The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-29
THE CIRCTS ~ THE SOUTH.
Instances Of Attempts to Evsds the
Ticket Wagon.
From The PHtsburO Ns,rs.
49,. - iii 49, Ii ia,

fV'N Wv . fNs'fF F"f
"In the North" said the old circus man 10 a
reporter. the desire to get into the tent by
craving under the canvas is confined To the
small hoy. But in The South the entire col
ored population comes 10 the ground and hangs
around day and night looking for an oppor-
tunity TO get in free. And to crawl under the
canvas seems to them 10 be the easiest way.
Men and women tramp around and around
the tent looking for an unguarded point. We
always put extra canvasmen on watch when We
60 TO the South with our show. ] have wit
messed more than one amusing and exciting
incident growing OUT OF this desire Of the negro
TO get into the circus without buying O ticket.
They 90 literally circlis-mad when the show
comes to town, and they won't do a tap OF work
until 1t leaves One reason why they don't
step up TO the ticket wagon and hand out their
coin Is that they never have any, There may
be other reasons, but | have never inquired
further into the subject.
Il was with old Adam Forepaugh one fan
when he took his show to the South Tor an ex-
tended season. Two new canyasmen nearly
nrecipitated a ri9t for rs At Lexington. Ky.
Of keeping negroes from crawling under the
tent and they saw an opportunity 10 make n
little money for themselves on the side They
were able TO work out their scheme through
the fact that they were favorably stationed for
it. One Was on the outside at the connection
between the main tent ana the menagerie. aud
the other on the inside. within the connection.
Among the vast crowd Of negroes hang
ing about the show was "A large number who
had come 10 town expecting Ia get In Tor ~
or Is cents. The outside Canvasman gave
out a quiet tip that If any one had any change
In his pockets, by giving II to the rtght person
he could get into the show at cut rates, They
began to crowd around him. rendering
varied amounts of money. from one cent up To
IS. He accepted all tenders. he told them
that he would have to put them In one AT a
time He did.
The inside man was waiting Tor them. JUST
as soon "a a black head would appear under
the canvas he would grab IL, drag the rest of
the person owning IT inside and shove him
ont OF the other side OF the narrow connection.
From here II was n long way around Ia the
man who got the money Ii one Of the dupes
found his way back, which was uncertain.
and wanted his money returned, he was
promptly showed under the canvas again and
lust n promptly kicked ont on the other side.
IL was q Kind VI an endless chain.
Why didn't the two men let them stay In?
Well, old Adam Forepaugh was about, aud
il hr saw an unusual number of negroes i'm
the tent he would at once have made the rounds
10 find whore they were getting IN. That
was why. The show was about half over
that night when an lnearthly racket started
al the connection. 4 minute or two passed
and We saw TWO canvasmen running for life
around the hlppodrome track with an angry
yelling crowd Of negroes after them. The
audience enjoyed II immensely. Thought il
was part OF the show, We knew different.
4 lot OF W. Jumped In and headed the negroes
of. That gave the canvasmpn time 10 escape.
After We learned the cause OF IL we regretted
our interference. We lost two promising
eanvasmen at Lexington"