The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-10-03
A POPULAR PETITION.

Tow Little Johnny Brought tho Circus
10 Kentucky Jim'S.
The whole country south OF Ken
lucky Jin's mining camp was ablaze
with circus posters. Every bit OF fence.
every tGmble-down. deserted miners
cabin between Sligo and Wild Cat
which could BY any possibility be made
to hold scrap Of paper, became bill
board. Johnny Hunter had Toasted on
them all with eager eyes as he rode
about the country with his father.
There were pictures OF big. spotted
African giraffes. eating leaves from the
topmost boughs Of tall trees; elephants.
with feet like door-stones and great
swinging trunks; big and little ponies
in brilliant trappings. standing on two
legs. making ladders Of themselves.
sitting at table. and performing the
most amusing tricks. There were fe-
rocious tigers. and white bears on big
blocks of ice. and wolves and lions.
and man sitting right in the den with
them. And there was big cage 0!
chattering monkeys and parrots with
red. green and yellow feathers. Best Of
all were the wonderful ring perform
ances, where Il man WAS flying through
. trapcze. and six others making an
Obelisa Of themselves. and n man in red
and green being fired out Of big can
non.
Then there was a procession OF gold
chariots. and ladies in beautiful clothes
riding on horseback. and troops of
Shetland ponies, and brass band. and
q man playing on steam piano
Johnny. who had never been twenty
miles from Kentucky Jim's and who
had never seen a travelling show Of
any kind. much less gorgeous circus
like this, Rugged himself with ecstacy.
Not many bills were posted very near
TO Kentucky Jim $. for the circus was
TO exhibit ut a town forty miles away.
and 1t was hardly probable that
many could 60 that distance. In par
ticular. Johnny knew very well that he
was not going. Mr. Hunter was SUI
perintendcnt Of three mining camps,
and rs busy as man could well be.
from morning TO night. johnny would
never be permitted to go SO far alone
though he would willingly have walked
from KENTUCKY Jim's to San Francisco
TO see these wonderful sights. had his
father consented.
Johnny thought it all over very care
fully as he rode along by his father )
SiIo hnn,,fff,,l
tain road. Tall pines lowered above
them. Smooth barked manzanita
cleaned from thickets by the waysidc.
| and sweet odors of mountain pinks
waited their fragrance to the passer-by.
Mr. Hunter had business with one of
the oycrseers at the mine, and Johnny.
catching the word ''circus." listened
with all his might.
They thought, SIR the man was
saying. If we drew up petition you
might see fit to let us of for one day.
And the men have been kept over
hours since we turned the water on the
Big Lead. Here is the petition SIR.
Johnny looked on with eager eyes
lie had never heard Of a petition be-
fore. but II it was anything that would
help r boy to the circus. he meant to
| hay. one.
The man handed Mr.. Huntington a
long sheet OF paper, at the head 0l
which was written. in bold letters.
something beginning, I'VE, the under.
signed. respectfully request that we be
allowed etc. etc. Then followed a
long list of names
MIR. Hunter shoo.s his head regret
fully.
III it were not SO far away. Math
thcws. we might arrange it. But the
men would hardly be able to get back
to WORK before noon OF the next day, and
We must be ready to clear up by
Thursday. Tell them am sorry, but
it can't be helped this time And Mr.
Hunter fastened of down the hill where
y heavy stream II water from an eight
inch pipe was playing. with tremen
dous force, on the opposite sand bank
and washing the rich gold soil down The
tunnel.
| johnny seated himself on a smooth
gray rock and began to white of
clean, beautiful pipe-clay shavings, al
the time thinking very hard on a Crane
scheme.
| Presently he jumped up. iii do it.
he shouted. And away down the hill
he ran to his father.
The result of the conference was tina
Johnny went over to the oyerseer's lit
tie cabin. and had II long consultation
with Mr.. Matthews. And when John
ny came out he carried large roll 0
paper. on which were written thes,
words: I'VE. the undersigned. resi-
dents Of Kentucky Jim's and vicinity
respectfully request Mr.. Montgomer,
King. manager of The Greatest SHOW
on Earth that he bring his circus I,
this town, and we promise him here
with our hearty support
At noon the miners gathered aroun,
the overscers cabin, signed the papc
to man. Of to Big Butte drove Mr.
much excited boy by his side. OF cours
all the Big Butte men wrote thei
names on the petition with great enthu
iasm. Several begged to sign twice
but Johnny would not allow that. Eve
Ching Wan Lang and Hop Skip Hi, tn
proprietors of the Chinese laundry
signed it. when they were made to ur
derstand that circus was like the big
gest kind OF ''devil-driving. TIL
list grew and grew. Every man, VIZ
man and child who would promise t
support Mr.. Montgomery Kings gran
show was allowed to write his name O
the great paper. Johnny had bus
dav. and was scarcely through whs