Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-30

&SxSS2 in the morning and midnight
any day, the scoreboard would prove that
the demonstration had walked least thirty miles In
the of the press agent fifty miles is conser-
vative estimate
write this extraneous matter for two reasons,
get it off my chest, and to explain how |, the press
agent, happened to be in Hars instead of in the
town ahead where | belonged.
The day the Mighty Harkns Show struck the corn
belt the hotel clerk brought to consciousness at six
fifty NJ, that might have the pleasure of giving
optical demonstration of how circus unloadS,
pitches its tents builds and its breakfast, and
starts street parade to couple of local newspaper
The conservative fifty mile estimate doesn't go
for this day, because while ordinarily able to stand my
share of walking had to quit when the night perform
started. figure that had gone at least sew
enty. Hitting sore-footed trail through the dusty,
dimighted streets, l stumbled into Harkins private
car, bathed, got pajamas, piled into the extra
bunk too tired to Sleep and lay there perspiring and
vaguely conscious of but -thankulness that
there nothing to do till the morrow
asleep, Tom?' said Harkins when he came in.
mo; dead"
give done some walking myself said he. 3Where's
that Jeff? Hey, jeff Bring us some cold beer-a lot
of it! Whew! but isn't it hot?T
1t was-and Jeff did
"Next time anybody plays your Uncle Samuel for
sucker, said the Mighty Harns after he found himself
sufficiently revived to exchange his dusty clothes for
bahrobe 3the next time anybody succeeds in unload
ing tranful of tents livestock, knkers, roughnecks,
naked individual you before you call officer and
have him railroad Sam Harl,ins to some quiet place
place where the furniture consists of strait jackets
and padded cells
SToo bad about you'll" said in what was intended to
be sarcastic tone. "A couple thousand dollars profit
a week isn't enough is it? Long to be back with some
musical comedy outfit, don't you, drawing down your
little old hundredper of twenty weeks
if you're lucky? The heat and too much money have
gone to your head. Drink some more beer. Cool off,
he {
pretty soft for me, don't you9 Well, it isnt You
mise that am grabbing off large chunks of the filthy
too easily, don't your I'm mott never wanted circus.
did II Wasn't this wished me? Was cut out to
live on rafting low-speed railroad tran roaming the
alfalfa districts and pluckng hard dollars from soft
headed rubes? Not your life! Of course I've &C
cumulated little COIN Fact is, I've been lucky. But
it isn't worth the sweat the worry the work, and the
fight | belong Broadway, or Fifthave., or Picca-
dy the Bos where the streets paved, where the
lights burn all night, and where the only dust is per-
TUNED and comes from powderpufs That's where be-
long! Iwasintended gentlemanof leisure and m
@Desist!' | groaned. 3Maybe you think enjoy
being the volunteer advance of this rickety old
outfit. Get your regular agent back the job, and
watch me blow! Never mind what or where you like
to be. Get down to cases. What's the is
it just plain troube?'
Both said Sam seriously await until speak to
Timkins and get this train started Then II unfold
TT O'clock and the last of the tent wagons had
been pulled up the incline to the fatcars the
menagere the ring stock and the draft horses all
aboard; switch engine jockeying backward
and forward to the main track; few dim figures of
thirst-quenched performers and canvasnen could be
huryng through the railroad yards from the direc
ton of the town; and the swinging lanterns of switch
men were doing the best they could to get
way to the next days stand. Finally the engine
hooked on, and ratified slowly out into the prairie
and the night. The motion kicked up a little breeze.
Halfway through the tasty snack that Jeff had pre-
pared for US, Sam uncorked his trouble.
"The freaks are on strike said he.