WIRTH BROS.’

Southern Cross, Volume 15, Issue 41, 1 February 1908, Page 10

WIRTH BROS.’

GREATEST SHOWS ON EARTH *

Wirth Bros.’ "greatest show on earth,” which is being looked forward to with great interest, will arrive in Invercargill by probably the largest special train ever brougnt to Invercargill—run in three sections—on Tuesday, Feb. 4th, and wall open in the Western Reserve for two nights only. Wirth Bros;, are this year celebrating the twenty-seventh anniversary of their circus proprietary, and in connection therewith they have ieorganised their shows on a completely up-to-date basis, in w’hich American circus ideas have been followed. The main points are the addition of a number of new features, and the classification of the whole show into distinct departments. But where the big American circuses change separately for each department, Wirth Bros, admit the public to all of their seven shows for one ticket. The seven departments are known briefly as the "society circus,” menagerie, museum of freaks, vaudeville, hippodrome, huge elephant herd, and the "grand pageant of the Delhi of Durbar./’ Wirth Bros, have reserved for Invercargill a number of new artists who were recently, engaged from abroad, including Hugh Patrick Lloyd, described as the most marvellous man on earth. He is said to present astounding acrobatic feats the cord eiastique, and while balancing himself with the greatest ease somersaults through hoops, and concludes a marvellous performance by turning somersaults on the rope while playing a violin. Sampsie Osado, a Japanese, described as the "greatest contortionist and ' equilibrist in the world,” Mons Narco, Bositock and Wombell’s lion and tiger trainer ; Captain Lindo, animal trainer ; Senor Don Herbertino, "champion table and barre manipiilator” ; Fraulien Hertzog, equestrienne, the "queen of the circus” (from Rentz’s circus, Berlin) ; Miss Addie Fredricks, sensational flying rope erformer (from New’ York Hippodrome) ; the Ozzapardi Trio, in what is described as the most sensational acrobatic act in a dog cart, will also appear, in addition to the best of the performers w 7 ho have appeared with Wirth Bros.’ show 7 in the South ipoi-Kb g the Flying Herberts, Miss 1 ■ ,3- a. Miss Marizies, Miss; Cooke ’ V,.h a! May, the children’s circus, S A Burrows and his trained ele--1 a./, o- , etc. Three menageries have ! beJ . combined, in one —the late Pitzi get .ki Pros.’, Bostockiand Womjbeirq h;:/ n ; Wmh Bros.’ fine collection of j a)s, 'I his large zoo contains the . A Y hybric zebrule, said to 1 e tito only .iiimal of its kind in the ! ■; a'greet Polar bear from the Arctic regions, said to be the only one living in the world in captivity 'without a tank of water ; seven elephants, water buffaloes, zebus, oudods, llamas, vicunas, lions, tigers, jaguars, pumas, black panthers, leopards, gunaroes, wolves, bears, mountain sheep, apes, sloths, camels, ourang imtang (for which nearly £2OO .

was paid), baboons, dromedaries, gorillas, snakes, etc. The museum contains many freaks of nature. Blue Spec, claimed to be the smallest pony in th© world, will also be shown. The hippodrome contains the marvellous "talking horses,” champion highjumping ponies and horses, including "Playmate, Lady Morton, who holds the high jumping record of 7ft tj-in., put up in Christchurch. Mr G. Wirth will appear with a number of horses and ponies in new acts. Special seating arrangements are being mad o for the opening night.