The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-06-09
THE BOSS CANVASMAK
WAS ALWAYS SAD.
BY WELLS HAWKS.

"-N---| - "'V II ~" = -"
70 ride the performers an the bosses.
There wasn't many Wid the shoT for
everybody doubled. Even our band
leader could do 4 single jugglir' turn
10 fill ~ when q r.derwa 5 hurt. The
elephants. We had two. an the ridiT'
stock was roped UP an led. aEd We
mad quite a little stretch out comm
down the pike o nights.
But as l was sayin' il was good On
mOOnlights but tougher n than l can
tell when the win was BLOWN 4 gale
and pourin' rain at the same time
The time l vas speakin' bout was a
hot day. dry an dusty on the lot an
everybody feelin' pretty rotten. II
looked squally all the afternoon ar
the evenin how was Just over when
4 cloud of dust hit US with q hail big
ger n ostrich eggs. Then the wind
came like u cyclone but we had the
old tent held down TO the ground Ike
4 stone house. She kept a-raini1 an
a-bl0Win right along an there was
enough lightnin' to u out the torches
when We was ready 10 begin the pack
The boys had all the guys SO tight you
could have walked 'em an where he
rain had soaked the ground arOun'
h poles an made EN- loose We pack
ed in gravel till they was as tight
rs trees with roots. We kept a-wOrkin'
all through the show n before the
bill was half run off We had the ne
nagerie tent down and the wagons on
the road. JeS' as soon as the crowd
vas out We stacked the seats got the
riggin' out Of the rings an was ready
SHART STORY TWO TIMES
to lower the main top. 1t was still
BLOWN wild an l knew there vas
u It was easy gettin' the flaps
down an the crew got EN- on the
wagons with no mud spots. Than We
starts in on the main top. We brace
bout twenty Of the strongest Of the
gang round the center pole for She
was shakin' like a saplin'.
l hates to see any man risk his lille
an | felt pretty bad when Jim Strid2r
skinned on the pole to unlace NE an
vas. He got her loose an jeS' then
there was a still in the wind. She fell
easy an in ten minutes the gang was
rOllin' up. But Jim is still up on the
pole. Two long runnin' guys are hold
in her but she was SWingin' like :,
main mast when the s~chOOner's on 4
chOppy bay. The boss hOllerS to Jim
to look o an he clingS tight to hec.
But something goes o wild the MAJ
who was to slack the far guy. In
stead OF lettin' her run out easy thu
rope slips an the pole falls jes' like
a wOOdchOpper had sent the last blow
INTO the oak. We made Il rush for
the pole an found poor Jim under 1t.
his head bleedin' from Il strike on g
rock. He was grOanin' like n wound
ed soldier an when the Boss touches
him on the ribs, he screams like :,
kid an We knows the bones is broke
an its all off for Jim. Some of the
outfit. cause Jim was popular, made
n dash for the chap that let the guy
loose but he took to the woods an
We never saw him again. If they'd
a-caught him there'd been no trial.
The gang had the verdict when they
started the chase an they meant to
leave the sheak's carcass for the buzz
yards.
Poor Jim. We sees death star:u'
him right in the face. We makes him
a pad on a spring nO-tOp the Boss rides
in an one of the drivers starts hin
to the next town for physic. We fin
ishes an gets all on the loa an
starts down the pike. All is quiet an
sober like-thinkin' of Jim.
We gets about a mile down the road
when We runs into the nO-tOp. There's
nObOdy in it an We runs ahead ali
afeeTd to speak. 'Longside the road
We finds the driver kneelin' by Jim an
hOldin' his read. Jim was dyin' No
mistake. We all takes off hats an
STAINS 'rOun' jes' waitin.' SOO he
gasps an falls back. The Boss. an
he aIIus had a soft heart, puts his
hands over his eyes an then turnin
to US says soft like jes' as if he wa.
4 woman Boys. Jim is dead"
We all knowed it too. There wasn't
no chance to take the body AVA
u there would a-been a lot of trou-
BILE with the OrOners an we couldn't
spare no one to leave hin so we de.
cided to plant the boy right there il
the wood. Id help dig trenches fol
the dead after the battle. fellows, bu
there never was anything Saddern thi:
Nobody knew nOthin' about the chap
He had been a sailor an Joined in
did his work an nobody every asked
who his people was. We gets the shOv
els o Of the tool box an digs him
grave in the moonlight right urde
a big oak White We was diggin tn,
chap that fixed the kerosene tOrChe
for the outfit takes a stake n Wit
his knife cuts Jim'S name on it an w
sticks it up at the hea Of the grave
We : jes about to put the dirt bacl
when the Boss says:
Boys. il don't seem right to put hir
away without sayin' somethin'. Can
none Of You fellows sing"
There wasn't a word. Directly til
Boss says again. I remembers a hy1n
they sang when they buried the bare
l back up in Maine bout two years ag
l but can't sing. hin they called
Nearer Thy God to Ne.
: Nobody could start ii tune an w
les stood aroun' all faaIin' foolish Xix,
JeS' then the boy what cut the name !
the stake steps w an says TO III
Boss. Spose / run ahead an get til
l band
? But the Sos shakes his heed al
: We IS all quiet. Then we hears horse
l comm up the road an looks aroun' Al
! sees the steam calliope. They draw
. UP an We tells EN- what = wron,
= Dutch Fred what played the whistle
2 III the parade an lone 6 o at II
: concert says he a play somethi1
= m H. .lMinna IL rhara.S any Stnnr