The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-06-26


ing interest. Every available wall
space was aaame with gorgeous plac
ards Announcing the approach Of the
most momentous occurrence in the ms
tory of the town. Brownies Big SHOW
was billed 10 reach there the twenty
eighth and give the finest exhibition OF
wild animals, acrobatic feats, and reck
less bareback riding ever seen this SIDE
the Rocky Mountains. There were
: promised for their DEDICATION also
human snakes tying themselves into
fancy bow knots aerial artists wander
ing leisurely and composedly through
space: the only band of wild zebras IN
captivity, caught fresh from their ma
tive wilds; raging Bengal tiger of the
man-devouring variety; a tive-footed
pig, and a fat lady.
By the morning Of the twenty-sey-
enth the news which had been carried
from camp to camp by the weekly stage
had brought representatives from ey-
cry mine within fifty miles, so that
when the vanguard of Brownies Big
Show raised the brow of the hill the
place was humming with anticipation
\ few of the most enthusiastic went
to meet the procession Of tent-coyered
wagons. to introduce themselves to the
management as representative citizens
of the town and offer their assistance.
But their offers were all positively de-
clined. There was no time for the
bunglng efforts Of outsiders. Every
man connected with the show knew his
business. and went about it the minute
the site for the big tent was chosen
The horses had to be taken out Of the
wagons and "zebraed up by the hu-
man snakes, the aerial artists had to
practice a new long-distanCe flying feat,
and the weeks washing had to go
f through the hands of the fat lady be
fore the performance could be given
There were rumors current at Hooley's
that there was a young aud beautiful
woman in the show, and certainly the
placards. If any faith might be put in
them, displayed an Intoxicating vision
of beauty and grace. n sylph-like form
In sky-blue tights and floating golden
hair, that made the hours seem weeks
until The curtain should rise on the
evening Of the twenty-eighth.
When at last the fateful moment
came, and after the usual half-hour
wait the procession of living wonders
filed around the ring. the tent was
crowded with hreathless audience of
redshirted miners Boiled shirts
We're an impossible luxury at Hang
town, for the line of gents furnishing
goods carried by Hooley consisted
wholly of flannel shirts, rubber boots
and overalls. II was an enthusiastic
audience, however, as warm as their
colors. for this was an event Of great
Importance in their local history. Even
the supers who came ont to spread the
carpet for the contortionists were met
by such yociferous applause they had
to come lack and do ii over again. for
every man there had weighed out his
gold dust TO the amount of two dollars
and half to get in. and the longer the
program could be drawn out, the more
he felt he was getting for his money
That was the golden age of the show
| business when travelling shows made
fortunes-when each side-show WAS a
dollar and the peanut boy sold his
wares for -four bits package.
The excitement ran high till the per-
Torrance was more than half over, and
nothing had been seen of the beautiful
creature promised by the placards.
The eyes of the crowd had been dazzled
by feats Of Hindoo juggiery. sword
swallowing, glass ball throwing, and
the daring. difficult, and dangerous dl-
vertisements" of the Marco brothers,
who gave an exhibition of wild bare
back riding on superannuated old nag
that jolted slowl around the ring while
they balanced perllously on both feet,
but still no sign of the vision of lowell
ness in the sky-blue tights.
Women in that region were as lmpos-
sible a luxury as '"biled shirts" for
Hangtown at that time was n camp Of
migratory miners, who "bached" in
rough cabins or under a pine-tree, &C
cordlng to the season. Consequently the
interest was pitched high In anticipa-
ton of the feature billed on the nlac-
ards as Mile. Fleurette, the flying fairy
direct from Paris.
Then, at last, amid a clash of brass.
booming of the big drum, a flourish
of trumpets, the bright particular star
burst upon the Hangtown horizon. The
ringmaster came forward and announc-
ed to the ladies O. and gentlemen of
his intelligent and distinguished audi
ence that he had now the pleasure Of
introducing to them the greatest living
aerial artist in the civilized world who
was about to give them a marvellous
equllibrlstic performance on frail and
lofty framework with break-away
finish. At this Hangtown rose In a
body and gave three rousing cheers,
while the living wonder modestly bow
ed her acknowledgment from under a
faded blue army cape.
The frail and lofty framework was
then brought in, planted, and braced
securely, the swings loosened from the
top Of the tent. and with quick spring
mademoiselle had grasped the bar,
drawn herself up, and sat smiling at
her audience from her perch in mid
air.
The assistant aerial artist, the second
greatest in the world, who followed
her, was accorded little notice. He was
only. man, and not so out of the or
binary; but the little wisp of humanity