The herald., 1897-07-25

Seats were being unloaded from the
big trucks and put in place. the flying
trapezes were being swung. all the other
'whirligigs" were being fixed. and the
big gasolene chandeliers We're being
hoisted up the great center poles.
At first the busy scene seemed to the
boy like dire confusion. Four or five
orders were shouted out at once, and
the workmen. divided apparently into
little squads and clad in half dozen
styles of uniform. appeared half the
time to be falling over one another in
their haste. But even as the lad was
wondering if order would ever be
brought out of the chaos, he perceived
that the work was practically COM
pleted and everything ready for the aft
ernoon performance.
Then he went exploring elsewhere
only TO find that many wonderful things
of which he had seen nothing had been
accomplished. The mess tent, under
which the several hundred circus en-
ployes eat, had long ago been raised:
the long tables had been spread. and
the walters were already rushing about
getting things ready to serve the wait
ing army of hungry men. In the cooks
From great iron pots and cauldrons
savory smells arose, and the fragrance
of coffee was everywhere. Soon the
ladling out of the soup began. in full
sight of a ring of hungry gamins who
all wished that they too were circus en-
ployes. In the meantime the dressing
tents were being raised to the accom-
paniment of much shouting and some
emphatic language. The tent black
smith-shop was already in full blast
horseshoes were being forged and
broken bolts mended, and loose tire
was being set.
Into the side show tents. the pitching
of which was among the things the boy
had missed, crowds Were already rush
ing, and the band was playing away for
dear life. All sorts of fakes were busily
doing business while the cries of
Taste and try before you buy, gents"
and Five cents won't make you,
break you or set you up in business"
were sounding in noisy competition with
the song-book vendors CALL
Here y'are, gents! Three hundred
of the latest and most poplar songs of
the day for the in-sig- nificant sum of
three-e-e cents!"
These things were so engrossing to
the boy that he nearly missed seeing
the animals receive their MONDAY meal.
bale of hay was placed before each
elephant and disposed of in a surpris-
ngly short time, and joints of juicy red
meat were given to the fiesh-eating
beasts. But that no time might be lost,
the horses were being groomed while
they munched al their oats, and the
other performing beasts We're rubbed
and put in trim even as they fed. Then
a big gong rang out, there was the
sound of bugle, and the band began
to play under the great circus tent the
grand entrance was on, and the boy
| wondered how many other curious
operations he had missed.
After the matinee performance. as
soon as the men had eaten supper,
preparations for removal were renew
ed. The blacksmith shop and the mess
tent We're the first to go down. While
yet the work Of striking the canVases
and loading them on the wagons WAS in
progress the evening performance had
begun, and before it was half over the
stable tent was attacked, its canvas
lowered, its big poles slowed, and the
whole loaded on q big truck which had
been backed into position by the aid
of a trained elephants trunk. Then
followed the lowering Of the menagere
tent, and the shutting down of the COW
erS of the animals cages. All the can
vas men and other employees we're as
busy as bees; each had his work cut
out for him and ready to his hand;
hustle was the order of the hour for
there was no time to spare and every
body knew it. Once the boy saw two
men, each frantically intent on his own
task. run AGAINST each other SO NiO-