LURE OF THE CIRCUS
AS STRONG AS EVER.
CROWDS STREAMED THROUGH
SHOW GROUNDS YESTERDAY.
Performers Were Not in Evidence,
as It Was a Day of Rest.
Parade in Downtown
Section.
WE ARE ALL "SMALL BOYS" TODAY.
The route is north from the grounds, on Indiana avenue to Fifteenth street, west of Fifteenth to Walnut street, north on Walnut to Fifth street, west on Fifth to Main street, south on Main to Fourteenth street, east on Fourteenth to Grand avenue, south on Grand to Fifteenth street, east on Fifteenth to Indiana avenue, south on Indiana to the circus grounds.
You have heard people say that the circus is no longer the magnet it once was, but if you were able to persuade yourself into this opinion, take a car out to Seventeenth street and Indiana avenue, where Ringling's circus city is encamped, and behold your mistake; for it's dollars to dill pickles that you'll suddenly be bereft of your enthusiasm.
Crowds streamed through the grounds all day yesterday just because it was a circus that held all the charm that circuses have always held in the popular heart. Big red wagons; forests of pegs and guy ropes; great hollow mountains of belying canvas; roustabouts seeking a minimum of warmth in the scant shade of the vans; squads of cooks and scullions making the next meal ready for the circus army vendors of cool drinks and hot meats, barking their wares; the merry-go-round, grinding out its burden of popular airs, all these things to be seen and heard constituted the lure that drew perspiring thousands to the show grounds, even though no performance was given Sunday.
PERFORMERS' REST DAY.
It was remarked that few of the performers could be seen on the grounds.
"That's because it is their day off," said one who has eleven years of circus experience behind him. "They're at all the parks and other places of interest. More of them are in church than you would guess, too."
No one was allowed in the menagerie yesterday and the animals had the big tent largely to themselves and their keepers. Beasts ranging in disposition from mild to fearsome, crouched, paced and slept behind the bars. A large herd of elephants was lined up on one side of the tent and the huge pachyderms stood quietly swaying their trunks, and munching the wisps of hay they would now and then tuck under their proboscises.
Jerry, the Royal Bengal tiger. lay peacefully asleep in his cage. He is the Apollo Belvedere of the feline species. Out of all tigers and near-tigers in captivity, he was chosen as a model of his kind for the two bronze guardians of the entrance of old Nassau hall, Princeton.
TIGER AS A MODEL.
Jerry was chosen as a model by A. Phimister Proctor, the sculptor, who was commissioned by the class of '79 to replace the two lions that now stand before the famous old hall.
Weather and undergraduate ebullience made their marks on the lions and the class of '79 decided to have them replaced by two bronze tigers which will not only be more durable but more emblematic. They will be presented to the university by the class next commencement week.
Two performances will be given today, the first at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and the second at 8 o'clock at night. The parade will start at 9:30 a. m. The circus will give two performances at Manhattan, Kas., Tuesday.
