|
After an interval of five years, Lord George Sanger’s huge hippodrome and menagerie visited Rushden on Wednesday. The spacious tent, the vans containing the large assortment of animals, and the other adjuncts of the exhibition were pitched in the specious field of Mr R Marriott, at the junction of Washbrook-road and the High-street. At noon the parade, as usual, aroused much interest, crowds of people lining the route of the procession and manifesting various emotions as the different parts of the long procession passed, the elephants, the team of twelve ponies attached to one of the cars, and the lion and sheep perched aloft together on another, proving perhaps the chief centres of interest. The route taken was along the length of the High-street to High-street South, returning to the top of Church-street and down that thoroughfare, thence along the Wellingborough-road to the Oakley Inn, and so by Washbrook-road to the show field. Here also a crowd quickly gathered, and a large number entered the show for the afternoon performance. The programme presented was a lengthy and varied one, embracing numerous striking equestrian feats, proofs of equine skill and intelligence, and many amusing sketches. Numerous races between varies classes of horses were run, there proving a source of great delight to the younger portion of the audience. Performing elephants and horse were also introduced, whilst stirring and realistic impressions of the terrors of Indian warfare and a prairie fire were given. Clever acrobatic performances, weird contortions of Wilfred, the flexible marvel, the daring exploits on the wire rope of Mdlle. Yetta, and many other “turns” made up a busy scene for nearly two hours and a half. A further performance was given in the evening, when the exhibition tent was well filled. The whole of the proceedings of the day, in spite of the fact that large numbers of people gathered together, including crowds of children, passed off without incident. The only case calling for help was that of a young man named Ingleby, who had a fit in the field after the evening performance. The unfortunate young man was carefully conveyed to his home on the ambulance wheel litter by P.C.’s Ellingham and Parish.
|
