Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-05
GUYED THE REPORTER.
Odd Experience Of a Good Natured
Young Reporter.
Agett Of The Circus Mad Him As Feature Of
the Show.

reporting business, or at least he
claims he has. 1t was one of these
men that entertained a crowd in a
cigar store. the other night. He was
a man who had been about quite \
little without doubt. so that he hal
the ability to tell straight story.
About ten years ago" said the man.
Il got a queer assignment from the
city editor of the Chicago paper that
paid mo wa"es. Frank Perley. who's
nov - i ...ns rSa.'io of IL travelling
conn. lcra oL.-.~. Jew into Chicago
ahead of Barnum's show. He got the
thing going pretty we'll from the jump.
In the first place he told all of the city
editors that the star panther of the
show was going to have an liberated
tooth pulled out by local veterinary
sharp on the Sunday morning follow
ing the arrival of the show in town. on
Saturday night. Each paper sent u
man down to see this performance and
i'erley got gobs of reading space for
his show out of it. The panther had
an liberated tooth all right. and pm:
up a highly interesting scrap when the
animal doctor detached the mOlar, but
the thing certainly did fit in mighty
pat for e-exhibition space grabbing.
all the same.
Then Perley blandly suggested to
the city editors that it would be good
scheme for each of them to send a
man TO the show for the purpose Of
writing an absorbingy interesting
Sunday special on Circus Life Behind
the Scenes. All of the city editors
sidestepped on this proposition except
the city editor of my paper who
thought it would be good thing.
was picked out for the job. ! couldn't
precisely see why l should get the as
sgnnent. for | wasn't notable as a
Spellbinder or q coverer of freak as
signments. l found out afterward why
the task was poked at me. l was a
very humble quantity on the paper
and noted all around for the sweetness
of my disposition. There was to be a
put-up job and l was singled out as a
good thing, not liable to get mad and
tear things loose.
Il went to the show grounds with
Tcrley for the first afternoon perform
ance of the circus. Perley took me
around to the mems dressing tent and
introduced me to Nero. Nero was the
the big Fall of Rome spectacle that
preceded the show. Nero asked me
what kind of a makeup l wanted for
the spectacle. Any old makeup, I
told him. So he started in to help me
tog out as IA Persian Prince. When he
got through with me guess had on
II good $780, 900 or $50, 900 worth of clothes
and other gear. at least l felt as if l
an hn no T
WAS incrusted with hundreds of large
diamonds, sapphires. rubies, pearls.
cmeralds, and such; the scimetar that
swung from the side of me was jewel
hiltcd up to the limit the tall. cloth-of-
gold head thing that Nero gave me to
put on was also blaze of jewels. and.
finally. the kingly mace that 1 had to
pack around as a part of my equip
ment-it weighed about 80 pounds
was 50 thickly studded with precious
stones that | wondered what chance I'd
have of getting away if l bolted with
the thing.
Now, an easy role in the spectacular
show was dished out to me. All l had to
do was to stretch out on a gorgeous
gilded palanquin. with my head resting
gracefully on one hand, and be carried
around the tent in the grand triumph
al procession by II Roman soldiers
with connemara faces on them. There
was nothing hard-rooking about that.
and | breathed easier when l found
that after all, l wasn't expected to hop
out into the center of the main ring
and do a limelight skirt dance, alone
and unaided.
." All youse is got to do said Nero
who was by all odds the finest looking
broth of a man that l ever saw in my
life. is t lay still on de top o de
calash an keep yer head closed see?
fouse is got purity part. Don't grin.
Try an look as if youse had just been
trowed down by a barkeep. an you'll
look ugly, all right
when the moment arrived | hopped
aboard of the palanquin. the II Roman
soldiers got hold of the legs of the
same, and | shot up in the air. Look
ing down over the side it, seemed to me
as if was about mile up in the air,
and | shuddered to think of what
would happen to me surprising the II
Roman soldiers decided to strike for
more wages while they had me in that
elevated position on the palanquin.
But the blare of the music and the
howls of the boys in the seats drove
tltst luclS out oI my lledu i StrelcneQ
out. as per programme. with my huge
mace beside me- and tried to look as
savage as possible-for you see.I was
supposed to be IA captive Persian
prince. swiped in one of the Eastern
raids of the victorious Roman army.
The thing went pretty we'll for the
first part of the trip. The boys in the
seats threw it at me pretty hard. of
course. They didn't like that recum-
bent attitude of mine. They regarded
me as Il lazy duffer, lying there prone.
with lot of husky men compelled to
pack Inc around.
Git out o de wagon. We dago dude
they hooted at me, an give dem Ro-
man Muliigan sojers a chanst fer der
white alley!'
II didn't pay any attention to these
iibes. however, but the route around
the big tent surely seemed long one.
But I didn't know what was in store
for me. About half way around the
tent was the press box ! didn't know
this until-well. until saw my friends
in the hoX. There were about $50 Of
them. l guess Perley stood right in
h.,, mid a of I,a h,,,,a