The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-08-15
HEY, RUDE! HEY RUBEi
A BUSINESS CRY OF THE OLD
CIRCUS DAYS.
'sIIsy, Rub~i" was the wstshwori-It
Was the Alarm Cry Of the Ciroas
Men. and 10 Meant Dasi-
noes for All Hands.

told something that i had not learned
before. was initiated into the mys-
teries Of Hey. Ruber Tho manager
one day came down TO the ring house.
was practising. and Of course when l
discovered him looking on strained
point TO make my somerset little
higher and do my best generally. l
was fully repaid for my extra effort
when he laid his hand patronizingly
on my head and told me would be a
great performer some day. Then he
turned my face to him and, looking me
In the eye, he asked: my son, do
you think you would be much fright
ened in q Hey, Rube"P' / thought
he doubted my nerve, and as l felt my
cheeks and ears tingle with the warm
blood I Strengthened myself up and.
stretching myself to my utmost height
answered that did not think several
Hey, Rubes' would scare me very
much. He smiled and said: That Is
all right, my son; but you have never
been through one yet; wait.
II did not have very long to wait
Spring came, and with 1t the opening
, OF our season. That was the spring
OF 80. My partner informed me that
we were going into the South. 1t was
my first circus to go into the Southern
states after the war. There were many
opinions expressed as to what kind OF
reception we would get. A rumor
had been started from some source or
other that no show from the North
would be allowed to come down there
and be comfortable. As we started
from point south OF the Ohio river
we thought ourselves q Southern in
stitution, and 80 did not take much
stock In the rumor.
Our show travelled overland by
wagon. No sleepers and railroad
trains then. Well, we got along first
rate for about eight weeks, and finally
got into Arkansas. The second town
we made in that state We arrived in
one morning about o'clock, after one
Of the toughest nights drives think l
ever experienced over a rough noun
tain road. About every twenty min
utes you could hear u stentorian voice
breaking the stiffness of the night with
mile up Empress! Mile up, old gall"
| And that was soon followed by n grunt
from the great old mother elephant as
she lifted some wagon out OF a mud
hole.
LAS ! was saying. we pulled into
town about o'clock and we felt tough,
but will remark we none Of US felt as
tough as the citizens OF that hamlet
looked. We. had the hardest
lot Of canvas men that ever
were entertained at the expense
OF any state. There was proba-
bly, no crime on the calendar that some
of them had not been guilty Of. My!
but they were wicked set. They be-
gan pitching the tent Immediately,
and there was quite an assemblage Of
native citizens gathered to see the
thing done. The malo portion OF that
crowd one could not conscientiously
term prepossessing. The performers
called hotel washed, and ate break
fast after which we prepared for the
parade. The grand pageant took place
about half-past 10 o'clock A. M. Then
we had our dinner and started for the
show grounds to prepare for the after
noon show.
'.As my partner and I were on our
way there he called my attention to
the men congregated in groups along
the way. Some Of them addressed
chatting remarks to us. We paid no
attention to them. however. though
they did make my companion some
what restless. All the men carried
guns. 1t was queer assortment OF
firearms. There were old flint-lOck
rifles, muskets. carbines, long rifles.
short ones. horse pistols, navies Der
ringers, and pepper boxes. / suppose
they were all fixed. My partner OBJ
served that 1t was possible that we
might have trouble before we left, and
though was young could appreciate
that the mention OF possibility meant
q probability.
The doors were opened at the
regular hour and everybody was called
for the grand entree after which Sow
eral minor acts were in the ring.
heard the call for Master Willie, the
boy rider and bounded out into the
ring. made my obeisance, mounted my
horse, and went through my act as
usual. When 1t was finished ran
back to the dressing room to make q
quick change for our brother act. l
opened my trunk and was selecting
such wardrobe as / needed, when /
heard shot followed by rush and
some excitement Then some one
stuck his head In our dressing room
and yelled:
",Hey! Ruber"
That yell vibrated through every
fibre OF my body and echoed again and
again through my brain until IL was the
only thing could hear. the only thing
/ could think, the only thing could
speak. II paralyzed me for an instant
and then moved mechanically. Leaning
against my trunk was bunch Of iron
braces. lnstinctively grasped them
and dashed out into the big tent
There Witnessed sight that no one
has seen except in the days Of barbar-
ism or In Hey. Rube' with circus.
II was man to man and hand TO
hand. Everybody was fighting. Il
was the kind OF an assault that meant