The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
TOLD M THE OLD CIRCUS NAN
Trick BY watch the Greatest or horn Players
was lert Out or SIGHT.


81 suppose" said the old circus man, that
the greatest bass horn player that ever lived
was Enos stulkinton. He played tho bass horn
in our band. There have been men with u better
knowledge of music, perhaps. and some with
n more finished style, but none that could touch
him In producing thunder. His playing came
to be one OF the features Of the show. He was
q star attraction where ho was known, but to
most people he came ms a surprise; something
more than they had expected, and they enjoyed
him all tho more on that account. For instances:
At every performance, before the actual 10.
ginning OF the show, we used to give n band
concert, and Mr.. Stulkinton would begin to get
In his fine work there. As the people listened
to his first thundcrous 'oomphahs!' they wcro
amazed. But when they heard the canvas OF
the great tent flap in unison with the blasts OF
his horn they all laughed. And thereafter
throughout the performance they all paid close
attention when Enos raised the instrument.
"Wo tried, OF course, always to make n route
for the show TINT wouldn't conflict with anybody
else; for there were plenty Of towns that wouldn't
stand but one show at "a time. Two would lose
money in them. however good they might be.
But sometimes we ran against some stub
born man that wouldn't give way and thcnthcrc
was nothing to do but to show and beat him IL
we could. But tho other show always hold its
emu up, ana Jncre was sure 10 DC u gThnu row
every time over something.
Once, when we struck IA town with another
show. we learned somehow that they had q
soS@s oH Ws c2ai Tussdi' EN- for ior' contest ont And
they took up the challenge very promptly.
There wasn't much time TO prepare for it. but
we billed the town in an hour, ana got permits.
sion to put up a stand on the public square. be-
cause IL was to be n free exhibition. and that a!.
town where news travels quickly. and though
there was only two or three hours to tell EN- in,
1t seemed M though they all know. and every
body else in the surrounding country.
Tho %Contcs: wasa I noon. and. OF course. the
two bands played as accompanis,s OF the horn
the crowd was something enormous The terms
were that each man was to play once, and then
defeated in that round had q right to call for
another. II the man defeated in the first round
won the second. the man who won the first
round had u right TO call for u third round: but
the winner of two rounds by the vote of the
people was to DO declared the winner OF the
We'll, the men in our show bet every dollar
they could rake and scrarc on Enos; and some
OF the more g.ntlc.hcarted of them thought they
were just Robin he men il, the other SHOW.
Our 2ld man not only bet all his none; bg, h.
our show. against the other shows moth.catcn
buffalo; and he was sc dead sure that he threw
in a cinnamon bear to boot.
"Our side had the hrs, inning. and our bnnd
showed EN- how TO play: and then Enos stood
,Iun dSF III !, 1 wns .oa ;Ann no oo ne nb diS 5 m%K5 ths
as il had never been heard before, and he fairly
carried the people OIL their feet.
Then the other band played "a tune and their
man got up. And there's no use talking, he
RAISED more thunder than Enos did. and set the
people shoutin'.
tThen the Mayor got up to take the vote. as
he'd agreed to do. and he was interested now
rs much as anybody. And the people voted for
the other man, as we expected they would.
But we hadn't any doubt about the tnal result;
for we thought that knos would unshacklc now
and break away and make the blow Of his life.
And he did. We. who had been hearing him for
years. had never heard him approach what lie
Wild, and we though. we had EN-, sure. '''p''
But the other mans very first 'oomphnhl
made us trcmblc. and. as he went on, We knew
We were lost. money, giraffe. everything. Wed
never heard anything like this before. II
wasn't just simple peals Of thunder. it was a
thunder factor in full blast. and working with
a double force OF men. There could be only one
verdict.
other show and left our big tent empty. The
other people came over for the animals they'd
won. before show time. They wanted 10 take
The old man had EN- brought out. When the
! giraffe realized whs t had happened. he wound
bulge: but the old man finally persuaded him.
and over he went. TO be made a show of in the
"Enos Stulkinton never blew a bass horn
| again. He'd had the opportunity OF his life,
had missed it. and he hadn't the heart. After
that he always blew IL baritone.
For my own par: I ALWAYS thought there
WAS a trick in II. Dom, You know. there are
il that you feel certain. all The same. are OF. in
some way. Well. I knew there was something
wrong about thai mans bass horn %rlaying. apd
bellows attached TO the horn, with n hole in the
side OF the horn for n" nozzle of the bellows.
foot. He REINFORCED his own blowing with
man didnt live that could stand up against him.
I'VE told Enos about this. hut il was too late.
He'd lost his ambition. and was satisfied now to
play second fiddle. though he might still have
been a champion"