COOPER & BAILEY'S CIRCUS AT TOKOMAIRIRO.

Otago Witness, Issue 1374, 30 March 1878, Page 5

COOPER & BAILEY'S CIRCUS AT TOKOMAIRIRO.

This great circus company arrived in Milton from Dunedin between 5 and 6 o'clock on Saturday, the 23rd instant, by two special trains. It took threo engines, drawing 57 trucks, to convey the whole of the menagerie and tents. About 11 a.m. a special train arrived from Lawrence with over 600 school children and 150 adults, besides the school teachers. At half-past 12 a special train also arrived from Balclutha with nearly an equal number. Persons going to tho show began to pour into the township of Milton from the surrounding districts, and many strange and varied conveyances were used for their transport. At about 1 o'clock, arrangements having been made that the school children of Tokomairiro and the surrounding districts should be admitted for Is each, the, same as the Balclutha and Lawrence schools, the youngsters began to assemble near the tents, and it was estimated that at the time the Circus was opened over 2000 children were assembled. Such an assembly had never been seen before in the district. It is estimated that over 3000 persons attended the afternoon performance, the programme of which was carefully and thoroughly carried out, and gave general satisfaction,