The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-12-24

l lighted-the cats were furious-johnson was beside himself with joy, and ham, mered away at the keys with all his 1 strength, making, with the aid of the choir and the plaudiis of the audience, concord" of diabolical sounds never heard before on this side Of the internal regions Unfortunately, in his delirium he forgot the strength or weakness of the bellows which supplied the organ with wind, and which he worked with his foot. He had not reached the end of the song when the leather gave way and brought the performance 10 sudden close, the cats alone continuing the song or noise till one after another they became silent and stood winking and blinking at the spectators, in mute fear off recommence- ment of the torture
 Curtis now approached, and after ex- amining the extent of the catastrophe, addressed the audience
 Gentlemen" said he, .'the biler--I mean the bellows-is busted, and thocon- cert can't go ahead tonight Tomorrow I'll have the bellows mended, and give another concert, introducing choice clas- sical songs, melodies, etc. Anybody that wants his money returned to-night"-here he was interrupted with No. no '" "..Hur- rah for Curtis Never mind the organ " Go ahead with the cats .'' :. Give us Old Hundred with the varia,ions.'' and storm of similar exelamations, accompa- nled with shouting, stamping, whistlin2 and dcat-calling-Curtis all the time stand ing twirling his hat and trying to be heard. A stentorian voice sholled !" Tl.see cheers for Curtis," which were given in earnest. and literally brought down the house, or rather the staging on which the audience sat and stood IL fell with crash. luck fly doing no further harm than the bark ing of few shins
 \ moments silence followed, and then another:outburst of laughter. mingled with swearing and blows. which soon became one of those free fights such as ended most public gatherings, stump speaking. camp meetings. etc, in those primitive and happy times. The boys now began to pelt the cats with pieces of broken benches; and Curtis, fearing for the safety of his pets, and unable to rerhove them bodily from the scene of danger. lifted of tine upper blanks which confined their nee ks in their place. and set them at lib- erty. The terror-strieken creatures darted away Tn every direction. mostly among the feet of the spectators. adding to the confusion. Whoops. yells, hurrahs and shouts were followed by general smash up of benches and windows. The boys. running down the stairs. raised the cry of fire.
 Citizens and watehmen crowded the street to learn the cause of the uproar. and the engines found difficulty in getting near enough to perform their part of the work. There was no sight of fire. not even of smoke, but the old. Liberty No. ," could not afford to come all the way down there tor nothing. so she poured delupe ot fresh water through the front window. drenchng the whole crowd inside to the skin in a half minute. Peace was re- stored instantly. and the late belligerents came rushing and tumbling pell-mell down the stairs. The watchmen finding that there was more laughing than swear lns, and that no one had received any worse hurt than black eye or d bloody nose, let them all go without making any arrests.
 Thus ended Curtis grand cat concert, an event that was talked of and laughed. over for many years by the jolly boatmen of the Ohio. its projector was ordered to appear before the mayor next morning and explain the cause of the riot. and it is said that his honor burst off some of his buttons laughing at Curtis description oS the scene. He was let of with the admos' nrtIon 10 do so no more. and he didn't. He went back to his workshop the mex, day-a wiser man. and soon forgot his disappointment in some new scheme which his active brain matched out-a fly ing machine or something of the kind. But. to his dying day. he avowed that. but for the bursting of his bellows. his eatharmonioon would have made him the richest man in Cincinnafi = 2 rck,nr.