The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1899-03-02
OLD CIRCUS DAYS.
STORIES OF THE SAWDU5T KNIGHTS
OF THE SOUTH.

The TTunsey Boys and How Theii
Feast WaM Turned Into Mourning
LO1viovv, the Clown, and an niUcky
Tcxan-Amnteur Perch Performers
Occasionally there ceres back an echo
of old circus days in the south. 1t il
usually when Colonel Johnny Wilson is
in pleasant mood that memories 81
the times when John Lowlow was in
his prime are stirred up, LOTlow was
the Robinson clewn and used to yell,
Fetch on another hosp Aside from
General jackson himself John Robinson
was probably the most popular man be-
low Mason and Dixon's line. Wilson
was kid, but Timber article at that,
and was used to good advantage coca
sionElly as "fill in" when some high
| priced performer left the circus abrupt
| ~. He could do about every thing fr0m
bareback ride to the trapeze turn and
was indispensable.
An organization was formed among
the circus men who followed the for
tunes Of old John Robinson The name
Of the combine was the "Hunkey Boys.
1t got to be very popular, and its num-
bers swelled from few to a consider
able number. The Hunkey Boys even
went SO far as to buy gold badges, with
the insignia Of their lodge upon it. On
one trip down the Massassippy" it
was decided to have banquet after the
night performance on a little island
about 500 yards from the tents. 1t was
purely Hunkey Boy affair, and two
large caldrCns were taken over to the
scene Of the festivity, in which were
made gigantic stew. Wilson and an
other boy procured large bag of asafe-
tida, SWAIN the river, dumped the stuff
into the caldrons and swan back while
the Hunkey Boys were still at work 1t
wasn't long after the show before a
chorus of curses came drifting from the
direction of the banqueters. and the
next day Wilson and his accomplice
were tried by court martial, but evi-
dence was lacking to convict
Johnny Lowlow, the clown, was rid |
ing a trick horse around the ring one
day, getting off a few antics, when a
rawboned Texan began rousting his
part CT the show He became abusive,
and Lowlow concluded to get even. The
horse was trained to stop suddenly when
ever he was given the Office. In stop
ping he would come to his knees. Low
ow galloped the horse ct full tilt
around the circle, and just as ho came
lear the Texan gave tho kcrse the sign
o stop. He did SO, sinking down as he
topped. Lowlow went straight on, head
irst. right into the chest of the fellow
Who was rousting him, and half an hour
fterward a crowd of doctors were gath
red around that Texan in the cook tent,
whether he would live or die
1t was away down in Alabama that
he perch trick couple deserted the show.
The perch trick is the name of the per-
ormance where one man holds up
oDg pole and balances it while second
erforms upon it-certGinly difficuIt
hing to do, whether you are upon the
ole performing or holding it up. John
y Wilson, being young, active and
ight, was called upon to do the perch
rick and Board Robinson undertook to
alance him. They bad no time for re-
earsing the act, for the perch people
at the last moment, as they
ways do; so out came Wilson and
johnson on the sawdust. The end of
le pole is supported by belt, but
Glow who is not used to it will let it
ip and, Of course, the weight of the
'llow up in the air causes it to make I
i'd impression on his stomach. Wilson
ad hardly reached the top of the pole I
hen be heard an agonized voice, and
oking down saw Robinson with the
Die in his stomach.
Come DOWN. yelled Robinson in J
lin, but just as john turned to do SO =
} got the pole back in the belt and
led out, "Stay upp' Then Wilson be-
IN to do few tricks when again
me a gasping voice, "Come down."
saw that the pole was burrowing
to Boards stomach again, and hasten
to obey, but before he could get down
oninson lost his balance and over went
9 pole, throwing Wilson over into the |
dience He fell with such force that
went clear through the seats, and a
lect party of social fayorites accom- |
sod n A. y.