Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-08
A MILITARY CIRCUS.

e suppose there mas never been a scene
combining the military with the circus,
which created as much amusement as the
one witnessed at Janesville on Decoration
Day. The battalion of infantry which
had been recently formed, consisting
Of the two GAINESVILLE companies,
company each from Whitewater, Be-
lott and Delevan, were there, and the
people turned out for twenty miles to
do honor to the dead soldiers, and to look
at the live soldiers. It was necessary for
the field officers to be mounted, and SO the
Colonel, the Adjutant and the Surgeon be.
gan to look about for horses. Colonel
Britton took one of the horses that runs on
the hearse, because he wanted something
steady, and didn't care for style. The
Surgeon took horse that he had driven to
blackboard for years, visiting patients,
and he was fixed. The Adiutant, a glori-
GUS good fellow, felt that his position de-
manded horse that had some git. up. and.
git. So he looked around for a horse that
would paraiyze the rest of the fellows, and
he got it. The Mayor of the city was very
much interested in the success of Decora-
ton Day exercises, and the Adiutant went
to him for advice about horse, and the
Mayor told him if he could get the horse
that Burr Robbins sold to somebody, he
would be fixed, and the Adjutant never
slept till he had secured the horse. The
Adjutant mounted, on the morning OF May
30th, with the assistance of some of the
neighbors, on account OF the morse being
frightened at the uniform and helmet, and
he rode around the back streets an hour or
so to get the horse accustomed to the rider,
and then he rode down on the street where
the battalion was to be formed. The Ad-
iutant rode along towards the soldiers with
his eyes {" steen PAGES in advance, and the
soldiers looked at him with awe. The
Colonel was on the sidewalk, explaining to
the owner of the horse that he would be
back in time so the horse could 90 to
funeral in the afternoon, and when be saw
the Adjutant ride up on the beautiful horse
he wss a little jealous, but he swallowed
his jealousy and eat a piece of lemon peel,
and watched the grand entire. A band on
the right of the battalion began playing
circus tune, when the Adjutant's horse
took a canter and went around in a circle
about the size of a circus ring a dozen
times before he could be stopped, and the
horse looked around at the Colonel as much
as if expecting him to say, "What will
the lady have now?' The fact was ap-
parent to the Adjutant that the horse was
an old trick horse that Burr Robbins had
used with his circus, and he wondered
what the COMPOUNDED horse would do
next. He hoped the band would not
strike up another tune, and he would have
given a million dollars if the horse was
dead. As the horse went around the ring
everybody laughed as though their hearts
would break, and the modest Adjutant per.
spired at every pore, and great drops fell
down on the yellow trolling line which fell
from his helmet and wound around his
manly bosom. Finally he got the horse to
the right OF the battalion, to sauint across
the field to see if the line was straight, and
quietly told the band leader not to play any
more circus music, but to play some waltz
or something sweet that a circus horse
would not notice. As he started to ride
down Il line the band struck up waltz,
and the horse turned around and began to
waltz. be swang down through the first
company, and stampeded the men, while
the company officers rushed for the side
walk. Then he glided along smoothly till
he got opposite the second company, when
he "ssshayed into them, aud away they
| went. The horse paid no attention to the
command Of the Colonel to "giye that calf
more rope" but waltzed into the third
company, when the band stopped playing
and the horse stopped Waiting and looked
around at the Colonel as much as to say !:
"Give US something hard" Everybody
was paralyzsd with laughter, aud the sol.
diers were mad, and if the Adjutant had a
gun be would have put two charges of
buckshot clear through the brute. While
the Colonel and the others were talking it
over, the horse became impatient. He
wanted to do something more. So he
reared up and came down with one fore
foot on dry goods box, and began paving
with the other as though feeling for pis-
] tol to fire off, as he had often done in the
'ring.-> The Adjutant grabbed him by the
mane, toNhsng on, and looked as though he
WON'T sink from chsgrin, but man took
hold of the bride and SACKED the horse
down off the box, and slapped INN under
| the flank with a whip. In the circus this
had been the signal for the horse to kick
up, and he reared up behind aud sent bis
! feet out in the direction Of the battalion.
Thisswss too much for the AGjutant, and
he went over the horses head and landed
on the ground on all fours. He went
through the air as though ne had wings,
and looked beautiful, the Mayor tells us,
but it must have been very annoying. The
horse skipped off, looking for the dressing
room, and as he passed by man driving a
buck. board wagon the horse jumped up
behind with his fore feet, and pushed, Just
as he had been taught to do in the circus
on the clowns wagon. II was sight that
| was worth going twenty miles to see, and
all who saw it were well paid for their
trouble The plucky Adjutant got another