The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-01-26

seemed as though he never would get
through using pa for mop, but finally
tne people got a rope>around pa, and .
keeper got an iron hook in the ele-
pnant's ear, and they pulled pa out
on one side, and got the elephant away
on the other side, and just then the
calliope, that ends the parade, came
oy us and played the blue Danube"
and the elephant got on his hind feet
and waltzed on the pavement. They.
put pa and the Circassian beauties in a
patrol wagon and took them to the
snow lot, and sat by the driver and
ne let me drive the team. -.
Pa had his sheik clothes rolled up
around his waist, and was wringing
them out, and talking awful sassy, and
when we got to the lot it took long
time to convince the policemen that
we were not guilty of disorderly con-
duct, and just then the elephant came
tearing by us, with the keeper on
horseback behind him, prodding him in
the ham every jump with a sharp iron,
and he went through the side of the
tent as though he was mighty sorry he
didn't kill us all.
They made him get down on his
knees and below in token of surren-
der, and then we all went and changed
our clothes for the afternoon perform
ance. AS we passed through the
menagerie tent, dripping, every animal
set up a yell, as much as to say:
There, maybe you will give cayenne
pepper to a pious sacred cow again,
confound you," and that convinces me
that animals are human.
The last week has been the hardest
on pa Of any week since we have been
out with the circus The trouble with
pa is that he wants to be Johnny on
the spot" as the boys say, and if any,
thing breaks he volunteers to go to
work and fix it, and if anybody is sick
or disabled, he wants to take their
place, as he says so he will learn
everything about the circus, and be-
competent to run a show alone next
year.
But 1t was mean trick the principal
owner of the show played on pa at
CantOns O. You see John L. Sullivan
used to-. do a boxing act with this
show, years ago, and everybody likes
John, and when he shows up where the
show gives performance he has the
freedom of the whole place, and every
body about the show is ready. to fall
over themselves to do John L. serv-
ice.
Well, Sullivan showed up at Canton,
| and he went everywhere, all the fore
| noon, and met all the old timers, and
at the afternoon performance he was
awfully jolly.
John was standing beside the ring
when the Japanese jugglers were Jug
Cling, and he leaned against pole.
Pa came in from the menager.e tent,
and he didn't know Sullivan, and when
he saw Sullivan holding the pole up,
pa said to the boss proprietor that the
fat man who was interior ring with the
show ought to be called Gown. O. put
out.
The boss said to pa: you go take
him by the ear and put him out" and
pa, who is as brave as lion started
for Sullivan and the boss winked at
the other circus men, and pa went up
to Sullivan and took hold Of Johns
neck with both hands, and said:
Come on out of here"
Well, sir, we ought to have moving
pictures of what followed. Sullivan
turned on pa, and grow!ed just like a
lion. Then he took pa around the
waist and held him up under his arm
and picked up a piece of board and
Slated pa just as though pa was &
child, and the audience just yelled. anl
pa called to the circus men for help
but they just laughed.
Pa got chance at the fat man an(
he hit him in the jaw, but it did no
hurt Sullivan, only made him mad
He took pa up by the collar ant
whirled him around until pa was diz
zy, and then he started with him TO
the menagerie tent, and called to tn
boss canvasman: BILL. come on an
tell me which is the hungriest lion
and I will feed him with this col
meat"
Pa yelled cause he thought ne wa
in the hands OF an escaped lunatic, an
the circus hands came and took hin
away. Then the owner told pa VIII
Sullivan was, and pa almost tainted
But finally, after breathing hard fo
awhile, pa went up to Sullivan an
shook his hand, and said: "Mr. Sui
Ivan. you must excuse me. If l ha
known you were the great John L..
would not have licked YOU" Sulliva
looked at pa and said: well, you ar
a wonder. old man, and you did d
me up" and pa and Sullivan becam
great friends Since then pa is prett
chesty, cause the circus men poir
him out to the jays as the man VIII
whipped John L. Sullivan.
Expert Smokers.