Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-17
PECKS BAD BOY WITH THE CIRCUS

and kept giving vent to bear language and the
big lion was bowling all the time
The show was a failure at that town, and
when we loaded the train the managers held
meeting in otir car to decide what in thunder
was the matter with the animals All kinds of
theories were advanced, such as poison, ma
laria from Indiana and pure ctissedness. After
they had discussed the matter awhile. pa came
i'll, and they asked him what he thought about
it, and that tickled pa, cause as foolish as he
looks he helps the show out of lots of bad
holes Pa lit cigar and put it in one side of
his mouth, put his hat upon one side of his
head like he was tough, and looked wise, and
said:
Fellow fakirs, I have been watching the
animals all day, and while [ do not say they
understand enough of the ways of human be-
ings to be posted on labor unions and all that
want to tell you they are on a strike, and that
grizzly and that lion are the walking delegates
that are stirring them UP to mischief. They
may not know anything about the teamsters
strike, but they know something has happened,
and they are displeased at something, and they
have lost respect for the employer. They are
on strike, and the very devil is goino to pay
tomorrow, unless the cause of the disSatisfac-
tion is discovered, mutual concessions made
and arbitration resorted to.
Gentlemen, you hear me" said pa, and he
sat down on the edge of the arm of the car seat.
They gave pa the laugh but finally told him
to take charge of the strike and settle it quick,
but they wanted to know what he thought ami
mails would be dissatisfied about as long as
they got food enough to eat
Pa said: "Ill tell you. You feed the horses
and other hay eating animals on musty baled
hay, bought from contractors that may have
had it on hand for years. How would you like
it if you were served with breakfast food that
had been stored in warehouse until it was
mildewed? A horse or an elephant has feelings
Give them baed hay, and when they are trying
to Pick out mouthful that is not spoiled, YOU
drive along with load of nice new-mown tim
othy or alfalfa, and see them make rush for
that load of hay, the way my ten-horse team
did the other day for that load of cornstalks.
Then the sacred cattle are hot under the col
lar because of the fellows who use profanity.
Can you imagine sacred COW trying to be
good, and set pious example to the heather
animals, being patient when they have to lis
ten to swearing? You buy meat that is tainted
for the lions who like fresh meat, and the
jackal, that only loves bad meat, gets the only
sirlon in the lot. Let me run the menagerie
tomorrow, and will have Mr.. Lion, the walk
ing delegate, declare this strike off,"
Well, they told pa to arbitrate the strike, and
the next day he had a couple of loads of
timothy hay such as mother used to make,
driven in and 1ln1oaded and the horses ele-
plants, catnels, and things almost set tip a
cheer for pa. The meat-eating animals were
given a picnic of the freshest beef with a little
so decayed that it was only fit to be buried, for
the hyenas and jackas, and every animal was
happy. They did their turns better than ever,
and the sacred cattle almost acted devi1ish
Now the animals have declared the strike off,
and they want to lick pas hand. The owners
of the show appreciate genius and they have
raised pas salary and given him full charge of
the menagerie