Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-02-14

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berth, and went to sleep and snored
SO the freaks wanted to have nose
bag, such as horses eat out of, pulled
ever pas face.
The queerest thing that ever hap
pened in the circus business in this
country took place at Germantown.
Pa. The teamSterS went on a strike
at Pittsburg. for increase in wages and
shorter hours. and for two days the
management had a great time.
We had to get drays to haul the
stun from the train to the lot, and
then our teamsters got the local dray-
men to join them, and when we got
ready to haul the stuff back to the
train nobody would do any work, and
the walking delegates from the Team
sters' union just took possession of
the show, and we were stuck, like an
automobile when the gasoline gives out
We had got to looking at the team
sters as of no particular account when
they walked out, but when they
wouldn't work, they became the most
important part Of the show. and after
had told the striking teamsters to go
plumb, found that they had gone
PLUMB, and they had to rush all over
Pittsburg and find them, and grant
their demands, and get them to go to
work.
Fa was sent out to find a bunch OF
them, and it cost pa over $50 to get
them out of beer garden, and back
TO the lot, and it was almost daylight
before we got our train started for the
next town.
Well, at the next town we could see
there was something the matter with
the animals. They acted as though
they had lost all interest in the sue
cess OF the show, and wouldn't do
any o. their stunts worth cent The
elephants went through their act
carelessly, and when they were scolded
or prodded with the iron hook, they
got mad and wanted to fight. and when
they got back from the ring to the
animal tent they wouldn't eat the
baled hay, but threw it all over the
tent, and acted riotous.
The kangaroos would not do their
boxing act, the horses kicked at their
hay, and wouldn't eat their oats, the
camels growled at their food. and
scared the people who passed by where
they were tied to stakes. the sacred
cattle got their backs up and acted
as though they. being pious, couldn't
swear, but would like to hire the hy-
enas TO swear for them; the giraffes
laid down and curled their necks so
they were no attraction to the show
cause giraffe is no curiosity unless
he stretches himself away up towards
the top of the tent. The zebras rolled
in the mud and spoiled their stripes.
SO people couldn't tell them from COM
mon mules; the grizzly bear walked
his cage, and kept giving vent to bear
language, and the big lion was howl
! ing all the time
The show was a failure at that town,
and when we loaded the train the
managers held a meeting in our car
to decide what in thunder was the
matter with the animals All kinds
of theories were advanced, such az
poison, malaria from Indiana, and
pure cussedness. After they had dis
cussed the matter awhile, pa came in
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
I mouth. put his hat up on one side OF
/ his head. like he was tough, and
, looked wise. and said:
Fellow fakirs, l have been watch
ing the animals all day, and while l
do not say they understand enough of
the ways of human beings to be post
ed on labor unions, and all that, 7
want to tell you they are on strike
| and that grizzly and that lion are
the walking delegates that are stir
ring them up to mischief. They may
| not know anything about the team
sters' strike, but they know something
has happened and they are displeased
at something, and they have lost re-
| spect for the employer. They are on
strike, and the very devil is going to
Fay tomorrow. unless the cause of
the dissatisfaction is discovered and
mutual concessions made"
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
ana settle it quick, but they wanted
| to know what he thought animals
would be dissatisfied about as long as
| they got food enough to eat.
Pa said: I'll tell you You feed
/ the horses and other hay-eating anil
! mais on musty baled hay, bought
from contractors that may have had
ii on hand for five years. How would
! you like it if you were served with
| breakfast food that had been stored
! in a warehouse until it was widowed ?
A horse or an elephant has feelings.
! Give them baled hay. and when they
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