The news & observer., 1904-11-13

winter; many persimmons, cold WIN
ter.
The circus was to have been here
on the fourth, but did not show be-
cause of the inclemency of the
weather.
Yes, it was n very rainy morning
casting a damper over all circus en-
thusiasts. The public schools had
giVen holiday for the children to wit
ness the street parade and see ami
mails, ETC. The negroes came in early
by the wagon load, and stood on the
streets for two or three hours; but the
circus didn't come. SO the Well-soaked
sons and daughters of Africa got Il
wetting without seein" the circus. II;
came in, however. the next day dnQ
showed twice.
1t is very we'll known in circus cir
cles, that Raleigh and Wake county
have money to burn; and rather than
it should be burnt tney are sure to
come and get it. People will go to
the circus. A few years ago a young
fellow came to the circus bringing a
dollar, which he spent seeing the first
exhibition and one or two side shows.
He went to Mills II. Brown, Esq. then
a merchant where Mr.. Dughi keeps,
and mort@aged his shoes for fifty
cents. to go in second time: and.
late in the evening, he snapped hats
with a negro, for fifty cents boot, to
go in again at night.
/ do not know what the tax on d
circus is; but I'm sure it's not enough
to pay the State for the loss it sus-
tains. A few hundred dollars tax will
| not reimburse us for the thousands
that the circuses take away from us.
But what does a fellow care for
money when the band plays? They've
been coming ever since | was a boy.
and they are about the same now as
then.
Many years ago there lived a very
prominent man, out on Swift Creek.
who had a big mouth, and made
noise with it wherever he went. In
a circus here. once, that big mouth
made SO much noise as to disturb the
clown and the whole audience. At
length, when the clown could stand
that big mouth no longer he said to
the ring master. 81 want to ask You
a question"
"All right" said the ring master; go
ahead with your question.
"Well then" said the clown. 'what
do you hire me for?'
"To play the fool" answered the
ring master.
You are a fool TO hire me to play
fool, when there's a fool over there
-
The crowd roared, but the man OF
| the big mouth duieted down so eff
fectually he could barely raise grin
during the remainder of the show.
Another circus incident l used to
hear. was this: A clown began to hold
| his nose and seemed to be troubled
with some bad odor. and so completely
was he overpOwered by what he pre-
| tended he was smelling, that he SEEM
ed to forget his business. The master
cracked his whip at him, to rouse him
up, asking at the same time: Whats
! the matter with YOU, sir?''
II smell something!" the clown an
| swered.
'Wen, sir; what is it you smell?"
| the master asked.
"A Baptist preacher
And sure enough there was one
close by, and the crowd roared with
| laughter, at his expense.
l wouldn't be surprised, if the
clowns of these days have good smell
lers, if Methodists and Baptists. as
we'll as some of all denominations.
were found in the circuses: for, it is
very we'll established fact that
church members have quit denying
| themselves of anything. but do as they
lplease and ask the Lord, much less the
preachers, no favOrs. SO long as they
are in good health, and cotton sells at
| ten cents a pound.
I wrote the foregoing part of this
letter several davs ago; since which
| time a great many things have hap
! pened. The circus has been and gone;
some of our neighbors have died; the
| frost has nippe1 my tomato vines. the
elections have taken place and the re-
suits are known. OF course every
body is not satisfied. but a great many
| are who would have been dissatisfied
| if the results had been otherwise
Those who got in feel happy those
lleft out are right sure it would have
! been better had they been elected.
| / expect the sun will continue to
rise in the east and set in the west;
| that the moon will change as usual;
] the stars continue to twinkle up on
| high; and water continue to run down
| hill as if no election had taken place.
North Carolina will have another
| good governor, Wake county will be
| we'll represented in the Legislature ana
| the new board of county commission
| ers will open new books and endeaVpr
| TO make their administration of county
affairs acceptable to the people whose
| servants they are.
SO far as the presidential election
| is concerned. the South was not in it.,
at all. 1t is rumored that the people
| up North of US held an election for
President ancs that a man by the
name of Roosevelt got in by a small
majority, beating p man hv the name
| of Parker. Since the days of Jeffer-
| son Davis we Southern people have
| had no President, and we don't soect-
| ally need one, as we've got sense
| enough, honesty enough and patriot
! ism enough to take care of ourselves
without boss. Now, as | see it, the
i North is still carrying on the war of
| hattie: but the South, basking in the
sunlight of prosperity, is serene, and
keeps on picking out cotton.
! r. H. whitaker.
Those same men who rocked the
| boats during the summer are now busy
| taking straw votes.