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

ming, perspirins, but happy crowd. The
men were vociferous, the women broad.
~ smiling. Girls giggled and blushed
when the clown tossed kisses Mt them
and their escorts bought what they
called refreshments and tried with
prodigality to purchase popularity.
There was bareback riding-and, be-
ing old, I 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 trapexc 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, to-day 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 combativcness, which,
appealed to by drum and fife, set q M.
ton ut 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 90
horrible, 20 heart-sickenlng, 80 impos-
sible, that I appealed with tears to
the man at my right to stop them. He
was o powerful fellow, but he laughed
at me.
The circus was almost over when
loud voices to the right announced the
beginning OF quarrel. There were ut
least ten years, beginning In 1851, when
circus men counted themselves fOrtu-
nate II they got out Of town without
q battle. They hired canvas men who
were a. good at fighting rs ut work.
The whole corps Of workers was organ.
ICED and constantly prepared. And the
towns In which they showed were sure
to have "hard men," Fighting was the
order Of tho dry. The circus simply
provided the occasion.
Sitting up there In our lofty place, we
could hear that prcmonitory speech in
an OminOus lull Of other sounds, could
feel, as sentlent humans always do, the
gathering Of human muscle and the
hardening Of human hearts. And then
we could see little rush, for the words
had ceased, and the fight was on. I
don't remember tho "IIey. Rubev' ex.
clamation, which later years have told
me II the showman's slogan; but I
know that a great wave of horror rolled
over the hearts Of those who did not
love fight, and the soul Of slaughter
leaped up In those who scented battle
afar of, and FASTENED to Join In 1t.
Who began It. what It was about.
how many were hurt. and who finally
triumphed arc matters Of small con-
corn. I have an Idea none Of the COM
batants 10 still living. so It does not
matter. But do know the seats were
overturned. law officers were defled.
bleeding men surged across the ring
chasing other bleeding men before
them, and were chased back In turn.
And at last It was all over. Someone
said the combatants had transferred
tho field Of their activities ''up town."
and we avoided that quarter on our
way home.
There were many nelghbors 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 tho first wagon Of that
show camc along. driving already for
the next town. thirty miles away. Tho
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 tho rain and the sun, rolled
heavily past, and the gaudy men who
rode 20 proudly by day slept In 1t mis-.
erably by night and blessed their stars
they could ind the solace Of even 20
meager repOse.-Chlcago Chronicle.