Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-02-09

! ANOTHER FILIPINO REVOLT
s A Comedy Of BOwery Life.
IS BY H. ]. O'Hggins.
BY H. J. O'Higgins.


tatl0n-and mixing with the luncheon,
started rebellion in his head.
When he heard laundering demand
for his prompt appearance from that
triune oppressor, the manager, clark
er" and "bouncer," he lifted the tail
of his bearskin and thrust the flask
into the hip-pocket of his legless
knickerbockers, planning to have an
other drink..in his cage.
;, The manager did not see anything
in his manner except childish bad
humor, and "Aguinaldo," climbing
up to his platform, got over the side
of box which was seven feet long,
three feet wide and four feet high.
He sat down in the bottom of it. "A
wire top was added, making the side
three feet higher, so that when the
exhibition began he might stand up
without showing more than his
head and chest to the public who had
not yet passed the ticket Office to the
platform on which he was elevated.
When not reused by the manager to a
mock fury that flung him with savage
hands upon this wire netting, he sat
with his back against the end Of the
box and his legs outstretched be-
fore him, scowling at the faces which
showed over the side of his cage.
The enameled beauty was already
in the ticket Office. "Snipey" and
the human target were on the plat
form in front of "Aguinaldo's" box. A
calico screen hung between them and
the Hall OF Illusions, and behind that
screen the boy waited with the hand
organ. There were two lines of muta-
scopes in the hall, and at the far end
of it, behind row of curtains, there
was the machinery of three optical il
Interchangeable of lights and
mirrors for the production of the
vanishing lady," the "beheadod
lady," and the animated bust" A
door beside these curtains led Into
the second compartment where the
scrawny beauties posed. There was
third room with nothing in it but
the broken peep-show and such old
lumber.
And the method of the entertain
ment was just this. A crowd was
gathered by the invitations of the
"barker" at the door, and welcomed
into the free show beside the ticket
office. From that the honey-tongued
orator drew them past the Office where
they paid five cents each) over "Aguin-
aldo's" platform into the Hall of Illu.
sions. The entertainment there was
rather disappointing after the prom
ises of the placards and pictures in
the windows and Of the manager on
the platform. 1t would cost ten cents
more to realize those promises in the
next compartment. A number of
"touts" led the gulls into the Beauty
Show, where they received another
disappointment when the golden
haired antiques were posed for them.
They were told then that in the last
compartment there was something
that they must not inform the police
about. 1t would cost ten cents more
to see it. If any were fools enough
to pay that ten cents, they came upon
the lumber room. The three touts
laughed at them. The manager and
"Snipey" awed them. The lights had
been turned down, and if they had |
any money left in their pockets, they |
were glad to escape by O side door |
and say nothing.
It was this progression the manager
intended to begin when he called out
from the door, care yeb all W"
The organ staggered into an uncertain
melody for answer. "Snipey" twirled
his tin-bladed daggers on the plat
form. The vision in the tick et-ofice
smiled, and "Aguinaldo," hidden in
MS packing-case, got the bottle from
under his bearskin and attempted to
tilt it to his lips. He had forgotten
he bone ring that hung from his nose
Is low as his lower lip, and he split
he precious liquor over his face and
Town his neck before he knew it.
Then he jerked out the inconvenient
Notwithstanding the tender skin
If his nostril as he did it, so that his
lose began to bleed-wiped off his
ace with his hand, smudging the
colors and drank CO.
,iously.
The manager had thrown open the
loor and was already casting bait to
lis gudgeon. "Walk in, gents, walk
II. Free performance right on the
inside. No charge for ADMISSION. The
insst show on the Bowery. TIL orig.
nal Palace of Illusions an Turkish
Beauty Show. Children not admitted.
Walk in, boys, walk in. It's free
.ratis-fer nothin'. Step right in
ide. Don't block the entrance"
The three "touts" who had been
azing at the photographs of the cho-
us-girls in the window, led the inva-
ion. 1t was q holiday afternoon.
here were youths sightseeing on
be Bowery who would not venture !
here after dark, and the barker's :
lvitation gathered them in. Free :
erformance just beginning" he kept :
rying.
"Snipey" began to juggle, with his
aggers. When the crowd increased,
g cast one against a shield Of thick
tanks. The organ stopped. In q s
ervous silence Jenny" who had Il
cen waiting in the background, a
5ood up beside the dagger in the Il
lank, and the Mexican" throwing t
side his sombrero, cast the five re- h
aiming knives at her, one by one. t
hey struck in circle about her head, n
nd the music burst out again trium- g
hantly. t