The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-10
THE CIRCUS AT TOMBSTONE
St. Louis Republican.

It was in 1879 that StOddard>e clf- GUS and great geological exposition visited Tombstone. It was heralded by glaring pictures on the bill boards, dead walls and local papers for more than month in advance. There were pictures of man escaping from the jaws of lion, of woman defeating 8 tiger in a single combat, of a blood- thirsty contest between hyena and a boa constrictor, and of 8 woman rid ing seven horses peil-mell at once. The advent of the show was awaited with interest and with a good deal of impatience.
 It was evident to the natives that the circus was to be an event in the annals of the town. A circus was 8 rare event in those parts. The rail- road was eight miles from Tombstone, and the towns numbered in that re- zion were SO far apart that it would not pay a judicious manager to take a caravan across the country. The cow boys, the stage robbers, the miners, the proprietors, the gamblers, the bull whackers, the merchants, the clerks, the loafers, the ladies of leisure and the gentlemen whose avocations were not described in the directory were on the alert for the great event.
 The show was advertised to appear on the Fourth of July, and among the innumerable attractions pictured on the bill boards was that of a bal loon ascension. AS early as the last days of May, when cowboys and stage robbers parted on the streets, they alleged in the parting adieu that they would meet at the circus. The local papers were filled with the great event for weeks, and all events were dated before or after the circus.
 At last it came. Four wagons, painted in gaudy yellow, preceded by four and followed by two horsemen, appeared in town unheralded about six o'clock on the morning of the Fourth of July, 1879. Tombstone sat up late, and seldom arose before eight or nine o'clock in the forenoon. But when Tombstone was awake there was always hustle. About ten the town was ready for the circus, and so were Charleston, Dos Pesos, Contention, Silver Gulch, Cochise, Poor Lo, Tough Nut, Paradise Lost, Black and Tan, Murphyville and several other towns in the neighborhood that had come to the metropolis of the mining district in force. The manager of the circus called the mayor of Tombstone out of bed at the ungodly hour of eight in the morning to get license to exhibit. The mayor and the alder men had been in executive session the day before, and noting the big prepa- rations for the circus, concluded that there was big money in it, and that a stiff license fee should be charged. Everybody and his wife and children or best girl was ready to attend and plank down coin of the realm to the extent of one head. So the wise city fathers concluded that they would rake some of the win into the city treasury. It was voted unani- mously that the circus people be charged $250 for the privilege of en- tertaining the people of Tombstone and vicinity within the city limits.
 The fun began when the gang found they were not going to see all that had been advertised. The show went on decorously enough for 8 couple of hours. The audience laughed at the clowns chestnuts with all the forms of good breeding. Tho elephant was walked around the ring with the painted clown on top of him, and there was not pistol pulled. The greatest acrobats in the world twisted and tumbled in the arena.
 In fact, every ything went on smoothly until gentleman with a swallow tail coat and his hair parted in the middle came out and made 8 speech, thanking the audience for their attention and hoping that the circus would have the pleasure of entertaining them when next it came around. Now, up to that time there had not been a single man killed inside the canvas. Of course the couple of fakirs who tried to sell reserved seats and special tickets for side show on the outside, and who were promptly shot to death, don't count.
 When the gentleman in the swal- low tail coat announced that the per- formance was over there were mur- murs heard all over the amphitheater. Growing was the order of the day at first. Neighbors communed with each other and said they were victim ized, that they were bilked, that the confidence game was played on them. then Jack Ringo, boss of all the cow boys and rustlers in the region, arose, with his yellow hair in picturesque ringlets streaming over his shoulders, and asked the gentleman in swallow tail, AWhat's de matter wid de man dat was to be chawed by de lion?"
 It was painfully evident that the gentleman in . swallow tail WIS en- barrassed. His supply of words had run short and he cOuld not make au