The billboard (Apr 1911)

Tli« Billboard APRIL 29, 1911. NAGENBECK-WALLACE SHOWS DPEN'^PERU APRIL 20 MothiT Natun* KUiilHtl benlsnttiitly upuu tlM BifenbFclL'Wallace Clreus oiieDing at Peni, Ind., WcdowdaT- April 20. All tbe day before, Jopltcr PluTias bad held sway, and almost cod- tlnoou rainfall tbroDgboot the day gare ratlier an ominons outlook for tbe opening. Tbe Im- maciilate wblte canvaw sbone brljcbt onder tbe fteat aky aa It aptcmd to tkc dlmcnaion* of tbe Mrge lot at tbe aorth of. tte towa wbm tbe fpnias wu to tmk»_ptiM. Ml tb* togs had ■MD thoroactaly nmnmnrO aad ahcd tbe water perfectly, bat the wiBilltloa of -tbe weatber made ItKIf tbe ebtef tople of coDTetsatlon among tbe jtmvi of agenta, acton and visiting abow people domiciled lo Tarlona aectiona of tbe town. 'Aoxsday morning tbe son came oat beanti- timy. It was an ideal day for tbe twenty- cigbtta conseentlee opening of tlie Hagenlwck- Wallaee Sbow In tbe town wbleb b— ifl tn eia H tbe Tlae of Benjamin B. Wallaee tnm MieMly did'peiiQry to pconlMOCS and. affloenoa, Sfr* Wallaee la a eUet dtlaen of most ptogKislTe aplTit and tbe BBoat benedeent denizen of bla boae town. Ererybody wore a broad amlle wbea tbe weatber dumged In favor of their local Iiero. Zrery cltiaen of Pern feels a certain pro- prletaiy Interest In the Hagenbeck-Wallace en- terptiae. Tbey all know "Ben" Wallace per- ■ooalty. and wbat la more remarkable, be aecma to know ercrr one of them, greeting them by BUM aad alwan with a Uttle czctaange of ff?tafi i it iT that bag bean tbe aaeret of bla tra- meadona vopolacllT among bla fellow townsmen. tfO one ease ^rtie re the old proverb of a prince ■ Bot ■bclag^a- piince* tir'lila own country la em- phatically eoattsdicted. Ur. Wallace baa a anlque way of making a financial * soccvaB of bis annnal opening In bla borne town. On tbe night before tbe opening a fall-netf Or maora-J a-gteen- tn. the bjg-top. -aad bclnc aned at then ithwimli - Sdawhov this ereatca a rellab for wltaeaalag a premiere on tiia foUowlng'day. and then aa few passes are ia- soed, aa in other towns in which tbe sliow ex- hlblta thronghont tbe aeaaoo, everybody goea and pays his way. We say "everybody"' ad- visedly, and this doesn't mean everybody in Pe- rn, but It means everylwdy In tbe territory round aboat. VtoD early onmliig nntll noon and from aeoB mtU tbe nlgbt performance be- tba Uva tyiae a of the city are kept busy Mb tr yUUaa. BOadnda at other rigi Uoa 111 meet*, thh hwm helix M from ban Oat aia aanlad la the Teblelee. 'Pern is a dty of oaly Bbeat SO^OOO pepolatloii. Imt on drcns day It> pepdatlw maiiDplea. ^ For tbe opeiuag day parade tbe performera ^KObably oatdtd au tbelr prevlooa efforts in tbe or brilliancy and attractlveneas of cos- ^■iDM. Their own cndeaToti In tut n^ieet ■■«• cmidalcd hr tiw haaOaia and the driveta, Paad br eie ijjw dy «S» ij wo t the abow-wbe has aay tc«om«bni& nr the appearaaee of the parade. It came down the main aticet a bcU- llant, guttering pageant, in all tbe' poaap of those Koman vtetoca celebrated la etieal lecak The tv 1 ih* tmmm. stmments comscated scintillating rays Ibai har- monized well with the fast and melodious alralns from Prof. Merrlek'a band, which be baa bees soeeeesfnl this aeason In kseptng ap to. it not SDipaaaing, tu awrltorioaa ataadaM of excei- leaee. There probably aerer was a aMnii brilliant and more well planned and better lald-out clrcos parade than that wbich took Ita way tbrougb the atreeta of Pern. April 30. One uovelty. tbe first In order of the many noted In this particular pageant was a brill- iant cortege of lady couriers, riding on gaily caparlaoned horses before the big band wagon. Tbe horses, not leas than tbe riders, seemed Imbned wttn tbe spirit of tbe occasion. They pranced along playfally. stepping proudly and awltcblog thtfr beribboiwd talla la ftieodir ereetlDE to eothiwias- tlc spectators. The Wallace Sbow has al- ways been noted for tbe Iwaoty of Ita Btock. Its repota- tlon was never based on belter grounds than those which cbar- aeterize it this year. Tbe horses are well fed. well groomed, and of tbe beat mettle obtalnahte. Vr. Wal- lace blmaelt la a con- Doliseor of eqolne pacta. He started In the livery bnalneis. and bla nowledge of hone flesh has grown and Increased with years, while his Inter- est and love bag aat been lessened. - ttm was many a taeana la that arst-day parade —^maoy a colt that never before followed tbe tiand wagon. Tliey sbowed tbelr con- sctonaness of It;. escb one said as plainly In Its actloan bb It coald have done In words: "Just watch me." This seemed to cieate a rivalry aiMimg the older bonea.. thoae which have . marched In parades iiefore, and tbey Ufled op tbelr beads and stepped as llEbtly and with as much spirit aa tbelr younger coDeagues. Prof. Merrk-k directed bis. band, with vim and gnato. He If proad- of lile aggregation of naaldaaa. He wanted them to show what tbey cooid do., and tb«r. being aot leas aasloaa than he. ripped ont tbelr moste in volome and meaa- nre proverbial. Four brilliant tandema followed tbe band wa- gon. Tbe horses were tbe choice of the Wal- tsce riog Btocic. and the riders were the pret- tiest Of tbe equestriennes. Tbelr wardrobe coa- slsted of brilliant riding habits of pink. gold, old rose, snd green, thickly spangled with all- ver. Tbeir approach was greeted with vodfer- oos cheers, wbidi'tbey acknowledged with grace- ful nods that sent tbelr loog plamea lata spark- ling imdalatlona in tbe simsalne. Bach rider had her pisrtlcniar lOIIowera, each gowa had Its partleolat adaiinis, aad there was game 'np oC faaoaen coald "UNCLE BEN" WALLACE BEAM- INO ON THB CROWD.. sbow ibrlr appreciation loudest. It wouldn't be fair lo the others to say that Miss Mary Con- ners received tbe most applause, bnt the appre- ciation of that beantlfnl neen coatnme bedeck- ing aa pretty > rider ponapa aa America has ever piodaeod, wao-MiL alncere and eotbasi astic. Miaa Oonaera maaea a beaotltul flguro. whether riding in parade or in tbe circus ring, and this historian heard comments about her. comeliness sudlclent to turn the besd of sny mortal woman if they were conveyed to her. But Miss Coonera Isn't spoiled. She Is the pet of tbe dresBlDg room, and sbe l8 as popular as sbc Is pretty. We bssten to add tbat her busband (for Miss Conoers reslly is Mrs. Connors In pri- vate life) la no other than one George Conners, wbo^ alio rldca with tbe Bageobeck-Wallace ** ^^Si^^ ^ ' tan- lean wagon, drawn by eight horses. Open dens of tigers and Hons, drawn by six horsea. . Tsblean, ' tf ab colts. Open den blppopot- amns, eight horses. Then a company of . beantlfnliy costiuied ladlea. on brilllaatly- caparlaoned atoek from the Wallace stables. Tbe men who followed them vied eveo with tbe ladlra in the beau- ty of their resplend- ent costumes. Open den of llamas, drawn by alx bones. A elowa Tiding u donkey cart, Imrlraqn- ing tbe proverbial novel-reading mrssen- ger boy. I Two foor-hoiae tab- leinz. Clown liey. Four-hone tsblean. Slx-borse tableau. Clown driving don- key- Open den of axis deer, f jr horsea. Clown band wagon, drawn liy alx horses. Another company of Isdy ridas, Ing tea. Two lots. Open den elks and kaDsaroos. alx horses. Open, den snake en- chaatrraa. ate ~ I • Foorbybfldt't novelty). Tableao. four Oriental band. Open den of I Pcnr-borse tabteaa; Ride Abow band Twelve mounted llar.v uniforms. Juvenile Roman Hippodrome (eaak mioiature chariots, drawn by ponies). Ten tboronghbred ponies. led. Pear-bane tablean. Bnaalaa ladlea and men (a feature with tbe rtngen and daaccn), eight hntaea. BO teblean. «r daa(« dea. ■so opea^ elk fate hie awenl). Slx-borse tablean. Thirteen elepbants. Four camels. Calliope drawn by six bora: a. It waa a big parade and a good one. It waa a brilllaat parade In which ' much . I»eanty of both human and equine varietica waa diapland. Tbe auspices were excellent.- The aaaatlas sat tbe trappings snd Jnst tbe .right htOlEna*^ aonshlne In which to sparkle. The oeotanaa ahowB to the beat advantage. : Here was practically a capacity of attea4> sate at tlie matlne* premiere. It waa aa Ideal cirena day. Farmcn had the best czenaa paast- ble for coming to town, beeanae the ptettaas day's nin bad made it too wet for them to work in tbe delda. They came la legion. Thar filled tbe "reserveda" and the "bines." They overflo>wed Into tbe aide sbow, where Wm. Bo^ man has assembled an imposing amy of treaka. curiosities and objecta of Interest. Bla min- strel b<ii<i Is made np of fourteen ezcelleat col- ored maslclaos. and the "bk>w-oir.* an Oriental feature to which an extra admission la diarged, ■a aoie to let the moa ey . Hia cooebee daneen 1ia«e..haaB ekaaea far their beauty of person aa «M aa their ehmty to wlscte. and these two qaalltlcs ooaaUtnte them aTteataN at a» faUlajc latereataad atttaeUe eaa e e . fWanm B. Irona. who wtU —^- — In a eeparate teat, attraction wlU ' Peru, but la fi in St. Louis.) Tbe opening pageant was a tremendoos suc- cess. From Bme immemorlat circuses have op. ened with a pageant; tbe people expect It. Bnt tbe Hagenbeck-Walla oe Show this seaaon glvea them more than tbey expect. Tbe first day, especially, everybody waa on his or her mettle. Tbe pragrsm followa. Display No. 1—Onnd latcodactocy pageant. Display No. 2—Trainftf elephaatab Display Mo. 3—^Aerial aambar. consisting of I<ea, in s novel double • aerial act; Pstt and Patt, revolTing trapeae apeelalty; Tbe Aerial Foatera. European double trapeae act; Mile. ' " irformi lines coaauraie taem a ceanm ec aa^ latereataad attracUeeaeae. fWanm . who wtU pat on hla Oriaatal m&m ■rate teat, aad «ke saMMcaa that Us ' >e »» 'vSk.- dW. jo> epea at t la framed ap to opaa wiUTlhe atow Anita Connen. an aerial tnpeze>V wMeb lltetaUr •^ecia for Its skill y": Xeebe Clark nanx^ (slngta and artlstle Cadel. and Viola illott, with bta gtoop Display So. 6—Miss Msry CanB«s and Utsa Olga Reed, equealrlenRes (Ring So. II: Una and leopard ride horsea. nndw dtaectlflB M- ward Saner (Steel Arena); Miss Ula Pa 1 1 apa rt Trentlnl. eqneatllcncs (tSm RIaley act Display No. 8—The Tbelaroa Troupe (Ring No. 1). domestic animal act; Mme. Coterove (S'sge). .eight Ruaalan leaping bonnda: Hetr JiAb Helllott, with .(Oar tralaed polar beata REPRESENTATIVE CROWD AT SIDE SHOW ENTRANCE. THE BIG TOP CONSISTS ^'jn'^Qj^^'^*,^^'* TOP WITH FIVE W-FT.