The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-09-14
Circus Day at Lamont.
Lamont, Sept. 8th, 1911:

EDITOR Reporter:
This is Circus Day in Lamont. A
day freighted with frenzied Joy to
genial Ray Nicholson. But listen.
This mornings Sun came up in gor-
geous splendor, Illuminating the
minarets of Graceland College, and
bathing in glorious refulgence the
big church, the Old Folks. Home, and
the lofty stand-pipe of the water
system. 1t also cast Pickering shad-
ows in the pretty park, and thous-
and golden rays were reflected in
prismatic brilliancy by the windows
of the great publishing house, and
all nature smiled in gladness. Speak
ing of rays-one Ray, SO to speak,
was frabjously happy. Ray Nichol-
son, his soul bathed in effulgent joy,
and every atom of his being CULVER
ing with anticipatory gladness, had
arisen from his tossed couch long
before the first cock crow to welcome
the glad day-the day when his
dearest dreams were to be realized !,
and the hope of years was to reach
fruition-A genuine circus day in
Lamont.
With ill-concealed impatience Ray
gazed upon the gaudy show bills an
nouncing the advent of The Worlds
Unrivaled Aggregation of Colossal
Wonders & Megatherious Combina-
ton of Stupendous Marvels, and as
he gazed no doubt entered his opti-
mistic soul, for he knew that this
particular circus boldly advertised
that it had never deceived the peepul
had never divided-that it ever
kept covenant with the public.
Ray knew in reason that the fierce
man-eating Lollipop, so graphically
pictured in lurid colors before him,
would certainly be on exhibition, for
the bills said so in terse English, and
a delicious shudder tingled through
him as he gazed on the fearsome pic
ture. And now at last the day was
here when a real, genuine, odiferous
circus was to spread it's glistening
dull care and carker from his ennuied
spirit, and smear primrose joys
athwart and along the hum-drum
pathway of his life. Reluctantly
he tore himself from the contempla-
tion of the life-like representations
of swirling acrobats, bespangled
equestriennes, and crouching royal
bengal tigers in the very act of leap
ing upon enormous and enraged ele-
plants, and hastened to greet with
glad hand the circus nomads, and
bid them welcome to our little city,
and give them advice gratuitOus
anent the driving of stakes and the
erection of center poles, and the loca-
tion of the main top. These self-im-
posed duties over, all day long Bre'r
Nicholson was in and out and about
making the weary show people feel
that Lamont welcomed their pres
ence, and assuring them of sincere
appreciation of their very successful
efforts to please, and prognosticating
big gate receipts.
With easy nonchalence and we'll
feigned courage, he contemplated the
great baggy skinned elephants from
respectful distance, and smiled be-
nignly at the pink-tighted lady per-
formers as he munched peanuts of
the double-jointed variety and i'm
bibed tinted lemonade in vast guam
titles.
And after the evening performance
was over, and the last clack of the
concert singer was stilled, and the
canvas walls came down and were
folded, and the tired circus folks had
departed for the next stand, lone
figure stood in the center of the
abandoned ring wrapt in pleasing
remembrance of the joy-flled day.
The full moon looked down in quiet
glory upon the happy face of Ray
Nicholson, and all nature was at
peace.
Lamont had had a circus-let the
deluge come. ***