The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-09-20
A CIRCUS MANS TALE

man once, muSlCally luCllucu, WIN
found his solace in playing on a calli-
ope.
This was a man who long played /
the callope in our show. Season after |
season he sat at the keyboard OF our |
steam piano. and rode through the
streets of the cities and towns the |
country over, playing loud and weird
music on that strange instrument, and
fairly dividing attention with the
great giraffe, and even with that most
towering of all our attractions, the
greatest Of all giants. and he himself
, came to be enamored of the instru-
ment, SO that his greatest Joy he found
in playing on 1t, and he always said
that If he ever left the show business
and settled down to private life he
, would surely have a calliope of his
own to play upon in his home.
And finally he did quit the show
business, and l never saw or heard OF
him again until one night when l was
sitting out on the veranda with an
other friend of mine, in this other
friends lovely suburban home.
Sitting here that night, and smok-
ing up hard to keep of the mosquitoes.
/ heard in due time, coming through
the moonlit air, the notes of the regc-
lar suburban amateur on the key
bugle, played as usual with rather
more of yearning than of art; and
then / heard the notes of a pensivc
flute, and then disjointed blasts Of
subterranean thunder rolled out by
some distant amateur on the bass
horn; and then, on my life, heard
caliope! And played with a hand that
/ could have told among a thousand,
this, II was the hand of my old friend
of the show days; blowing gayly How
Can / Bear to Leave Thee!'
And how he did play it! There was
no amateurish uncertainty of touch
here, nor was there, apparently, any
lack OF steam, and beautifully true he
played 1t through; and lovingly, at the
end Of every verse. on these last fond
, words: Farewell, farewell. my own
true love- did he let the wide-open
whistles linger.
: r"And then he played Shells of
| Ocean, and Gentle Nettie Moore and
Nellie Gray and L Dreamt That
: Dwelt in Marble Halls and he wound
: up with The Star Spangied Banner.
played with head of steam on that
! made you think you could hear the
safety valve blowing OF. on his bfler
: down below.
We'll, the next morning, OF course
| went over to see my old friend and
have a talk with him. and glad enough
| was to see him, and glad he was C
see me. He had been able to do JUS
what he had always wanted to do
namely. to have a private caliope o
his own.
When he quit the show business
. some five years before this. he wa
comfortably fixed financially. and afte
moving around more or less he hat
. settled down in this town and ha'
. bought and installed here a calliope
r wasn't so big as the big one he playe,
q in the circus. but IT was big enough
k and 1t was run with steam from
bfler set up in his cellar. He wante,
II to play a tune or two on the calliop
h for me right then for old times sake
l. he said he hadn't any steam on then
n but the biler was a quick steamer an,
= he could get steam on her in five miu
= utes, but | said no. I'd wait till hear
E. him play again at night.
when the key bugle man had &C
through with his work and the fiutis
with his and the brass horn man ha
rolled a few avalanches Of thunde
down upon the neighborhood. my oil
friend the calliopist started up, and
l. knew he was playing for me. III
d played the old tunes he used to pla
when he sat at the keyboard Of tn
70 big machine we carried in the proces
r sion, and l could see him again, as n
IS doubt he saw himself as he playet
= touching the keys sharply as the call
- ope wagon rolled along between won
- dering and admiring multitudes, wit
= gallus driver up in front, crackin
the whip over a team Of six prancin
horses, while the stoker shoveled cos
into the furnace of the boiler.
re But / have never heard him sine,
f. The next summer when again visite
IN the friend from whose veranda I ha
el thus so Unexpectedly heard my oil
e. friends calliope, listened for II
Il notes in vain; the key bugle was ther
NJ as before and so the flute, and likewis
IL the big bass horn; but the notes {
u the calliope came not; and then
learned that the calliopist had gone.
He had been. they told me. a MOI
rs popular man in the town. Everybod
ST had liked the old circus man, but NJ
g body could stand his calliope; an
~ finally he had been gently but firm
he driven away. II seems that he hs
ID, only lease. years lease. OF thi
X house he was in where I saw hir
s. where he had his private calliope II
stalled. and when his lease was up q
owner refused to rerent IL and evel
real estate man in town had refuse
&c either to lease or sell him anoth,
ne house. and every owner of land the
as refused to sell him ground on whis
- to build house. They liked him, b
M they couldn't stand the calliope; ar
the upshot of II all was that he had
move away. and where he had goI
they didn't know.
er And so / missed the calliope tn
or time. and did miss Il, for the calliol
IT / always liked; and couldn't see wi
er these people shouldn't like It, or III
Us II as this man played II, anywa
De Whether should like to hear a stea
IT. piano played by an amateur would
something l should have to think ov
a little; but I'd rather hear a callioT
%, myself. any time. played as this mi
.-a played It. than to hear the cornet, q
re flute. or the big bass horn, played
ng we near 'nese instruments played
Te- amateurs IN city ana suburbs.
moanlft summer uFghts IN CIR