The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-01-12

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He looked a trifle seedy about the
costume, but his mustache was wax
ed-the mustache, too, was dyed, and
Won saw the reason when he took his
hat off. The old CRATER wore cell
1uloid collar and polka-dotted dick
CIV. and when his vest was open it
showed up the shyness of his linen.
The concert manager was spring
ing gossip about the principal clown,
who was having trouble with his
wife. who did the iron-jaw swing.
He saw the old CRATER coming across
the ring, and he stopped, for it was
pretty we'll known that the old timer
wouldn't stand for scandal The
aid CRATER bit off enough tobacco
from the canvasman's plug to make
a comfortable quid and then sat
down on the snake box. He was
looking sad and there was silence
Presently he sent splash of juice
up against the center pole, and after
shifting the quid he opened up.
"Say fellers, I've been cutting
cards since old John Robinson had
money in tent shows, and I've come
TO the verdict: it's this-when you've
got the green in your pocket and the
suckers is tipped off they'll crowd
you as thick as flies on the popcorn
pile, but when there amt no coin to
Jingle you kin get so lonesome that
you'll go to bed with hot water
bottle for company"
This bit of wisdom impressed the
gang, for no one spoke, and the old
CRATER threw the reversing bar and
chined out this:
'SThe old days is gone, an they's
left the circus graft on the Weedy
sidin' with no roun' trips back to
the Ian of promise. Them was the
one-ring days, an in them times
there was allus fodder for the hogs.
Today it's one ring, two rings, three
rings an a stage-the biggest tent
on earth, but for the grafter-noth-
in, nothin'. Me, who used to turn
the shank of the week with a bigger
wad than the principal bareback
gets, me makes today dirty 20 per-
centage on sellin' reserved seats.
I'm ashamed to look the old days in
the face. Why, say, in those days
many a time the proprietor of the
big show was touching the CRATER
for cash when business was bad, an
today so different-if / gets into
poker play on tn train an the ante's
a nickel I've got to reach twice to
find the coin. If I'd had the good
sense that's in Bill McGinniss' head
I'd bought little road tavern like
he did twenty years ago an I'd a
had bank book roostin' back of
the bar But l think there's still
something doin' at my end, and
waits and loses-and what do l get?
A couple of treasures and some
change at the pay off durin' the sea-
son. with crackers an cheese for me
an the old woman in the winter.
It's the difference between horse rad
ish and sawdust, and it's got me
slippin' back.
'I'll tell you fellows somethin'
about the old days. Twas bout '76,
an we was graftin with one-ring
outfit. We struck good crops an
sunny weather in the one-nighters in
the Ohio valley. The farmers had
money, an there was peaches in the
orchard for every boy with the
troupe that had bag of tricks.
Everybody was standin' in on the
graft, an we had a fixer two days
ahead, so there'd be no call. We was
a car with the layout an
four tin horns that was science on
faro an turnin, the. wheel The big
game was invited to the car an there
was allus a set-out an somethin' to
drink. The little fish was worked
on the lot, an there was days, many
days, when the graft was more'n the
ticket wagon count-up, an the rake
of was loafin' bout par, continuous.
Good days, them, me boys, for every
body, from the boss of the outfit
down to the stake driver. Money
was coming easy, an when there was
any protestin' on the part of the
patron an it got to fists, or gun
play, we passed along the Hey
Rube, an there was Gettysburg till
morn, if they was lookin' for bat
tie
THE best burg we hit was little
settlement where we had twO-mile
haul up the pike from the track to
lot. Everything was ripe for graftin',
an we was ready for the harvest.
Seems like a reform committee had
to hit down all the games, an the
folks was hungry for gamblin' The
posters in No. car piped us off on
conditions an it was said that them
paste spreaders travelled off with a
roll from stud poker in the car after
the bills was on the stands.
They wuz on the lots waitin for
us when the boss landed to the lay
off, the pitch for the roun' top we
wuz only usin' one of them, an had
no animals to speak of. The fakirs
got into the game early, an trans
parent cards from gay Paree was the
first halt, an bitin was good. Fore
the parade started all hands was busy