Connecticut western news., 1909-11-04
CONFESSIONS OF
 A SPECIAL WRITER
"REMINISCENCES BY SAM J. BANKS
Series of Humorous Stories, Material For Which is Drawn From Authors Personal Observations, While Study ing the American Circus.

One of the most ludicrous espiodes ever witnessed, came under my observa. ton i'll a Michigan town. 1t was just before the matinee performance. The day was unusually warm and pleasant, and the slow lot was crowded. l was on my way around the big top from the dressing room to the ticket wagon. As I neared the wagon happened to glance in tho direction of group of our canvas. men who were moving a light cage. The tongue of the cage had sort of a crook at the end, similar to the bend in shepherds rod, and, in some manner, the tongue slipped and the crooked end was thrust right between the legs of a fellow of about forty years of age who had been standing with his back to the cage. Hastily glancing down at the crooked tongue end, the man bounded about four feet in the air, and cried out Help! Help! the elephants got me: the elephants got mel" and started wildly to run away. Instantly every observant bystander gave the man the merry Ina, ha, and, after he had put several yards between himself and the elephant, he looked oyer his shoulder, saw that the pachyderm was none other than a big wagon tongue, and slunk away into the crowd which surrounded the main entrance
 But on another occasion an elephant really did get man. although fortu- nately without serious results.
 It was in old Virginia. was showing ! group of newspaper men about our spread of canvas" as the tents, taken IS a whole, are termed. While we were standing opposite Bob" the largest +lephant in the herd, and commenting )n his gigantic size, a very extraordinary Incident happened, in which the big )achyderm was the central figure.
 Bob was eating some hay which was spread out before him. Nearby was an unopened bale. A colored animal man ;auntered up and sat himself leisurely town on the bale of hay. AS he did so noticed that Bob tilted his head and blinked his little eyes at the negro with tb expression for all the world just like chat of an exceedingly busy business nan when he is interrupted by an osten- ,atious intruder. But tho animal man noted it not. Indeed he drew his feet iuXuriously up on the hay and propped ais head with one hand, not unlike the pose a sultan might assume in viewing his dancing girls
 But MT. Darkey had scarcely acquired ais oriental pose wheR something hap pened which greatly surprised every body ill that end of the menagerie tent With the suddenness with which the lightning flashes, Bob fastened his huge trunk about midway of the Africans anatomy, and, waving the helpless man above his head sent him swiftly hurling the center of the refreshment stand, which occupied a position about fifty feet distant, frightening the candy butchers as thoroughly as he himself was frightened.
 I ran over to where the man had fallen to ascertain if he had been hurt, but found that aside from a severe fright, he was 70. K" as the newspaper proof reader puts on a galley of perfect proof.
 We assisted the colored man to his feet, but he was so severely scared that he trembled like leaf in the autumn breeze and could not give articulation to a sound for several minutes. He only felt himself over, as if to see if he were all there.
 "Pogy" O'Brien, our boss canvasman, who had seen the episode, said to the fellow, II guess that will teach you not to use Bob's hay for sofa; he's very particular.
 To be continued.