WIRTH, BROS. CIRCUS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1027, 17 January 1911, Page 6

WIRTH, BROS. CIRCUS.

. A CAPITAL MENAGERIE. . Who can resist the'glamour of sawdust and spangles? There was..a huge tentfull of people present at Wirth Bros.' Circus' on the, reclaimed -land ; last evening to testify that' the circus still holds the public in a' grip that • loosens not with the passage' of years. AVirth Bros.' Circus is strong in horses, arid equestrian performers, there is a capital menagerie, including seven elephants, a huge hippopotamus, lions, tigers, leopards, monkeys, wolves, and a fine old brown boar of huge dimensions. ■ The - "star''- specialty turn is. that supplied- by . the Frantz Troupe (six in number) of "! ground and - lofty tumblers/" who-'are particularly agile and daring; in 'their, whirling act They specialise in head-to-head balancing. One feat in this department calls for special attention. Ono of the men balances himself on a lady's head, and, placing his feet on ono of the men's stiffens out until his body is,almost horizontal. In that mariner. lie is very gently laid on the gTound. Not'content' with that they pick him- up ; in, precisely, the samo manner: until he regains his-position in midair. Two of tho ladies, besides bsing excellent acrobats, are decidedly strong women. One. "of them carries two men. and a woman about with ease and gracs.. The . principal animal act is conducted under the superintendence of Mons. Marco in a caged- area. There the lion.'literally lies down with tho lamb, and the browil bear (which, in walking, has a strange resemblance to ,the modern young lady in the hobble skirt) gambols with tho goat. Two lions see-saw with-an intelligent dog as centro man, and the tigers : pose with feline grace under perfect control. In another animal act a lion,, pony, goat, and dog are concerned, and go through a variety of tricks under the eye of I-lerr Rudolph. Miss Stella Martin, a shapely.young'lady of, talent, ..is perhaps, the most_ frequent arid welcome performer. . Sho. drives eight ponies from-.'* standing position with as milch facility as one would handle a single pair of reins froni' the. comfort-ablo 'seat of a dog-cart ; 6ho dots a clever trapeze act,' and caps her work by an daring somersault act on liorse;back. The Tossing Testros, who are not nct>- to Wellington, did'"a variety''of clever juggling and balancing tricks, including some plate-spining and smart juggling with billiard cues'aud balls. The Lentous specialise in hat-throwing and cat-cliing, in which they are wonderfully adej)t. A team oi six ponderous elo'pfcants showed remarkable intelligence-in the few minutes they were before tho public. They, waltzed, jigged,, bowed, •posed, and- even , sang at the word of .command.' A serpentine danco on horseback was supplied by Miss Stella Martin, who followed it up by making an aerial both daTing and pretty to witness. Miss Millie Dagmar introduced a team of trained .who do all manner of tilings iifit included in the usual category of canine tricks. As a grand finale the dogs climb a 25ft. ladder and dive into a sheet most comically. The show concluded with ah 'exhibition of handcuff •end • manacle- evasion by. Raymond the Great, who had no difficulty in releasnig himself from a board to which' he was apparently securely, lashed, and_ afterwards in getting clear of a variety of handcuffs and manacles. Thero v,-.~.s also ■".ii "xhibition of high jumping by some crack jumpers. ■ The. clown is there with jolcts, ancient and. modern, but even the most matured jokes raised hearty laughter last evening. -The circus will show throughout the week. I