Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-02-10

There was circus coming along
to our town, and me and the other boys
was kinder handy-helpin' water the
horses and dOin' chores for the nen-and
we got into the show. Il was the ftlst time
/ ever see circus, and the band, and the
riders and the beautiful woman on calico
horse, was too much for me, partickly af
ter was let in to the Livin' Skeleton and
the Fat Lady. So made up my mind to
run of with this show, and marches up
TO the boss and asked him If he would
take me. What can you do? says he.
'Anythin,' says / mostly drive Well
says he, / want boy to drive the wagon
with the centrepole, and I'll try you
And left the old house and all ten years
ago, and I've never seen 'em sence."
The thinking man paused moment,
and then proceeded:
ut was Dan Rice's Circus-and you
know it was q good show-but it was
hard lines for me, and the beautiful
woman didn't look 80 beautiful every time
l see her afterward, and we roughed 1t all
the while, and I shouldn't have stuck to
it, if we hadn't been trayelin' West. !
thought If went fur enough I might get
to Californy, where the gold was grown.
How about that gold?"
A grim, peculiar smile fitted across q
quarter.section of his face, and ending in
q sheer lost itself in his shaggy beard.
II did leave the business for while,
and Was some years in Csnaday and Wis.
consin, but I always hankered after the
show, and come back to 1t. There was
three of us chums; and, very sing Ter, we
was all named Bill, and they gave us
names to know US apart. l was Centre
hot M
was Canvas Bill, as drove that wagon !;
and Stubby Bill, as was general hand.
We travelled and travelled until we got to
Mound City, in Ioway; and there Stubby
was knitted for something or other in q
row, and died. He and didn't 60 cahoots
80 much as Canvas and me, but we missed
him for all O. that. We see some hubby
life off and on, we did and if was q
youngster I'd rather set up in any. profes-
sion but circus driver, but man can't
always have his 'drathers. Leastwise if
he could, p'r'aps he wouldn't be no better
off,"
1--WE got to Ioway, as l was sayin,' and
the boss was mighty teary one night. He
had swivel-eye, and was hot when he
was drunk; and he give rs particsler
diyiltry, which no man bankers fur If he
don't deserve it, which we didn't; and
that night Canvas comes to me, and says
he, 'Centrepole, hain't goin' to sling
this cart any more And / says to him,
'Whyr No man. says he, can drive
over me with sharp corked horses Which
knew then he meant to leave the show,
and was bound to jine him any way.
And he ssys to me, There's an old pard
of mine here, and he says as how there's
Guv'ment train goln' to start from
Omaha next week, and we can get job
there to 60 out to the Injun country.
Well, Canvas says l, kinder slowly like,
If you goes, goes All right Gays he.
l couldn't help wishin' twas somers else
than the Injun country, for had heerd
them critters was ightnin' to fight, and
ate up the dead 'uns It's all well enough
to stay ct home and talk about it but
when it comes to going, it's horse of
another color" 1g
"You Transfers have strange, wan.
dering life. How do you manage to live
so?"
"Most fellers as comes out here to work
or drive has run away from the East for
Robin or murders. And they can't stay
no one place: it hunts them oil the
time, and they must keep agoin'. But I
never did no such thing. Have you ever
been in the Injun country"
Never in my life; but I have often
wished to-"
"You had better stow that, and keep
out of it. It's temptin' Providence and
many red devils TO 90 there. But as I
was sayin', we squared up with the boss
which there wasn't much comm to US,
as there always is, for we was just
like sailors, and never had q dollar
in the dunnagc- box-and It don't
take much drinkin' and dancin' and
poker to clean Teller out But we
got away from there, and got to Omaha
the best we could-there wasn't any rail-
roads in them days-and Canvas and me
wasn't long in hirin' out ter drive; for
some o. them Guv'ment sojers-partickly
them as has dirty uniforms-has bug
gered smart eye to pick out Teller as
knows his biz, and they see at onct as
how Canvas and me saveyed hosses up to
the Handkerchief it was true, though
say it, for Canvas and me had saveyed
bosses ever sence he was knee high to
snipe-and some o. them drivers didn't
know no more about bosses than dog
does the price of hymn books"
what made you and Canvas such
friends!"
AL, you sec, we naO pduOloO 10"
gether, and was made to 90 in double
harness. Don't you know that Natur'
makes everything in pairs? And some
men gifts married-which never could
sence that city chap carried off 'Melia,
and which is resky, anyhow, cause one or
t'other is bound to kick over the pole or
bust the breechin' but there's some a.
gets to pards, and them's better nor man
and wife. And old Canvas, he onst saved
my life when ! was attached by euchre-
singer in Chicago, which ! sometimes
think he didn't ought ter, a. hain't been
with much to nobody"
"But," said !, "there's always some.
thing for man to do, If he only knows
it."
And the teamster drained his glass, and
answered:
"You're right, there, but it's lucky II
any body can and 1t out, II he ongt gits
down like. You amt getting tired,
are ye? I'll 60 through the rest Ike the
Ten Commandments through . Sunday
School"