Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-10

sore could hardly do justice to the grub
and we were little late In starting tht
evening performance. Things didn't ct
right from the first blow l hit tie shes D
skin. The largest elepbsnt in tue know
world got cranky in the middle of mis- act
and walked out OF the ring fourisnil g hi
trunk and believing so loud that ever
man in the house pulled his gun and stood
ready TO shoot. The woman with thC
steel Jaw dropped her husband when h
was twenty feet from the ground, ana
he broke leg. The crowd didn't seen
to mind that, ard the action Of the ele-
phant was accepted as something no
down on the bills, and, therefore, rather
pleasant. But the worst was to come
The numbers and contortionists haC
done their little business, and had rur
to the dressing room 10 change theil
rig before appearing 70 Jumpers. The
spring board was put in position
and as the band struck up the jumpers
ran down the spring board, one By one,
took somersauit, and landed on theil
feet"
The old man paused, turned slowly
around as if looking for something in par.
tiCular. Il was the dec&nter. The listen.
er tilted it at q proper angle, and then
handed the historian small wine glass
The contents disappeared and seemed to
touch the proper spot, for the old man,
with greater show Of energy than had
previously been developed, nodded his
thanks and hurried toward the finish.
Catching a glimpse OF the old ssWdus!
ring in the flames, he was carried of TO
Texas. "Oi course you've been TO cir
GUS" he continued, glaHcing across at
his listener. The latter nodded and
smiled. "WeIl, then," continued the
old man, "msYbe you have noticed
that just ss & jumper touches the
ground after making somerset, or two
or three Of 'em, the man with the bAss
drum hits its h6rd-once." The listener
nodded sg&ln. "You may have though;
that the baes drum might just as well
have been kept out of the act? No? Oh,
you didn't think anything about it. That
shsWs how much talent is thrown away
in this world. Let me tell you the
jumpers expect that thump and listen fol
1t, and when man has taken two somer.
sets of high springboard he doesn't
feel safe until he hears the notes Of the
bass drum. Then he knows he hiss
landed, and, If he has struck on his feet
that he is ali right.
"The 'LespIng Deer WAS our prize
jumper. His name on the bills was the
'Leaping Deer His own name was
Bill Mccarthy. His great act was &c
Jump off me board and turn three somer-
sets before he resched the sawdust. He
never could do this act without the bass
At 10 I ho6 20 hf
on hand to give him his cue. He always
wound up the jumping performance with
his three somerset act. When he made
his spring Twas all ready for him, L had the
stick poised and ready to strike. saw
him turn in the air and said to my
self: '0nce.' Then l watched hin
turn sgsin and said: Twice.
always did this 80 & sort OF pre-
caution. l SAW him turn the third time
and thought to myself that he never die
the act In better shape, and then-I dom
know what made me do it hit the drum
with all my might. could feel my hail
rise as heard the old drum boom, fol
the Lespipg Deer wasn't within two
| feet OF the ground. He heard il too, anC
the effect On him was worse than on me
He had been coming down all right unit
he heard the drum. The sound seemed
to throw him ell cut OF shape and NJ
turned again and struck on his head"
"Hurt?" asked the listener.
"Collar bone and an arm broken" re-
piled the old man, "and he didn't come
to for half an hour. 1t wound up the per
Torrance for that night, and it wound me
up to date. How? Why, when the show
closed the woman with the steel jaw said
it WAS my fault that she bungled. The
elephant trsiner said my work on the
drum had driven his beast crazy, and
everybody in the show blamed me fol-
MCCsrthy's accident. He didn't beal
me any ill-will, but he said
il l hadn't hit the drum ahead
of time he'd have landed al
right. The management said 1 had to 60,
and went. l soon got another Job, bui
my nerve was gone. Icouldn't play in
correct time, and pretty nearly broke up
the show. had to go again, but my
reputation got the start of me and ]
couldn't get job. 1 havn't had decent
Job since. Why? Well, il you had PLAYED
the bass drum for thirty years you'd tind
trouble in accommodating youraeh to
anything else, and that's my case"
One more glass, and the old ex -bass
drummer went his way.