The morning call., 1894-07-08

and a cage of trained lions made tour of
South America, where he met Harry
MeIggs, the fugitive capitalist from Calf
fornia, then N lis rride Of place as the
railroad magnate of Peru. Meiggs had the
Oroyn road under way and he wanted rail-
road labOrers. The keen-sighted Wilson
saw his opportunity. Before he left the
great promoter he had secured a contract
TO furnish him with 900 Cinnamon used to
pick and shovel work at so much per cap.
ita. he (WilsOn) to provide all their sup
plies up to the time the contract expired.
Armed with this document he returned to
San Francisco as speedily as he could and
left his assistants TO follow with the show.
Wilson's idea was to secure the laborers
contracted for from the gangs let out by the
completion of the Central Pacific Railroad,
but he was too late. The coOie navyies
had dispersed in all directions, the majority
returning to China with their sparse earn
ings. a gentleman was sent down to Chile
by Alexander Austin, Henry d. Bacon
and William c. RalstOn To interview
Meiggs and get from MIN an extension of
the contract time, and likewise to gain his
consent to supply the needed help from
China; but as Chinese used TO railroad
labor was the essential element of the con-
tract. MeIggs declined. II would not" be
said briefly, summing up the interview,
give you cents for all the green China
men in the empire. In this country l
would only have to build hospitals for
them" So Wilson had to whistle this
speculation, so promising at the outset,
down the wind.
He did nothing Of consequence for few
years after this fiasco. Chiarlni, the great
Italian circus man, entered on his Califor-
MA field about 1870, and was most success
full, downing Wilson entirely. He felt
hurt at such treatment from the people for
whose amusement he bad catered so many
years, and prepared to leave for good and
all faithless California and uDgrateful Cal
ifOrniaDs. In 1874 be purchased or char
tered brigantine, loaded her up with
full circus equipment, and small but eX-
cellent company Of performers and squared
away for fresh woods and pastures new In
the Australias and the Orient. The pro-
prietOrship of this daring enterprise was
John WilsOD, Omar Kingsley and James
Cook.
".
a word about Cook. He was famous as
a genteel clown, and an ODD kind of an
individual at all times. An incident that
occurred while he was working for John
Wilson in this city will illustrate the man.
1t was determined to get up horse spec
tacle IN the circus on the Lick lot, Jack
son street. Cook selected "Dick Turpin's
Ride to Iork'-which will be seen at the
proposed to manageit himself He trained
bronco fresh from the Potrero in six days
so that 1t could do Dicks BLACK Mare
Bess business to fiction; but he was
not equally successful with Bess' rider
There were few lines to speak in the
piece, and these be gave to one of the COM
pany who was to pers0nate Turpin,
with an injunction not to miss a word
of the "patter" When the time came for
rehearsal the bronco went through his
PAGES 10 charm; but the rider was as
ignorant of his lines as if he bad never
seen them. Cook, who was English. was
very indignant, and launched out at the
defauIter IN language more forcible than
choice.
'I4ook acre. you spanGled hidiot," ne
shouted, holding up the rehearsal; what
do you mean by this, say? Do you see
this 'orse? A week ago | took i'm in
'and; now he knows lis business dead to
rights. At the same time gave you two
or three lines 10 study, and you don't
know a word OF 'em. What's the hinfer-
ence? Why, that the 'Orse is the nobler
hanimal."
Omar Kingsley, or Ella Zoyara as his
arenic name appeared in the circus no.
tices. was born somewhere in the LOuisi-
ana slashes-some say in New Orleans
and was trained 10 the sawdust by circus
man named Sam Stokes, who afterward
joined with old Sam Stickney. In the
Southern States, and particularly ln New
Orleans, Kingsley never associated with
'Uhe boys" and wore female apparel con-
stantly, till the later years OF his lie.
when he became partner with wilson
and was his ringmaster he was dark
with small regular features
and d singularly sweet smile, showing