Looking Back: The Sells Brothers Circus has come to town
Monday, June 06, 2011By Dave LeMieux The Muskegon Chronicle
This week 128 years ago…
Excitement reached a fever pitch when the long-awaited Sells Brothers Circus arrived in Muskegon.
The Chronicle said on June 6, 1883
The Sells Brothers Circus is here and sightseers are having their appetites appeased.
It arrived this morning bright and early and at once began the work of unloading and removing to the grounds wagons, animals and paraphernalia usually belonging to a circus.
This operation was watched with interest by many people whose minds are frequently carried away by thoughts of youthful days when they themselves carried water for the elephants or obtained admission by sneaking under the tent at some opportune moment when the lazy showman had dropped in the arms of the goddess of sleep.
Hundreds of people from the surrounding towns arrived on the morning trains and passed their time munching peanuts, chewing gumdrops and parading up and down the streets unmindful of the consequences.
The maidens from the country meandering up the street, locked arms with some rural swain, predominated and caused many a look of jealousy to spring from the orbits of Muskegon dudes.
The sidewalks were crowded with a surging mass of people who were going — no one knew where.
This week 128 years ago…
Excitement reached a fever pitch when the long-awaited Sells Brothers Circus arrived in Muskegon.
The Chronicle said on June 6, 1883
The Sells Brothers Circus is here and sightseers are having their appetites appeased.
It arrived this morning bright and early and at once began the work of unloading and removing to the grounds wagons, animals and paraphernalia usually belonging to a circus.
This operation was watched with interest by many people whose minds are frequently carried away by thoughts of youthful days when they themselves carried water for the elephants or obtained admission by sneaking under the tent at some opportune moment when the lazy showman had dropped in the arms of the goddess of sleep.
Hundreds of people from the surrounding towns arrived on the morning trains and passed their time munching peanuts, chewing gumdrops and parading up and down the streets unmindful of the consequences.
The maidens from the country meandering up the street, locked arms with some rural swain, predominated and caused many a look of jealousy to spring from the orbits of Muskegon dudes.
The sidewalks were crowded with a surging mass of people who were going — no one knew where.
Chronicle file photoA circus parade makes its way along West Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon on June 6, 1901.
At eleven o’clock a band of music heralded the approach of the procession. Hundreds of heads peeped out of upper windows, many foolish people clambered on the tops of buildings, unmindful of the prospect of breaking their necks or limbs, and other lined the sidewalks.
The procession was fine, embracing chariots, animal wagons, courtiers on horseback, elephants, clowns, camels, three brass bands, a martial band and a steam piano.
At the tail of the parade were the two large advertising wagons that Barnum has had in the city for a week past and considerable amusement was occasioned by the Sells Bros. having men with large banners walking alongside the wagons to destroy the effect of the advertisement.read more at:http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/06/looking_back_the_sells_brother.html
No comments:
Post a Comment