Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1903 — WALLACE CIRCUS AT LOUISVILLE. [ARTICLE]

WALLACE CIRCUS AT LOUISVILLE.

Courier Journal: Clean and high class in every particular is Wallace’s circus, which gave two performances yesterday at Shelby and Kentucky streets. The combination is one of the largest on the road, and all the novel, eccentric and spectacular features advertised were presented in a manner highly satisfactory to the crowds which attended, in spite of the sweltering weather. Manager Wallace has gone to great expense to add new features to his circus, and, though it is the popular impression that circuses have been the same for twenty years, a careful observer at jesterday’s performances could not but be astonished at some of the novelties and at the improvement worked in the regulation circus turns. The elaborate costumes of the performers, the handsome trappings of the animals and the generous manner in which the smaller details has been supplied brought many compliments from the spectators. HORSES ARE BEAUTIFUL. The circus carries a large and wellselected menagerie, and the curious beasts are carefully groomed, presenting a splendid appeareance. Wallace is said to aevote more attention to the collection and keeping of his hundreds of draft, preforming and thoroughbred horses than to any other department. The perfortnance proper opened with the uusal grand introductory pageanj. completely filling the rings, stages and hippodrome course, and to serving introduce the preformers to the crowd. The preformance moved swiftly, three and tour acts being given simultaneously, while the two dozen clowns kept the crowds shouting with laughter between gasps of astonishment and wonder at the daring of the acrobats and equestrians. The Bareback" performances, always one of the most interesting of circus turns, were up to the high standard set by the other portions of the show. Blanche Reed and Winnie Sweeney combined grace and agility and gave pretty exhibitions on the rack of the flying steeds. The male riders, Orrin Hollis and Alex Lowande, vied with each other .in daring and sensational performances, turning backward somersaults and leaping from the ground to the backs or the galloping animals. The acrobatic turns were supplied by a number of European troupes, many combining male and female performers, and double somersaults from shoulder to shoulder were frequently executed. THE LIVING PICTURES. Among the novelties were a series of living pictures, a Ferris wheel arrangement where half a dozen women gave trapeze performances while the whole was revolving rapidly, a company of zouaves who drilled as one man and climbed a stone wall with surprising celerity, a quartet of eccentric dancers, educated pigs and a finely trained collection of seals. These are but a few of the many excellent acts in the circus, which entertained the crowd for two hours and a half. The hippodrome which closed the performances served to introduce some speedy horses and reckless drivers, who made the short turns with a skill born only of long experience. Wallace Show will exhibit at Rensselaer, Saturday, July 25.

THE LOOANSPORT CARNIVAL. Commenting on the recent street carnival at Logansport, G, O. Fenton, editor of the Loganssport Times, says, in part: “While I only had the displeasure of spending less than thirty minutes at this show, I think I have a fairly accurate conception of its merits, or rather I should say, its demerits. However, this is a busy world, and I will confine my remarks mostly to one show, that snake eating woman.” Editor Fenton then refers to the disgusting spectacle and says: “Such a proceeding should not be tolerated in a civilized community , The lesson is wholly bad. It is not a matter of material concern to such old sinners as you and me, but is a most serioaa concern to children, and yet the day that I took a look at this human snake eater she was surrounded by dozens of these innocents. Really the scene was to disgusting to describe and only a keen imagination can dp the subject j ustice. I could not say that there was anything particularly immoral in any of the other shows that I saw, nor was there muck of anything else in them. But for the most part the crowds this carnival attracted were good crowds to keep out of. Now, old sister, don’t yon say that I said ell who attended this carnival were at portion of the rag-tag of creation. I said nothing of the kind, I said for the most part, and said it as I meant it and meant it as I said it All in all, such aggregations are not to be encouraged. What Logansport needs is more lectures, more music, more flowers, more poetry and more art, and fewer carnivals of this kind.” Commenting on the above the Monticeilo Herald says: Editor Fenton is right in his closing remarks and the evil infloenoe that he speks of was strickiagiy illustrated Thursday evening when Alice Fairchild tried to emulate the example of the snake eater with results that the doctor declares wiß be serious if not fatal. Thursday the girl’s brother and playmates caught a number of small snakes and the girl tried to emulate the example of the woman in the show. That evening she was taken with convultions and confessed that she had tried to eat the snakes. She was bitten in a dozen places.