WIDTH'S CIRCUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1933, 25 February 1892, Page 36

WIDTH'S CIRCUS.

Wirth Brothers] Circus has lost none of its attractive power since its last visit to this colony, and packed audiences have been the rule in Dunedin since it opened on Monday night. The tents have been pitched on their old location in Crawford street, and under the canvas— which if it has riot braved a hundred htorms lias an appearance that would justify the supposition that it has done so— three rings have been prepared, and in these portions of the programme are simultaneously presented. It is not a common failing with entertainers that they supply too much for the admission money that they charge, but in the ease, of Measrs WirtJ} ],kqfcl]ers it »liy fftji'ly bo said that they might considerably curtail their programme without affording any ground of complaint to their patrons. As it is, one would almost require to be equipped, like another Argus, with a hundred eyes to be able to fully appreciate all the 30 odd items which are specified and the others which are not particularised in the first part of the programme; for frequently there were interesting acts going on simultaneously in each of tlio three rings, and if a visitor concentrated his attention upon what was being performed in the ring immediately in front of him ho was almost sure to miss something equally well worth seeing in the other rings. A superabundance of good things is, however, a feature of a entertainment that, as has alroady been said, is uncommon, and moreover it is one that the public will not seriously obleot to put up with. It would be liavdly possible to specifically refer to all the items of the lengthy— almost too lengthy -programme that was submitted, and it will be more convenient to indicate some of the more noteworthy of the feats that were performed. Within such a category may be fairly included the bar act on three horses by Messrs P. and C 4. Wirth and Yalazie, in which one of the three executed various exercises on a horizontal bar passed over the shoulders of the other two, who the while were between them riding three hordes round the ring. The "bounding jockey" acts of Messrs P. Wirth and P. Montgomery excited loud applause, which their cleverness and agility thoroughly merited, and the fire-hoop act of Miss Madeline Wirth, whose skill as an equestrienne was itself worthy of admiration, was performed most successfully. The "statue act," in the course of which a female member of the company accomplished two or three circuits standing on the shoulders of a male performer on horseback, and a pad act, in which Blaster Carl executed a " flipflap " while riding, were among the other feats of horsemanship that were executed. In athletic achievements the performance was exceptionally rich. What is termed the " brother act," was one of the most notable. In this, Mr P. Wirth and Mast Pl'!* Carl and Herbert are nssppjatud, ami after sundry other feats of a difficult and seemingly dangerous nature, such a.s the forming of a pyramid by the youngest of the three standing on the noxt one's shoulders, while the latter wus similarly perched upon tho othor brother, their exhibition culminated in Master Carl balancing himself with his head on Mr Wirth's head. Some astonishing feats of contortion were performed by the brothers Carl and Herbert, who if they did not tie themselves into knots went perilously near it ; Mr J. Murray proved himself to be a proficient on the horizontal bars ; Mr (J. Wirth and Valazie each undertook and performed the riding and driving of fivo horses in one team ; one of the numerous clowns— who kept the fun going merrily— introduced r, pig that jumpedj umped hurdles, and eventually demonstrated the liberality of \\\* cduoation by discharging a revolver ; and the first part concluded with an absolutely thrilling feat by Mr Bentham, who, after erecting a pyramid of several chairs upon a light pedestal, balanced himself in mid-air upon a couple of crutches at the top. The hippodrome and Wild West events, which constituted the second part of the programme were to a large extent a repetition of those which formed such a strong attraction upon the occasion of the previous visit of Wirth Brothers' Circus to New Zealand, and they proved to be as popular now. A new item which deserves to be specially mentioned, and' which evoked loud plaudits from all sections of the audience was an exhibition of what was in the programmo styled "Roman pyramids," in which 15 membera of the company, of various sises andages, took part— an exceedingly oleverand interesting performance. Tho" Wild West" exhibition included the picking up of objects from tho ground, an illustration of lynch law In Texas, and a. representation of an attack on « hunter by Indian* and hi» reociQ by cow. boyi, Tho tamiu; of a buekjn* horse was not an ixoitteg item, Inasmuch, m the harsc; that was. vtausw iats thq ring preyd w wmvMm Bu> 19»t ■ •