The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-09-03
LETTER FROM BILKINS.
Some Circus-Day Reflections--Cir-
cusses Not as DemoraliZing as a
Session of the Legislature-To be
Real Happy the major would own
Circus-MOre About Girls and
Their Peculiar Habits.
Correspondence of TIL
Enterprise.

Correspondence of The Caucasian
Enterprise.
Bilkinsville, n. c., Sept /, 1908.
This iz Circus Day" in States
vile, large town located within
eazy reach ov Salisbury. | guess they
air havin' time ov hit at the cir
Gus.
Circusses air about the most de-
moraliZing thating that affiickts this
country, exsept session ov the
State Legislator. But they awl go
to them eXsept a few of the preach
ers, an a few blind folks. l am
stppin' near publick road, an the
folks hev bin goin' fer two days an
mites, walkin', ridin', crawlin', an
every other way. They air never too
young an they never git too old ter
go ter a circus. Them institushuns
draw a bigger crowd than a pro-
trackted meetin' anytime. One ov
them meetin's hez jist bin helt in
this naborhood an sumtimes they
wuz no one present exsept the two
preachers, the weather bein' bad, an
they finally had ter give hit up an
turn hit into a chicken eatin' contest
by visitin' erround among the breth-
rem and sisteren. | understand that
the two preachers won first and Sec
ond prizes.
Circus day in town liz crate
event. In my young daps, when Cir
cusses wuz smaller than they air now
an before the Legislator put the
tax so high, an before the railrodes
got SO contrary about hauling them
errOund circusses uster cum early an
often. They don't cum SO often now
but they air a sight bigger, an carry
more elephants an bigger snakes
an the clowns air funnier. I hey
bin goin' er circusses fer years, an
the older l git, an the better I git
the more 1 think ov circusses. They
air worth awl they cost jist ter make
boys an girls git up early in the
mornin', fer they air sure ter git VI
early if they liz any rumor afloat thai
a circus liz comm; they air afearet
the elephant might pass an they
wouldn't git a glimpse ov hit. I be
lieve hit il worth goin' twenty ol
| thirty miles to Sc ca circus jist tel
git ter smell the animals, if yot
don't git ter see them, fer they aim
anything under the sun that smells
| like a circus exSept a circus.
But they air worth all they cos
| for ouHn many rooznnc Won anrIf
never git ter see awl them curious
animals anywhar else, onless hit WI.
at political rally ov sum sort, an
they air more demoraliZin' than /;
circus. Hit liz wurth a guide deal te1
the rizin' gineration ter visit th'
Greatest Show on Earth" an se'
the elefants from India, an the lion
an tigers frum Africa an the pola
bear frum the North Pole. Thel
you see the monkeys frum Brazil
an the camels frum Egypt. O
course We hev- monkeys in this coun
try an we kin see them every da
in the year. But they air not $
comickal az them you see in the cir
lcus. Then hit is wurth goin' mile
ter see the educated pig they gineI
lally hev in the side-show. Awl farm
ers air interested in hog-raizin' ar
they git lot ov new ideas that the
mite not learn even at prOtrackte
meetin' or the Farmer Union al
Co-operative Society" fer the holdiI
low the next eceltion," onless my ol