The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-07


 sow and see the carpenter about repair ing the grapevine ,rellis where is was blown dOwn," suggested Mrs, Pe,sigrsw, pleAdingly.
 "Yes'm," replied the youth. "You used to be In the minstrel business, didn't you. Mir. Calkins P
 Pele,iAh Pes,iGrew groaned. not only in spirit, but audibly.
 "Oa, yes" answered the cheerful Cal. kips, "l joined minstrel troupe once. The manager asked me it could sing and told him could sing a little by ear, and gave him sample. When ko; through the manager asked me which ear, ar d when showed it to him he called up the whole company Io look st the ear. Then he went of by himself aud composed what he called Pig Under the Fence song and cast me for the pig ard that was my star part during the engagement. played the bones and used to get of gags with the middle man and ask the tamboutiue end man stale conundrums dug from the ruins of pompeii. Oar advance agent used 10 advance to one CT two towns ahead of us. and then retreat in good order, jus, til time to miss paying any hotel bills Oar show paper and small bills were limited, and the advance agent used to carry along eight Of ten pots oi oolotcd paint to patch up the bills with, and ore 1 day we boarded inc caboose Of freight IrAin, and the agent put his paint pots on the tlouT oi the Car, and the conductor came in with a new pair of lavender pants on and stepped in pot ot verm,Illon paint and spattercd himself up to his lower yes, buttons, and then he tried to kick All the pant pots ou, of the car, and the blue. green, yellow and black flew all over him, and when he had 70; them out he looked like circus clo~a, and swote he could lick the whole party"
 "How h Ms Winecoop's health at present, Mir. Onslaught; inquired tic agoniIed Mrs. re,tigre~.
 Poorly, quite poorly this summer. 1 But whom the I.oid loveth He chastcEeih. Sac knows that she cannot live long but she is perfectly resigned and exhibits the swec,es, Christian spirit of self abnega ton ever saw Hut it's Sad. very sad"
 The last tune VIC played SC had a b;g house, hn, when we came to count noses the hrSt violin and tambourine player were found to be crazy drunk and it took three men to hold one oi them stlll The manager vas out at the door taking in money and tickets and Ii only lacked five minutes of the time to open the barbecue. The cornet soioiSt ran out to a drug store and got some bromide Of potassium t1 sober up the lash, oEes, and by mistake he gave the tambourne player a dose which stretched him cut in the cool oi the evening, and, AS ~e thought in the last agonies of death. As our friend, Mr. Onslaught, says about Mrs. Winecoop. it was sad, very sad We ] got doctor and he said the mat might possibly live ull morning but he was loo far gone to add any hilaIi,y to the even ing entertainment, and just AS we we're going to T'ng up and go on with the show It was discovered that the manager had skipped out, and one of US went out be 1 fore the curtain and told the audience tha, owing to sickness in the family there wouldn't be any performance that eve. nor any other eve, and the holders of tickets yelled for thcir mopey, and theie was no money to give them. Just as one of taose old fashioned aromatic cFgK struck the drop curtain the ho,ei-keepe, with whom we were trying to stop came in and put the coup de kibosh on the whole thing by saying that the manager had eloped with his wife and all the money. That night we slept m box car and the next morning and the cor net soloist stole two violins and a snare drum on back salary, and 1t out home footing it six'y.eight miles across lots through the snow. That little thrilling adventure closed the minstrel business with me for all time. Yes, Mir. Onslaught 1 used to black up sfer san-dewn and wear scare wiR for the cdihcaiion Of the public Bat still am no. proud. had jus, as soon sleep in bed nights as ou, on the ground with horse blanket for a coan,erpaDe, and don't care who knows it."
 Well,p said Mir Onslaught. stihly, and rising. mus, go."
 On, don't be in a hurry, Mir. On- slaught." appealed Mrs. Pet,igrew, "can't