ANIMAL WALK A PART OF CIRCUS TRADITION

Cape Girardeau today will bask in a bit of nostalgic Americana with the arrival of "The Greatest Show on Earth," reliving nearly 200 years of tradition.

Elephants, camels, llamas, horses and a host of other animals that are part of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus will parade along Broadway and Sprigg streets, en route to the Show Me Center. There, the circus will perform four shows Tuesday and Wednesday.

The "animal walk" will begin at about 5 p.m. The 44-car train that hauls the circus animals and performers is scheduled to stop in Cape Girardeau early today.

The animals will unload at the intersection of Broadway and Water streets. In all, more than 50 animals will be led through the streets of Cape Girardeau.

Since the heyday of the great railroad shows of the 1880s, townsfolk have been intrigued by circuses.

The first American circus was presented in 1793 at Philadelphia's newly built amphitheater, with President George Washington in attendance. The tradition continued for nearly 40 years, until enthusiasm for the circus street parade began to wane shortly after the end of the World War I.

During the heyday period, Barnum and Bailey introduced the first three-ring circus in 1881. That show subsequently merged with the Ringling Brothers to form "The Greatest Show on Earth."

This year, the show is celebrating its 120th year and will make only its fifth stop ever in Cape Girardeau. The last time the circus was here was in 1968.

But, in 1912, before its merger with Barnum and Bailey, Ringling Brothers Circus triggered a frenzy of excitement in Cape Girardeau with the announcement of a September performance.

Newspaper accounts from the era revealed the city's excitement over the renowned show's visit. The Cape Girardeau Republican reported in a Sept. 9, 1912, article:

"As the days draw near, impatience of young and old increases. Special excursions from outlying towns are to be run, and the indications are that the day will be a record breaker for crowds and enthusiasm."

The newspaper said that since the Ringling Brothers Circus' previous visit to Cape Girardeau in 1898, the show had been expanded and was "first in the field with everything that is novel and big."

In 1912, the circus undoubtedly was the biggest entertainment event in the city and many people traveled from throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois a day in advance to see the spectacle.

The Republican reported that the circus also brought a number of "undesirables" to town. "(T)he fakers and cripples were here in due time, and at an early hour the little red balloon peddlers and the one-legged moochers were in much evidence," the paper reported.

The Republican also reported that strings of wagons could be seen coming to town the day of the circus parade and that a steady stream of automobiles "kept the road hot" between Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

Trains reportedly hauled additional coaches into the city and the ferry and other boats between Cape Girardeau and Thebes, Ill., brought full loads throughout the day.

Many businesses placed barrels of ice water outside shops to help relieve the throngs of people in town to see the circus.

But despite the excitement and anticipation of the event, the newspaper reported that railroad delays canceled the planned 1912 circus parade. The Republican called the circus a disappointment.

It said that the show lacked "the startling features that one would expect to see at Ringlings."

Also, one of the circus' Arabian camels became sick and died in the city, despite the best efforts of a New York veterinarian brought to Cape Girardeau to try to cure the animal.

According to the newspaper account: "Animal men say that no one can cure an Arabian camel but an Arabian camel doctor. In Arabia, a camel doctor is supposed to have special powers that are possessed by no others and they are looked up to in religious circles."

But Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey's organizers aren't expecting any such setbacks this year with their Southeast Missouri performance.

Today's animal walk will include 17 elephants, 39 horses, 14 baboons, six tigers, two lions, one wolf, two bears, two hyenas, four llamas, three camels, five leopards, one rhinoceros, three goats, a skunk and a chicken.

Some of the animals, including the elephants, will be housed in tents outside the Show Me Center during the circus' two-day run.

This year's show is all new and features high-wire acts, world-class acrobatics and, of course, lots of clowns.

Performances will be June 11 and 12 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Show Me Center box office and all area ticket outlets. To order tickets by phone, call the Show Me Center at 651-5000.