A POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6995, 10 January 1901, Page 2

A POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT.

WIRTH BROS.' ROYAL GIRGUS. Saturday next will witness >t-h^e' return to Christchurch of Messrs Wirthi Brothers' Royal Circus anii 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. Having played through Cape Colony, Natal and the Transvaal, they went to Monte Video, and toured South America. On the night of their last performance the circus building was destroyed by fire, and their wardroba and other valuables were burned. Two years later they were travelling through the British provinces, and then followed a long season in the United States. They then went right through Southern Africa and up into Rhodesia, and from Mafeking, on the return journey, intended! to go through the Transvaal, but were held back owing to the threatening of war. Indeed, theWifltihs were almost the last caravan to cross the Modder River bridge 'before it was blown up by the Boers. It may be mentioned that at the time of the famous conference between ex-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 Marques and Beira they left for Ceylon, India, "Burma, the Straits Settlements, and Java, taking them in the sequence mentioned. They then returned to their native land, Australia. During their travels they have embraced every opportunity of adding novelties to their show, which is now one of the best in the colonies. ■ • •;..■