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Should the great P. T. Barnum come to life today and look down on the tented city and all it contains, picturesquely set on the circus lot on West Washington street, he would scarcely recognize the en terprise that he launched more than half a century ago. “It's a world In itself and the more I see of it the more I am amazed,” said the polite and clever young man who is at the head of what might be called the Barnum Bailey Press Bureau. The great aggregation, with its army of men and horses and the wealth of Monte Cristo behind It, arrived in town at an early hour yesterday morning. Since its last appearance here the Barnum show has exhibited in many countries. It has been the fact of London's exclusive set; it has been applauded by the fashion and beauty of the French capital and it has spread its tents in the Orient. Since ex hibiting in Indianapolis the show has de lighted twenty-nine different foreign peo ples. The German Emperor has interested himself in the big enterprise sufficiently to inquire how so many tons of canvas and poles and other paraphernalia could be un loaded and got into shape in so short time, and an interesting story is told of how the Emperor sent a detachment of men from the German army with the show for several days to learn how the trick was done. CIRCUS'S GROWTH. An elderly man, with white beard and silvered hair, stood watching the erection of the big tops yesterday. “All this makes me realize I am growing old,” he said, a little sadly. “Fifty years ago I saw the Barnum show at Gosport, this State. It doesn’t look like it did then. There was no circus feature these days—only an animal show and a few sideshow attractions. Those were the palmy days of General Tom Thumb—I remember him well. I think there was one elephant. “Time brings many changes in the show business as well as in any other lines,” remarked Press Agent W. D. Coxey, point ing to the troupe of twenty-five elephants that filed past into the animal tent. With them was Coco, the youngest of the troupe —the “baby,” as she is called. “Baby is good today,” said the swarthy young Cingalese, showing his white teeth in a smile. He came from the elephant coun try with the mother of Coco. He is the keeper of the pair and he is as proud of them as if they were his own family. To use a worn but apt old phrase there was “bustling activity’ on the show grounds yesterday. Under expert hands the work went on till nightfall. At 6 o'clock everything was in “shipshape” for today's performances. Already there was the smell of sawdust and one could almost imagine he heard the blare of the circus band. DRIVING THE STAKES. All afternoon the “sledge gang” got in its work. These are the men who drive the stakes. “It's almost the poetry of motion,” said a woman who watched the work. A gang of negroes pulling and haul ing on a heavy rope reminded one of steam boating. They chanted litle rhymes as all pulled in unison, and seemed a happy jot. Inside the big animal tent the wonderful people who exhibit themselves in the side shows were gathered. Sunday is the one day that they can be their real selves. The spangles and the grotesque wardrobe was lacking. They were gathered in one group —the dwarf, the giant, the armless won der, the man with the iron head. A party of men and women passed through—a mer ry crowd of sight-seers admitted through the courtesy of the management. Charles Tripp, the armless wonder, sat on a box writing industriously with a pen stuck between his toes. “You see I'm the sec retary of the Benevolent Order of Tigers, which meets to-night,” he explained, “and I've a lot of work today.” It was ex plained that the Order of Tigers is a so ciety of circus people, and last night was their regular meeting. Two midgets, mem bers of the Howart family of Lilliputians, passed by. The smallest is three feet high and weighs twenty or thirty ands. They were attracted by the gracious smiles of one of the women of the party—Miss Roselle Knott, the star in “When Knight hood Was in Flower.” ACTRESS WAS DELIGHTED. “Aren't they dears,’ said the young wom an rapturously, stooping and patting one of the young gentlemen on the shoulder. “I must tell you that they are men,” said Press Agent Coxey, “and they expect to be treated as grown-up people.” “I should like to hug them,” declared the actress, impulsively, “I wonder what they would do.” “I guess ere do about what any young man would do under the circumstances,” remarked the young wom an's escort dryly. The larger midget gave the pretty actress a coquettish smile, as much as to say, “I wouldn't half mind if you did.” In the center of a group of freakish people stood Grace Gilbert, the “bearded lady.” Calmly surveying the various specimens of remarkable humanity, she softly stroked a luxuriant red beard. It was thick and heavy. She wore a dark skirt and up-to-date shirtwaist. “She is distinctly feminine,” said Coxey, “and delights in making fancy work and using the needle. There's nothing mascu line about her but her whiskers.” It is said of Miss Gilbert that she used to shave with religious regularity. This was when she was a younger woman and after she discovered she was not like other girls. She shaved to make her beard grow rapidly, and her fondest expectations were realized. BEAUTIFUL MARIE. “This lady with the very blonde hair and the broad expanse of shoulders is Beautiful Marie,” explained Coxey, point ing to 400 or 500 pounds of palpitating flesh done up in a dark blue gown, of modish design. “Kipling certainly hadn't Marie in mind when he wrote about the rag and the bone and hank of hair,” remarked a man in the party. “I wish you wouldn't quote that, said the actress sharply, with a scornful toss of her shapely head, “it always makes me mad when I hear it.” Over on the other side of the tent on the grass Lionel, the Hon-faced boy, and the little leopard girl, the child that was born with a dark skin and is now turning white in spots, rolled around and kicked up their heels with all the happy glee of natural childhood. “Look at them, said a man, “that boy does not realize that he is hide ous in the sight of the world, but goes on playing and getting all the enjoyment he can out of life.” It was a pathetic picture to those who watched the children. “Come here, Zip,” said Coxey, calling to a slim little man with a dark face that hurried by. The little fellow stopped and made an elaborate bow to the party. He is perhaps the oldest freak in the circus busi ness and was procured by Mr. Barnum. He has a peculiarly shaped head which gives him a sort of “wild-man-of-Borneo appear ance.” He is nearly seventy years old, and was always considered a “mascot” by Mr. Barnum. The present management of the circus look upon Zip in the same light and when these things are told of him he none and smiles with the air of a Chester ela. “The whole world likes a little flattery,” said the little actress, “We like it behind the footlights and they like it down here.” FREAK WORLD AGOG. The little freak world of the Barnum show is agog these days over a romance that has crept among them. It is told on good authority that the smallest man midget is engaged to be married to the smallest woman. The little fellow’s fiance was not visible yesterday, but the soft impeachment was not denied by him when Miss Knott, with mock courtesy, extended a hand with the remark, “I dare say that congratula tions are in order.’ It is told of this young man that he is a fickle lover. The story is that when the show was in New York, some time ago, elaborate preparations were made for this wedding. The bride was ready but when the time arrived the groom came not. When the tardy young man was found he rebelled with extreme violence, declaring that “he'd be burned if he'd marry any body. The tearful bride-elect became reconciled, and now it is said she has for given all and has consented to give the young man another trial. The circus will give what promises to be an exceptionally brilliant street parade this morning at 9 o'clock. It will be filled with features that ought to delight the eye. One of them will be a great wagon drawn by forty horses, driven by one man. Starting from the show grounds the line of parade will be east on Washington street to Ala bama, north on Alabama to New York, west on New York to Meridian, south on Meridian to the monument, around the monument to Market street, west on Mar ket to Capitol avenue, south on the avenue to Washington street, and then west to the show grounds. There will be two performances—the first at 2 and the final one at § p. m. Each, it is announced, will be equally complete. A great European circus programme is prom ised. There are 300 performers from all parts of the world and a grand preliminary spectacle and ballet. The hippodrome races, which close the exhibition, are said to be particularly effective with the big show. Grand stand chairs and box seats will be on sale all day at Huder’s drug store, Wash ington and Pennsylvania. FORTY HORSE TEAM, A FEATURE OF THE BARNUM BAILEY PARADE THIS MORNING.
Newspaper Details
The Indianapolis Journal
Indianapolis, Indiana, US
Mon, Sep 28, 1903
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Autumn H.
USA 23 Aug 2026
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