Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-06-29

wasn't an overcoat nor wrap moi a,
stitch of cold weather underwear IN the 4
crowd, but we intended to Get those
things in Pittsburg, such as we wouid
need in the South.
Business was not so good in Butler
as it had been in other places; the
weather was too cold But we had
fair audience at night-enough to leave
a few dollars over after paying expenses
Such a happy crowd as we were
English Charley, the clown, never sang
his old time-worn song about the agrl-
cultural Irish girl so well before, and
we were all in fine fettle as we lined up
behind him TO join in the chorus
She was a big, long, lean, lank ~f'
Sort of an agricultural Irish girl;
She never paints nor powders,
Her figure was all her own, .,a
She would hit that hard, +
You would think you were struck by
the kick of mule.
The full of the house of Irish loye
Was May Ann Malone.
Many a time that season we had
sung this chorus in half hearted way,
but to night there was plenty OF vim In
it.
And then came the star act of the
show the one that always pleased the
country neonle. This was
Boston. the chandelier man,
and his trick mule, Boston used to tend
the lights and also act his trick mule.
Made up as clown he bounced into the
ring with his mule and rode 1t around
and around and then announced, as ne
had every afternoon and night that
summers -'t.@
Ladies and gentleman, l wish to an
nounce to you here and now that the
management of this show will pay $1,000
in gold to the man, woman, or child
who will ride this animal twice around
the ring.
Then he paused, whip in hand and
looked around the circle of seats, as ne
always did OF course no one but Bos-
ton himself could ride that mule Had
MT thousand people attempted 1t and
got bruised and laughed at for their
trouble?- The thought that it was even
possible for anyone but Boston to ride
that mule more than ten feet never en-
tered the mind of man in the OUTFIT.
Boston repeated his offer and tall
gangling countryman got up from the
top and rear row of seats and picked
his way down to the ring.
Abr shouted Boston, here comes
gentleman who hopes to win that thou.
sand. Ride him twice around, sir. and
the money is yours.
The gawk stepped into the ring and
with look of intense earnestness and
determination on his face sized up the
mule, who stood under the fiarlng gas
oline torch Tapping his long ears ana
blinking his eyes as much as TO say:
Just watch me roll this yap as Hat as a
pancake
The farmer stepped up to the mule
and quick as fash he was on top OF
him with his long legs around the
mules neck, his cowhide boots tied in a
knot under his neck and the mules tail
grasped firmly in both his hands. The
mule looked surprised. He had never
in all his experience in the ring, been
mounted in that way before. He look
ed more. surprised when the man on his
back ierked his tail up and sank his
teeth into the flesh on his back. Ihat
mule gave one wild snort and bray and
shot around the ring, not only twice but
half dozen times, before he leaped the
ropes and fairly few into the dressing
tent. Boston stood there, leaning up
against the centre pole. the picture OF
amazement and despair, his long whip
trailing in the sawdast, his eye on the
opening in the canvas flaps through
which mule and man had disappeared.
I'm moment the man came out grin
ming. The audience " as cheering and
The word spread among
the circus men,. -. .--i
. Boys, the thousand is gone, and
they fockedfn. The old man sank IN
to a seat and m0aned Boys what
will l dor t~rse
Don't give up the thousand suggest
ed two or three. But the audience was
already clanoring for the man to be
paid. Weall knew too well that 1T We
did not pay 1.-THE crowd would clean US
out bag and baggage. The old man
staggered into the ring, fumbling as he
walked for the wallet inside his vest.
As be epassed Boston, who had dropped
to seat on the ringside, he said woe
fully: T.
Z, oh, Boston, why didn't you offer
only a. hundredP
He paid the gawk the $1,000, the
audience yelled its delight, the show
ended right there, and after the last
spectator was gone we built a fire in
the ring, pulled up trunks and boxes
around it and sat there till morning, be-
the hard luck that left us dead
broke and stranded between the end of
a hard summer and the beginning OF
a hard winter. t t.