1884-09-10b Circus Comes to Town Part 3

There was a very different atmosphere on Hamilton’s streets on Thursday September 11, 1884.The early Hamilton and Dundas street railway trains had brought a large number of people from the rural districts. Those people, particularly the children, were among the first to capture prime viewing locations along the published route of the circus procession scheduled to take place that morning.

Hamiltonians were a little later to make their appearance along the parade route:

“During the morning up to 11 o’clock, the streets gradually became crowded with citizens, who took up positions on the street corners in different parts of the city. There were men, woman and children, rich and poor, old and young.

The cause of this stir was not difficult to seek. It was the appearance in Hamilton of the great Forepaugh circus and menagerie. “¹

¹ “The Great Show : Forepaugh’s Combined Circus and Menagerie Again Visit the Ambitious City”

    Hamilton Times  September 10,1884.

          The Forepaugh Circus and Menagerie had arrived in Hamilton at a very early hour that day an, long before most citizens were awake, had proceeded from the Grand Trunk Railway yard up to the empty lot at Hannah and Locke streets:

          “From there at 10 o’clock proceeded the pageant that paraded the streets and to see which so large a crowd had congregated. Having reviewed the procession, the majority of the sightseers will not rest contented until they have purchased their ticket and seen the performance under canvas.”1

          For the readers of that afternoon’s edition of the Times, the reporter went to great lengths to describe the circus procession in fine detail :

“The procession was a good one, and elicited frequent encomiums from the crowd. The gilded wagons, the wagons belonging to the menagerie and the equestrians followed one another in quick succession, doing away with the anxiousness often exhibited for the next and the next.

Following the flute band at the head of the show came a hippopotamus, which, with the elephants, camels, tigers, lions, giraffes etc., all displayed to the public view, were the source of wonder and admiration.

Altogether it was voted of a first-class character.”¹

After the parade, the Times reporter made it to the Locke street south area to attend the afternoon performance:

“The afternoon ring performance commenced at 2 o’clock. The principal features of the street procession passed in review to the enlivening strains of Prof. Menter’s consolidated bands.

This was followed by a series of the most daring, novel and brilliant ring performance ever seen in this city. Two rings and an elevated stage were occupied by performers afoot and on horseback. Everything was on the grandest possible scale, and there was an artistic finish to every act that was particularly pleasing

Prime among the attractions, however, was the Hindoo girl’s fascinating performance with her huge Python snakes; the Elton Brothers’ picturesque groupings; Little Miss Alright’s intrepid “slide for life;” Mmes. Aguzzi and Humel, bareback equestriennes; the feats of strength by Herr Jagendorfer; the remarkable acrobatic performances by the troop of Arabian athletes; the comicalities of Billy Burke and his little elephantine partner, “pic;” the astonishing exhibition of intelligence of the junior Forepaugh’s herd of elephants; and the thrilling hippodrome contests.”¹

As the White Elephant was heavily promoted as the star of the show, the Times reported that, perhaps, the elephant might not have been as white as anticipated, but was nevertheless genuine:

“The now world-famed white elephant, “Light of Asia” was the cynosure of a great many pairs of eyes. Those who expected to see a snow-white elephant were probably somewhat disappointed, but its clean-cut form of light salt color, its marked docility and handsome appearance generally proved eminently satisfactory to the spectators.

A reporter of the Times was shown statements from some of the best-known scientists in the country by which they unqualifiedly vouch for its genuineness.

The crowning evidence that the “Light of Asia’’ is just what it is represented to be,” remarked Mr. C. A. Davis, press agent, “was furnished during our recent engagement in Chicago, and came from no less a distinguished source than the Siamese Embassy, then on an official visit to the United States. Mr. Forepaugh gave them every opportunity to examine it, and the several princes unhesitatingly pronounced it to be of the same variety as that of the sacred pachyderms in the king’s statues at Bangkok, Siam.”¹

Soon after the evening performance was concluded, the workers began to break down the tents, load up the animals and props – while most citizens had retired to their homes and were asleep, Forepaugh’s Circus and Menagerie was off to the next city on their schedule.