JOTTINGS AT THE CIRCUS. 1881

Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 - 1889), Saturday 26 February 1881

 JOTTINGS AT THE CIRCUS.
The great circus and menagerie of Mr. W. W. Cole has been the amusement of chief attractive power to the Melbourne public during the last fortnight. It has been visited by vast crowds, and the general verdict has been one of cordial approval. We extract the following notice of the circus from The Australasian of February 12.

After noticing the 'grand entree,' the critic proceeds : — The performing elephants, which follow, are interesting after their kind, but when the third item comes on, to wit the 'aerial bicycle act' by Mademoiselle Adelaide and Messrs. Murtz and Dunbar, you are quite ready to forget what has gone before, even if it had been a good deal more wonderful.

The 'grand battoute leaping ' by the young American athletes merits a good mark of approval. And so do the two trick horses, Humboldt and Hindoo, who leap through fire hoops as if they had been educated by salamanders.

Mr. Wooda Cooke's somersault business, and the Messrs. Dunbar and the Livingstone Brothers' horizontal bar business, and Mademoiselle Adelaide D'Atalie's ' dashing equestrienne  business, merit a good place in the category of commendations.

Mr. W. O. Stevens comes ninth in the first part of the programme, and he does things with a table which, without exaggeration, you may rank among the marvelous in. the way of equilibriuinism.

In Part II. Mr. William O'Dale, who rides five horses, stands out most prominently of all. You have no doubt seen five horses ridden before, but hardly ever so well, and with such perfect grace, and by a man who might stand for a model to the best sculptor in the world.

But admiration for Mr. O'Dale will not lessen your admiration for the Livingstone Brothers with their wonderful acrobat-ism ; nor for Mr. Barclay with his bare-back equestrianism ; nor for Senorita Tournour with her balancing trapeze; nor for  the great and only Linda Jeal, who, on her horse, properly named Salamander, jumps through circles of fire ; nor for the trained stallions, valued at £10,000, whom Mr. Organ makes to do nearly anything in the way of movement; nor for the racing camels, who seem veritably to enjoy the fun of the contest; nor for the den of lions business, with Mr. Conklin in the part of Daniel. 

Then there is a museum, vulgarly termed the ' side show,' with some very small men, and a very thin man, and a conjurer, and a learned pig, and other interesting things, and all lit up with the electric light, which behaves a good deal better than most electric lights you have seen. So that you will readily understand that you may pass a very pleasant two hours at Cole's Circus.