Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-09-14
.REAT MANS ROMANCE.

;REA7 MANS ROMANCE:
LANES FRANKLIN
sa very great mai, me- ed I
i, believe that there arc in the
,rv to day three greater. He. was
; inches high; he weighed trife
4No pounds avoirdupois; his hand,
hone and size resembling a small
was Is inches long; his ponderous
wos 10 inches. If all this did not
Ettute greatness, what more can you
3 was called Gen. Cromwell, and
minated posters on the dead walls,
impossible pictures of him, SO her
ID him. But this, as I afterward
med, was his show name.
was in the days of my youth that I
and became awed by this specimen
uman immensely. He was part-a
te part-of a permanent exhibition
That would, in these progressive and
weren't days, be called freaks" It,
permanent, in the sense that the
HAS on the back lot which hid these
! vels from the vulgar and moneyless
been there a month, and, as the
|rters came nimbly, was likely to re-
tn some weeks yet.
obtained admission often; much
Ener, Ifear, than my youthful finances
That day would justify. But I have
|er repented me of this extravaganza,
It became the means of acquainting
with the great mans story.
NY confession is unreserved, that the
neral became the sole attraction that
W my steps to the show. All the
ers speedily exhausted their charms
N me. The dwarf 1 found on closer
uaintance avery peevish and irritable
lie fellow; the Circassian girl was so
homely that I could not be-
e that she had ever been in the
htest danger of being sold to cruel
ks by heartless parents; the bearded
y was continually putting on coquet-
airs to prove her sex,-but it was
4 apparent that this was merely q
ter of business, probably one of the
litions of her engagement, and ne
;ity to the earning of her salary. As
the tattoed mani turned from him
h disgust, one day, when, in the
rse of not infrequent spat in dull
r, I heard the Circassian positively
use him o. not being tattoed at all;
y stenciled.
tut the General - ali, there was
the slightest false pretense about
/! So grand he looked, dressed
in his rich scarlet uniform,
ssed and Topped with yards of gold
,, with his high polished top-boots
tassels, his huge dangling saber,
high helmet and waving plumes
zen he spoke, his deep-voiced tones
ed up from his chest like a small
nder-clap. But he was SO amiable
gentle, and did SO dearly love to
ok joke with the men and women
. looked up in amazement at him, the
est of whom easily walked under his
arm! I have known him
poke fun at his fellow freaks, and to
r with ,lirth when one of them got
sharp retort on him. He was q
laughing philosopher, whose sense
lumor and appreciation of the fact
t life was really worth living seemed
nave grown with his great growth.
Ny frequent attendance soon put me
terms of easy familiarity with the
at man, and he would chat with me
odd moments. Of course, I was TO
ntic in those days; where is the
It'll without romance? The Generals
e was handsome, I used to think
ugh his features were quite highly
'eloped, and sometimes when he was
ious his big blue eyes looked decid
y pathetic and reminiscent. The
a became fixture in my head tha
great man had a'story which NJ
5ht tell, if he would, that did not re
e to shows and freaks. A good oppor
lity emboldened me to ask him thu
ect question. It was q rainy after
IN, and the canvas had been barre1
business for an hour.
General" I inquired, "were you eve
love?"
Why, the Lord loves you, child
lat put such notion in your head 2
/ don't know. Everybody falls Il
e. I suppose giants might"
he laughed, and returned his sabe'
The scabbard.
Why, I don't mind telling you, to-
ire a clever chap, and sometimes yol
use me. I'll tell you what, my lad
ng there's nothing doing this aft
loon, if you'll run over to the m'
| bring me quart of 'alf-and-'alf