Arizona republican., 1899-07-17
TRUE HISTORY or SAMSON
Life of One of the worlds riOSt
Noted Athletes.

I want TO JON in the theological
discussion hat IS going on and as 1
can think Of no mere prominent char
acter viii add few facts about sam
son that may help clear up matters
somewhat. Theological discussions
are all the fashion just now. Indeed,
they are like the poor. always with US.
i preacher IS NOS q success and can't
draw 4 good salary unlsss he turns up
his nose five or six feet a the Bible.
N order to earn his salary w5ll, n
these times. a preacher ms to pick
flaws IN the Bible, and every once in
q while kick a hole into the sacred vo!-
une about ELEVEN feet square. Il s =
great boon and comfort to q poor. dis
dressed, Sorrowing believer to learn
thai al. of the Bible is not inspired.
ard who wrote the Book of Job and
whether the whale swallowed Jonah.
or whether i was coed wine made out
Of water.
II makes so mach difference to have
all those technicalitias cleared up AMI
CiDns ed out. and It makes the Chris
,iaa's life one g,5d. glorious picnic.
To return to Samson. he was q pre-
travel with d circus as a lion tanner
One day right after they got n from
the parade the main lion (they had
only one IN the circus as they were
JUST starting ouO became unruiy and
insisted on taking a chew OF tobacco
out OF one Of the siJwz-en's hip peck
cts. Samson arrived just n the mex
Of time and, taking the lion by the
submax. IaTy, broke it eff
Samson IVES = good hand ID have
around 2 show He was really the
whole show himself a good deal Of the
time. One day just Us d bit of pleas
allry he tied th5 tails Of lot Of foxes
togathcr ami turned them loose. 8Ir.
Johnson, and they started 4 praina
fire that burned of all the crops in
western Nebraska He was great
mirth provoker. Samson was. He
wouldn't go % Sunday school muca.
however. and maybe that 5 what got
HIM into trouble He insisted on trav-
cling with the circus. although his
folks objected q great deal. But he
was Wayward and had a head OF his
own His father needed MIN Al h0Da
on the farm as he was a good st0u5
hand and could easily have earned $50
month and board, wet Or dry.
He was somet hing OF pugiIist il
his day, but living before the DAYS of
newspapers and foot bali. he never ac-
qu1red the reputation he otherwise
would have done.
While travelling with the circus.
tanning ions, and keeping rhs PhiEs-
tines from craving under the canvas
by sWiping them On the heads with
the jawbOle of an ass, he let his hair
grow nice 2nd long. He was getting
ready 10 stapt a Buffalo Bits wild
west show, but meantime he got stuck
on he leading bareback rider. De'iIah.
A rival Snowman hired her to cut OF
the golden hair hanging down his back
and Samson was q gone costing. But
he said nothing. He afterward has
his eyes put out by some cOwardIy
rival, but he bided his time. and one
day just as the show was beginning
the grand entry he had his revenge.
They were showing in GAIA, a county
seat town in Oklahoma. Samson was
Standing. leaning 8gainst the center
pole. and just as the entire crowd was
loudly laughing at one Of the clowns
jokes which he had dug out of the ark,
Samson spit on his hands and gave the
center pole a hoist which sent the
whole tent SPRAYING, and there fs-l a.
that time more than 5000 people who
had paid their way INTO the circus. and