Springs Valley Herald
(September 9, 1915)
 When the Carl Hagenbeck-Wallace
circus comes to West Baden and French Lick, Saturday,
Sept. 11, there will be on exhibition in the menagerie
the smallest hippopotamus ever brought to America. it
reached the circus a few weeks ago and has been given a
place of honor among the many other unusual specimens of
far eastern animal life. The river horse was caught in
British South Africa by means of a pitfall - a deep
trench, the mouth of which is covered by a network of
moss and sticks to resemble the grassy earth. When the
animal took his fatal plunge, he fought so ferociously
that it required fifty natives to drag him from the dark
hole and make a prisoner of him.
The
children who visit the circus will be delighted when they
see the two cutest little jungle babies that ever rolled
out of the thicket. To be precise, however, they never
saw a jungle, being captive-born lions and used to the
city ways. They are little balls of soft fur with bright,
blinking eyes and playful paws. Their mother, and a proud
beast she is, watches over her offspring zealously. Woe
be to the venturesome keeper who seeks to pet those
babies through the bars of the cage. Mamma is a jealous
beast and will brook no interference in her domestic
affairs.
One
of the institutions on the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus
grounds that attracts much attention is the traveling
post office. Probably no other office in America is
visited daily by such a cosmopolitan gathering. Harvey
Johnson is the postmaster of Wallaceville. He is well
fitted for the job, as he speaks French, German, Spanish,
Hindostani and Polish and knows enough Chinese, Japanese,
Portuguese and modern Greek to make himself understood in
those tongues.
An
idea of the cosmopolitan aspect of the show may be had
from a careful study of all the people in the morning
parade. For an hour the wonders of the earth unfold
themselves as they pass before the spectators. There are
dusky queens, seated in richly draped howdahs on the
backs of elephants; desert chieftains, perched on camels
and dromedaries; far eastern potentates and the retinues
in golden chariots and thrones; Australian bushmen and
boomerang throwers, on horses; the military of European
kingdoms, richly costumed; court ladies and diplomats in
coaches of state;Oriental statesmen in rickshaws and
palaquins, and savage chiefs and tribesmen, in barbarian
carriages of war. The characteristic music of the
counties of the earth is played by bagpipers, great brass
bands, organs, reed and string orchestras, castanet
ballets, tom-tom players, drum and bugle corps, weird
chanters, chimes and siren pipes. The circus has about
1,100 employee, 800 horses and menagerie animals. It
travels on three trains and during the day time is housed
in twenty-two tents covering 14 acres of ground. The show
has its own light. In the canvas hotel thousands of meals
are served everyday of the week. The circus is owned by
Mr. Edward Ballard.
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Springs Valley Herald
(September 9, 1915)
French Lick and West Baden are on
the circus map, and the people of the Valley and
surrounding country should congratulate themselves on
being this blessed with homes in and near a place
distinguished enough to attract the attention of a great
show like the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus.
But
we must not contend that it is due entirely to the fame
of our Valley that this show is coming here, but lets
render unto others what is due them, and in doing so
remember that a citizen of our town is a leading factor
in this great show, this in exhibiting here he is only
adding proof as he has in the past of the interest he has
in our valley, and at the same time extending to us all a
rare courtesy.
To
those seeking joys, and to people yearning for
information this show makes a strong appeal. Some noted
authority has held that natural History is synonymous
with zoology, that being true, this show affords the
student a great opportunity for much information at the
mere cost of a ticket for admission. Not in the history
of Orange County has such a show been within our borders,
and we are looking forward to the show day with that joy
which more than any other recalls, to the adult, the joys
of youth, and the rising generation will make as strong
impression as it ever did.
Among
the interesting features of this show is to be seen the
Llama, an animal of much interest, for we are told that
in a very early period it was worshiped by some of the
inhabitants of South America. The earliest accurate
account of the Llama is that given by De Zarate,
treasurer-general of Peru, in 1554, who called it the
"sheep of Peru," and pointed out its general
resemblance to the camel. Remains of the Llama have been
found in the Rocky Mountains and in Central America, but
the southern part of Peru is the accepted home of the
animal. Another animal of this show that is of great
interest is The River Horse - Hippopotamus. Its native
home is the great rivers and lakes of Africa. Anciently
it was found in the lower part of the Nile, but now it
does not occur there. It is a water animal, diving
beneath it when danger arises, but at internals raising
it head above the surface to breathe. It feeds on the
roots and barks of water trees and plants. It comes to
land during the night to look for pasture and it is very
destructive to crops.
The
Leopard, which was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah, is
another animal of this show that deserves your attention.
This animal has been know from the earliest historical
times, and probably has the largest geographical range of
the entire animal family. It is found throughout the
African continent, the whole of south Asia, and in
Ceylon, Java, Sumatra and Borneo. The Leopard is fierce
and blood thirsty, and the fact that the
Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus has subdued this animal merits
the attention of the student of Natural History.
Another
feature of interest of this show is the Owl, the hooting
or screeching owl that we are all so familiar, but the
Monkey Faced Owl, which is very unlike about two hundred
species which are known.
But
to attempt to enter into detail or to try to speak of all
the interesting things of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
would require much time, therefore, the thing to do is to
spend a day at this circus, watch the procession go by,
go into the show and see the great feats of horsemanship,
the exhibits of acrobatic displays, and go home for
getting all the troubles you have ever had in your life.
H.C.
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Springs Valley Herald
(September 16, 1915)
TEN THOUSAND
People See Ballards Big Show Saturday Afternoon Here
BIGGEST CROWD EVER HERE
French Lick and West Baden certainly
gave Ed Ballard and his big show cordial greeting here
last Saturday. People began pouring into town at a very
early hour and by ten o'clock and long before the street
parade the streets of both towns were surging with
humanity. A big excursion train bearing thousands of
people came in over the Monon and the Southern brought in
excursions from its eastern and western division of the
main line as well as the branches.
The
big parade reached this city from West Baden at 10
minutes after 10 o'clock and was a magnificent pageant
and was about a mile long. Mr. Sinclair of the West Baden
Springs Hotel rode in the leading carriage with Mr.
Ballard. The French Lick Springs Hotel Band also had a
place in the parade and received from the thousands who
knew the boys.
Immediately
after the parade the crowd began pouring into the big
tent and at 2:00 o'clock the four for opening every
available seat was taken and still the eager stream came
pouring in. 1000 folding chairs were brought in and these
did not go halfway round and probably 2000 more had to
stand or sit on the ground.
At
no place or any time this season has the big show simply
been swamped with people which it could not take care of
till it reached its home town (which is to be from now
on).
Many
who had seen the show at Bedford Friday said the
attendance there while good was nothing to compare to the
attendance here.
We
understand that part of the management were afraid to
come here as they thought it would be a loosing
proposition. they perhaps feel different about it now.
At
night the attendance was good, but of course not to
compare with the day crowd. It is estimated that 10,000
people saw the show in the afternoon and 4,000 people at
night.
LADY RIDER HURT
In the closing act of the afternoon
a display of horsemanship and racing one of the lady
performers was knocked off her horse by coming too close
to one of the brace poles and was carried out and it was
reported on the streets that she was fatally injured, but
it was learned later that she was not seriously hurt.
FINE TEAM KILLED
BY ELECTRIC CAR
An accident occurred while the show
was moving to its cars about 10:00 p.m. when a pair of
beautiful dapple gray draft horses were struck by the
street car as they were crossing the track near the
Colonial Hotel. The horses hurt were the wheel horses and
they and the wagon were struck. They were so badly hurt
that they had to be shot. Wm. Maygers, who was motorman
on the car had his hand badly cut by broken glass.
Owing
to the crowded condition of the tent at the afternoon
performance the Hippodrome races which are a feature as a
closing act had to be called off.
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