A POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12398, 11 January 1901, Page 5

A POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT

WIRTH BROS.’ ROYAL CIRCUS. To-morrow will witness the re.tum to Christchurch of Messrs , Wirth Brothers’ Royal Circus and Menagerie. The proprietors of this popular circus have made'a-long extended tour since they'left New Zealand nine years ago, and have had some stirring experiences. Haying played ,through Capo Colony, Natal / and the they -went. "th;VM'Qhte‘ Yideo, South Amewoa.o -O'n the night , of;'their?ia&t perioiwncodheocircus building-' war destroyed 'by fire, 'and -their■ Ward■years” thrr*igh the. Rritfeh provinces, dadthen followed a . Jong .'season tin They then went'right through 'Southern Africa and up‘into Rhodesia, and from Mafeking, on the return journey 2 intended to go through the Transvaal, but were held back owing to the threatening .of war. Indeed, the Wirths were almost the last caravan to. -cross the ’ Modder River bridge-before it wai blown up by the "Boers. 7 It may be, mentioned that at the time -of the famous .conferences between.. eit-Presidents Kruger and Steyn and Sir Alfred Milner the Wirths were in Bloemfontein. From Cape Town they visited the eastern coast towns, travelling in the steamer- Koenig, and after “doing” Lorenzo 1 Marques and Beira they left Tor Ceylon, India, Burma, the Straits Settlements, apd Java,, taking them in the sequence .mentioned. They, then returned to fheir native land, Australia'. : During their travels they have embraced ©very opportunity- of adding novelties to their .show, which is now one of the best in the colonies. Mr Phil. Wirth arrived in Cnristchurch last night to make .the necessary arrangements for the erection of the tents..