THE BALLOON MAN

From rides to 'freaks,' carnival arrived here for 1-week engagement

In this year leading up to Arizona's centennial, on Feb. 14, 2012, we'll reprint a story each day from the Arizona Daily Star or Tucson Citizen archives.
March 3, 1912
With its steam piano, riding devices, laughing gallery, "freaks" and confetti, the Cosmopolitan Carnival company will open a week's engagement at the Elysian Grove Monday night, arriving here Sunday afternoon from Phoenix.
The carnival attractions will occupy the baseball grounds at the Grove, the hippodrome merry-go-round being stationed at the main entrance. The press agent says some of the attractions include "Zip," the half monkey and half human, "Dotty," the fat girl, a two-headed wonder, a man with a glass-front heart, deep-sea divers, glass blowers, a man who "leaps the gap," a minstrel show, two big six-in-one shows and the "big city show" featuring the Texas Tommy dance.
- Tucson Citizen