The Bossier banner., 1890-03-06

ing olSBeF pail, when told him there
would be no trouble in getting all the
water he wanted-I would see to that
90 when the water was slashed on the
sheet l took the tin pail down and
handed it to the doorman and said;
can't you git some of those bows to
run down for pail of water?"
why can't you go yourself?" he
would generally answer.
The man needs me up here unnaclx-
ing and fixing the canvass
90 the pail would be handed out to a
boy and he would work in the same wav.
Once boy got in, he never went ont
again.
The worst sell on us bows that ever
took place was the Grand Panorama of
the Harper's Ferry Insurrection. This
grand panorama came round shortly
aIter the insurrection had taken place
ana was 20 show at the sehool-house. It
was represented that the cost of this
panorama was something enormous. and
of course we were all anxious to see II
About seven o'clock presented myself
at the door with the customary pail of
water.
Whats that forP" said the man at the
door. Wv
'For?" I answered, ''why, it's for to
wet the canvas"
Wet the canvas!'' cried the man. in
astonishment. ''What are you going to
wet the canvas for?"
"Why," said, ''they always wet the
canvas
ssI 0ueSs Won +bix1 +A.
lantern show" said the man, with in
dlgnation. mo, my boy, that dodge
don't work. These paintings are painted
right on the canvas, and this is a grand
moving panorama Of the Harper's Ferry
lnsurrection, and you don't get in with
no pail of water past me-
There was gloom and detection amoug
the boys when the nature of the show
was made known to them. We had no
time to make new plan of campaign,
and the man at the door was inexorable.
At last our agony was intensified by
hearing the lecturer begin his discourse.
and we on the outside. 1t was summer
and the windows were open, and we
could hear what he said as he pointed
out the beauties of the pictures showing
Harper's Ferry, and this set US wild. II
was agreed, however, that if we didn't
have any fun out of the show the rest
of the people shouldn't, and so we set up
the awfulest yell and howl that ever was
heard in that district. The school-house
was Of wood with siding on it, and by
means of a stick we could make the most
frightful noise down along these clap
boards, and soon it became evident that
the lecturer inside was not able to make
himself heard. He was very indignant
at this and threatened to stop the ex-
hibition, but somebody told him that if
he did stop it he would have to give back
the money and so there was saw-off on
that. Finally he said:
''Isn't there enough people here to put
a stop to this racket?"
The constable rose and said that if he
would stop the panorama for a minute
he would goout and see what could be
done.
There's nothing to be DONE" said the
lecturer, except to arrest the crowd; |
that's whatought to have been done long
ago"
the mob, and as soon as he heard that |
his father was coming he cut under the |
school house and hid. The constable |
came out and said that if we didn't quit |
this noise he would arrest the whole |
crowd of US. I suggested that he would |
have to catch us first, which view of the |
subject seemed to commend itself to |
him, and then one of the boys said: |
"Now, it's just like this, we are going to |
see that show else the folks amt agoing |
to hear it."
''Well," said the firm constable, s'I'll |
go and talk to the man at the door and
see what he can do"
So he went 20 the man at the door
and they had confab, and the con-
stable told him that he was powerless in
the matter and the best thing he could
do was to let usin-there were only half
a dozen of US anyhow, the worst boys in
the town, he said, and II he allowed us
to come in every thing would go along
quietly.
So the constable's son crawled out
from under the school house and the
rest of US got in and saw the great NOV
ing panorama of the Harper's Ferry in
painted on the canvas.
think the worst disaster that ever
took place in the show business in that
village was the affair at the acrobat
show. There came to the village a
troupe entitled the Royal Acrobats and
Grand Spectacular Exhibition of Com
5ortionist Wonders. The Marvel OF the
Age" This combination was refused
5he use of the sehool-house. They had
40 pictures of the flood or the animals
going into the ark, and their show was
1ot historical panorama that was ed
1cating and elevating in its tone, so the
trustees agreed that it was not at all
,he sort of thing to encourage, and they
'efused to allow them into the school
house at all. Some years before man
lad started to build in the village ,
avern that was so evidently too big for
he place, that people wondered at such
reckless waste of money. He almost !
completed the downstairs part of the /
'difice, when his money gave out, and
or several years this building stood a
nonument to the recklessness of the
,uilder. The doors had been boarded