Wirth's Circus at Levin

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 February 1916, Page 3

Wirth's Circus at Levin

YVirtiis' circus has, grown ; 1 1' with Australasia, and every year it oecoiucb bigger and better. This as no mere iigtire o fspeech tiiat we give this degree ot praise; the circus is an aggiegation ol artistic ability that would be greeted with warm approval in any land. The human-like intelligence displayed by the educated seals is the outstanding feature or the long program; the animals clo everything "but talk, and in their own way they make noises that might pass tor speech in pelagian p>-irts. i'lie seals juggle witii balls and bars, toss small and big articles tro-m oue to another, sit oil ped-

estals and eaten various articles as they are thrown to tnem, and listen appreciatively - as oue ol UiOir nuuitiei plays a tune on a belied liistiumeiit. .. riding act by Air Jiussa Matniev (a -Cossack whs another feat, ol out-

standing meni, nota-Oly in tue pui t where iie iiung -backwards from nio galloping .horse and caugiit up three liaiidKerchiels that had been dropped on tiie sawdust at intervals of some yaidi-i between eacii. vVirths' horses still hold high place lor. the won-deriul degree ot knowledge and docility to which they have :tieen brougnt. Ihodaucing and posturing of "JJobs," a jct-Uiaok stullioa, tho dainty and eleve; movements of ' Brisbane'' a miniature lacehorne and the superb skipping and trick-riding of "Jtjarl Dudley" a pony who rides on a lorrie, ueing especially notable. A group ot young lions (born at. Cambridge some two years ago) performed in a ca.ge assisted! by a bear who ''turned nasty" and had to bo put back in his cage-—probably in dudgeon at the success ol the young stuff. A very fine "turn" was that of .Miss May Martin Wirth, whose equestrienne feats ,won demonstrative approval from laat night's crowd (which, by the way, was tfie greatest gathering ever seen under one roof in Levin). Miss WirtE's double-somer-sault act on horseback, is an astounding performance that- needs to be seen to be thoroughly accepted at its true value ns a difficult act superbly executed. The swinging bars act by the Ernestonian and Novikoff trapeze art-

jsts was full of cleverness and neet--11 ess in fact the whole of the li?ng programme scintillated with merit. Even the clowns Jiad some new turns, notably tlu one who smoker mi overgrown, pipe surmounted fey a wisp of hoy that seemed to be providing tlie smoke.. The ladies of the circus did some really clever bareback riding, and the' performances of Alex Christie and Dan Yelding, on horseback, were of outstanding ability.