The labor world., 1898-02-19
oRtGlN OF PINK LEMONADE
HowAa Thoughtful Circus Clown Met q
Texas Emergency.

Texas Emergency.
"The.or1gin of pink lemonade, y
said an old circus clown the other
day, '"has long been shrouded in
mystery, like some other beginnings
in history. But here is the true
story: In 1857 Twas travelling in the
south with Jere Mabies big show. l
was doing a tumbling and acrobatic
act in the ring and had not yet be-
gun to aspire to the cap and bells.
One afternoon, just before the doors
were opened, Mabie came to me in
great distress and told me that the
clown had jumped the show A cir
Gus without clown would be Sc
rious affair anywhere, but in Texas
in those days it meant destruction to
our property and possibly bodily
harm to ourselves. You see, those
Texans didn't have much else to do,
and SO they found time to study the
bills carefully. They insisted upon
getting their full moneys worth
and wanted everything promised on
the bills. Some of our best printing
couldn't be put up in Texas at all,
because, you know, there are things
on circus posters which are beyond
the possibility Of fultillment. We
showmen look upon those pictures
with the artists eye, and we got to
feeling sorry to think what the Tex
ans were missing.
"Wel], to come to the point, Invent
into the ring as clown and made a
hit. kept it up for a couple of
weeks, doing my other act as we'll,
and all for one salary.
Zone morning I went to the man.
ager and told him that would have
to have some extra sequins if he
wanted me to play clown any more.
He answered that I was getting
enough and if wasn't satisfied !
could quit. He thought he had me
there, for Texas was not the kind Of
country a man would enjoy being
left in. But was a youngster then
and didn t mind taking chances. Be-
sides, had saved about $40, and I felt
rich. quit the show right off,
bought a couple of mules and an old
covered wagon and had just enough
left to invest in some peanuts, sug-
ar, tartaric acid and one lemon. Talk
about good friends! Why, that one
lemon stuck to me to the end. I fol-
lowed the circus with my wagon and
pair, and every time the tents were
pitched I would mount box and
sing out:
! "Here's your ice cold lemonade,
Made in the shade
By an old maid!
! Stick your finger in the glass.
It'll freeze tight fast.
The deeper you dip
! The sweeter it grows,
| just like honey from rose. r.
| So good SO sweet, SO sour,
It'll give you joy for hale ar hour'
1.-THE lemonade sold splendidly,
and I couldn't wait on the negroes
fast enough. One day. while I was
surrounded by mob scrambling for
the liquid refreshment, I noticed
suddenly that my water supply had
about run out. There were no wells
or springs In sight, SO rushed into
the big tent to get some water. The
elephants had just been fed and
watered.. and all the tanks were
empty. In the excitement Of the mo-
ment I invaded the dressing tents.
Fannie Jameson, the old time queen
of bareback equestrianism, was
standing in front of a tub, wringing
out pair of pink tights that she
[had been washing. The aniline dye
had stained the water deep pink. I
didn't stop to ask any questions, but
grabbed the tub and ran. AS I
mounted the box I threw in some
acid and the property lemon and and
called out to the customers to come
up quickly and buy some fine straw
berry lemonade My sales were
doubled that day, and since then no
well regulated circus is without pink
Lemonade.
TITS not easy to get the better Of
showmen," continued the old clown.
'They re pretty well up to the triclkss clkss
OF the average community and have
a feW of their own. I was with the
6rststeaMboat show that ever sailed
down the mississippi, and it was al
most swamred by the big Licenses
demanded whenever we landed. Ei-
nally at Memphis the thing culnni- ulnc i
| mated. The merchfapts were up in
arms against the show becaue!e e;a@ug they
said we would take too much money
away from the city. We were noti-
fed that no license would be issued
and that we would not be allowed to
give our show at the wharf. So we
steamed out into the middle of the
river, started our scalliope a piping
o,,1 bo1 o,,7. 1itt1a f17o 1lv hack and