Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-07

dat come up past she knees. L was nioss
shamed to look sab. 1t was berry ovda-
ctous-wusser'n dignity ball. l wunner oe
constabs q. e., poiicenen) didn' come an
put she In de lookup.
The show was immensely popular. put
financially 1t was not success. The tent
was crowded every night, but the receipts
did not square with the size OF tie au-
dience. The Jamaicans had never seen a
circus before, but they tumbied to the oiu
trick of crawling under the loose maps OF
the tent as readily as the small boys OF
Podunk and the circus staff was not hu-
merouss enough to cope with them. by tins
time the paying guests arrived the tent was
usually crammed full OF deadheads. Inc
elephant. too, had an enormous appetite.
and the price OF hay.zwhich has to be Inn
ported into, Jamaica. was very high Under
all these distressing circumstances the pro-
prietor soon found bankruptcy staring him
In the face.
But, although he was Cuban. he was
as full of press agent notions as the great
Tody Hamilton himself. He announced
that people would be allowed to ride once
around the ring on the elephant Tor
"quattie'' apiece three cents) This caught
the fancy of the colored folk. They were
willing to spend their last cent for such q
thrilling joy and soon the poor beast was
working overtime day and night.
Rode the Elephant.
One fat old country woman came Into
town with a mule-load OF bananas ana
coarse tobacco. She sold the produce-the
fruit Of months of toil-went to the circus,
and took to riding the elephant as some
people take to drink After she had rid
den around for two or three hours her
money was all spent, so she went outside
and sold the mule for $40. With that vast
sum-a fortune to one of her class-she
went back to the circus day after day and
rode the elephant until every cent OF It
was gone. Then she trudged homeward
thoroughly happy. for she had had the
time of her life.
Not many patrons of the show were as
enthusiastic as this good sportswoman. ana
in time the passion Tor rid ng the elephant
cooled. Tut the mammoths appetite con-
tinued. and the Cuban racked his brains
until he finally hit upon another scheme 10
revive public interest and raise money 10
enable him to take the show away from
the island.
One of the most popular pe-sonages
among the colored people of Kingston was
Captain General the Reverend Charles
Higgins, Apostle of the Lords Gospel
Band" better known as "Marse Charlie. !"
a half-craZed negro revivalist. He was
circus in himself. lie used to ride about
the city on a flea-bitten nag which. like
Kipling's Vampire was nothing but a
rag and bone and hank of hair His
uniform consisted of British admiraTs
cooked hat scarlet jacket. with silver
epaulettes, canary-colOred wafstc0af
sky-blue trousers with gold braid on them.
and a long sword which he was wont to
flourish in order to emphasize the points OF
his discourses He prided himself on pc
ing great swordsman. and his sword. In
deed, was the rod of authority by which he
kept his gospel band in subsection.
She Knew the Tricks.
Just as the show was "up against 1t.
the local papers came out with chal-
lenge from "Madenoiselle Jeanne D'Artag-
nan, the champion woman fencer OF
France to Captain General the Rev.
Charles Higgins to meet her in single COM
bat in full view of the populaee gathered
in the circus tent. Higgins eagerly ac-
cepted the challenge. A great crowd was
present, and I heard the story of the en-
counter from the same negro servant VINO
gave such a graphic description OF the
''uffolant."
Laid sahv he exclaimed. "Marse
Charlie him get mashed up fe true! Him
go at de spear lady wild him sword Jes
like goat buttin'. but she skip aside
quick as Ill mouse, an Marse Charlle
him fall down fiat pom him tummock.
An when him get up. she mex she sword
flash roun' and roun' him like lightin' an
him shake an shake jes' like shake
spear.
"Marse Charlie's gospil band. dem was
all dere fe see him mash up de spear lady.
an when it didn't happen dem get mad.
Dem mash up all de seats an trow dem at
de circus man an de spear lady an dem
dribe ebrybody out an tear de tent to
pieces. Che. sab! it was debil OBJ
timei Dere can't be no more circus, sah."
Next morning 1 walked to the circus
grounds and saw the Cuban proprietor sor-
rowfully contemplating the wreck of his
show, like Marius among the ruins OF
Carthage, while the elephant contentediy
munched his breakfast near by.
'Ah, senor!" he exclaimed. "Congratu-
late me, 1 have borrowed re passage
money. and today leave zis land of devils
and go back to Cuba. Caramba. but l
would be a reech man If Eat beast'-shak-
ing his fist at the unconscious elephant
..had not so much hay insisted on