Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
REAL FUN AT THE CIRCUS.


Because He Likes 1T.
BLESSED be the man who went to the
circus for the circus sake! All homage
to him who went to the big tents to see
the animals and hear the music and see
the performers just because he liked
them all and wanted to go. Away with
the hypocrite who went only to please
the children. An American never
grows SO old that sniff of the sawdust
ring does not start the sluggish blood
in his veins afresh. There is something
from the quick-fngered man in the
ticket wagon to the clatter of the busy
workmen taking the tents down away
in the dead hour of the night that
brings back a sweet recollection OF a
happier time and a wish that it all
could be lived over again. There is
even more than that. The loud crash
of music as the camels and gorgeousIy
caparisoned horses come in at first
brings bit of real old feeling to the
breast of the man who carried water to
the elephant thirty years ago
When life was like a story holding neither sob
sigh
In the golden. olden glory of the days gone by.
s'Why not be boy again for an after
noon or for one of those glittering even
ings under the great dust-colored cam
opy that is so big that one wonders how
it is ever put up and taken down again
in SO short time? Why not MUNICH
peanuts and laugh at the clowns Just
the same as if your hair were in brown
ringlets, matted by Precipitation to a
brow none too clean, instead of the
gray, struggling locks that it is? Get
up on the top seat, fill your pockets
with things to eat, buy the programmes
and concert tickets, point to everything
that comes in, laugh, have a fear for
the daring lady in the trapeze-do all
of these things, forget your shrunlzen
shank and the happy little children
about you and be a boy again.
''Look through the menagerie care
fully before passing into the great tent
beyond. See if you cannot see familiar
faces behind the bars of the cages that
line the canvas walls. For all you know
you carried water to the very same ele-
plant that is reaching for your grand
sons peanuts Take a sniff of the odd
ly smelling dust that belongs only to
the circus and close your eyes while
you dream that you are slipping in I'M
der the seats, with a burly canvasman
hot on your heels.
There's always fun in the circus. If
you don't think SO, stay away. Don't
go there and next day lay it on the
children, bless their innocent hearts,
with their simple, soul reposing, glad
belief in everything The funny old
elephant and the chattering monkeys
are very queer to them. No wonder
that they laugh and then become
frightened by turns. The same old
funny clown is there, too, with the
jokes that you will recall if you will
only listen and not try to appear bored.
$50 here's to the circus, with its sham
and its tinsel, it's city Of dirty tents, it's
troupe of Woodworking, travel-stained
men and women, its animals from the
elephants to the monkeys and all that
go to make it the greatest show on
earth. May it always be as fruitful Of
as much happiness and instruction as
it has been since the first days of the
cross-country exhibition. It is an
American institution that we are all
proud of. kansas City Star.