The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-04-02
WHEN THE CIRCUS
COMES TO TOWN
We Are Carried Back to Boy
hood Days Again by this Cir
Gus Chaps Clever Narrative
of Life Under the White Tops
By Slicers


By SliUers
In this article | am going to take
you back to childhood, to the day
the circus came to town, when the
voice of your pals resounded
through the streets with the call Of
"Oh Skin-na" AMI the older PEG
ple's hearts beat faster for they also
were children again, if only for g
day. Scene one is set in the rail
road yards. The circus has arrived
with it's brightly painted cars and
long string of flats" loaded with
canvas covered wagons.
Out of the sleepers men and WON
en- are coming, but what most inter
ests us is the stock cars. down the
runways of which are being lead
horses, camels and elephants, while
you and l (for remember we are
boys AGAIN. gather around and at
every opportunity call out. Let me
hold him, mister. l know the way
to the show grounds" and at the
same time take punch at all who
get in OR way, or tries to beat us to
the coveted honor. At last the
stock is all unloaded and under the
guidance of the army of small boys
the start to the lot is made.
But while we have been watching
the unloading of the animals the
razor backs" (circus train mem
have been busy getting the wagons
off the cars and the first off is the
cook house" so that when we ar
rive at the lot many of the wagons
are already there, the dining and
kitchen tenJs are up, while in the
air is the smell of boiling coffee and
frying meats. About the lot at reg
ular intervals We see iron pins stuck
in the ground to which is tied a
bit of colored cloth, and when we
ask what they are for, we are
told that theyare laying out pins"
and mark the position where each
stake is to be driven. Soon the
stake and chain wagon arrives and
a crew of men distribute the stakes
one at each pin, another crew Of
sledge men follow them and with a
few blows drive them in the ground.
Now. the canvas wagons arrive and
out of them the huge rolls of. can
vas are taken and spread, then laced
up; soon the word is given, and, as
if by magic the mammoth tents rise
into position, then the long rows Of
seats are put IN and the side walls
put on and we can see no more
But bark, hear the music! What is
it? We will have to go and iuves-
tigate. We find it is only the wind
TANNERS (musicians) in the kid
top (side show tuning up, so we
go on our way looking for other
wonders. Some of us discover that
small tents have been put up and
so off we go on tour of investiga-
ton; here we find concessionaries
selling "Coney Island red hots''
crackerjack and red lemonade. We
eat and drink all we can stand, and
soon we hear the familiar noise OF
the steam caliope, while the people
of the circus begin to appear in va
rious uniforms, and know it is
nearly time for the parade to start.
so we hurry away to secure .
position where we can see it all.
The Parade.
We find the streets crowded with
people and all eyes are turned the
way the parade will come from.
Here it comes" calls some one, but
it is only false alarm, and instead
of being the parade is only the gro
GERS delivery wagon that some one,
in their highly excited state has
taken for the head of the parade.
After several false alarm such as
this, and what has seemed ages to
us, the real thing comes in sight; we
know it is real becuase we can hear
several bands playing and each one
different tune, but what matters,
it is the long looked for circus par
AIDE.
First comes the manager in his
highly varnish buggy drawn by a
beautiful team of cream colored
horses; next is the first band wagon
and then comes the camels with
their Egyptian riders (who after the
parade will become plain American
working mem the rest of the parade
passes by in an orderly manner
while up and down the long line
rides the parade marshal in his uni
form of blue covered with gold lace
AS some Of the wagon pass we are
informed by man with a mega
phone that there will be free show
Immediately upon the return of the
narodo to tho chow oroundo. GO nc