The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-22
THE WOMAN RICE PLANTER
CIRCUS CONES TO PEACEVILLE
AND NAMES a STIR.

PcacevnIe on ITS Part a Surprise TO the
show People -GrOwing Discrimination
OT the Negroes to work Ta shift
lesSness and Insratltudc az Ellhn.
November 5-Peaoeville has beenwrought
NO to a state Of wild excitement. On Sum
day afternoon. when l was expecting my
little class. only Kitty and the Philosopher
and Squeaky came. and before l could ask
where the others were they burst out:
-All the others nave gone to hear the lion
roar and to see if they could get a peep at
him"
"A lion? Here?" My tone was suitable
10 the subject.
@Yes. ma'am; they put up three big tents
while We were in church this morning.
right in front Of the post Office"
1 praised them for coming under such
heavy temptation. but they exclaimed in
chorus; W didn't "a to cOme-mamma
made US; we wanted to hear the lion roar
too" At which l was more pleased than
ever. NJ was as rapid as possible with the
lessons and told no story. though Thought
Danielin the lions den might suit the occa-
sion; but soon saw that they could listen
TO nothing under such phenomenal circum-
NtAllCco. n Very ActDAo II uuCu buu Vuuy ~
the greatest show seen here before.
We san the hymns. l gave each one an
9pple and said l would walk down with
them 10 the tents. A most delightful prog
ress we made, every one having turned out
to see the unwonted sight.
Before we got to my gate the King Of
Beasts began to roar tremendously n
kept it up. to the awe and delight of the
humans and the dismay of the animals.
Cows refused to come up to be MIXED. but
fed to h swamp. and horses covered in
their stalls.
Every one. ever the most sedate. had
turned out to look at the tents. l went
with the children until I saw their parents
end then returned to my piano.
Yesterday was the grand day. There
were two exhibitions, one at 1 O'Clock and
at 8 p. m. The two stores were shut for
the day and business suspended while the
village ave itself up to dissipation.
/ had to 20 to the plantation, having
an appointment with a carpenter for an
important bit Of work. 1t was difficult to
get Ruth past the tents. / took the plan
Of stopping to talk to every one l met as
i approached the green in front Of the post
Office, which was SO changed since Satur-
day when she say il last.
Most fortunately the lion did not roar at
that time and we got by without accident.
Though l have seen a great many fine
wild beasts, the excitement in the air
gained me, and 1 was anxious for Chloe
TO choose the morning performance, as I
had to be away then; but Chloe; when I
told her she could go morning or evening.
whichever she preferred, said she would
60 at night, as she heard that would be
the grandest. So 1 could not go, for she
would never have consented TO leave the
house and yard ~unguarded.
So l did not see the show, but I certainly
have enjoyed the accounts Of il and have
come to the conclusion that the Shelby
show might be called a high class moral
entertainment. The most particular and
sedate, not to say prudish, we're not shocked,
and the scrobatic feats amazed all.
Peaceville was a great surprise to them
also; they asked for a hotel or boarding
house; there was lone. They wanted 90
board somewhere, b~utnoOne took boarders.
The acrobatic star, who. "a Chloe described
her, hung from the top Of the tent, dressed
in pink %titers,' by one foot and held up
her hfteen-year-old daughter, also beautiful
in pink tights, by the foot, said she did
not wish to stay in a tent: she never did;
she wanted to be in a house, and finally
some ladies who lived near the place where
the tents we're pitched said they had an
empty house in their yard which they would
fix for her, and it being Sunday afternoon
and no servants TO be found, the ladies'
themselves put beds in the house and made
It comfortable for the acrobat ladies', and
when these offered to pay we're quite
shocked n surprised and said there was
no charge, they were glad to have been
able to make them comfortable.
hlOe and Dab have both given me thrill
Ing accounts Of the lady dressed in pure
silver, a very stout lady who took the head
OF the snake, bigger around than Dab'sb body,
n stroked it and laid II on her breast:
Her color was quite change while she
did IL, en- the snake lick out q tongue, en-
you could see the lady trimble an il was
byutifnl."
Altogether for many days joy will reign
In the memory Of these delights. It was
conducted with great dignity and there was
no confusion or trouble, which seems won
dsrfuI, for there were great crowds of dark
les coming from miles around n only
about thirty white people altogether. Yet
they had the seats arranged on different
sides, 90 hat all were satisfied. The lion
was fed with part Of a kid before the specta-
tors and then he stopped roaring.
, November s-SGreen has returned 10
work. that is, he MIXED this morning and
hauled one load OF manure to the field.
His cousin Wishy got his kinfoIk to buy
on the negro who was prosecuting him for
killing his COW and he case was dropped.
Long & when | kept Wishy from bleed
ing TO death by patching up his head. 1 fear
I did not benefit the woodland the $40
] lent him to pay mis- doctors bip has never
Ruth's nervous system has been ruined
apparently by the lions visit to Peace
vile. She always tries TO run in passing
the green whore the tents were and. secs a
wild beast in every stump. but to-day a
mile from the village she suddenly SHE'D
and then dashed.
| was entirely n~nprepared, for there
seemed nothing in sight that could possibly
brighten her. She ran 50 far that my hands |
were giving out and ! turned TO tell Dab
20 catch the reins beyond my hands. when / ,