Variety (May 1908)

12 VARIETY . ■ ■ - • . ioi RANCH. Coliseum, Chicago. When Miller Brothers, the energetic young men who operate one,of the larg- est live stock industries in the Far West, first conceived the, idea of exploiting their product as an amusement enterprise, about a year ago, without the customary her- alding, and brought a part of their equip- ment to Chicago on a "holiday tour" for the tenants of this wild and woolly prairie, they figuratively anticipated little or mediocre success for the combination. That Miller Brothers have established the "101 Ranch" as one of the most interesting spectacles before the American public can- not be contradicted. They have put forth the "wild West" exhibition this year as one of the im- portant enterprises in the amusement field. The show is much larger, better and stronger than last year. It is colossal and mammoth compared with the outfit of last season. This is the opening of the season for the exhibition, although it was shown for a week preceding its arrival at the Coli- seum, following the three weeks' engage- ment of the Ringling show. "101 Ranch" is an exposition of ranch life in the far West, instructive and his- torical. No other similar show provides more comprehensive features along the picturesque tradition of the frontier. Zack T. Miller, one of the owners, in- troduced the assemblage of Osage Indians, cowboys, Mexicans, Cossacks in the entry, and the review attracted wide attention. There are seventeen displays, each distinct and interesting. The "hold-up" of an overland coach by Mexican bandits was re-enacted with marvelous realism. One of the most stirring reproductions was the massacre of Pat Hennessy and party, which, according to Mr. Miller, is given with historical accuracy and with two of the original personages. Lariat throwing, frolics and pastimes of the habitants of the West and dexterous equestrian display by daring horsemen from other countries, together with a series of incidents, such as Indian rites, war dances, weird and kaledeiscopic move- ments of the primitive days of outlawry are in abundance. *' The live stock equipment is large. There are many fine and well bred steeds in the aggregation, which also contains buffalos, wild steers and mules. A Ceylon troupe in characteristic dances, acrobatics and curious maneuvers appear as one of the features. Two comedians, made up to represent Hebrews, one a counterpart of Sara Howe, furnished comedy. The show is a real "wild West," with all the requisite fea- tures and exuberant atmosphere which scintillates with realism. It will be at the Coliseum for two weeks. Frank Wicaberg. GIROUS NEWS. THE JOHN ROBINSON SHOWS. Cincinnati, April 30. Everything is new, even the tents, and hardly a dozen of last year's acts are re- taiued. In Display No. 2 is "The Ladies' Itallet," one of the best dressed circus num- bers ever seen in this community. Eques- Hhti specialties are by the Misses Daven- port, Rooney and Edna. Display No. 4 is a collection of acrobatic acts; a balancing trapeze act by Jack Wizard and Mr. Orton. On the flying perch, Miss Jennie; flying ladder, Miss Irene; stage No. 2, Three Alvos (New Acts), and at the other end, on balancing trapeze, by Mr. Mecre and Miss Kimbal. A comedy mule act by Ab. Johnson, Davenport and Formes pleased die women and children. The elephant number shows clever herds, especially that under the direction of Richard Jones. An elephant and pony trained by Miss Brown were very enter- taining. Aerial acts are Taki, slack wire; Mr. Berchelle, flying rings; Miss Leon, slack wire; Mr. Hines, flying perch; Mr. Leg- gerts, flying rings; Miss Edna, Mr. La- mont and Miss Scott, the Brownies. Miss Kimbal], wire acts, while the Patts and Miss Sterling also performed on the flying rings. Display No. 8 is trained animal acts. The best is Prof. Winston's Seals, last year with the Barnum A Bailey Show. Bare-back riding was divided by John Rooney, Wm. De Mott and Mr. Davenport. Some fine riding. Hines Troupe, The Ster- lings, a bicycle act by The Brownies, very clever. The Berdells, Two Alvos and La- mont Family made up the tenth display. A real treat was a high school menage act by Miss Van Skyke, Etta Orton, Irene French, Nola Satterfield and Millie Far- mer. Miss Inman, contortionist; Al Ham- ilton, barrel jumping; Scott Sisters, re- volving globe; Mr. Fitzgerald, juggler; Fred Welcome, acrobat; The De Vautes, jugglers; Miss Hale, rolling globe; contor- tion specialties by the Two Renks and the Two Engfords, and juggling by Nozolek and Toki were all in one number. Display No. 13 is one of the features of the show. If there is anything better in the business than Mr. and Miss Rooney in their "cart act," it has never come this way. The single somersault leap of Mr. Rooney from one horse to another while drawn around the ring and back into the cart is sensational. Drills, lady Zouaves and the jolly clowns, none particularly strong, are to- gether. A trio of riding acts are Miss Watson and Mr. Johnson, Miss Irene and Mr. Orton, and Miss French and Mr. De- mott, all clever and very enthusiastically received. The Patts (New Acts). No. 18 is another feature act, Dare Devil Silvo, who makes a descent on a plane of about sixty feet high to a sus- pended net, which he calls "Leap to the Moon." Displays No. 19 and 20 are the Wild West Shows, introducing the usual rough riding. The show is the best that John Robin- son has had in many years, and doubly as good as last season's. This year nearly one hundred and twenty-five more people will be carried. The opening night (April 27) the crowd was rather slim, due tp the extreme cold weather, which also had a tendency to make the performers a little bit slow and stiff, but with a couple of days of hot weather things will be moving along smoothly. Fred Fisher, who has charge of the show and all the acts, worked very hard to make it a big success. Harry //cm. London, April 20. At the Hungarian Exposition, opening May 0 at "Olympia," Frank C. Boatock is assembling quite an extraordinary menagerie, including eight elephants, fifty lions, ten tigers, fifteen leopards, thirty panthers and thirty bears, besides many minor creatures of fur and claws. The three advertising cars of the Buf- falo Bill Show left New York alt together Monday. Walter K. Hill, who is contract- ing press agent of the show and supposed to travel with the No. 1 car, left the city Wednesday evening. He is a week and a half behind schedule time, his ordinary position in the advance scheme being three weeks ahead of the show. Col. Cody and his riders go on the road the end of next week. George Conklin, head animal man with the Barnum Show, a position he has held for many years, retired from that post Saturday night. John Eberly, superintendent of the Bar- num Circus at the opening of the season, i3 now with the Buffalo Bill Show. Curzon Sisters open May 25 for a run at London Hippodrome. They sail May 12, closing with the Ringling Circus only in time to catch the steamer. R. M. Harvey, advance agent tor the Buffalo Bill Show, was in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., making arrangements for the appear- ance of the outfit June 29. When the Cole Brothers Show played McKeesport, Pa., two accidents happened. Edith Costello, of Washington, a rider, fell in the ring and broke her leg. A flyer in one of the aerial acts missed a catch and fell. A net broke the fall and he suffered no worse injury than a severe shaking up. Mike Donohue, an employee of the Cole Brothers' Circus, was arrested in McKees- port while the show played there late last week. A local man, who left the show grounds very much the worse for Pennsylvania "red eye," lost $77 on his way home. Donohue had helped him to a car. At last some word of Walter L. Main's plans. "There will be no show out of Geneva this season," says a local paper. The Walter Main elephants have been leased to Eastern parks and fairs for the season and the horses are all sold, with the exception of a few which Mr. Main re- tains for his personal use. The balance of the paraphernalia not leased has been stored. Asked about his future plans, Mr. Main replied, "Wait and see." Johnstown, Pa., hag a bright prospect of circus entertainment for the next month or so. Frey's Circus played here April 24 and 25 before starting on its long tour. Cole Brothers are due to play there May 2, and already paper it out announcing visits of the Wallace-Hagen- beck and Buffalo Bill outfits May 18 and 23, respectively. Dr. H. M. Frye, a Johnstown, Pa., dent* ist, will put out a one-ring Roman circus. It opens in Johnstown April 24, and thence goes to New Florence and other towu» within a radius of 150 miles of Johnstown. Rehearsals are now in progress. Cleveland, April 30. The Ringling Brothers advance forces have been here billing the town for the show. The date is May 11. London, April 22. The law suit brought by Captain Tay- lor against Frank Bostock oyer baboons, as previously reported, resulted in Bos- tock having to pay the Captain $2,245 and return the baboon "Potch." PIANIST WITH |q. The musicians have been in a frightful stew all week. One of their profession, a pianist, was discovered to have $0 in his possession, all in actual currency, and, to make the matter doubly serious, the nine- dollar-man is trying to give his immature fortune away. The wealthy fellow is Billy Bartlett, the crack piano player of Kennedy's Rathskel- ler, at Broadway and 40th Street. Mr. Bartlett found the money on the floor of the subterranean resort, and immediately placarded his discovery on the walls, with the announcement that anyone describing the bills accurately, giving denominations, numbers and color, would have the green- backs returned. Several presented them- selves as the lawful owners, but "fell down" on the numbers. Mr. Bartlett is holding the money for the proper claimant, and this is what has caused the disgust among his fellow play- ers. Nine dollars at Kennedy's is equiva- lent to 180 glasses of frothy foam sur- mounted amber fluid, and with the quan- tity of liquid going only eighteen different ways, there are mournful sounds sent up and down "the alley" by the slighted ones. RAISULI COMING OVER HERE. While fat headlines announced this week the report that Raisuli, the Moroccan bandit chief, had been assassinated, an of- ficial of the United Booking Offices made the statement that he was in communica- tion with "the bad boy of North Africa" looking to his appearance in this country. Hot on the heels of this came another statement, backed up by correspondence, from which it appears that at the in- stance of Myers & Levitt and Sam Gom- pertz negotiations have practically been completed for the importation of Raisuli to this country. The agent for the last named combination said to have brought about this prospect is Hassan Ben Ali, the Arabian. Mrs. O'Leary, mother of Geo. W. Hus- sey, the ventriloquist, died on April 20 at her home in New York City. Louis Klaw, a brother of Marc Klaw. died Sunday last. He was 60 years of age. The newest moving picture theatre at Charlotte, N. C, has been opened by Chas. Nichols.