The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-06-12


q = coming event with soul-absorb
fng Interest. Every available wall
1 SAGE was aae4e with gorgeous pine
Fards anuaoune.ns the approach ct th'
most momentous occurrence in the us
tory oil the town Brownies Big Snow
vas billed 10 reach there che ,weniy
oiskth and give the finest exhibition q
+ vi aaimals. aerohatie feats. and feek
- bareback riding ever seen This sids
tie Rocky Mountains. There were
promised fer their dedication ass
liisnan snates tying themselves inis
fancy how tH5fs; aerial artists WandeF
ing ie.surely and cempgsedly 'hroasa
space: the o8l5 band OF wild zebras N
T cantigity. caught fresh from their IA.
E tive uilds: a raging Bengal tiger OF the
man-deyoufing variety; nye-footed
p.g. and a iat .ady
By the morning Of the twenty-seY-
en5h the news which had been carried
from camp 10 camp by The weekly stage
had brought representatives from eY-
e4.V mine within fifty miles so hat
when the vanguard of Brownies Big
Show raised tie brow of the hill The
place was humming with anticipation
\ few Of lie most enthusiastic went
10 meet he procession of tent-covered
wagons. to Introduce themselves to the
management As representative citizens
Of the town and offer their assistance
But their offers were al positively de-
clined. There WIS no time for tie
bungling efforts Of outsiders. Every
man connected with the show knew his
business, and went about il the minute
the size for tie big tent was chosen
The horses had to be taken out Of the
wagons and "zehfaed ID by the hui
man snakes. the aerial artists had to
practice new long-distanco flying feat,
aud the weeks washing lad to 90
through the hands Of the fat lady be-
fore the performance could be given.
There were rumors current at Hooley's
that there WIS a young and beautiful
woman In the show, ana certainly the
plaeards. if any faith might he put in
them. displayed an intoxicating vision
of beauty and grace. a sylph-like form
in sky-blue tights and floating golden
hair chat made the hours seem weeks
until The curtain should rise ON the
eyeaing Of the twenty-elghth.
When at last the fateful moment
came and after the usual half-hour
wait tie procession Of living wonders
filed around the ring the tent was
crowded with Il hreathless audience of
red-shiried miners. Boiled shirts
were an impossible luxury at Hang
town. for the line Of gents furnishing
goods" carried by Hooley consisted
wholly Of flannel shirts. rubber boots
and ogerails 1t was an enthusiastic
audience. however ,Hs warm rs their
colors, for lis vas AN. event Of great
importance IN their local history Even
the snpcrs who came out TO spread the
carpet for tie contortiouists were me-
by sacb voeiferous applause they had
to come back md do it over again. for
every man there had weighed out his
gold dust TO the amount of two dollars
and half to get ID, and the longer the
program could be drawn out. the more
he felt he was getting for bis money
That was the golden age Of the show
business wien travelling shows made
fortunes-wheh each side-show was a
dollar and the peanut hoy sold his
wares for -four bits" package
The excitement ran high till the per-
formanee 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 jugglery. sword
swallowing. glass ball throwing, and
the daring. difficult. and dangerous di-
vertisemefffs" of the Marco brothers,
who gave an exhibition of wild bare
back riding on ahsuperannuated 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 impos-
sible a luxury as billed shirts" for
Hangtown at that time was a camp of
migratory miners. who "bached" in
rough cabins or under a pne-tree ac
cording 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.
a booming of the big drum. a flourish
of trHmpets, the bright particular star
burst upon the. Hangtown horizon. The
riligmaster came forward and announc-
ed 10 the ladies @ and gentlemen of
his intelligent and distinguished audi
ence that lie 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
performance on frail and
lofty framework with break-away
finish. AT this Hangtown rose In a
body and gave three rouslng cheers,
while the living wonder modestly bow
ed her acknowledgment from under a
faded blue army cape. - -
The. frail- and dCfty framework was
then brought H. planted, and braced
securely. the swings loosened from the
top OF, the tent, and with quick spring
mademolselle 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 wt5rld. who followed
her, was accorded little notice. He was
enlya man, and not so out of the or
.dWary; but the little wisp OF humanity