The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-07-31
The Circus
: Samanty Has 1t Graphically Described by
One Who Claims to Know.

thing original that will make folks
laugh. The novice thinks his mission
is to lick the donkey and holler whoa,
Januaryi" Sometimes they mix it up
a little by saying: "Steady there, Jar
go!"
1t may destroy some sentimental be-
liefs that children hold to state that
clowns have to help unload and drive
stakes at the circus grounds just like
other helpers.
In the circus performances clowns
are not much more than a nuisance.
The most realistic thing about them is
to see them run with a pail. That
seems to be a part of the clowns para
%phernalia. Sometimes for the sake of
novelty, they introduce a paddle and
belabor each other where their pads
are thickest.
Clown ponies, clown dogs and clown
monkeys are sometimes very funny.
Human clowns are only tiresome.
The big tents of a circus company
form an inspiring sight. At the top
you will see flying a great assortment
of flags. Of course, they are Ameri-
can flags. American flags are just as
cheap as any other kind and they APP
peal to the patriotic. When a man is
full of patriotism or booze he will
spend money like a sailor in the ten
derloin.
I Outside of the big tent of a circus
may be seen numerous side-shows,
where they exhibit a fat woman,
snakes, strong men, two-headed be-
ings and lion tanners. A dime, ten
cents, puts you through. Side-shows
were devised principally to catch those
from out of town who came to see it
/ all, b'gosh.
Inside the big tent, in the middle,
you will observe two sections of rather
desirable seats. These are reserved
seats. Those who pay their way in
are put over at the far ends of the
tent. The reserved seats are for the
press and others who drew compli-
mentaries. The public utilities com
mission hasn't as vet extended its
powers to include jurisdiction owe
circus companies.
There is some advantage in having
a reserved seat. In the first place the
view is better and in the second place
the upholstery is an improvement ov-
er the general seats. But all the seats,
| NC lIlCy ItoCINCd SCdIS Vi VI Gllt Gull
mon kind, are as hard as rocks and
| will give a healthy person Bright's
disease, lumbago and curvature of the
spine if he sits On them long enough.
Yet, despite all this, we know socie-
ty women who will balance themselves
on those narrow seats and wear ridges
into themselves with nary a move for
two hours; while the same ones will
flop themselves into a Morris rocker
at home and complain of being tired
inside of 20 minutes.
And worse than that, we have soci-
ETY. women who will sit all through a
performance at the side of some vora-
cious tobacco chewer with never a
murmur. If she had to undergo the
ordeal at anything else than a circus
she would call for the police.
Men will wear their best buds and
sit on muddy circus seats who would
MT think of climbing on a rail fence
with their Sunday pantaloons on.
1t isn't such a task after all to sit
on one of those uncomfortable seats
at a good circus. The real ordeal
comes when the men with peanuts and
crackerjack begin to vend their wares.
They step OF your feet, fall over you
and ram their baskets into your hat.
Most of these vendors are clowns and
therefore you take it as a joke and
laugh.
Another industrious individual who
fits through the seats more than he
ought to fit is the fellow who sells ice
cream cones. 1t takes a good stom-
ach to go against that circus ice cream
zone proposition. Circus ice cream
vendors do not smell like vanilla,