The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-21

Bill Has Rather Rough Experience on Circus Train
HoWIing Lions About Him.

lizard, hard, indeed, is the contest for
freedom and the struggle for liberty"
There is no rest for the wicked" This
world is all feet;ng show and Jordan
is hard road to travel, believe! There
are other calculations l might utter,
for Of late there --as been trouble on the
old mans mind. You see, | was invited
over here TO talk to these people in a hui
mor0us and pbilosophic way and my
wife said as the larder was getting low
and the girls needed some more winter
clothes, and the tax man was bObbing
around and the grandchildren would be
expecting something for Christmas, she
thought | had better go. So she packed
my valise with my best clothes and for
titled me with little drug store of
camphorated oil and flannel and liver
medicine and paregOric and cough drops
and quinine and headache powders, and
so forth and so on. We kissed goodby
all round and l departed feeleing like I
was being driven off from home by sad
necessity. / took the Seaboard Air Line
at Atlanta bound for Charlotte, via
Monroe, but our engine broke down at
Greensboro about dark and this delayed
us three long, dreary hours, and when
we reached Monroe it was way after
midnight and the Charlotte train had
gone. There were three nice ladies
aboard and several gentlemen, who were
greatly disappointed, but the conductor
was kind and sympa thetic and said
there was a circus train near by that
was going to Charlotte right away and
if we didn't mind riding thirty miles in
cab, he would get us the privilege.
The ladies said yes, and we did, too, and
climbed in. 1t was as dark as Erebus.
We felt our way to find seats, but there
was nothing but some long tool boxes
whose lids were hard and cold. There
was no fire and the wind blew through
a broken glass on the back of my head.
The ladies chatted away merily, for
they were going home, but l wasn't and
| couldn't chat to save my life, for |
was very tired and thought Of that
good, soft bed at home. BY and by the
conductor came in with a lantern and
took up our tickets and left us in the
dark again. About that time the ami
mails got restless and the lion gave an
unearthly howl. You seen this was a
menagerie train.
"The animals went in two by two,
The elephant and the kangaroo"
and every time the cars careened about
or swung round a curve we could hear
some devilish noise ahead of us. ooh,
mercy" said the youngest girl, "sup-
pose they break outr' They will eat
the sweetest and tenderest first" said
/, "Lions always do" I pulled my cloak
up over the back OF my head and rumi-
mated. For two long hours we logged
along, for the train was running slow
to suit the wild beasts and we were of
no consequence. Nobody was looking
for us-nobody rushed forward to meet
us, no porter nor hackman-no omni-
bus or street cars, not even a wagon or
an OK cart or darby. The moon had
hid herself to keep from seeing our mis-
cry, but we seized our grips and wraps
and satchels and made a march for the
electric lights. My companions soon
separated from me and ] marched in
single file with my big valise full OF
clothes and the drug store, and struggled
for three quarters of mile up the long
and hard sidewalk. / am not used to
arc lights, and the Pickering shadow of
every tree and telegraph pole looked
like a man in ambush who was fixing
to hold me up. / had forgotten where |
the hotels were, and unconsciously |
passed them, for the doors were all /
shut, and there was no sign. BY and by
I met policeman and he conducted me
back to the hotel, and I was as thank
full as I was tired and humble. My
pitiful tone of voice secured me kind
attention and bed. When man Is
far away from home his warmest well
come is an inn But ! did not rest well.
A 10 o'clock supper on fried sausage
and scrambled eggs and stale oysters,