The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-02-24
THE TRAINED FIEAs.
HOW , PAIR OF COCKseYs Foolcu
THE CkLirOgNlANS.

N
Neatly Hmmburgod by Two L-adou Ia
kls-A Lcctnr Who Lcarne,j Cc,ai
Deal hy lis,cniug 70 Ills own ranu
Among Che attractions ntt,o IAN Fran
els n fair was % tiaia,J Gea csE.bit Aft
GO lie exposition closed the lpfctofs of
tbo insect circus had a row. Tho rntrons
o' tle trained 0cu ortl. VIII l1 iatcres.od
90 loCin that the show was fnhc of the
wuEest kind th1t 80 percent Of the iu.
scots were dead whcu cxljmtod and tnat
the men Who manipulated the cCnccrn
hncw uo more about the trua iuwardness
OF trliniuR and landing ic;.s than thcy
did of the social habits OF thc tuboroulosts
baciui
The warning partners wero Frank Ry.
man and John Burgess They aJo both
English, and Burgess, who is clean
shaved, merry faced young fellow with q
C0ckuCy brUguc that is redolcnt OF White
chapel OF some equally notorious slum IN
faraway iuggy London, oxhibitcd O fond
ness for bicycling, and itNyas at the cyclery
that he first conveyed TO an alulldn4
crowd the Information that the 0ta shoS
/ was o delusiun and snare
/ "lt was this way, began Burgess IN
I choice Londoueso "Me and Ryman and
/ two other fellows 'ad % concession for sell.
| In cutlery but VIC COulJn't make u0thlnL
l We wos driven 60 desperation, an it wo= 81
case of do somethinb or starve WCl
gets it into me nut Chat trained Zen shua
would 'it the public Bat thcro wash
bloomin one of rs knew tho fust think
about andlin or 'arnassin lca
/ "Of course ia seen genuine flea teams
/ in the hold country, where they 'arnesl
/ mi 4
ninCd glass caac5, bur | don't know nc
/ m0re'n HGdam 'ow thG thing wos done.
That didn't stop Us, though Wo got
/ a Jap to make hus a nice little houtfit Of
/ Tiny paper carriages with copper wheels,
ard we gets a place fixed hup for giving
] hCxibitiaEs. Fust we eat some 1Cas and
/ began heSpeIlmentin just to see if we
could tumble to the racket Of 'arnessip
/ 'cm. We couldn't. They was too lively
/ Finally we got some very fne copper
wire and stuck piece Of it into ono of the
/ flea s 'aunches, Eirst we stuck it in too
| far, and then the Goa died, but we kept
/ on hexperimeI 5iu, and we found just ow
| far we could spear a flea with q good
Uhawnco of keopiu i'm alive until the show
| was over We got the thing down pretty
| 'ino, and then ] got outside and did bis
| Of spielin, while Ryman stood indoors and
spearcd the fens and made them fast to
the carriages
When everything was ready, I'd rush
[ hinside and supCrintend the hexhibtion,
and 1 tell you it was a ticklish job, Gu.
seven out Of the eight 1eas would be dead
before the show began.
''Any'ow I'd give the people a nice talk
about 'ow ard it was to train and 'arness
flea, an 'ow yer 'ad to ave a certain
brand of flea, with plenty of brains, or
you lid never make nothing out of EN-
l usee = tell 'eln that it took six months
to hcdunsto n young flea, and we 'ad a real
live flea with a silver chain around Is
neck, which drew their attention to as
flea that was just learning is business.
also told Om 'ow we bd to change flca's
gait and hall the rest Of It.
" Ow did we get tho teasY Why Ry
man used to lasso stray dogs around the
fair grounds, an we got all we wanted
Ow did we feed 'em? l used TO feed ON
and It makes me blood boil when / thiul;
Of the hingratitude of that feller Ryman
Look at me harm hero. Them 1eas used to
feed on me arts blood.
" "Gcnerally when the show was about to
commence all tho Gons but one would bo
dead, - continued Burgess But I useG
to put a brave face on it and tilt the paste
carriage and neas would roll down ill
Then I'd give another little talk and
watch no chawnco SO as 1 could tilt the
card the other way, and tho team would
glide down i'll again.
why, the public stood it like lambs,
but ! often thought as 'ow Ryman would
queer the show. E used to lay it on too
thick. 'E kept on saying, Ladies' and
gents, it takes two ours to 'arncss a e "a
and thero's only another man an mosclG-.
that's me fawther-as is in this country
at present as knows 'ow TO 10 It.
II eaid to him one day: Look ere l}y.
man, you re a-comin it too strong There 3
millions of people in this country an the
ohawnces uro that one or two on 'cm are
as clever az you or your blComin fawther.
Just draw it q bit mild Gull, or they'll
tumble that the 'olo business is a red, raw
fake.
Well, cir, II was wonderful 'ow people
stood tho show. We 'ad ministers of the
gospel and governesscs and all sorts come
In, and me art used to be in me mouth
tryin to find hanswer5 for the questions
they hasl,ed. But l hexplained hevery-
thing to the queen S taste an l tell you ]
learned 'ole lot about 1eas just by lis
TENN to meself talkin.
Sometimes all the ileas would be dead
and I'd slide 'em down tho card quick
and then say, Now, ladies' and gents, the
hentertainment's hover
The hentertainmentF said q fly lookin
bloke one day, where hin ell is the hen
tertainmentP
well, just said something humorous
and turned the laugh hagainst i'm, and
the crowd went out laughin and good ma
tured
I'VE had one flea stuck on a tight rope,
and / used to tell 'em that @ was the best
trained Of the lot E can do hanythink
but talk, says I, and all tho time Q was
as dead as a door nail. We ad i'm glued
TO the rope with wax.
1--WE 'ad glasses for the ladies to look at
tho hinsecks, but the place was dark, and
/ used to tell EN- they got better heffect
by watchin en- with the naked h'ye.
"One day party Of ladies como as !
suspected was connected with the fair, an
I says to 'em, Ladies, It is naWsty cold
day an the hinseeks is chilled an won I
work, on they took 1t all In an went away
Takin it night through, believe 'alf the
folks thought they was loollin alta genuine
show, but tho other ali tumbled It was q
fake
Sometimes when I'd notice a 4 a a.
wOs just g0in TO peg out I'd put i'm on
the palm Of mo and and say, just watch
i'm jump when 'e cars my voice. Oh
course 'o'd jump in his dyin commissions
but the people all thought it was straight
goods"
Didn't the cruelty TO animals peopl,
I fraf 9ffor v.DP'' allrq1 OD4 0f pl1roesai lis