The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-08-01
A GUYED REPORTER.

"About ten years ago, said man
who used to be newspaper reporter
out west, 81 got q queer assignment
from the city editor of the Chicago pa
per that paid me wages. Frank Perley,
who's now the 'impresario' of a trav-
cling comic opera outfit, blew into Chi
cago ahead of Barnum' S show. He got
the thing going pretty well 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 a local veterinary
sharp on the Sunday morning follow
ing the arrival of the show in town on
Saturday night. Each paper sent a man
down to see this performance, and Per
ley got gobs of reading space for his
show out of it.
1.-The panther had an liberated tooth
all right and put up highly interest
ing scrap when the animal doctor de-
tached the molar, but the thing certain
ly did fit in mighty pat for ante-exhibi-
tion space grabbing all the same.
''Then Perley blandly suggested to
the city editors that it would be a good
scheme for each of them to send man
to the show for the purpose of writing
an absorbingly interesting Sunday spe-
cial ON Circus Life Behind the Scenes. ;
All of the city editors side stepped on
this proposition except the city editor
of my paper, who thought it would be
good thing:
81 was picked out for the job. 1
couldn't precisely see why I should get
the assignment, for wasn't notable as
spellbinder or a coverer of freak as
sfgnments found out afterward why
the task was poked at me. I was a very
humble quantity on the paper and
noted all around for the sweetness of
my disposition.
''There was to be put up job, and
was singled out as a good thing, not
liable to get mad and tear things loose.
81 went to the show grounds with
Perley 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
huge chap who took the titular role in
the big Fall of Rome spectacle that
| preceded the show
Nero asked me what kind Of a
make up l wanted for the spectacle. Any
old make up, l told him. So he started
in to help me tog out as a Persian
| prince.
"When he got through with me,
guess had ON a good $40, 900 or $780,.
| 600 worth of clothes and other gear; al
least l felt as if 1 had. The long tapes
try robe wore was incrusted with hun
dreds Of large diamonds, sapphires, ru
bies, pearls, emeralds and such. The
scimiter that swung from the side o1
me was jewel hilted up to the limit
the tall, cloth Of gold head thing thai
Nero gave me to put on was also blaz'
of Jewels and, finally, the kingly mace
that had to pack around me as par
of my equipment-it weighed about 81
pounds-was so thickly studded will
precious stones that wondered wha
chance I'd have of getting away if
bolted with the thing.
"Now, an easy role in the spectacula
show was dished out to me. All l hat
to do was to stretch out on gorgeou
gilded palanquin, with my head restin!
gracefully on one hand, and be carriet
around the tent in the grand, triumpha
procession by 10 Roman soldiers witt
Connemara faces on them. There wa
nothing hard looking about that, and
breathed easier when I found that, aft
er all, wasn't expected to hop out int
the center of the main ring and do
limelight skirt dance alone and unaided
"'All youse is got to do, said Nero
who was, by all odds, the finest lookin
broth of a man that I ever saw in m
life, SIS t. lay still on de top @ de ca
lash an keep your head closed, see
Youse is got purity part. Don't grin
Try an look as if youse had just bee
t'rowed down by barkeep. an youse
look ugly, all right.
"When the moment arrived, hoppe
aboard of the palanquin, the IL Roma
soldiers got hold of the legs of IT,
same, and 1 shot up in the air. Lookin
down over the side, it seemed to me 6
if I was about mile up in the air, an
1 shuddered to think of what wOul
q happen to me supposing the IL Roma
d soldiers decided to strike for mol
0 wages while they had me in that eleva
ed position on the palanquin.
"But the blare of the music and I'll
howls of the boys in the seats dro'
these ideas out of my head. l stretche
out as per programme, with my hug
mace beside me, and tried to look
savage as possible-for, you see, w;
supposed to be captive Persian prime
swiped in one of the eastern raids
the victorious Roman army.
"The thing went pretty well for Il
% first part of the trip. The boys in tt
l. seats threw it at me pretty hard,
course. They didn't like that recumbel
3 attitude of mine. They regarded me
a law duffer, living there prone, with