The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-07-31

You wish me to write nv impress
| sions of a circus, Samanty2 Very
we'll. Listen:
/ A circus is something that ome to
town every once in a while to disturb
the tranquility of a community.
| You can tell when a circus is coming
by the big, red posters that are stuck
up all over town showing men falling
out of the skies and women being shot
out of the mouths of cannon Also by
the fact that the washer woman asks
if you won't let her have her next
weeks pay in advance.
Averages at school tumble as the
date for a circus approaches. A cir
Gus gets youngsters all stirred up with
expectancy.
Circuses, nevertheless, are excellent
things to control children. A stern
father may have to bring a youngster
to time with a birch. But mother has
a more diplomatic way. She says:
"Now, Rachie, if you don't behave, you
won't go one step to that there cir
GUS"
That fetchies Rachie a great deal
quicker than fathers CAD.
Circus day is a big day for old and
young. We have common DRINKS ar
ound town who sober up on circus day
so they will be sure not to miss it.
This is the only day in the whole year
some of them are sober. Others make
circus day the one in the year for a
drunk.
Very often a thousand or two people
go to see a circus. Of course, that
doesn't include everybody. No, indeed.
! Generally about twice that many peo-
pie get excited when a circus comes to
town and they crowd around the rail
road tracks to watch them unload. 1t
doesn't cost a cent to see a circus I'M
load.
Another free thing about a circus is
the grand street pageant in the morn
ing. The entire company, the luggers
and the stable men put on all the jew
elry and spangles and gilded stuff they
can dig up and march through two or
three of the principal streets. They
string out the parade as much as pos
sible in an endeavor to make much out
of little.
All good circuses have a man at the
head of the parade telling the crowd
about the wonderful "free exhibishun
Immediately after the perade," while
a steam calliope brings up the rear.
A band in the centre of the parade
plays off and on but. doesn't make as
much noise as the man at the front or
the steam organ at the rear.
One good thing about a steam cal
Hope with a circus is that they always
render that old familiar hit, "Smoky
Mokes". They never play this nice
little piece on a steam calliope in real
circus style unless the pipes are about
thirty degrees off pitch.
While the parade is passing you will
lobserve a mouthy Individual lined up
along the curb irving to make himself
heard. He is selling souvenirs. Now
and then somebody from Karrsville
buys a badge or the likes of that.
One striking thing about a circus
parade is the clown. He generally
rides in a gocart drawn by a donkey.
fThe children like the clown and they
like the donkey. Therefore it is a
winning combination.
Some clowns are stupid, while 9TH
ers are too fresh. You take a fresh
clown, for instance. See him wave his
hand at the children. If you will
watch him closely YOU will observe
that he does most of his waving at
children who have got their mothers
with them. Some mothers like to be
waved at, even if it is only by a clown.
If clowns would only wave at little
girls it would be all right. But
times they wave at the bigger ones
and that makes folks talk.
You can most always tell an expert
enced clown from a novice. The expe-
rienced clown will sometimes do some