CIRCUS IS HERE

Clown Band.

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, June 6, 1896.

CIRCUS IS HERE.

STREETS ARE FULL OF PEOPLE AND THE DAY IS FINE.

A Splendid Parade, Magnificent Horses and Open Cages — Afternoon Performance Very Meritorious — Large Audience Present.

   There is nothing like a circus to draw the crowds. To-day the streets have been swarming with people from remote parts of the county, and the cause of it is the presence of the John Robinson and Franklin Brothers circus, which arrived over the Lehigh Valley road from Ithaca at an early hour this morning. Every one admired the splendid horses as they drew the heavy cages and tent wagons to the fair grounds; to which many people were attracted and where they watched with interest the process of going into camp.

   The show is a large one, employing all told about 400 men, and some 250 horses, exclusive of ring stock. The work on the grounds was carried on without noise or bustle, the system being as exact and efficient as might be expected of a military organization. There was an air of thrift and cleanliness about the whole great establishment not observable in many tent shows.

   Between 10 and 11 o'clock the great parade was started and few finer circus pageants have ever been seen in Cortland. It included three bands and the customary calliope. There were seven open cages of wild animals. The magnificent horses again attracted attention and the tiny ponies caught the eyes of every one. Instead of the hackneyed custom of being mounted on horseback in gaudy frippery, many rode in beautiful drags driven by liveried coachmen. A large crowd of people followed the parade back to the show grounds to see the free outdoor performance. At 1 o'clock the doors opened and crowds of people began flocking in.

   The menagerie is well kept and stocked with many very rare animals, which were highly appreciated by both young and old.

   The performance this afternoon was given in two rings, an elevated stage and a hippodrome race track, so that three acts were going on most of the time at once. Among the well-known performers was Robert Stickney, Jr., who is one of the finest bareback riders in the country. Then there was Rose Dockrill, the daughter of Mme. Dockrill, also a celebrated rider, besides Louise DeMott and other well known horsewomen.

   Segrist and Silbon, the aerial team, are among the finest in the land. Silbon does a blindfold act while tied in a sack on the swinging trapeze that is unequalled. Then there is the Cornelba family of acrobats; the Millers, Fred and Millie, two horse artists; Segrist, George Holland and Fred Miller, bareback equestrians of the first order; the Castle sisters, contortionists, and others of note in the sawdust arena.

   The hippodrome races were spirited, all thoroughbred stock participating, and in fact it was a first-class, up-to-date performance. The horseless carriage was a great attraction.

   The doors open tonight at 7 o'clock and the performance begins at 8. The show goes on from here to Canastota, N. Y.

ACCIDENT AT THE CIRCUS GROUNDS.

Edward Crozier Thrown from His Bicycle and Seriously Injured.

   About 1:30 o'clock this afternoon Mr. Fred Hiligus, who drives one of John O. Reid's delivery wagons, started to return from the fair grounds where he had been to deliver a quantity of beef to the John Robinson and Franklin Bros. circus. He had just finished delivering his load and was coming down the north side of the track, his horse on a brisk trot when he met two boys on their bicycles. Mr. Hiligus says he called to the boys two or three times to warn them to get out of the way. The one who was nearest the inside of the track crossed in front of his companion and succeeded in getting out of the way. The other boy kept straight along and when almost directly in front of the horse the wheel turned suddenly to the left, struck the horse and the boy was thrown violently to the ground.

   Mr. Hiligus helped him up, took him in his wagon to Dr. Dana's office, and from there to the hospital where Dr. Dana attended him. The doctor found an ugly cut on the left check apparently where the thill must have struck him, and that he was also suffering from a contusion of the right shoulder. The injured boy is Edward Crozier, the 17 year old son of Thomas Crozier of 29 Hamlin-st. He was removed to his home about 4 o'clock.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

Joseph Rogers Run Over by a Train — Both Legs Cut Off.

   One of the most shocking accidents that ever occurred in Cortland happened near the Lehigh Valley Station just before 6 o'clock this morning, as one of the sections of the John Robinson and Franklin Bros. circus trains pulled into the switch.

   Joseph Rogers, a young man seventeen years of age, attempted to board the moving train when he slipped catching his left foot in a frog of the track. Before the train could be stopped seven cars had run over both legs, smashing to a jelly the left foot and the right leg just below the knee. Friends tried to pull him from under the moving train, but their most desperate efforts were unavailing as the foot was so securely fastened in the frog.

   It was awful to stand and see a man’s legs completely smashed, he screaming with pain at the top of his voice, and no one able to take him away. Word was sent to both Dr. Reese and Dr. Higgins, and also for Beard & Peck's ambulance. Dr. Reese was the first at the scene, soon followed by Dr. Higgins. The injured man was taken to the hospital where the injuries were dressed and he was placed under the influence of anesthetics.

   It was decided that amputation would be necessary so at 9 o'clock Dr. H. T. Dana, who is the regular hospital surgeon for this month, amputated the right leg just above the knee and the left one below the knee. He was assisted by Drs. Reese, Higgins and Sornberger.

   Rogers has been in this country only a short time having come from Roscommon, Ireland, last September. His father is dead and his mother is still living at Roscommon. He was employed at the Cortland Wagon Co. and boarded at John Kelley's on Crawford-st.

Austin Corbin.

BREVITIES.

   —Pendleton-st. was this afternoon black with teams going up to the funeral of Howard Park, which occurred at 2 o'clock. The services were conducted by Rev. J. L. Robinson, pastor of the Presbyterian church.

   —The telegraphic columns to-day give details of the sudden and shocking death of Mr. Austin Corbin yesterday in New Hampshire. This matter has a local interest from the fact that Mr. Corbin was from 1884 to 1896 the owner of the Elmira, Cortland and Northern railroad, which has now passed into the hands of the Lehigh Valley company.

Local Personal.

   EX-SUPERINTENDENT ALBERT ALLEN has just returned from a week's trip into Central Ohio, where he has been inspecting the rolling stock and general condition of the Cleveland, Canton & Southern railroad in the interest of the first mortgage bondholders of whom Mr. Austin Corbin was the chairman. A reorganization has been decided upon and is to be pushed immediately. Mr. Allen while at Canton by invitation of a friend spent a very pleasant half hour with Gov. McKinley at his home in that city.

   MR. O. A. MANZUR, superintendent of the mechanical department and local editor of the Camden Advance-Journal, called at The STANDARD office to-day. Accompanied by his wife and five children he is to-day attending a family reunion of his brothers and sisters at the home of their mother, Mrs. E. B. Goodelle at McGrawville. It was hoped that the six sons and one sister should all have come together to-day and this would have been the first time in about nineteen years that this had occurred, but at the last moment the oldest son sent word that it was impossible for him to be present.

   MR. P. M. RATHBUN, editor of the Moravia Republican, is in town to-day to attend the music festival and called at the STANDARD office.

Emma Juch.

THE FESTIVAL CONCERTS.

Splendid Musical Successes—Large and Appreciative Audiences.

   The musical festival is this year in some respects proving a greater success than ever before. The members of the chorus are more numerous and their training under the masterful direction of the veteran conductor. Dr. H. R. Palmer, is excellent. It is to be regretted that business so ties up the gentlemen that so small a proportion of the singers is composed of the masculine sex, but those who do attend have strong voices and the parts balance very well. The audiences at the two concerts Thursday were very large, almost entirely filling the Opera House.

   At the afternoon concert the Beethoven Trio club of Syracuse made their first appearance in Cortland and they were enthusiastically received as also in the evening. It is wonderful to listen to the effects produced by so small a number of instrumentalists. Prof. Becker has been in Cortland before and is a favorite upon the violin. His playing is of a remarkably high order, and at the evening concert he was called back for a double encore. Miss McKinstry and Miss Cassavant sang at the afternoon concert. Much interest was felt in both as in possible future residents of Cortland, and both made excellent impressions.

   The playing of the festival orchestra is one of the features of this year's programs. Composed wholly of local talent and all pupils of Mr. A. E. Darby, their playing reflects much credit upon the individual members and upon their teacher and conductor as well.

   The chief interest of the evening of course centered in Miss Emma Juch, the soprano prima donna. Her reputation is wide spread, but her singing more than justifies it all. Her voice is of different quality from that of DeVere Sapio or Blauvelt, both of whom have been here in previous years, and her style is so different, that she can hardly be compared with either, but she simply charmed her audience and the applause was deafening and prolonged. Bows were useless with that audience. They wanted more music and she graciously favored them again and again. Her voice is clear as a silver bell and her compass wide, and she puts heart and soul into her singing, so that the audience feels it all and knows that she feels it too. Her stage presence is so modest, and unassuming and so wholly charming that it greatly heightens the effect of her music. Among all the artists which Mr. Mahan has brought to Cortland in the course of the twenty-two years of these festivals, none can take higher rank in her own line than Emma Juch.

   The programs of the concerts this afternoon and to-night were published in The STANDARD yesterday. A large audience is in attendance this afternoon, and the concert to-night promises to be finest of all. Miss Morgan and Mrs. Powell both appear.