CIRCUS: The Era headline of June 28, 1937 said, “Tom Mix Show Pleases Here.”

The circus, led by the movie cowboy from Cameron County, held two performances in Bradford.

“An elephant that walked a tightrope; “Poodles” Hanneford and family, noted comic riding stars; Ray Goody, a superb tightrope performer; Miss Erma Ward, petite star of the flying trapeze and a big group of other top-notch circus performers pleased two fair audiences here yesterday as the Tom Mix circus exhibited at the Seaward avenue show grounds under the auspices of the McKean County Shrine club.

“Every act on the program pleased but it was Tom Mix himself that made the biggest hit with circus fans. The famous screen western star received a great ovation at both performances as he led his performers around the hippodrome track in the opening spectacle. And he returned a short time later to score heavily with a sharp-shooting act and as the director of two liberty horses.

“One of the outstanding features at the show was the beauty of the group performing and riding horses which appeared numerous times on the track and in the three rings.

“With the exception of Mix, probably the most interesting part of the program, at least to the juvenile part of the audience, was the work of the clowns, who offered their bits of nonsense throughout the two-hour performance.

“Miss Erma Ward, sister-in-law of Mix, and a noted performer in her own right, scored heavily in two appearances, once on the Roman rings and another time on the flying trapeze. Ray Goody staggered, stumbled, danced and turned somersaults on a slender wire thread to finish amid a burst of applause from the crowd.

“The performers throughout were well-costumed and well trained and kept the show moving at a rapid pace.”

The circus folded in 1938. Mix died in an automobile crash in Arizona in 1940.