The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-25
HIS FATHERS BONES
a Serious Looking Man Puts in Q
Claim for the Showman's
"sSkiletin.o


At the Louisville exposition an ingeniously
arranged skeleton dances on a platform,
keeping perfect time with the music. The
other day, during a performance Of the
skeleton, a serious looking man rushed for
ward and exclaimed:
Hold on, cap'n. Take the string often
that skeleton an let him lie down awhile"
The exhibitor paid no attention, and the
man exclaimed; Turn that skilletin loose. n
"l wish you would keep quiet the exhib.
itor replied.
Keep quiet, tue deuce. This is no time to
keep quiet. l want hat s~killetin, an I'm
goin' to have itt'
"lf you don't keep quiet, I'll have you
elected" the exhibitor said, with a firmness
that left no doubt In the minds of the audi
ence that he meant exactly what he said.
You don't understand the relationship be-
tween me an that skilletin, F" the man re-
marked with emotion. Listen to me. My
father al'ers teached me"
He did't teach you grammar" said the
exhibitor.
Never mind about grammar. I've got
facts, an grammar an geography can't hold
a light TO facts My father alters teached
me that 1t was wrong to dance. Many a time
has he quit preachin' and came to "a shindig to
make me stop shakin' my feet. Finally, l had
so much respect for him that [ quit dancin',
an for years now ! nave been deprived of
the pleasure Now. 1 see that | have been
imposed on. IL he wouldn't allow me to
dance, blamed IL | ought to allow him, an
dinged If / am goin' to do it,"
81 don't understand you" said the exhib-
itor, becoming Interested.
81 reckin' not, but you will. That slzilletin
Is my father Iic was buried out here in
Brothet county. an because he was a fine
lookin' man, Of shape, the doctors dug him
up. They tuck him away, scraped his bones,
strung 'sm together. and sold 'em to you.
Now you are making him do jest what he
KEEP ms from dom. It's wrong, cap'n, to
make n preachers skilletin dance in a side
show. Take him down an let me put in a
few ticks The old man has had the advan-
taSe for many years, an now blamed If /
don't want q show, but aside from that,
caP'n, ! do think that it is wrong to
mako tho s~iilletin Of a preacher
lance. specially when the preacher
in life was opposed to shakin' the
foot. Give me the old man an I'll go an
bury him. It's a shame to keep him up SO
late for he alters did believe in goin' to bed
'arly. Hend him here, podner, an with a
solemn feeiin' let me put him away. You
may have bought him, an may lose by the
transaction, but consider the feelin's of a
devoted son. How would you feel if your
father was made to dance in a side show
Wouldn't you feel like maulin' tho fddlers
an mnshin' the dancin' marsterl Gimme the
old man an let me take him home to his
grief struck family. Let my mother an sis
ters bend over his wired bones an sob. You
have never been placed in my position, /
reckin. 1 don't suppose you ever saw the
aged skilIetin of your honored father
stand up mn dance for the amusement
Of white sfollss an niggers. The
appeal that | make to you is from the tender
est part Of my breast. Look how reckless
the old man is made to shake his leg. He
suffered from rheumatic in life, an don't you
know that it is wrong to make him caper that
wayi l am nppcalin' to a humane sympathy
and he s~orrowfully leaned on the edge of the
platform. - am directin' my remarks to
people that have had fathers. I want to know
If there's u man in this crowd that would
like to see the skilletin OF his father git up
here an kick up his fleshless heel-bones for
the amusement of a gigglin' crowdi What
would you think, sir, " turning to the editor
of an Arkansaw ~wspape IF you were to
find your fntler dancing here instead of
quietly sleeping in his graver'
III the old man wanted to Dance" replied
the editor, I'D let him dance; but if he
Iidn't, I'd take him down"
"But know that my father didn't want
10 dance"
"Then I'd haul him off the box.n
Believe I'll do it. Here, Snowman, take
the old man down an let me bury him. I've
stood the thing as long as l can. My family
can stand much, but it cannot be ridiculed
after death, and he reached over and seized
the shank of the skeleton. The exhibitor
called loudly for the police. and the man who
had shown such respect for his fathers bones
was taken away. 1t is thus that civilization
moves backward A feeling of this kind
'aIused Thackoray to stop on the street and
contemplate u turtle on whose back was
posted the announcement. Turtle soup to-
uIorruw