The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-01-28
POLEHzO, THE
GONTORTlOAIST

< read or It In the papers. Did II
tear you up much?"
It was Barry Gray, a veteran circus
man. who asked the question.
Boston was another circus man
who had just got IN 4on the road
Well" answered Boston, 1T
wasn't much Of a biowdown. It was
more Of a blessih' than not, because
it rid us Of pest that had been both
erin US nightly for spell
when our show started out on the
road last spring we we're 90 short Of
performers that we couldn't give
whole show, and the old man was
lookin mighty hard for anyone that
could DO any kind OF an old stunt in
the actin line. One day he got
letter from a guy what said he was
the star contortionist of the west
said he could just lay Il all over any
other contortionist that ever lived.
and could make the best Of EN- look
like thirty cents worth Of dog meat.
Called himself Polenzo, or something
like that We called him so many
names after he came on that forget
his real name.
Well, the old man liked his letter
and wired him to come on, and he
Joined the show the next week. He
hadn't no more apparatus than a rab-
bit All he had was a. green box
about % inches square, painted green
and with handles on the ends. Didn't
have a trunk or anything else Talk
about rubes; why. he had all the
rubes that ever breathed skinned a
mile. He carried all Of his wardrobe
in that box, and when he came to do
his act he dumped his duds out on
the ground.
HIS sole act was to double up in
that box, shut dowa the lid and be
carried into the ring BY two property
men. Then he would get out, make
his little bow. and scrape around
little while, get back and then get out
,sgeral times to show how easy he
could do 1t, and finally he'd get in his
little box and be carried out again.
Honest, Harry, it was the rottenest
act ! ever saw in all my life, and I've
been around some you know.
But Polenzo, or Pocahontas, or
whatever his name was, would bow
and smirk and smile to the audience
Ike he was the whole show all by his
ownself The sassige skin!
And he got ten a week and grub
for It and the old man Just had to
keep him on because, as I said before,
we was short handed. All Of the per-
formers was sore on him though, and
we used to Sit up at night thinking
how to get rid of him At last one
Of the property men said he'd do the
trick. SO the next afternoon when
Polenzo. or Pollywog, or whatever his
name was. climbed into his little
green box. we all mobbed up inside
the dressing-room entrance to see how
the prop would pull It Off
Just as the props entered the ring
one Of them pretended to stumble and
dropped his side Of the box. OF
course. when the box was dropped
Joan OF Arc tried to get out and the
props acted as If they we're trying
to get the box Strengthened up, and
every time Pocahontas stuck his head
up they banged him on the head with
the lid. Well, we thought that was a
hint sufficient. but the rube didn't
mind it at ALL Said he was used to
such things. We was good and mad
about the way he was staying on the
show and we was talking 1t over one
afternoon while his nibs was In the
ring. Nobody had a good scheme
and we were about to give up when
we heard Big Bill. the boss canvas
man, yelling
Everybody to a guy rope. Won
en- take care o. themselves.
Say. there was the worst storm
comm ever'saw. You could see the
wind just a.tearin up everything in
sight, a regiar cyclone. Just before II
struck Us, though, the twister wenl
to one side and We got just a part
Of the wind, But that was enough.
@The wind hit the big top and
ripped it straight across. The thins
was full Of people. but Big Bits
voice could be heard above every
thing else telling the people to be
quiet And they just sat there
when l saw that storm comm
I It was me for a guy rope and ever
other man Jack OF us done the same
| had just put on brand new clowr
suit. but it looked like a dish ra.
when the storm had passed. Ever,
time fresh gust Of wind woulg
come the old top would heave ans
slosh me down In puddle Of water
When that storm was over / locke.
like I had been pulled through
/ sponge
Well. after the storm we ali 20
under the dressin' top and counted
heads Posenzo was missin' We al
started hunt for him and found hin
about a mile from town. still in hi
tights and covered with mud. Fl,
said he didn't care about circus lifl
any more and we couldn't coax hin
back to the show lot, not even t.