The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16
TOLD BY THE OLD CIRCUS MAN.
The Greatest Of All Giants's Letter writing
and Its Uses.

The greatest Of all giants" said the old cir
Gus man, was not what YOU would call n great
letter writer. but he did write now aud then.
and, OF course, he had To have suitable writing
materials. The old man provided these mora
than willingly, in fact. he never let the giant
lack for anything that he wanted, whether
it was something that he really needed or only
something that he just fancied At the sans
time the old man never hesitated to take ad-
vantage Of anything that the giant did with
these things to help advertise the show, and one
day when he saw the giant sitting out back
Of the main tent before the show began, writing
a letter. and realized for the first time what a
really wonderful sight that was. he made up
his mind on the spot that he'd introduce the
giant writing letters in the show, in a little act
that he'd have made for that purpose. 1t was
a simple little scene, between the giant and the
clown, just enough TO permit Of Juggling in the
letter writing business. but 1t proved a great
THE clown acted the part Of a boy in tho
giants employ, He had been discharged for
cutting up some sort Of capers, but he had
nevertheless asked for a letter Of recommended
ton. The giant being a man OF tender heart,
was willing to give him this, even 4 he had dis
wrote in the ring When he boy had made az thIs
request the giant would turn to one Of the ring
Bring in my desk and writing materials,'
And the man would gossip, and come back in
a minute ahead Of two four-horse teams driven
abreast and each hauling a bis, box wagon big
teams along side by side out into the centre OF
the ring and halt 'em there with the vans stand
be a swarm OF men around the van. and they'd
open the rear doors and haul out from the in
what looked like sections Of board flooring such
as YOU might build a platform Of, and that was
Just the, sort OF thing they, did build Of them; on
top OF the. vans this platform. serving there a.
the top Of the giants desk. OF which the two
vans formed the base,
Then from out of one Of the vans they got
the giants travelling inkstand. which was about
like n square trunk for share and dimensions.
or as much a.. anything like a .vitriol carboy.
then get out OF the vans the giants pen rack
and pens. the pen rack being a cOntraptisn
Soou. a. nIsn ana as l9hg as a section OF a hye-
back that could be opened out to make II stand
up. and having hooks on the front TO hold the
penholders, these being, ! should think. about
ten or eleven feet long. while the rens were
about the size 81 the blade. Of q spade. They'd
Iut a couple Of these penholders and pens on
the rem rack and then hustle out for the giants
portfolio, which was too big To be carried In the
van. They could take the desk top apart and
the giants writing paper and portfolio The
portfolio holder was Ike a gigantic sawhick
or like those holders they have in art stores
TO put portfolios Of picturesi in, only about seven
teen times as big, and they'd stand that, with
the 6 pGrtIolo in = gF ns[ the desk
- - E|.r' -. s'"AAN " ~ Ahs UlfT
they placed In front Of he desk, and when every
thing was ready for MIN the giant would ~
down IN that chair and twist around 10 whore
he couid reach the ribbons by which the two
parts OF the portfolio we're tied together, give
them q little yank and pull the bovknot united,
and throw the cover Of the portfolio back and
take ont a sheet of that paper. Then he'd
reach forward and pick up one. Of those pens
from the pen rack, and spread his feet Just a
little biz more and settle himself down a little
bit more IN his seat. all ready To write. Then
he'd turn his head and look down at the clown
standing on the ground and say. holding the
%ten-foot penholder with the pen all ready 10
dip:
Hmm. lemme see, little boy. How old
did you say YOU was2'
We'll, now, as 7 tell this to YOU, it may setm
like n dreadful palfry thing for people 10 90
nutty over, but that'S what they used 10 do,
When the clown sdld " or IL. or whatever
the answer was and the giant squared him
self around again aud dipped his pen in the
carboy inkstand aud threw hi> head Just the
least little bit 10 one side and began To write.
why. the people would just simply boiler.
or all the odd things the giant did. thsrs -
nothing that pleased them more" y