The Columbus journal., 1909-12-15

lE TOOK AWAY ]
urchin from him. The boy dried hia
eyes - quick as,hs could and turned
to the bouncer. ~
"You great big plug" he said. zone
Of these days you'll come to me and
| get down on your knees for . job in
my circus, and then-then I'll smash
you!"
CAV, gwan!" remarked the fierce
bounoer, grinning derisively. "Your
nav wants yer down home ter mind
tn baby"
Then he hurried around for other
worlds to conquer:
The afternoon sun beamed down on
earth with needless energy. What
matter whether it rained or not? At
frequent intervals roars Of laughter
and applause swept cut of the chinks
in the round top to the exiled boy who
was sitting on . log. To him it was
about - pleasant Is listening to the
CHATTER of skeletons when some one
pulled the wire. He would have gone
home, but duty babe him wait for his
brother who, it seemed, had got past
the dead line. And there he had to
stay all the afternoon, within a stones
throw of FIVE thousand persons who
were having the time of their lives. 1t
was like being tied up in q chair
watching another fellow make love to
your sweetheart.
After several years had passed into
history the show was over and the
elder brother, with face abeam, came
floating out in the swarm. He wanted
to tell his comrade all about it, but the
latter CURLY cut him of, saying he
didn't care much about circuses any.
way. He would have enjoyed himself
better at home planting corn.
\
The boy whose hopes were blighted
that day was William P. Hall who,
when he reached mans estate, became
known as the largest individual horse
dealer in the world. He possessed
the rare trait of being able to tell .
good horse at q glance, and this caused
men from all over the United States
to seek him out and purchase from
him. He established . branch stable
in Cape Town, South Africa, and
placed his brother in charge. The
main stables were in Lancaster, No.,
where there are always fifteen humid
dred to two thousand finely bred horses
and mules awaiting shipment. People
began calling him Diamond Billy"
because he walked, under a plug hat
and wore diamond shirtstuds and
rings.
After some years of successful deal.
ings with horses Diamond Billy" ad-
ded wild animals to his stock, buying
and selling lions, tigers, elephants,
sacred oxen and boa constructors.
Once q circus owed him so much money
that Billy had to take in the entire
outfit. Then he concluded it would be
. nice thing to manage a circus him
SELF He found one over in Ohio,
bought it for $4,000 cash and adding
it to the one he had, started on the
road with civilian P. Halls Great
American Circus"
Billy and his shiny plug hat were al
ways on the high seat of the blue and
gold band wagon in the parades, and
he became known as one of the great
est circus men of his time. He knew
al about horses and wild animals, and
took to the circus business as the
sparks fly upward. Between the time
when he, a forlorn farmer boy, sat on
. log outside the round top and wait.
ed for his brother and when his name
appeared on the bills as proprietor Of
the big circus was about twenty years.
In those two decades Billy had grown
into formidable looking man. He
weighed more than 200, and could
pot enough steam in his right arm to
stop a locomotive" He was the
strongest and quickest man with the
circus.
Soon after Billy started out with
his circus he told his manager ifa Ger.
tain man, whom he described minute
ly, should apply for position he
would like to meet him personally.