BENHAMO’S CIRCUS.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 85, 9 October 1878, Page 2

BENHAMO’S CIRCUS.

(to the editor op the tbmttka leader.) Sir, —The programme that was submitted fox- last evening’s performance proved sufficiently attractive to bring together a large audience, but the most striking feature of the performance, as given, was not mentioned in the bills. This was an application, in an improved form, of that principle of advertising invented by the celebrated Mr Bob Sawyer. His veracious historian relates that this medical practitioner, in order to advertise himself, arranged with his boy in buttons to call him out of church in the middle of service. But it does not appear that Mr Sawyer, clever as he was, ever thought of enlisting the services of the chief personage present in the useful work. A local practititioner last night proved himself Mr Sawyer’s superior as an advertising genius by inducing Mr Benhamo to announce, in the middle of the performance, that his “groom was wanted immediately.” Of course the audience supposed that the young man was wanted to drive his master out on a professional visit, and the rattle of a vehicle driven past at a furious rate a few minutes afterwards gave a countenance to this supposition. The result of subsequent inquiries, however, induce me to believe that this exciting incident was but an adaptation of Bob Sawyer’s principle. If it was so, it was immensely clever, and the instigator deserves to become as celebrated as his great prototype. Mr Benhamo gets a great many cheap advertisements^—l wonder if he ever gave so cheap and so good a one before.—Yours, &c., Pickwick.