Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-06-05
". G. 4. u. NOTES.
OUR NATIONAL CIRCUS.

towns, and of the farming people set
tied around each village. first and
foremost is the circus, and autumn is
its favorite season for appearing. The
chill winds which make the festive
picnic and barbecue become things 81
the past, bring as recnmpense the cir
els, on its way TO warmer Southern
chimes, and gorgeous advertisements
which decorate walls and fences come
to town with autumn's first breath;
and while woods and fields are illum-
ined with bright leaves and golden
flowers, our streets blossom in the col
ors of the rainbow, and tell of the
Most Colossal Aggregation of Mag
nific,ut Wonders the Universe has
Ever contained" Then il is the small
boy saves his dimes, and he who has
none becomes suddenly industrious in
the fear of not laying the requisite adj
mission 10 the charmed tent. An
then, too, the "old boys" think that
they really must take the children to
see the animals" But when, a last
the day comes, and the street parade,
with its brass band and wonderful
charlots appears, every one decides at
once, that of course they must go,
Just this time. And 90 they do.
great and small, and witness the same
performances, and laugh at the same
old jokes which they have seen and
heard time and again.
Some of our good people Who think
it lmost a sin 10 attend circus, and
are Mortified at the thought of going
To one, do not know that they are at
tending circus every day of their
lives, and sometimes assuming the
role of actor therein. Our National
Circus, which is conducted 10y the
great Liquor Leagu-, that employs
thousands of actors from every station
of life, is giving performances daily.
Their street parade is not the occur
renee of an ever-present advertising of
the business from the glittering bar
rooms of fashion to the lowest groeg-
cry or drunkard on the street.
The tickets to this circus are meas
ballots, which not only entitle their
owners to be spectators, but also to
take part in the performance, if they
so desire. Woman are only allowed
to use complimentary tickes, and have
no right to take part in the show, Or
object to any part of the performance.
All that is required of them Is that
they occupy reserved seats, look smil-
ing and happy, and be Fed on the pink
lemonade and peanuts of f1attery,
which is generally their only share in
the profits of the great concern.
But women from their reserved seats
have an excellent opportunity to wit
ness the many performances of the set
Ors, which, from the grand entree to
the close of the concert, are truly WON
derful. The high license trapese sup
ports some daring and brilliant acre
bats, and til cir feats we watch with |
hated breath, fearful lest they should |
fall from their dangerous positions.
The trained dOnkeysn excite our ad- |
miration when we see them so cheer |
(the political "boss'O for they ren:em-
Der the choice morsel which is the re-
ward of obedience. With what dex-
terity the ringmaster, the National
ton, whips up the two fiery chargers
i'm the race-the Democratic and Re-
publican parties-and how timidly they
feel at his command, while the clowns,
generally rednosed politicians, crack
their stale jokes, chief favorite among
them being "Prohibition doesn't pro-
hibit.n
Then come the men who are so not
ed for turns and contortlons of mind
as well as body, that We can be sure
they possess no such article as back
bone. The performers on the tight
rope, most of them very tight indeed,
how wonderful! Perhaps you don't
care for to stay for the concert, which
is sometimes quite tragical frequently
having murder for the main feature
of the entertainment? The side shows
of court-rooms, insane asylums, poor
houses and PRISONS, are always enter
tanning, and so is the menagerie, with
its fine collection of "blind tigers"
'snakes," and "biled Owls'
In our town, business in the large 4
tent, the salO0n. has been closed be-
cause the audience objected to some of
he performances. and then, too, the =
turned his trained animals,
md occasionally a fierce, wild one
oose on the streets, until it became
unpleasant, and sometimes quite dan
yerous to walk out. In justice,
though, / must say the people never
rested until the lion-tamer (the town
secured the dangerous ami
nal, amt in such case | have seen
hundreds of our country's brave men
walk in triumphant procession after
he muttering, growing animal with
his keeper. With happy, smiling faces
hey saw him securely fastened in the
age, and then returned to their en-
pigments until the time arrived for
another to be turned loose. But after
| time in which a few of the people q
lad been protesting and preaching Y
md praying. the saloon was condemn
'd and vanished.
But for fear of too extreme dizziness.
ye still have drugstores doctors. and
temperance saloon for side-showS,
md many amusing and strange tricks =
# magic are displayed to our astouish-
81 eyes that of obtaining prescrip-