The Washington herald., 1907-04-29


strong. working under the pleasant-voieed
but iTon-handed boss oanvasman, irish
Devany, began throwing the great folds
OF canvas into place. while gangs OF
stake men. armed with heavy sledges'
moved from point to point, the rat-tat-tat-
tat Of their hammers sounding like tue
rhythmic clicking OF q giant watch.
Crowd Watches stake Gang.
The crowd found the stake gangs fas-
cinating to watch. And so they are. Big,
black. burly fellows, most of them, with
muscles that rippled under their shirts
like a breeze-stirred pond. They stood in
gangs of eight or a dozen about the spot
where a six-foot stake was TO be driven
One would lift the stake and tap it on its
head until it stood in position. Then at a
command the leader would raise his sledge
and let it fail gently on the stake, fol-
lowed by the man on his left, and SO on
about the circle until the blows became
harder and harder as each man swung his
sledge with full force. Five revolutions
OF the gang was usually sufficient TO bury
the stake 10 its required depth.
The menagerie tent was raised first after
breakfast. When it was in place, John
Patterson. head animal man, and his as
sistant, Martin seanlon. arrayed their
forces OF seventy-five keepers and placed
the cages In their proper position within
the great white walls OF canvas. All
the cages were promptly given thorough
cleaning. The indifference with which
these men moved about from cage to
cage, from which glowed with implaeable
hatred the eyes Of sullen jungle bFutes.
was fascinating to look upon. Theirs
the familiarity with danger that breeds
contempt, and It takes the sudden swift
smash Of velvet, steel-hooked paw, with
its subsequent visitations Of Or. Charles
Cradle, the show physician and surgeon,
to instill even temporary respect for
their charges In the hearts Of these
keepers and trainers.
Empress a bad Lioness.
There is one cage that even Scanlon,
scared and grizzled veteran of the animal
tent that he Is. hesitates to pass within
close range. Back Of the strong steel
bars lies Empress, sometimes pet and
favofite of the animal men, but now
suspicious, malignant mother noness with
two tiny cubs nesting between har pro-
tecting paws. Brother and sister. these
baby cats were born last January, and
since then even the familiar scraping hook
thrust in between the bars 10 clean the
cage is an object Of maternal suspicion
and the cause of maternal wrath. To see
Empress tending her babes, Tor all the
world like an overgrown tabby. Is a sight
worth coming miles to witness.
While the crowds stood watching the
erection OF the big top" with its six
center poles and tremendous spread OF
mud-stained canvas. at another part Of
the ground the spectators thr0nged about
the three stable tents. where all the
horses used in the show were getting their
baths. Here were the heavy Percheron
and Belgian draft horses. and the beauu-
fully grO0med trick and performing
horses. upon whose broad backs dainty
eqUestTiennes VIII perform maTvels for
the delectati0n Of the multitude this after
noon and tonight The crowd was allow
ed 10 pass through the stables, there be-
ing no danger in the heels OF these gentle,
weli-kept animals.
Performers GO Sightseeing.
During the day the 400 performers scat
tered about the city. sightseeing, Sunday
is the one day Of rest for the high-sal-
aried artists whose marvellous feats on
horseback, trapeze. bars. and mats daily
delight thousands" and they spent the
day quietly, much as thousands of Wash
iHgtons citizens spend their Sundays. No
one would think that this quiet little
family group of pleasant-faced people
sitting in the street car ever wore tights
and spangles, and received the plaudits
OF the public. Yet this -shouldered
little man and his slender, miId-looking
wife viii this afternoon hang by their
heels from a high trapeze bar and fling
that orderly little boy. their son. back
and forth between them Ike an animated
baseball
Along toward 5 o'clock tie performers
began 10 gather at the grounds for din
ner. Preparations for the Sunday meal
had been in progress several hours. In
the section Of the mess tent reserved for
/ performers and officers, long tables stood
arrayed in spick and span red linen table
cloths and equally spotless china and
silverware. The next section that for
the white laborers. was filled with tables
covered with white enameled cloth. as
was the third section. in which the col
/ ored laborers have their meals. Except
for the difference in tablecloths and the
fact that the performers are supplied with
napkins, no distinction is made between
the stake driver and the star eQuesTienne.
Food Is All Alike.
The food is all alike, plain, wholesome,
pure. and deliciously prepared. The menu
of yesterdays dinner was as follows: One
hundred and fifty gallons Of fine. rich
soup, 800 pounds Of FISH, go chickens, %
bushels Of potatoes, 200 cans of peas, 200
cans Of corn. go fresh-baked pies. $50
Ioaves Of bread, and 200 gallons of excel
lent coffee. Usually on Sunday $50 gallons
/ Of ice cream are made, but yesterday was
considered little chilly for this delieaey
The spotless white raiment of the culinary
force, the shiny pots and pans, and
the appealing OdOT of the cooking viands
proved too much for the Sunday spec
tators, and as the employees filed into the
mess tent the crowd dispersed homeward
but it is doubtful If many sat last evening
to partake of a better dinner than did
Rusty" the giant negro leader of one
of Devan's stake gangs.
This afternoons performance Will begin
at O'Clock. but the main entrance will be
open at /, in order TO allow the visitors
ample opportunity to inspect the menag-
erie. The animals had their weekly fast
day yesterday. and will not be fed until
after this afternoons show, an operation
that will be open to the public. This
weekly fasting is done for the sake of
hygiene, but it also affords the Monday
visitors the opportunity of seeing the
lcarnivorous beasts at their hungTiest and
fiercest when they would Just as soon eat