Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-09
HE SAW SNAKES
They Were Real Ones Which
This Man Encountered.
John Quill Relates the Story of the
Whole Affair.
Other Things Abuot Semi Occasional
Visit of Circus,


"One of the greatest events of my
life. when | was small boy" said !
well known business man TO me tn,
other day, was when the circus came
to town. My cash capital at that tim,
was considerable less than j. p. Nor
CAMS present income and consisted
mostly in Il willingness on nv part tc
carry water to the thirsty animals. rs
they were all total abstainers, and my
ability to dodge the canvass man and
crawl under the tent when his back
was turned. All Circuses in those days
Travelled overland, the elephant with
the rest carrying his trunk with him.
For weeks and weeks before the
grand show put in an appearance |
used to study the pictures on the bill
boards and barns and wonder if the
SarascutuS or some other fur bearing
animal with a long name did actually
devour one or two showmen at every
performance and if the petite lady in
the abbreviated Mother Hubbard, who
rode the fiery untamed steed, was a
princess in disguise.
THE day before the grand caravan
was to pitch its tent in cur midst was
an anxious day with me. 1 almost
contracted spinal meningitis cranins
my neck, there were no rubber necks
i'll those days. watching the sky for
signs of rain and by four o'clock the
morning of the eventful day 1 was
kicking up dust like steam roller as
hOOfed it up Western avenue to meet
the circus. | was anxious to see the
elephant. l hadn't had the experience
at that time with elephants that I have
had since and did not realize that ele-
plants had been known to live two
hundred years or | should not have
been in such rush to see them for he
would keep.
Il used to meet the vanguard or the
outriders of this great mammoth ag-
grcSation about two miles out of town
and Immediately assume the lead. |
felt prouder than a sponge holder in a
dog fight and as | marched back to
town | realized that | differed from the
Populist candidate for governor for |
had Il show.
"A vacant lot at the corner of West
ern avenue and Scwall street was the
Oldtime show ground and there was
where | conducted the whole push,
the hairless quadruped with two tails
bringing up the rear l had the whole
thing on my hands in my mind and
with my side partner, a boy about my
own age who acted as a sort of aide
de-camp to me, had more business
than young father when his baby
cuts its first tooth.
I'VE used to carry enough water
during the day to run a Prohibition
caucus and. when not engaged in tli
sport, ground out soul inspirns
strains on a hand organ in the sue
show where the fat woman and me ~
ing skeleton were drawing -ie crown
like porous plaster. May d musician
who can charm and hcu an duiieilcp
Spcllbound with Il vi"ih OF piano lliiuS
himself in pretty -eep water when ne
grasps tI,c cra,-, of a hand organ ana |
undertakes. Il grind out sweet harmony. |
He finds H. has missed his calling. 1t |
looks Ike a gas pipe cinch. When you |
undertake to grind out Annie Laurie
With the tune of "Auld Lang Syne' you |
lie YOU are not ScuSa but d circus |
crowd will take most any old thing in |
The way of diScord and call it good so
we ground that old hand organ without
getting lynched and | have no doubt |
nv name would be now posted in large
letters on billboards from Maine to
Texas as the owner of the only three
ring circus and hipodrome today in the
country if circumstances over which l
had no control had not transformed me
from a bcspangled hero of the SaWdust
ring to an humble chronicler of events
III the capital city.
"One night when the circus was about
to fold its tents and steal silently away
like the Arabs, | noticed a suspicious
movement in dark corner just back
Of one Of the wagons and called my side
partners attention to it. on closer in
spcction we discovered Il man working
diligently with q SPADE. Visions OF
Cantain Kidd's treasures fioated before
our eyes and we were sure we had
stumbled onto Il Sherlock Holmes myS-
terry.
From our vantage ground we
yyached until we could locate the place
nv daylight and when we went home
that night we were satisfied that IN 81
few hours time we would be rolling III
wealth or the heroes of the greatest
murder mystery of modern times. L
couldn't sleep that night for the
thoughts of it. When l laid down, my
ewes flew open like the lids of coffee
not and. after tossing and rolling until
about A. NJ, 1 doned my raiment, ad-
iusting one solitary suspender and with
a SPADE on my shoulder struck out TO
hunt up my partner. A handful OIL
gravel thrown up against the WINDOW
and n shrill whistle aroused him ana
soon he Joined me, armed with long
pointed stick.
THE morning was dull gray ana
misty-about half rain and darker than
a stack of black cats. After arriving
at the grounds we had no trouble in 10
eating the particular spot and soon
were digging for dear life. was
welding the spade and making the dirt
fly like a professional while my man
Friday stood facing me prying with
the pole.
"AII Of a sudden something happened
and that something hit me with a bang
on top of the head. l didn't so way
hack and sit down but sat down where
7 ,vac and when I got nv head eX-