Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-03-15

Every now and then there used 10 /
come around 10 our village some one
horse show. AS general thing these /
shows were held In the village school |
house, that being the only place availa-
bic for the purpose, and ] have a strong
suspicion that the teacher on each OF
these occasions got free tickets. because
generally ON the evening OF the show,
before school was out, the teacher handed
round lot Of long bills announcing the
merits of the exhibition. These bills
were generally about six inches wide
and two or three feet long, and written
in. in ink. was the name OF the place
that the exhibition was 10 be held.
Although the admission fee was gen
orally about ten cents for boys. IL might
as well have been $50. because We didn't
have the ten cents. However, ii was a
cold day when we missed the show. The
first exhibition | ever attended. and one
which though the most wonderful that
the world could produce, was magic
lantern affair, which worked ON the re-
ligious feeling OF the community by be-
ing mostly made up of Bible scenes,
with some very wonderful accompani-
ments, as, for instance, the animals GO
ing into the ark. The ark was shown
there something like big steamboat
with house built on II, and up the
Tang-plank there slid none of the ami
mails could walk the most astonishing
menagcrie that ever was painted ON can
vas. | remember TO this day their jcrky,
slidy motion as the lions. and the lambs,
nd ~. nd h., IA
trichcs, and all the other strange beasts
Of the earth went up the gang-plank
safely into the ark. The exhibition
ended mp with lot OF comic pictures
that had nothing of the religious tone
about them and which were exceeding
~ popular with the boys.
We had different methods of getting
into those shows. show was either a
two-man show or "a one-man show. Some
times there was only one man who did
Che ticket taking until every body was
In, and then went to his place at the
magic lantern and delivered his lecture:
and at another time there were two men
shows-o one man To attend the door and
another to manipulate the lantern We
had a different method for the two-man
show than for the one-man show. When
the onc-man show was in town We knew,
We were all right. The man would at
tend to the door until seven or eight
o'clock, or whenever the performance
commenced and then he would delegate
some one Of the villagers to attend the
door. This was our stronghold. As
soon as The villager took his place
at the door of course We all knew
him and he know us there would
30 short parlcy. lie knew that II
he did not let us in we would raise
particular Cain outside and uobody in
tho audience would have any comfort
while the show was going on 40 he
generally allowed US to steal in quietly.
one by one. on tho promise not Ia raise
a fuss or give him away. Once inside,
Ne were quiet enough. because Ne knew
Nc could not work that racket again
when the next show came If We made
ourselves obnoxious. With the two
men show it was different. We had no
pull on thu foreigner, 50 we had 10 trust
TO our Ingenuity. We soon discovered
that with the two-man show tho man
with the magic lantern was ON the other
side OF the curtain from the audience,
anu INT AaHH MHt AHh#nIth Nftf uNOE
generally stayed down near the entrance
and gave the lecture as the pictures
were thrown on the canvas. To give
this sort Of an exhibition II was neces-
sary TO have very transparent sheet
and to make the shoai the more trans
parent II MAS tho custom OF the show
man 10 have somebody from the tavern
where he stopped come down with n pail
of.wator and a dipner. and then he threw
dippcrfuls Of water On the canvas until
il was thoroughly wet. The hostlur at
the tavern. who was generally expected
TO come up with the pail ot water. was
only too glad 10 have somebody do il in
his place. because he had a freq ticket
Ia the show anyhow. 80 the checklist
OF the party, generally q must say with
out casting any reflections upon the
other boysl. myself. Was delegated to go
FIRST with the water. | always got "a
small tin pail and lipper, and after
two or three dozens Of people were in
the hall. because there were always
some in the village who were very anx-
ious to get in and secure front seats
thorc being no reserve seat business In
those days, | presented myself At thu
door with the water and the pail and
although sometimes my right Ia enter
was questioned, yet Vas generally al
lowed 10 pass through. ! then told the
lecturer that had brought the water
and received a reprimand for not bring.
ing bigger pail. when told him there
would be no trouble in getting all the
water he wanted would sec to that.
80 when the water was slashed on the
sheet took the tin pail down and
handed il 10 the doorman and said:
Cant you git some OF those boys to
run down for a pail Of water?'
"Why cant YOU 90 yourselt7" he
would generally answer,
The man needs me up here unpack
ing and fixing The canvas"
SO the pail would be handed out to a
boy and he would work in the same way.
Once boy got in. he never vent out
again.
The worst sell on rs boys that ever
took place was the Grand Panorama OF
tho IlarFer5s Ferry InsurrcctiOn This
grand panorama cam. round shortly
after the instruction mad taken place
and was u show at the sehool-house. Il,
was represented that the cost Of this
panorama sas something enormous. and
OF course We were all anxious TO see H.
About seven o'clock | presented myself
at the door with the customary pail OF