Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-13
THE RACKET AT THE CIRCUS.
ssObserver,' 0akes a Few POINTS
from the Motley Crowd Present.

ooh, yes," said an old-time Salt Laker,
"those employees and loud takers con-
nected with Barrett's circus are the po-
litest circus followers ever saw. why,
Barrett must have selected them entirely
with the view of quilting the public by
soft Establishments for their manners
are SO guileless and language SO bland,
that they impressed me as being almost
phenomenal. If this new departure
tends to increase patronage, before long
we may expect to see the managers OF
circuses, when they visit our city, open
the performances with prayer. The alb
sense of the usual cut and dried rlbald
jokes-bringing reproach upon the man
agement, as well as the clowns that utter
them-were either purposely or mad
vertently omitted, thereby agreeably dis
appointing long suffering public"
x \
That's all right" remarked a sallow-
faced attorney, "but l think the gross
insults they imposed upon the delicate
nostrils of refined people by allowing
those 'hawkers' to dispose OF the worst
brands of 'stinker' cigars, and then al
lowing men to smoke them IN the faces
of ladies and children-a number OF
whom became deathly sick-brings dis
grace upon the management which this
circusloving people will not soon forgive"
\
"And they didn't do all they adver-
tised," put in gentleman from the coun-
try. "Why, my dear deluded suburban
friend" remarked city hackman, "did
you ever hear of everything they claimed
to do having been done at a circus? have
been to every circus that came to this
city for the last twenty years, and from
my own experience would advise you to
never expect more than one-half they ad-
vertise to do, then you will not be disap-
pointed"
ooh, dearr' gasped blue-looking
Main street merchant, 81 expect l will
have to discharge some of my clerks. The
circus will clean out all the cash that
has been in circulation in this city for the
past two months. 1t is an actual fact
that people will stand Off their grocer
and butcher, and spend the money to go
to the circus. Ii something don't turn up
soon to liven business we will have to put
upour shutters. I've been in business here
for twenty-five years, and l never saw
money SO scarce before"
"That reminds me-" remarked a clerk
in wholesale establishment not far from
the Coop, 'that number of my young
lady friends claimed that it was not fash
ionable to attend the circus, and they
had no intention of going. Under the
circumstances, hardly felt warranted in
asking any of them to accompany me,
and took some small children instead.
Imagine my surprise upon entering the
menagerie tent to find that most of those
who had been denouncing circuses and
circus-goers, had preceded me, and in
many instances were escorted by small
brothers, in lieu of elder escorts. 1 don't
blame them much for changing their
minds but l have lost all confidence in
their sincerity when they bitterly de-
nounce arenic displays"
''Pd like to have had the job to
clean out the whole id lot of them
peanut and prize box pirates" growled
an old Bingham miner. ''Their monkey
chatter of Nice, sweet, cold drink and
Prize in every box actually sets my
teeth on edge. Just as a fellow got inter
ested in some particular feat that was
being performed in the ring, one of them
bowling citric acid and aniline peddlers
would loom up between me and the per-
formers, and I'd feel like breaking few
of the ten commandments and the col
ored water peddler's head at the same
time"