April 3, 1911
A Great Crowd Hears Prof. Wills Play All Popular Airs on Steam Piano“Ah-medite-ly aftah the pee-rade – there will be a free conce’t in front of The Herald building on the plaza. Free-free to evera-one!”
Circus day, a bit frappe for El Paso, but circus day just the same, is this day and date in this city and state.
The Maderos are here for peace negotiations, congress opens Tuesday and Sarah Bernhardt is coming. But the circus, Sells-Floto circus, is here and now.
THE PARADE
On time to the minute, the women hussar trumpeters heralded the approach of the medieval and modern pageant as it did a figure around the Mills building corner, rumbled through Pioneer plaza and down El Paso street. Nifty, a bit slangy, but all the more apt, fits the Sells-Floto shows like a rubber glove. No moth eaten uniforms and bedraggled banners were to be seen in the passing show. Every uniform was as bright and sparkling as an industrious and over-worked wardrobe woman could make them. Even the pony boys were dressed in jaunty auto caps and coats and everything connected with the one and only western circus spelled ready money.
The livestock were combed and curried within an inch of their lives, and the little ponies had removed their winter underwear with the assistance of the machine clippers. Even the lazy looking elephants had received a shiny coat of oil and a good rub down before the parade, and their trappings were spanking new.
A CIRCUS IMPROVEMENT
Circus parades are as standard as a free lunch. The Sells-Floto parade was all that the others have been with variations, additions and improvements. Bands on the hurricane decks of eight horse chariots, more bands on six horse chariots, roaring lions open cages, grinning hyenas, a snake charmer, the only known on in existence who is under the age of 50, a fire engine with steam up. These and much more composed the ensemble of the free street offering which Messrs. Sells and Floto have to offer to a circus loving public.
The clown contingent was there with caps and bells on. There were clowns on bicycles and clowns on foot, clown Jamison, the king of clowns, was there in his chariot of state with a retinue of clowns and clownlets, who grinned an inviting invitation to see them perform their newest and most novel antics at 25 cents per head, gold money. The customary clown band was perched on the customary pole wagon and played the customary discordant music from their badly battered instruments.
THE CALLIOPE CONCERT
And the
calliope-pronounced cal-iope, accent on the end, please, was the last
and best. Harry Wills, not professor, but the real thing, did things on
that boiler shop musical instrument that would make the boy with the
lion-like mane go back to his spaghetti shop. Notes as big as walnuts,
to quote friend Abe Martin, were emanating from that calliope like the
balloons from the roof of The Herald building with the free tickets
attached.
“The Holy City,” “Every Little Moment,” “Casey Jones,” and all the other popular airs were played and the crowds that literally packed and jammed Pioneer plaza in front of The Herald building, cheered and applauded. Harry Wills, is without a doubt, the real kind of calliope player. He doesn’t come from Indianan, like most circus men, but from Illinois, and he plays just like an Illinois senator talks in defending himself from graft charges; he is there very minute and then some.
Circus day is as much a part of American life as election day or the cornerstone laying of the new town hall. This is circus day, the four flushing rain has ceased, the wind has promised to be good and the street cars are running to the circus grounds. A ticket, plus a bag of peanuts, and what more could one wish for the makings of a holiday.
THE AFTERNOON PERFORMANCE
The big tent was well filled for this afternoon’s performance and the applause was enthusiastic and warm. How the Sells-Floto people can give such a show for 25 cents is a mystery.
The Sells-Floto people have gathered together a magnificent aggregation of attractions. They have broken away from the old time honored circus traditions; kept what was lasting and what pleases, and eliminated many of the acts which were popular years ago, but which are not so attractive now as they were when father was a boy.
The most radical break made by the Sells-Floto people – and one that is making a tremendous hit all over the country, is the price of admission, which is this season, and was last season, placed at the almost ridiculously low price of 25 cents.
The Sells-Floto people have broken all the rules of the game and violated the most sacred traditions of the profession. They give a really high class show at a very moderate price of admission; they live up absolutely to the letter of their advertising, and appear straight and square with the public in every particular.
A REAL BIG SHOW
But the big show itself. There were the lion and the unicorn; the blood-sweating behemoth of the Nile; elephants that executed the Salome dance and did everything else except light a cigaret and blow the smoke in your face, to say nothing of the two baby elephants at their prayers and performed many other wonderful stunts; horses that did about everything that a horse can do; acrobats, trapeze artists and beautiful women in the gorgeous spangled costumes and clowns – if there is anything funny that they don’t do, it hasn’t been heard of in these parts up to date.
MORPHY, THE SINGER
In every way the show is a big success. From the time that Bert Morphy, “the man who sings to beat the band,” came forward and took the big audience into his confidence, to the end of the show, when the really excellent hippodrome races brang down the curtain, there was not a dull moment or a mediocre act.
To single out any of the performers for special mention would hardly be fair to the others. Each one in his line was far above the ordinary. Perhaps the act which caused more thrills and quivers and shivers and gripping of seats was that of Omar, the equine aviator, ridden by Miss Arline, who, standing upon a small platform made in imitation of an airship, was raised to the top of the tent and left suspended in midair while a fireworks display was set off, completely covering horse and rider with a shower of glittering sparks.
Mention should also be made of Bert Morphy, to whom is largely due the fact that the performance gets off to a good start, and the audience is put in a good humor to enjoy the balance of the show. Morphy has a really remarkable voice, which fills the big tent so that everybody can plainly hear every word of his songs.
It is not only a children’s show, but a show for the old folks, too-and this afternoon there was no scarcity of grownups.
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