Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-09-19
GOING TO THE CIRCUS.

tnot ot tine last something might nap
pen to dlsappoint me was dispelled
when we came to the courthouse square,
for there, just beyond the temple Of Jus
tlce, In the vacant lots, was spread the
mighty tent. Sure those vacant lots
had been doubled In size since last
saw them, for no common space could
entertain an establishment 20 vast 40
this. Why, there were walls Of canvas
on the right hand and on the left hand
Of the mammoth tent, and there were
successiOns Of smaller tents that
stretched away into bewildering vistas.
and before them all every where tugged
the great advertisements, wonderful In
picture, exotic In text. There was q
noise, hustle. a hurry, q nervous ten.
sion, unknown In the town. No man
had more time than sufficed for the
scantiest Of greetings, unless accosted
by soldier, In which case he would
talk interminably, or q sharper, In
which case he would invest disastrous
~. The only calm, contained men were
those law.deflers who looked with such
honest faces Into the wavering eyes Of
honest men and beguiled them to their
ruin. For there were three card games
and "chuck-a.luck," popular among the
soldiers, and wheels Of fortune and
straight faro. Only the most beggarly
pretensc Of secrcting all this crime was
made. The short change" man. who
fOurished In ono place and disappeared
to rise In another, was on the ground
and was remembered. There were 40.
sistant marshals with large stars, and
they walked In and out Of all tents at
WILL But they saw nothing less than
QuaPrcling men. and reused to activity
only to prevent fighting.
Just before noon tho parade started.
We watched the wonderful aggregation
Of marvels form into line. To youths
bred In an environment where some of
the odor Of sanctity might reach them
II seemed most shocking that 80 much
profanity was needed In assembling q
great moral aggregation. Furthermore,
there was qualify about that profan.
ity have never known cQdalcd. It was
Intense. incisive. tersc. emphatic, sui.
phurous. full Of murder and flashing
with tho lightnings Of blasphemy.
have ridden behind mule whackcrs''
on the plains and have spent vacations
where tho voice Of the first mate Of a
river packet could assail my ears. But
have found no man whose profanity
matched the splendid wickcdness OF the
circus cmploye In the old days Of wagon
transportation.
Tho parade was thing to marvel ut.
In thc'front wasn carriage rcsplendcnt
above above anything In the town and
bearing tho dusty human who was yet
more than mortal, for he owned "the
show"
Then came the band In golden char
lot that quito satisfied me. II anything
In my reading equaled that I could not
recall It. How many there were In the
band. what they played, or whether
they played well. these things did not
impress me. For behind them came the
elephant. He walked alone, stately
or sore.footed. and how was to know
He swung like the rocking Of q hay.
stack In storm and bis driver prodded
him. Then came the cars. Upon the
sides Of each were painted such pictures
40 must have whetted the curiosity OF
the unlearned. But two were opened.
In one was "ths massive and blood.
sweating behemoth Of holy writ"--a
hippopotamusi In the other man cat
In safety with unclaimed lions on his
every hand.
What moro there was In the parade,
how many ladies III remarkable skirts
and gentlemen In the armor Of knights,
how many clowns and how many cages.
I do not know. But II was magificent
spectacle. II wound about those streets
that had always before been common.
place. and It grew more wonderful a. II
advanced. know. for followed II.
And then It vanished into the spread.
Ing walls Of tho canvas city and was
lost. The beauty and the lovellncss
would have vanished from the earth
but for the glare and dare and marvel
Of that circus day.
John was In the line before the ticket
wagon, but his progress was slow for a
time. and again he was pulled from Ills
place to give frantic greeting to some.
ono whose son or brother or father was
In the service. That was why soldiers
came homo on furlough-to toll when
the war would end and to talk hope
fully to the friends Of the boys at the
front.
But finally he stood at the wonderful
door of the ticket wagon, where money
was leaping from the hand Of the coun'
tryman In exchange for pleasure. In.
stantly he was away again. The fat, hot
man that sold tickets cared nothing fol-
the blue uniform. He saw nothing that
interested him beyond the bills laid
down. And these he whisked from sight
half savagely.
Our tickets were In our hands. We
had passed the insolent. broad-jawed
fellow at the gangway Of ropes, and
stood In tho most amazing place In the
world. To the left were 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.
A man may live thousand years and
win great h0nors, but he will never feel
70 keen Joy 20 thrills In the boy Of IL
when ne stands In the center Of an un
expected circus and menagerie.
Isought the elephant In vain, because
my little eyes had not been adjusted
to the huge dimensions of the pachy