Circuses

As I follow the Circus series on PBS, I am reminded of the excitement my brothers and sisters and I experienced when the circus came to town. The air became electric with anticipation when we discovered a circus unloading in the pasture at the bottom of the hill behind out house.


Jumbo the Elephant

I don't remember advanced billing or notification of a circus coming to town, although there might have been. Our first inkling of such an event came because Mom and the neighbors were standing in a group in the back yard, using binoculars to watch activity in a field below. When it was determined the hustle and bustle indicated the arrival of a circus, Mickey, Charles and Elbert thought they might get a free ticket to the circus if they helped the circus unload or carried water for the elephants. Mickey was about 8 years old, Charles 7 and Elbert 6 and they went racing down the path to the field where the circus wagons were. They actually did get jobs although from the description of what they had done indicated they might have been given busy work to keep them out of he way.


Barnum 3 Ring Circus

Townspeople were treated to the blare of a calliope as gaily decorated elephants with pretty girl riders paraded downtown promoting afternoon and evening performances.

I remember moseying along the midway with Adeline taking in all the sights and sounds of side show barkers inviting the public to come witness the wold's most exotic phenomena. Some of the enticing acts on improvised stages would last only long enough to gather a large crowd then disappear inside the side show tent while those in the crowd lined up to buy tickets to see the promised titillating view of the extraordinary and forbidden. Since Adeline and I never had the money for the side shows, I assume those who bought tickets got their money's worth.



Circus Horse Act

Main performances of the circus always exceeded one's expectations. The famous Three Ring Circuses were alive with breathtaking and daring feats of wire walking, trapeze acts and men being shot from canons. Dog acts, horse acts, jugglers, and clowns were everywhere. Animal trainers entered cages with ferocious wild lions and tigers while trick riders circled the big top on horses and elephants. Beautiful girls would swing from ropes while holding their life line in their mouths.

Circuses were always on the move. They came one day and left the next, but strange animals, calliope music, acts of bravery and daring do and the satiety of color stayed in one's mind long after departure.

Circus Trapeze Act