, 1884-11-14
4 FIGHTING CIRCUS
a LIveiY ExpsrIones - .srerrrbIy
Wearing for otroas men"-Hows
Every FIfteen nfInutes-Go-
Ing TO TbeIr Death.


snRagod in the riot down In Burr Oak the
5thor day, Is getting along now on crutchss,
70 % speak Its season has been ono Of
.arnngs from first 10 last, and few OF the
man who started ont with IL are now OF the
party.
We've burisd one clown, p said the boss
sAnvnsman hero, "two teamsters. aud three
canvHsmen, and there arc I don't know how
many IN tho hospitals along the route. II
has bssn "a hard senson, The boss msy nave
made money, but the men haven't
The performances in this town we're about
The only orderly ones which the show has
given in a month. Many OF the performers
we're disabled, and most Of them wers 4 little
~wild-eyed, but things went smoothly enough.
Tho crowds were large and good natured
Things look worry different here aid Jim
Knight, thu door-teuder. waving his hand
toward the wcll-flled tent, from what they
Rave In most Of the towns where we've been
this summer. This laughing and shouting
does me good 1t sounds like old times. As
a rule We expect the fighting TO begin about
now.
at would take me a week to tell you what
this show has been through since we started.
We caught It the hrst night, and that's a bad
sign. | naver knew a circus to got into
trouble the first night without going through
the season that way; but no other show ever
got II the way we have. I've been tending
door for sixteen years. and l know what Pm
talking about. I've carried . Winchester in
every town until l struck this one, and I'd
nave done It here out OF habit II the city
marshal hadn't told me IL wasn't necessary.
up here in S~pringwells l took my seat on
the box, with the rife between my legs, when
the marshal tapped me on the shoulder and
said he didn't allow anybody to carry rifles
IN that town but himself. l told him | had
no desire to carry the gun, except for protsc-
tion, and that II he would guarantee me that
l would put 1t away. He drew himself up as
high as DO could and naid, with great gravity,
that be never compromised with law break
ers. II / didn't put up the weapon ha would
have to pull the show. VOL, 1 didn't want
any trouble. 50 l Carried the weapon Into the
dressing-room, leaving him to guard the
door during my absence. While I was gone
he let about twenty roughs In without t.ok-
cts. ] found this cut. and undertook to
bouncs them They resisted. and we had it
right there In the ring. Finally the boss
camo around and told Us to let thsn alone.
The performances began just then, and
nothing more was done about It. When we
came TO leave town we found a mob follow
ing us. ard 10 soon as we got out on the high
way they let US have 1t with stones, clubs,
and fists It was a bad scrape, but va
Managed TO get away whole. The trouble
with that gang, though, was that they fol-
lowed III for ebout q week, and never let up
until We had killed one of them. It's terrible
wearing for circus men TO be hunted In that
way. Our work Is lard enough at best, but
with those fellows on our trail wo didn't dare
10 sleep.
when We got clear of them the boss went
around and said; Now, boys, this thing Il
over with. Let's don't get into any more
scrapes They don't pay. Stand everything
but murder. We must get along with thesa
people and humor Them We all agreed that
that was the best policy, and the nexi
town we showed in we wore all smiles and
humility. Tint was at Wellington. Thing,
appeared TO be going all right. was at tbs
door taking tickets, when l heard a terrible
Eoise over in the side-show, and pretty soon
there was a stampede of men, women and
children outof the door and under tho canvas
Then there were half a dozen shots and some
terrible yells. / got one of the men to stay
at the door while l went over to the side
show to SEQ what was the matter. Or
presenting myself at the door, I found q
cowboy in charge, and l had 10 pay him Z
quarter before I could get in. Once inside,
saw a sight that made my hair stand OF
end. Six or seven cowboys had gone In t
whip the Norwegian giant, and they hac
done II. He lay on his back. and they hnc
the other curiosities in a procession marching
around him, while one Of them was turning
the hand organ Igot the thing straighteneC
out after a while, and tho performance II
the main tent went on
rDown in Chiffon we had a eight before W,
had driven a stake, ann rows occurred ever
fifteen minutes during the day and night
We lost two men there and got out Of tow
badly crippled AT Decatur we found
crowd that insisted on sitting ON the ring
and when one of our riders drove a little TO,
close TO them, they began to chase the per
formers out Of this ring Thing
quisted down after a little, and tn
show went along all right to the end. whei
We were packing up at night, the tough
came for US again, upsetting wagons, an
betting the mon over the head. or cours
we would not submit TO that sort OF thin
very long. Dur men pitched In, and we hal
about the meanest flight of the year. Tn
roughs had knives, and they sliced a few o
Us in bad shape, but we also laid a lot o
them out. We never stopped TO inquire n
to the fate of any of them. We got. GU
wi men together and started, leaving
broken wagon behind
San thess fights como from whisky, but
very lively disturbance that broke up GU
performance over In a little Missouri tow
wns directly due 70 the bottle. The Glow
and the ring master were getting of tina
old Joke OF betting e bottle OF whisky. Tn
crowd appeared 10 be deeply interested
After a little. when the ring master lost
the clown insisted on having the stake, an
the former sent to tbs dressing room for til
bottls. As the clown took 1t from tn
hand OF the ~attenisn. he pulleI
the cork, gulpel down half a dozsl
swallows, smacked his lips, gasped. rubbe,
himself with the bottle, and then put IL b
his mouth again. lust then somebody In tn
audience yelled out, Hold on there; give m
Just a smell OF thatli The clown paid no at
tsntlon 70 the interruption untn be saw
big fellow climbing over the ropes, and then
he ran to the other side of the ring. Tn
rngmastsr, noticing the intruder, wound hi
long whip around hia legs, and a momen
later thero were twenty men on top of him
We came mighty near having a murde
right there, but tho killing was postpone,
until after we got to packing up. That's th
time they always jump on Us ugly
-We have fought our way through Kansas
and we are going of to the southwest. l
we can get "a a few days Of rest like this Il
Caldwell wen be In pretty good shape for
tour in that country. l don't know what
getting into the people. II the folks dow
that way are as much worss than they use.
70 be as the Nissourians and Kansans ars
We nrs going to our death, and l know it"
Ths only thing an Arab won't steal i an
9ther mans religion.