BARNUM'S SHOW IN LONDON.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4742, 13 January 1890, Page 4

BARNUM'S SHOW IN LONDON.

A London correspondent writes: — Barnum s name is on everyone's lips. He promised to bring tUe biggest show on earth to London, and there is nu mistake that he has kept to hi* word. The great building of Olympia is full of hia many attractiona. At the opening night 16,000 people paid for admiesion. The show has one fault — tbere ia too much of it. Imagine an enormouß building of glasß and iron with a tremendouß floor surface, on whioh three ciroua rings, double the ordinary size, are arranged, and imagine three sensational performancea, one in each ring, 'going on at the same time, in addition to two large stages, on which a performance of some kind is being gone through. In all five separate shows exhibiting at the Bame time, and the unfortunate spectator haa only one pair of eyes with which to enjoy the scene. It is simply bewildering. No sooner do you fix your attention on tbe clever antics of tha trained ponies than you hear ahouts of applauae at the rapid flight of a lady rider through hoops of fire, and at the same time the comio elephant in the third ring is drawing all attention to hia clowning acts. Then you feel mad, and wish you were somewhere elee. The side ehowa, with their dwarfs, giants, fat ladiea, living skeletons, legless men, and tatooed women are seen before the show proper opens, and a marvellous show it is. For two shilling.! you enter at 6 o'olock, and stay till 8, enjoying the hundreds of marvels of the side-shows and exhibition of strange wild beasts- Then the ciroua opens at 8 sharp, closing at 10. Then the great apectacle of the Fall of Borne commencea, which lasts till 11.30. This is the grandeat scenic effect ever aeen in London, and when it is mentioned that over 1000 persons are introduced in coatume into the ■cene, it will be imagined that the effect is a grand one. Thus from 6 to 11.80 you are busy with a moat varied and attractive show — a good long evening's amusement for two shillings.