The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-12-15

boiifar was 50 scared OF pa he rai
me carpet which shows the power OF
brain over avordupois. pa says.
Inc regular keeper OF Bolivar heard
ne Was on the rampage. and he came
pack on the run 20 conquer MIN. after
pa had got him back ia The tent. but
Bolivar looked at him with a faraway
look IN his eyes. as much as to say:
Seems to me / have met you some.
where Lefore, but new king has been
crowned. and be took his old keeper
by the back OF his coat and threw him
toward the monkey cage. The mon
keys gave the keeper the laugh, and
Bolivar put his trunk lovingly on
pas shoulder and seemed To say: "Old
man, you are Il. from this time out"
ia looked proud and the old keeper
looked sick. The people in the show
are going to present pa with loving
cup and guess he can run the menag-
erie part Of the show
When the freaks heard OF pas bray.
cry, the tat woman and tee bearded
lady wanted to hug pa, but pa waved
them away and said he likeo the ele.
plant business best
May III used to think that if !
could belong TO a circus, and 20 away
with 1t when ii left the town lived in,
that ii would be pretty near going TO
heaven. | used TO hope for the time
when | would get nerve enough to
run away and go with a circus, and
wear a dirty shirt, and be around
tent and wash off the legs of spotted
pie gathered about me TO watch the
proceedings, to look tough and tell
them in hOarse voice way down my
throat, sort of husky from sleeping in
the wet straw with the spotted horse,
that they must go on about their
business, and not disturb the horse.
| had thought if | should run away
and go with a circus. some day. when
! got far enough away from ma. that
| would up and swear, and be tough
and when | came home in the fall. and
the neighboT boys would come around
me. | would chew tobacco and tell
them Of the joys Of circus life. Well,
maybe | will some day. but at present
| am sleepy all the time.
We have showed six times the last
week. and Travelled thousand miles
and it seems as though there is moth
ing doing but putting up and taking
down tents, and going TO and from
the cars, and you can't be tough. cause
there is always some boss around TO
tell you to look pleasant if you are
cross. and TO tell you 10 change your
shirt or get out of the show. and If
you swear at anything you are called
down.
Pa and put in a good deal of time
formances, in the dressing room, near
the door leading TO the main tent
That is the nearest To being in an
insane asylum of any place | was ever
in. The performers get ready for their
several acts. in punches or families
all in one spot. and they act serious
and Jaw each other, and each bunch
acts as though their act was all there
was to the show. and II IL was cut out
for any reason. the show would have
TO lay UP for the season. when in fact
each one is only a cog in the great
wheel. and il one cog should Slip. the
wheel would turn just the same These
people never smile before they go in
the ring. but just act as though too
much depended on them 10 crack q
smile. When a bunch Is called to go
in the ring. they all look az each other
as though il was the parting of the
ways and they clasp hands and 50 out
of the dressing room as though walk
ing on eggs When they get in the
ring they look around TO see if all
eyes are upon them, and bow TO peo-
pie who are looking at something go
ing on in another ring, and VINO don't
see them. and then they 90 through
their performance with everybody
looking somewhere else.
When the act is over the audience
seems glad. and clap hands because
they are polite. and it don't cost any
thing to clap hands, and the performs
ers turn some more flip flaps and &c
running out to the dressing room, and
take a peek back into the big tent al
though expecting an encore, but the
audience has forgotten them and II
looking for the next mess OF perform
ers. and the ones who have just beer
in go and lie down on straw and won
Ger If they can hit the treasurer fol
an advance on their salaries, so the,
can go to a beer garden and forge
\ ii all.
An average audience never gets III
moneys worth unless some one is hur
doing some daring act Pa suggested
that they have some one pretend to b.
hurt in every act, and have then
nicked up and carried out on stretcher
with doctors wearing red crosses OF
their arms. in attendance, giving medi
cine and restoratives. The show trie'
II at Bucyrus, o., and had seven mel
and two women injured 50 they ha'
70 be carried out. and the audience
wont wild. and almost mobbed tn
dressing room, TO see the doctors oper
oh n ~