Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-09-25
down. And these he whisked from sight

Our tickets were in our hands. We
had passed the insolent, broad jawed
fellow at the gangway of ropes. and
stood in the most amazing place in .the
world. To the left We're rows of won-
derful cages-now opened-and in each
was a marvel of animal life. never
had seen them. but somewhat of natu-
raj history had been opened to me in
books, and could call them by name.
man may live thousand years and
win great honors, but he will never feel
so keen Joy us thrills in the boy of 10
when he stands in the center of an un-
expected circus and menagerie.
sought the elephant in vain, because
my little eyes had not been adjusted
to the huge dimensions of the pachy-
derm. And was touched by his trunk.
before l gave him recognition. And
In the midst of that wonder. but half
filled with the charms of the animal
portion, was dragged away to the
smaller etertainment of the ring.
The old circus was near at hand. and
single ring embraced the limit of its
possibilities. There was the band above
the place of entrance, and on each side
of 1t were the higher-priced seats. Our
tickets called for but common sittings
and we found place in coatless, fam
ming, perspiring, but happy crowd. The
men were vociferous the women broad
" smiling. Girls giggled and blushed
| when the clown tossed kisses at them
and their escorts bought what they
called refreshments and tried with
prodigality to purchase popularity.
There was bareback riding-and. be-
ing old, l will say these later days have
taught us nothing in that. There was
the leaping through balloons" which
seems to have come with the first cir
Gus. and trapeze performance which
was doubtless good. There was trick
riding and performers on horizontal
| bar. And then there was bout at box
ing.
Nothing could have been more timely.
No doubt amusement purveyors are the
same yesterday, today and forever
and even before rural audiences, which
they hold in contempt, delight in max
ing applause. Well, this sparring ex,
hibition was no frost" Very likely
that undertone combativeness, which,
appealed to by drum and fife, set na-
tion at war, was just sufficiently assert
i've to respond to this matching of man
against man. For there was nothing of
the hippodrome about the affair. The
men were fearfully, exhaustively in
earnest. But to me, who got even In
war time my first sight of human blood
drawn in anger, there was something SO
horrible, SO Notwithstanding, so impos-
sible, that 1 appealed with tears to
the man at my right to stop them. He
was powerful fellow, but he laughed
at me.
The circus was almost over when
loud voices to the right announced the
beginning Of a quarrel. There were ut
least ten years, beginning in 1861, when
circus men counted themselves fortu-
nate If they got out Of a town without
a battle. They hired canvas men who
were as good at fighting as at work.
The whole corps Of workers was organ
lied and constantly prepared. And the
towns in which they showed were sure
to have "hard men," Fighting was the
order of the day. The circus simply
provided the occasion.
Sitting up there in our lofty place, we
could hear that premonitory speech in
an ominous lull of other sounds, could
feel, as sentient humans always do, the
gathering Of human muscle and the
hardening of human hearts. And then
we could see q little rush, for the words
had ceased, and the fight was on. 1
don't remember the "Hey, Rubev ex-
clamation, which later years have told
me is the showman's slogan; but I
know that great wave Of horror rolled
over the hearts of those who did not
love a fight, and the soul of slaughter
leaped up in those who scented battle
afar off, and hastened to join in it.
Who began it, what it was about,
how many were hurt, and who finally
triumphed are matters of small con-
cern. have an idea none of the COM
batants is still living, so 1T does not
matter. But do know the seats were
overturned, law officers were defied,
bleeding men surged across the ring
chasing other bleeding men before
them, and were chased back in turn.
And at last 1t was all over. Someone
said the combatants hdd transferred
the field Of their activities up town."
and we avoided that quarter on our
way home.
There were many neighbors from be-
yond our farm, but the battle separ-
ated us from them, and we walked back
to the farm. Just as we came to our
meadow gate the first wagon of that
show came along, driving already for
the next town, thirty miles away. The
driver was asleep, his horses taking the
way Of their own free will. A man
ahead on horseback seemed, although
half mile away, to mark out the line
of march. The great golden chariot.
housed in dull trappings to keep of the
dust and the rain and the sun, rolled
heavily past, and the gaudy men who
rode so proudly by day slept in 1t mis-.
erably by night and blessed their stars