The sun., 1900-08-12
TOLD ny THE OLD CIRCUs NAV.


that for ingenuity in advertising the old man
never had his equal. Look NJ the way he used
to work the greatest Of all giants. We never
struck townthat he didn't find chance for him
TO do something wonderful that set everybody
talking. II there was town clock there he'd
have the giant. when he came along that way
stop and turn the hands back and forth two or
three times. If there was nothing else 10 do
In town he d get somebody to take the giant
out cunning. and then have the giant turn M
with shotgun over his shoulder with barrels
as long and as big around as telegraph poles
He never failed to find something for him 10 do
that would attract attention; and some Of tho
very simplest OF these things were the most
effective 4 thing Of this sort that the giant
did was his helping people over a stream. I
always thought myself that this was one Of tho
best things.
"Thered be. say, running along on the out
skirts OF some town where we were going 10
show, a big brook. or little branch, maybe
fifteen or twenty feet wide, with bridge over 1T
on the road approaching the town; stream
broadening out here little where il was shall
low, and ford close to the bridge where people
used to drive across In summer, 10 give their
horses a drink. The bridge here, YOU know.
was generally just the very simplest sort OF
construction; couple Of timbers laid across
and braced with their ends on stone laid up
for piers on either side Of the stream, and these
timbers planked and furnished with a railing
along the sides. II there was nothing else that
the old man could see to do In town when he
looked II over, and there wns n stream and n
bridge like this, then, In the morning before
people were up he would lust simply have the
elephant hooked onto one end OF II and haul
the bridge out Of place, IN the line Of the road.
porting stonework on the other end We used
10 put short skids under that end for the ends
to rest and slide on, SO that they wouldn't Jolt
down when we pulled 'em on and smash tho
When people began to get around in the
morning and found the bridge down, the old
the weight of the elephant in crossing over.
and when this got out around. why the whole
town would turn out TO see the bridge that had
been broken down by. the elephant, And in tha
natural course of things there'd be more or
less people coming along this road, too. from,
one way or the other wanting to cross oyer, and
what to do, and they'd stand there and wai.
and then, when these people that wanted I"
get across began to add mp little, then was
when the old men would rise up
Send up the giant he'd say to somebody
he had with him, and this man would 80 back
a dnS Ss Ss the end San Kept e Of M as az
much as possible, in the woods.
This stream, there az the bridge %td would be-
would come strdng up the road to the stream
and first step one foot across It and halt and
stand there with a foot on either bank. And
stream-tRat nrs me- t. n women " and I'd Children The
bridge wasn't down so bad but what men and
boys, could scramble np from the dropped end
To the road But the women and children
couldn't do this. and they were the ones va
wanted to please. ANYWAY
And the giant could please them easily. A.
a matter Of fact, he was gentle-hearted man
and he had a pleasant, kindly face that capti-
yated the children and he'd begin on them.
He'd look down at some little girl that had been
standing of tha hanks wntiuu
across and looking up at him as she would at
asteeple on church
to her at the same time, YOU want to 90 acrossv
And he'd put his great hands around her.
hands so big that Just Tapped over each other.
and lift her up as gently IA could be and up
and over with great sweep through the air
and set her down on the other bank almost be-
fore she knew II
the most astonishing thing the peoplp had ever
seen--this man standing there across this WENT
foo; stream-and not having TO stretch his leg
Just simply carried them awav. Before he'd mn
ished wththe title bunch Of people on either side
'i bv peopI. eo Women Women al and children in The cr"wd
that wanted TO be lifted over for fun. Ini
he'd lift them all right, h" could do easiN.
her over and SET her down on the other bank and
then pick up a Young woman and swing her
gently over to the bank that he had brought
woman down he'd pick M somebody there and
swing her over 10 where he'd brought the child
from. When he set down one he'd pick uI.
another and that's the wav he kept em going
back and forth through the air. work ing up
the darndest. strangest, most curious eN lie
ment the town had ever known,
But Of course YOU couldn't keep this up
alwars and the way in which the old man used
TO change the subject so 10 speak showed his
genius too. While the great giant was gently
tossing 'em over like that, and every BODY
would be Just simply glued to the spot look ing
AZ him. the old man would have some men at
work planting IN the road about fifteen or
twenty feet awar from the end ~; the bridge
that was down stout post Then they'd make
one hloCk of tackle fast onto the dropped end
10 that post in the road and then hook the elc-
phant onto the fall When ever, thing was
ready and thev called To the elephant 10 start
him; the giant would look "a see what was ny.
When the giant loohed Of course ervbody
looked and they saw the elephant sitting on
he fall and the end of the bridge rs-
ing slowl into place, we'd left thos"
SIX IDS under u. YOU know. and now they
helped 10 guide II. and the had the bridge
back where 1t belonged IN might short order
And then the giant would step back 10 the m
with ever bod" on that side follow ing him and
that show was over,
Now, Nou know, everybody in that town
would have heard Of our circus. m war, bu'
not ever BODY would have been Impressed bv n
NJ the% were sure Ia be b" such q thing 20 thi-
There wasn't living soul that saw the giant a.
me brook that morning bu' what wanted to Sea
Nun IN the show, md when We got chance ~
EN- like that the canvas wouldn't hold the people
me giant: but don't know but what In nts uay
the old man greater