May 1, 1916 ~ CIRCUS TENTS GO UP DESPITE RAIN.

May 1, 1916
CIRCUS TENTS GO UP DESPITE RAIN.

Sells-Floto Organization Covers Wet Ground With Dry Sawdust.

Two long sections of yellow and white cars pulled into the Santa Fe yards yesterday afternoon, proclaiming the advent of the Sells-Floto circus, which will exhibit for the next two days at the Sixteenth street and Indiana avenue circus grounds. Owing to the rain the wagons were whisked away to the "lot in a hurry, where the grounds were undergoing a process of preparation in the way of plenty of hay and sawdust for the comfort of the patrons.

When the glad-voiced calliope pipes forth on the streets this morning at 10:30 o'clock, starting the parade over the usual route, there will be many spectators on the curbstones to cry "welcome to our city" to the elephants. The circus agents say it will be the finest circus parade that has been gotten off the front steps and sidewalks for an age.

The first thing to meet the view will be the band wagon, with its team of twenty-four dappled gray horses. Dotted here and there down the rest of the line are other bands, organs, chimes and orchestras. There are ostriches, elephants, camels, ponies and many high-stepping thoroughbreds. In all there are 350.

The menagerie cages are to be open, displaying all sorts of creatures from jungle and forest, with the exception of "Little Miracle," a 2-week-old baby elephant which is yet in the "nursing bottle" stage and entirely too young to be taken beyond the limits of the menagerie tent. Then there are Zora, champion woman elephant trainer; Rosa Rosalend, champion somersault equestrienne; Rhoda Royal and his post-graduate high school horses and all the rest of the features which make up the programme, all except, of course, Jess Willard and Frank Gotch, who appear only at the performances.

The performance this afternoon begins at 2 o'clock and this evening at 8 o'clock. The doors opening at 1 and 7 to permit an inspection of the menagerie, Joyland and and ostrich farm.