Probasco's Circus.

Hastings Standard, Issue 270, 13 March 1897, Page 3

Probasco's Circus.

A general stir was caused on Tuesday when the advance brigade of the circus arrived. Probasco's circus is beyond a doubt one of the best circusses that ever visited New Zealand. The southern papers speak in the highest term of this show. The Manawatu Standard says : There was a large attendance at the opening of the above circus last evening, the large tent being crowded to its utmost capacity in all its departments. Mr Probasco has earned a world-wide reputation for his cleverness with horses, and therefore it goes without saying that this most important branch of the circus should be especially well developed. The special features are undoubtedly the very clever ponies and the performing horses St. George and Sylva, and they may be numbered among the best that have ever shown here. The Grecian Pyramids by the Company were very good and an earnest of the several line performances to follow. Miss Addie St. Oriue's Mexican hurdle act was a marvel of grace and daring and she caused quite a sensation by hanging head downwards and picking up handkerchiefs while her horse was galloping. Mesdame Probasco was quite at home with her three-horse pictorial performance and earned well deserved plaudits by her clever performance, Miss Amy Estelle being equally successful with her very daring serialevolutions. The Olympian act, performed by the sisters St. Leon was deservedly applauded, as was also the decidedly interesting performance by ' St. George,' introduced by Madame St. Leon. The tumbling and funny business throughout the evening was very good, the clowns causing loud and prolonged laughter by their varied absurdities. A grand pedestal tableau act by eight ponies was introduced by M. Probasco, and in this again the perfect training of the ponies was fully exempli tied. Miss Emery's balancing and contortion act was a wonderfully clever and inexplicable performance, her manoeuvres with the rings and hoops being especially good. The performance was brought to a close by a scene from the Zulu war depicting the dying efforts of a soldier to save the colors, and in which he is aided by The performance was a most realistic one, and was a capital illustration of the perfection of equine training and intelligence. At the conclusion of the act both Mr St. Leon and his clever horse St. George were treated to rounds of applause.