The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-09-22
He RACED AGAINST TINE
A Circus Agent Who Barely Got
There
THE MAYOR FAILED TO SIGN
The New Circus License Ordinance Is
q Law
IL Became Operative at riidnight Last Night
by DefauIt-The Wallace People Paid
the Old Tax Of $500

John H. Harrison is newspaper man
when he is legitimately employed. Dur
ing the dog days he acts as the press
agent for any circus which can see it's
way towards paying him the $4,000 a week
which he demands as his seven-day sal
airy. Harrison is just at present ahead Of
the Wallace show.
He arrived here yesterday morning
from the north, and the first thing of in
terest which he encour tered was the story
in the Herald detailing the attempts
which were being made by the city au-
thorities to hold up his employers to tho
tune of ar even $500. Harrison has cul.
tivated to large degree the quality
known east of the Rocky mountains as
energy, and in this vicinity as hustling.
He got down to the city hall about noon
and interviewed the mayor. The latter
informed him that he would have to take
some sort of action upon the new circus
license before night, and not altogether
approving of the proposed law at thi
time, his opinion was that he would per
nit the ordinance to become operative by
Withholding his signature. This intelli-
gence meant work and lots Of it for Har-
rison. Circus sress agents are not in the
persons, especially in California, where
Chris Evans and others of his ilk fire.
quently borrow the belongings of others
under protest. Harrison then interviewed
divers AMI sundry ZEN bers Of the eoGn
Gil, with, however, but little result. All
paid into the city treasury before night
the sum total demanded under the old
circus law, namely, $500, the circus tax
for two days, with side show attachment
his circus might escape the p@yment OF
the S1l00 license. The worried Snowman
skinned his pockets with a fine tooth
comb. In one was a collar button made
Of gold with sheet iron trim mings, while
from another he dug out bunch OF keys
and an Oakland beer check. In his vest
he found several toothpicks, some Cali
fornia matches, a cigarette picture reveal
ing a new woman not clad in blooiners
nor anything else, and S4.35. Added to-
gether the sum total OF the unhappy cir
Gus agents worldly belongings lacked
just $495. 60 of being what he needed. 1t
was after / O'Clock by this time, and be-
ing Saturday the banks were closed, even
had Harrison mt been a stranger in a
strange land. He used the wires redhot
to San Francisco where bis show last
evening concluded its engagement. At
o'clock an answer came that If he would
go to the fice of Wells, Fargo & Co. he
would find $500. To the express company
headquarters he hastened, and 1t was
4:30. The city license collectors Office
closes promptly at S.
At the express office Harrison was in
formed that he must be identified before
the money could be handed over to him.
Time was worth to him then about $50 a
minute with the market rising at a most
alarming rate. Harrison argued, begged
and pleaded with the express people. and
finally moved their hearts so far that he
was informed that his money would be
delivered to him at the down town hotel
where he is guest, which the express
company insisted had to be done accord
ing to their rules. The privilege Of driv-
ing in the same wagon which was carry
ing his license money wes, however, &C.
corded to Harrison and he gladly availed
himself of the opportunity. When he
finally did lay his hands upon the coin
it was just eighteen minutes OF 5 o'clock.
Harrison made sprint against time
to the city ball and arrived in the pras-
ence of City Clerk Charles A. Lucken-
bach with nine minutes to spare. He
turned $500 in gold into the city treasury
and received in exchange PINK colored
bit of paper authorizing the Wallace cir
Gus 10 spread its canvas inside the cor
porate limits of Los Angeles for period
of two days.
The new circus license went into effect
at midnight last night. There is to be no
contet AS to whether or not the Wallace
people are affected by its provisions.