COOPER AND BAILEY'S CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 593, 27 March 1878, Page 2

COOPER AND BAILEY'S CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE.

. f airi.rh'y v. : ! liiv.:. so le-ee.-.-an. in order I i, ■;■,:,■>■' -r had d.eTed not to "show" in ■: ■a.- :: -.Vu but to ::• ceed bv train to Waimrde. ■•.Vi.elb.Ti !!■■■!•■■ v v ..-,j :■>,■.'• ■.:M,d ground' for lid- H--;-0r..v.- i .d..,nb:::..,i-.'!.ii:-.a!!donbrsontht; set; c; ■'.vio so; at )•■•■•;t about two o'elock. .-.■'!•:.■:: Tee ;di eioa of lb'- o'-omi cd aft"rnoon Oerionuaeco f..r the benefit of tin; visiting T.ner,:l ion had i>. be ab;,ud..no,l. a...! the lli-:i , .--r.!'.ds. of cki! ken who had anticipated a • o-oat Irr.it wore doomed to disappointment, i Uimlr; T of them had h.-en brought into | town iVoo; all pans of til" counriy. and it was a very treat pity that it was impossible to carry out the arrangement as announced. The consequence was, however, that numbers of children who had for liour.-i patrolled tiie streets waiting anxiously for the promised ! '. n i;:-faionieit!, Lad. to return home weary j,•,.!;.! di-apnointed. A very large majority | of the "adults who came into town : to visit the show determined to take : adeam.ue ~f the late tiains to return homo, j The co-.i-cijuene... was that Oam-rru was ithronied with visitors ivnw far and near, \ ami i'ng before the horn' announced forcomj n.encine; ti;o oerformaiiee the streets were ! crowded with people, hundreds of whom Slathered on tile open space opposite the T.r, hern Hotel, waiting for an opportunity of training admission. Kever before has such a spectacle been witnessed hi Oamnru as was presented by the densely packed mass id" people, and we doubt if such a stdbino picture could bo excelled in any ! other portion of the Colony. For fully an | hour and a half the caravan which was fitted I ut) as a ticket oiiico was literally bes ; eg, d ! with these e.-v..;er to exchange money f rcards ! of admission, and the pushing, shoving, • elbowing, and genera! crushing one had to ! go through in older to reach the place where ! tickets were dispensed was something to be ! remembered for some time. Be it said to I the credit of those who had to undergo ! the trying ordea. 1 , however, that the utmost 'good 'tumour prevailed, and though sumo ■ roiltdi knocks were received in the crush, | they were accepted as inevitable when j mixed up in such a heaving and swaying I mass of humanity. Arriving within the ! monster pavilions, we found that, despite • the short time allowed for getting things in j order, wonderfully perfect arrangements had I been made, though of course not so perfect as could have been desired had time allowed.

Such as they were, however, they were made the most of by a large majority of the immense audience, but the conduct of a small minority in. persisting in standing up close to the ring was reprehensible in the extreme. Had they so desired, they might easily have obtained seats, and indeed some of the attendants were indefatigable in providing seats for those who would avail themselves of them; but despite the efforts of the attendants aud the persuasive powers of the police, a large number of persons persisted in their disgraceful conduct, and not a few of those who had paid for their admission were almost unable to obtain a glimpse of the performance, and had to be Contented with hearing the applause of their more fortunate neighbors. This state of things became even worse when an improveiien't should have been effected. Owing to ;he departure of a large number of country icoplc, vacant seats became extremely plentiful towards the end of the performance, nit they remained vacant, fur those who had ibtained standing positions, to their dis--I',-ve, refused to be seated. As may be :asily imagined, there was a considei-able mount of dissatisfaction in consequence. Ho give a description of the Menagerie, and l detailed account of the performance, would ■equire more space than we can spare. Suffice t therefore to say that the whole turn out is indoiibtedly the most complete that has ever 'isited This part of the world, and well Ui'i-its the name of " Mammoth Circus and vrona!_'!-rii-;." The menagerie portion of the ■how "was in a separate pavilion, through vhich the public had to nass to gain adnission to the eircius. The collection of mimals exhibited was really well worth a /isit of inspection, despite the tremendous ;rnshing. It is unnecessary for us to give i detailed list of all the animals on cxhibi;i..n. Thc:--o particulars have already been riven by the energetic proprietors by way of idvertisemeiits. "The menagerie is replete ,vith specimens of almost every inhabitant oi he forests, from the lion that animal mibiciiiath-alot British strength and courage, town to the ordinary monkey. The proirictors arc certainly to be complimented on he energy they have displayed in getting such a fine collection of animals, i:ui especially for having the courage tc ;rav.-l over such a distance with such r .'iicantic freight of living monsters. Oi he ci'cus performances wo can onbj -peak in general terms, as no programme.' rt-ere provided. It was fully nine o'clock jeforc a start was made with this portion oi ihc show, and for nearly two hours the work if amusing the .audience was kept up witl -:;ii:it. Kvory item presented was realh 4<iod. but especial mention must be made o the bare-backed riding of Mdlle. Cordeli; iml Martinho I owaude. To say that thesi !ii<i-f,,niianeu.-i wei-e excellent is to use a von ■nil.l term. The feats performed by tin iatter with his two children cannot be easib .■xcelled. The trapeze business and th< iumbling were also remarkably good, whit [he performances of (lie female Samson wen isronishing. The largest of the elephant: ivas put through a number of feats whicl ire were scarcely prepared to expect from si .mu'aiidy an animal. Taken as a whole th< ;ircus portion of the performance was excel ent. tln'iUL'h perhaps not superior to that o "hiarnni'.-i troupe, which visited the Colony iniiiu time since, lb is worthy of note thai :!io attendance last evening was one of tin arrest, ever known at the show, there beiny fully £.!)!« I people present. A"performance was given this afternoor 'or tiie esi-eoial benefit of children, aui

p;is=f>il olt in a highly satisfactory manner, .-oniet' hig like ?•<!<) persons were present, tlir- principal pnrti-m being ehiLlren, wlm si-cnicil thoroughly delighted with the amusement I'ii'in-iiii-il. 'The last performance •will be given this evening.