The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-01

| on to New York, and we heard the
people had lynched him, but he show
ed up in a couple of days with money
left Now all the lawyers in New
| York are after us, with claims, and
they have attached most everything,
and the show is up against it.
What a difference it makes who
wants damages. When we were work.
ing the railroad for damages, it was a
cinch and like getting money from
home, but now that the people are
working us for damages, for being
smashed up under our tent we look
upon it as crime, and tell them 1t
is an act of Providence, and that the
show is not to blame for windstorm.
But the laWyerst can't be very pious,
for they won't believe in the act of
Providence racket and we shall have
to cough up all the profits of the sea-
son.
Since we got settled in New York
for a two weeks stand, in Madison
Square Garden, we are having the
tents repaired, and don't have to put
up and take down tents and ride all
night on trains. We are all stopping
at hotels and getting rested, and pa
! is having a chance to shine.
The managers think that pa is try
| ing to commit suicide, for he wants to
|
| sick or drunk, and is the understudy
of everybody. We got one act that
just curdles your blood, a cage in the
ring, with lions and tigers and Loop
ards, who go through all kinds of
stunts One lion rides a horse and
jumps through hoops, and lands on
| the back of the horse, and jumps on a
staging and lets the horse go around
the ring, and then jumps on again.
The horse is blindfolded, SO he don't
know it is a lion that jumps on his
back, but thinks it is a man.
The tigers ride bicycles, and the
leopards jump about wherever the
trainer tells them to; a monkey acts
as clown, and little elephant runs
a makc-believe automobile. That act
alone is worth the price of admission.
Well, the regular trainer went to
COney Island, and got drunk, and we
either had to cut out that perform
lance, or give back the money and the
manager was wailing about it. cause
nothing makes a circus man wall like
giving back good money. Then pa
said he would save the day by taking
charge of the ANIMAL act He said he
; had watched it every day, and knew
how to do it, and he could dress up in
the clothes of the regular trainer and
the animals wouldn't know the diff
, ference Gee, but l was scared tC
| have pa try to run that animal show
and | think every one in the show
believed it would be pas finish.
felt like an orphan when pa came out
of the dressing-room with the train
ers clothes on, though pas stomach
was so big you would think a. blind
folded horse would know pa was nc
trainer.
: Well. pa went into the round cage
/ made of bar iron, and motioned to the
attendants to send the animals into
the cage through the chute from the
: animal quarters. The first to come
were two tigers that were to ride We
lOcipedes. l trembled for pa when
they went in and waved their tails
and looked at pa as much as to say:
80. we wont do a thing to you They
actually looked at each other and
winked; but pa motoned to the We
locipedes, and looked fierce. and when
they hesitated about getting on, pa
said: You won't, won't you" and he
took club filled with lead and start
ed for the biggest tiger. He hesita-
ted a moment and then jumped or
the machine, and the other followed
and they raced around and pa made
them get off and jump hurdles. Fin
ally he mOtOined to a shelf for them tC
|
ted, he kicked one in the Stats, and
! hit the other with the club, and they
went up on that shelf too quick but
they stayed there and snarled at pa,
and l was afraid they would jump on
him when MS back was turned.
Then they brought in the blind
horse and the lion, and the lion was
onto pa, and he struck right off. He
got up on the pedestal from which
he was to jump onto the horses back,
but when the horse came around the
lion WOuldn'e jump, and pa said: III
give you one more chance" and the
horse went under the lion, and he
wouldn't jump. So pa stopped the
horse and took an iron bar and
knocked the lion off onto the floor,
and he grOWled at pa. but pa kept
mauling him, and finally the lion
jumped up on the pedestal and SEEM
ed to say: Bring on your horse and
pa started the horse, and Mr.. Lion
made his jumps all right, and the au-
dience cheered pa.
All the animals went through their
stunts all right, but l thought l could
see they were laying for pa, and l
wished he was out of the cage. The
wind-up came when the lions were
seated on the benches, and the ele-
| plant was between them, and the
tigers and leopards made a pyramid,
and the monkey was clawing around
pas legs. The signal was about to be
given for the animals to return
through the chute, when the monkey
! tackled pas legs like a football play
err the elephant pushed pa over, and
the lions paved him and snarled, and
| the tigers took a mouthful out of pas
pants, and the leopards snatched his
red coat off, and the signal was given
for them to get out of the cage, and
| they went out like boys at recess
| leaving pa in the cage with the blind
horse, with not clothes enough left on
him to wad gun. He was not even
scratched, however, the animals hav-