WIRTHS' CIRCUS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1338, 16 January 1912, Page 6

WIRTHS' CIRCUS.

One of the best acts which-a circus docs is the unloading—per elephant—of its impedimenta, and putting the iittings in position, but the only people who really appreciate this turn are the small boys. They flocked in their hundreds to the reclaimed land, yesterday to see Wirth Bros.' staff getting all the strange appliances, all tho wild animal cages, on to the scene, and there erecting the huge tent in place. The first show was in tho evening, and the scats round the ling were fully occupied. It is difficult to know where to begin to describe the actual performance, for there were some twenty items'; on the bill, and scarco one of them that was not really good. I'irst the company introducell themselves, their horses, their elephants, and some wild things in cages, by parading the ring, the more favoured' oi' tho performers riding on horse back garbed in the .splendid.-Mexican clothes peculiar to moving pictures. Then the real business began. Herr Kclunidt introduced a troupe of seven polar . bears, and three grizzly . bears, and made them all take their "part in doing an astonishing number of things. There was a deal of snapping and snarling among tho animals themselves, but no disobedience of their master's voico and whip. They see-sawed, rolled barrels and spheres, jumped, danced, turned somersaults, formed pyramids, did everything in fact, which a' team of tho most docile of domesticated auimals could bo taught. But for the occasional snarls and the sight of those terrible claws the mere spectator might well have decidcd that bear-taming was quito a safe and simple pastime. Brilliant high trapeze work was done by the Tlying Jordans, a company of five muscular men and women, who, besides being fearless, are also wonderfully accurate and graceful in: all their movements through the air. Their act has been seen neforc in New Zealand, and it is one of the best acts of its kind that has ever been shown here. "The, Marvellous Bastions" kept tho audience surprised and delighted for a quarter of an hour or more with a wonderful acrobatic display. There are seven people iu this troupe, father and six children; ranging in. age from, say, twenty years to live, and every single one of them is clever. Tho tiniest twist themselves-with the greatest ease into surprising contortions, and the elder ones do feats of strength, balancing, and tumbling with a confidence and Certainty which is remarkable.. The sisters Adelia anil Clcorgc are probably the best slack and tight wiro experts that Messrs. AVir.th have ever engaged. They v;alk, dance, or run oil the rope, they walk along it' together, they carry each other, they walk over each other, all the impossible and most difficult things' that can bo thought of, and they do everything with an ease and graco that is altogether charming. Artois and Le Van are a pair of bar performers of real merit. Oiie does straight gymnastics, and the other mixes in- some comedy with equally good gymnastics—a really excellent turn. These were probably the best items in a 'programme that was good all round. Captain Burrows brought in his. half-dozen elephants and put tliem through their repertoire of tricks: tho Cooke Brothers, the Christie Brothers, and Miss Daisy Cooke provided the horso acts, without which no circus programme is complete; Kitchen Bml I'oy were responsible for some funny business on a Trampoline; Signorita Doliiida performed on a high trapeze; and Mr. P. Wirth showed 'TKarl Dudley," a beautiful pony which allows itself to be dra\tn round tli'o ring riding on a lorry. The same programme will be presented to-night.