strange clothes) exactly like every
circus crowd I've seen since ] first
went to Ringing Brothers in Terre
Haute in 1903.