The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-17
CIRCUS LIFE is TRYING.
Work is Hard, Pay Small and Nc
Money is Saved.

IF you have been working, where is
your money!" asked the court, giving
| the nice-looking man in the greasy
overalls a sharp look, says the Mime
apolis Tribune.
II haven't any," he replied, in very
frank manner, for a vag.
That's what your companion said
It appears very funny to me that you
two men have been with the circus
since June II and haven't any money to
show for it."
you never roustabouted with a cir
Gus, did your" asked the bright young
man. You never left home to follow
I the tents for a season and see how it
seemed to be a dog?''
"N-no, I think not" said the court,
I might have had hankering, but /
never went"
well, it's dogs life, without any
mistake. The pay is poor and you get
little out of it,"
But you should have had enough to
show some money when you left. You
| say you were going to harvest and you
| left Sunday morning Now, you must
have had some money coming"
"All of which shows that you never
| Travelled with a circus" was the reply
| of the young man, while his bald head
! ed companion in the prisoners chair
nodded his head emphatically. II was
with the horse outfit and this man was
! with the black tent gang. The pay is
not large-$1S month if you stay all
season and go into winter quarters
| and If you don't SIS month"
| You had your board and lodging, u
| said the court sententiously.
| Yes, but that shows how little peo-
| pie know about a circus life. If every
| boy had my experience, or knew Of IT.
he wouldn't banker to travel with a
| show. You see, we had to be UP at ali
! hours in the morning, usually 4 O'Clock
and from then until it is as hard work
as you ever saw. At about that time
| you are as hungry as horse, and
| breakfast is not served until O'clock
That is one of the schemes Of the show
So to fix it for us they have a privilege
wagon, where we can go and buy cup
of coffee and lunch, and we need that
every morning. Then we have dinner
a good one, at l O'clock and supper at
5 o'clock.
Now, 1t is after that where we again
begin to be aware of our appetites, and
we get so hungry by about 10 o'clock
that we have to go after the privilege
wagon again, and that takes money
Then we are always needing things
clothing, and we have to have little
odds and ends The circus is just like
a travelling city. You think a town gets
some good out of a circus, but not
much. None of the hands buy anything
in town.
You see the circus people have a
commissary wagon, in which they keep
all kinds of necessary clothing, shoes
and Quitting and the little things men
need 1t is like a mines general store.
We go there when we need anything,
and 1t is charged up to us. SO when
the Cay for pay comes around there
isn't much and sometimes less than
nothing for us, and we have to work a
few days on the next month to even
up with the show. That's why we left
the show business, and had mind to
go harvesting"
You look as if you had been hard
worked" said the court. IF let you
go do you think you can get out of
town today?"
yes, sir, we want to get right out
into the fields"
You may CO."
Two very happy men, Charles Han
sen and Joseph Morris, in greasy over
alls, bronzed faces and hardened hands
went out into the street, and struck
straight for an employment Office.