Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-05-28

course | am unable to say anything
The men S tent presents a most curious
spectacle in the course, of five minutes
| In the center stands q SORT Of high pedes
tai with small looking.gIasses arranged
on the top. Before one glass stands the
funny clown, applying any amount
of mutton fat to his face and neck be-
fore he puts ON the powdered whitening
and vermillion paint which is to
| give to his face the conventional,
half-ghastly, half comical appearance
which clowns affect. At the next
glass stands a stalwart fellow, with
nothing on but feshings and pair of
high, jack-boots, dyeing bis mustaehe 10
a beautiful black. Peeping over his
shoulder is companion, whose only
garment is supposed to be steel corse-
let, putting at least a quarter of pint
of oil upon his hair. All around are
huge cases; oneflled with breastplates,
another with helmets, others with lances,
flags and banners, and others with great
crimson jack-boots. " Helmet for No.
l0,9 cries the property man, and No.
ITO, perhaps almost in state OF nudity,
makes a short cut to the property man
| by means of ,somersault. Z, lAll. the
performers are required to ride in the
procession 10" Breast-plate for No. l6,"
calls another property man; and No.
l6, who is shaving, nearly cuts a piece
out of his cheek. Down goes the razor,
for the rules against keeping the prop
erty man waiting are very Stringent, as
! found out to my cost Che morning |
rode in the process ion. II was on the
second day of my circus life, and in the
good city of Providence, that / made
my first and last appearance as knight
in full armor in the public streets. My
costume consisted of d corselet and pet
ticoat such as were worn by the old Cru
saders; a steel breast-plate, steel he'll
met. with visor and nodding splumes,
and pair of large crimson boots reach
ing to the knee, The property man
also furnished me with a gigantic battlel
ak, and gave me very brief instructions
as TO how ! should carry it. 49,.
sMRfNsf*4 sN IVA" N5sl|
THE BELLIGERENT PROPERTY MAN.
The thermometer stood 85 degrees,
and the rays Of the sun shot down on
the polished surface of the helmet with
such intensity that felt as if my head
was being roasted. l am sure that |
could have steamed potatoes inside
that helmet, or broiled a portershouse
steak on the outside of it. 1t was q
patent cooking-stove on a small scale
generating, as the stove-founders say
in their advertisement, an immense
amount of heat with absolutely no con-
sumption of fuel. And l endured that
agony for one hour before we returned
to the tents, when i IEtook the first op-
portunity to feel if my hair was singed.
Like camel, l rushed for a bucket Of
water, threw my helmet on the ground,
and dashed my head under the water.
The next moment / lay sputtering at
full length upon the ground, with
the sensation that a cannon-ball had
struck me somewhere near the re-
gion of my heart. | picked myself up
slowly and confronted that awful prop
ertyrman. 1t was he, and not cannon
ball, who had knocked me down.
: You re nice sort of cuss, to go chuck
ing the properties about like that" he
exclaimed, as he picked up the helmet
and strobe away. Fortunately for me,
my friend had so much to attend to that
he hadn't time to knock me down again
Otherwise / think he would have done
so; for he was very angry, stood about
six feet two inches, and was very pow
erfully built. AS soon as the company
had resumed the costume of the nine
teenth century they all hurried to the
different hotels to which they were as
signed-some to snatch an hours sleep
before dinner, others to write letters,
and others, again, TO lounge about and
smoke. retired to my room to see if
any of my ribs were broken.
n. a a 4