The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-10
GETTING Iyro THE CIRCUS.
Old-Fashioned Way of Earning Adnittancs
Deasribed by n Grown.Up Boy.


II took my boy to the circus said the
Brooklyn man. Il paid his way in. He was
mighty lucky. and ! told him SO. When I was
a boy / had to earn the money to nay my way
into the circus II I wanted to go. I had some
interesting experiences doing II. too. and the
first time | earned my way | shall never for
get II ! lived as long as a patriarch.
II had heard from older bows of getting
under the canvas by the method known as
carrying water to the elephants. so when the
circus arrived in town. l followed it to the ball
grounds and hustled around to find the head
man and get the job that would see me through
the door the next day. found the head man
all right. before the canvasmen had fairly got
the tents unloaded. and | told him I wanted to
carry water to the elephants to earn my way
into the show. He said. Don't want YER and
waved his hand toward where some men were
rigging up troughs and tubs and setting up a
portable windmill. Presently the sails OF the
windmill began to 70 around and the water,
pumped from the river. rushed through the
troughs into the tubs in front OF the elephants.
and | could see that before long the big brutes
would have not only enough to drink. but also
enough to wash themselves with. | turned to
go, when the man called me back,
90 over 70 that tent there. hs said. and
wat Wate 1nS and Hpc Garry " Il i 'rSu y1q to q them the men on GnnTf iii
see you 90 in to-morrow.' .
II went to the cook and got the bucket Of
oatmeal water. and IL disappeared like snow on
a hot stove: II was a warm dav. and the men
were working hard pegging down the tent and
pailfui ] carried to them. until my hands were
bIisterei and my back aehed and my head
going by one Of the elephants the animal put
his trunk into the bucket and drained the .oat-
meal water at one sup, but either he liked his
p poin5sdl h wst a.p oye at nm me h. and s %hsa s al tss
.Nrl tHau "a - obi n0 ,trat ltrit. Nitt ~ n
meaily and generally dilapidatcd object, but !
trotted home with peace in my heart: and !
THE next day l went to the background
fS sn TO IooE at' He HsP plves IN n New " YORK eS5.T no aso" He
was, always that kind, OF a hoy; mean the
kind Of boy who would likely live, in Brooklyn
TO wns set s sdSM sP; to Sa the to' Sir nlm 0S and Ss ssid
that II he had made W his mind to go ne would
n morl a %Safsppss1 s6d h /. T wsn Tidho 'o b afi me t 1nt
before the show began he would get in some
how. and he wouldn't crawl under the tent.
,rat | ALWAYS lost when | bet with him. but at
The same time l csouldn't figure out how he was
We walked around Tor a while looking at
the big red wagons and the canvas posters Of
mt ftas-if"G had al" discor pT'aie the IDA day Gbe effo'rrce"Itth""'
cooking tent. the sleeping tent. the head man
standing near the main entrance, and so on.
My brother said he was going 10 make a try
at getting in. and while | strolled around n
littiehe went of to speak to the head man.
Ter minutes later walked up to my en-
ployer OF the day before. My brother was no.
where in sight.
Go then. said the head man.
But you'll have to speak to the people at
tho door. They don't know me. Don't you
remember? I'm the boy who carried oatmeal
water for you Yesterday.
Yer not. said he. I'm just after taking
him in. Clear out
of courae I saw what had happened. Ny
brother had personated me-. and the Snowman.
to whom all boys looked moro or less alike.
had accepted him at his word.
Il started to explain. The man said moth
ing. but he walked t. a wagon and took from
the socke ct one Of those long. timber blacksnuke
whips. He made It siz2le through the air once.
in a calm. dispassionate way, and then slowly
walked toward me. fed. with nv aching
hack. my h%listered hands and gall and worm
wood in my heart.
MY brother told me. when he came out that
the show was great and well worth the work |
not thrash him. and my father was opposed to
circuses anyhow. 40 I could not look TO him for
sympathy. had nothing to do but swallow
the pill as well as could. but ! can, recall few
losses in maturer life that caused me more
grief and rage than the one 7 sustained at the
hands OF my smart brother when L almost
broke my back carving water to earn my way
into the circus. and didn't get nearer to it than
twenty feet. And twenty feet measured out
ward from the canvas of a circus tent Is .
mighty big distance from the show"