Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-17
FRANK DoNALpsoN,s RIDE.

for Donaldson was animated and spry de- spite his years and his antique appearance.
 once asked him if he had had many experiences in his time and during his connection with circuses and | other shows al over the world. He an | swered that he had, and that the greatest was that he lived in New York all one winter without dollar.
 Donsldson's complexion and his finger | tips were the same color, and perhaps pro- duced by the same cause, as he was con- l stantly manufacturing and smoking cigar l cites. So writers and dealers in cigars | would have us believe that cigarettes kill. l Cigarettes preserved Donaldson, as he was in living evidence; he thrived on nicotine, and the smoke preserved him as preh1s- l torio relic of original arenics.
 The son of the sawdust never said as much. but he must have been with the | Turner's of Danbury, and living witnesses are abundant that hs performed at an early date with their successor, George Fox Bailey. Old circus performers, Melville, North, Nathans, "knew him when they were boys," and he was not boy in their boy time: | many vicissitudes. The usual result, the more lands the more vicissitudes. He spoke several languages and talked enter tainingly of other lands and the arenic en- tertainments of the foreign managers.
 In his day he had been with all kinds of shows and played in all kinds of places; hs had triumphed in his lines, and again he had experienced those setbacks, ,dissppoint. ments and adverse adventures which are funny to talk about sfserwsrd, but painful to undergo.
 Once he had his standing as an artist questioned remember it as well ss I do the story which 1t drew out of him at the rendering of the verdict. Every year cer- tain managers set out to make money by furnishing amusements to people who de not want to be amused. A party who had dabbled little in the tent show line en- deavored to increase his wealth by opening Ga tented exhibition" at Savln Rock, 8 summer resort near New Haven. As the visitors to the seashore desired to loaf, bashe and firt, the show suffered, pined and died.
 The performer of many lands and many accomplishments lost good part of bis season and part of his ealary, and in speaking of the matter referred to it in
 
 time, and in an endeavor to secure his claim brought suit. The managers set up the defence that Donaldson was ''not an equestrian," and brought witnesses to prove the "technical point" If the per former had been given the opportunity he would, am quite sure, have demonstrated his status to the satisfaction of the court. Donaldson was perfectly willing to ride an act for the benefit of the judge if he would remove the seats and "bring in the horse |" To this horse talk the judge said "neiRh, ," | The artists attorney had at last made 8 point, but the msnsger's counsel saw it
 "You appeared as 8 monkey in your [ equestrian 1o'sI"
 Dopaldson confessed.
 | "The1e." cried the lawyer, "you were guilty of deception, you led the unwsry | visitors of this seaside resort to believe that you were 8 monkey. Other monkeys | were on exhibition in this show and you monkeyed with the people as you are now monkeying with my client"
 Donaldson said something in Spanish and the court officer admonished. l "No swearing here, siri"
 l Which led the performer to observe. "I shan't swear until get outside"
 A case in court is very uncertain thing and Donaldson lost his, much to his dis | gust. His attorney wanted him to appeal the matter to higher court, saying:
 "We can get to their neckties inside of two years."
 "No," declined the performer, perhaps for the moment thinking that he was in Mexico, "whst's the use. You never could make the Alcade understand how it is. What does he know about riding; he couldn't do @ passable hurdle, to say nothing about bareback act. Bet you the judge couldn't stand on his head for two minutes if his life depended opsjt.
 "Ridel why if he had seen me once when I rode for my life guess that he wouia admit that was the best in my line. It wasn't long after the discovery of gold in California when joined out with 8 party going that way. had two ideas in my head. One was to cop the big sal ary, stick to the show until it got to the land of gold and then stay there and dig for the yellow stuff.
 "A good mapy people didn't have the | nerve to go; said that we would never ! reach there and all that sort of thing. | They were afraid; afraid of Indians, ex- pected to bs scalped, every one of them, | and eaid that I would come home bald headed. Well, in my circusing rvs been through heap, and many's the stilletto and the knife and revolver that I have escaped.
 "We started in and I can tell you, and keep to the truth, that we did perfectly enormous business in the border towns. The prices were big and the managers were running a mint. We twisted and turned here and there seeking for territory, and could see for myself that we would not get across the plains that season. Already we had had some thrilling experiences with the bad element of border men, and signs of Indians were plenty; but the reds kept their distance, as they were armed with their primitive bows and arrows and had a healthy and judicious regard for our re liable and far reaching iresrms.
 "Thus you see when we moved from point to point we kept our train we'll up and the dangerous reds and outlaw whites were shy of Us. At that time there was an abundance of game, but where is il now2 Gone to nowhere, too many tourists and Winchesters making slaughter.
 "The manager and the performers lived high and I was not the woIst shot, nor the most unsuccessful hunter in the party.
 We were in mighty wild country. but Vt
 had been warned so many times by the
 plain men, the scouts and the hunters
 that we all got careless aud was the most
 r- ckless in the party. l was riding al
 act then. Just tell that to the Alcade the
 next time you see him, and had one o
 the smsrtest horses you ever saw. Nov
 speed is not requisite in ring horse, bu
 this one had it and plenty of it; bottom 8
 well as speed.
 "At every chance I was always out ol the prairie, over the hills or into the noun
 taine with gun and horse seeing what
 could stir up One Sunday I started on ns usual, plum alone, couldn't coax o
 wheedle 8 soul into goirg along. All ha'
 some excnse, letters to write, stitch t
 take in tha wardrobe or the like, but
 know now, they were all afraid of In
 dians.
 eve hadn't seen as many Indians a
 we had cigar signs for Q fortnight and
 rode out ss gay ss a lark at good elir } Just here lev me tell you that went muc
 faster than had any idea of and only halte
 when knocked over a bird or an animal "At noon lunched and the horse grsze
 at spring near a bunch of cotton wood
 The ride and the meal made me feel lag
 and I laid down few minutes to catch
 nap. caught it, nap bigger than bal
 gained fos. When awoke the knowin
 horse was nosing about me as he ws
 anxious to be off.
 GAS soon as eat up looked at the sur
 To my surprise it was way down the sky
 the afternoon was pretty much gone an
 was 8 long ride from the town. mounte
 and looked around and was turned aroun