The sun., 1898-12-18
TOLD BIZ THE OLD CIRCUS MAN.
Tho Ono Occasion on which tho Great Clan
Was Really Put Out.

"h5 AscaiiI uS Outs
while the great giant OF whose size have
been trying to give you some notion" said the
old circus man. was not by eny means as
great in intellect as he was in stature. yet he
was by no means lacking. and never knew
him to be put out but once. and that was over
an unexpected little thing. just as might hap
pen to any man.
''one Of tho things that the giant used to do
was to take a drink in the ring. Walking
around. with the people all looking at him.
he'd come pretty soon to the rinRmaster and
bend down over him and touch him on the
head. and when the rinRmaster looked UP tho
giant would say to him that he'd like pome-
thing TO drink.
How would bottle OF beer suit your
Majesty2 the ringmaster would say. and
when the giant said all right the rinRma aster
would send out for bottle OF beer.
This bottle. OF course, was one we had
made for the business. 1t was about twice as
big as a hoRshead. and it had neck of proper
tonate size. 1 suppose the cork that fitted
1t was little bit bigger than barrel. When
the ringmaster sent out for a bottle of beer for
the giant 1t was this bottle that was brought in.
We used to have 1t hauled into the ring on
two-horse truck. The giant would always
smile in anticipation when he saw 1t coming.
and when they halted alongside of him he
used to take the bottle by the neck and lift It
of the truck. Then he'd look down on the
truck and around on it and at the man that
had come in with It. and finally he'd turn to
the ringmaster and say he didn't see any cork
screw.
'WhatP says the ringmaster. mo cork
sorewT and then he'd say to one OF the men:
Bring in corkscrew for his Majestyp
THE man would come back in q minute
carrying on his shoulder what seemed to be q
pole about eighteen feet long and pointed at
the end He'd walk up pretty close to the
giant and then stop and tip the pointed end
OF ot the - p9le,he Ole carried it with the pointed
each sere sen to s ws and
he had standing u aprsht re a9a on its poGsr poins
And the giant would look at it and and say: !'''''
a. " But see no handIe.' 4
and when he would order handle for the cork.
the truck and unship the wagon WACO p pole lean and hand
that tbs sp 10 ths Ell pn for handle he took
eighteen-foot pole which the man was hold
ag the soa seS apensS as ss s tRsehsd 4 The
and then these laws Would shut hut toeethsr to- Siss
on t1 the ,, pole and hold il; Then, the, giant
standing back. and. as he lifted It. the pole.
into spiral shape. In the form OF a gigantic
which, our snake man. Who 'S1t was a %onderiSi aIi
man. had charmed and hypnoti and drilled
into INTO, taking and holding certain forms under
well now that did used to get the audience
immense It used TO terrify EN- somewhat, too.
but IT interested em tremendous. and they'd
just sit there. silent and watch for what was
And then they'd see the great eiant bore
that Gigantic, wonderful corkserew into the the
cork. and pull the cork. and then they'd see
the cork on It. In one hand e wSe he fsed Tbe t6e
bottle up and tilted 1t so he could drink from
"Then the regular programme was for the
giant e set the bottle back on the truck, un-
screw sore @ the cork from the oorkserew, and set
OF the bottle. and hand the corkscrew to men
ha,ilnn,a In the ring They'd lower Il down into
would let go Of the wagon pole and men Would
Soo set that .t back in position on the truck and
on. and It didn't take but a minute. he ss ana.
cconda would be strengthening out. and by the
the %SAd bee Ra sSsg sG
sMt Swt lnto ,rorI p9ie h again and when The team
after It, And then the ringmaster would say
Your Majesty feels better now2' And the
giant MMoh would say;
usual. We. always followed just that formula.
heGer tSma Sarylng from 1t Bit but one day some.
"of .ssp course You understand that the giant
he could have, bored an iron coil through il
With, with ease' s' and for that matter he could have
have have held held his form. But even II the snake could
steel steel shoe or cap on the rip of It's tall aud that
would always have been more or less OF a
if 6other to us. and we avoided all these dflcul-
through. the cork for the anaconda to twist
through and. moreover. we always kept the
lit tuhneI well creased go that the snake would
course the giant used TO turn hard enough to
give the Impression that he was boring into
spd e easy Sst os nes the snake went in slick
giant had set the corkscrew and was ready 10
ground gro IN n6 between MS feet and give good hard
We'll; on this day that the thing happened.
when the giant had begun pulling on the cork
handle lust as he was pulling the hardest. Of
course this was something totally expected
the giant wasn't. prepared for It at all. and up
his hand. while lie himself stood looking down
a. the cork. There he saw the head and maybe
ihree leet Of the snake projecting up out OF
laughing at him; and tremendous as II all was.
when the audience saw the great giant stand
Ing there holding the wagon pole up high in
snake they begun 70 litter: they couldn help
NJ ,hhu moment lnter when they gaw the
snake SO sort Of Wink his eye and clole his laws
right opt and laughed ut to KIN. And The
great S giant was % 81 n1Rpinsscd tnat le dropped
he. stood, and walked out OF the ring
don't, sout AZ uRset St hm Inn % emppleteis there's no
was, he was a ready witted man. as much 80
the only Time ! ever saw him when he was