The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-05-13
Evening Chat
Long Ago.

was built between this city and Nor.
gantown all the highway travel came
in over the Morgantown pike. 1t was
busy highway considering the popu-
lation. and the coaches used to ply be-
tween Middletown and Morgantown
with a stop for lunch at the halfway
house at Oak Grove.
Droves Of cattle and sheep on their
way to Baltimore came through, ana
there was constant creaking of road
wagons. and spring wagons, and sad.
die leather, as people visited or hauled
supplies over the route. And, Of
course. the circus came also. It was
not the elaborate, tremendous, ponder.
Gus, affair that is the circus Of today,
but 1t looked Just as wonderful to the
children OF the past, as the gorgeous
pageant Of today looks to the children
OF today.
There was the same alteration in
the hearts Of the Country children for
the overland circus, the same scina-
ton and wonder. There was one fine
feature about 1t, too, for the circus
gave a free all the way from Morgan
town through and there was ! fringe
OF eager child faces over s.o -ances,
and at the edge Of the wood, a.,I .hcce
whose parents did not make t.o trip
to town to witness the performance
were consoled by the sight OF the gay
wagons and spotted horses.
In order to give an afternoon per.
Torrance in Middletown, circuses were
prone to leave Morgantown very early
In the morning, in fact quite commons
iy starting Immediately after the even
ing show. There is a story IN our
family of the early morning passing Of
the circus.
The children knew 1t was coming
through, and there was the same trou.
Bile about sleeping that night that oc.
ours on Christmas Eve. 1t would have
been such a tragedy to have over
slept and missed the sight, for this
circus had an elephant and none of
tnese children had ever seen one! The
heads kept bobbing off the pillows
every little while and finally long be-
fore daybreak, small folk hustled into
clothing and slipped out across the
dew drenched fields to the road where
the elephant would pass. 1t was a
long, shivering wait-for the air was
chilly, and bare feet were wet with
dew, and their garments moist with
fog, and then, they shivered with ex.
citement TOO, not knowing whether
they would flee at the awesome spec
tacle, or would be able to brace up to
the occasion and really look at the ele-
plant once it was there.
Many false alarms were given for
ears were keyed to an hysterical pitch.
and the common sounds OF the limo.
cent pasture animals were masnified
to elephantlike proportions. At last.
Tor everything comes to him who
waits, there was silver Jingle in the
dfstance-the faintest clink of deco
rated harness! 1t was coming!
Small fingers frightened on the top
rail OF the fence, and small figures
drew together in intense expectation.
Eyes were strained through the grew
mist where the road turned first into
sight. The clinking increased, and the
sudden complaint OF a brake Joined
in, and the muffled plod Of horses feet.
with the sleepy voice or a driver, and
out OF the Jealous fingers of dawn
emerged the little procession. There
was no sun to light up the gay wag-
ons. or to make the gilt on the won.
derful band wagon glitter-there was
no rapturous music ON trumpets, for
the musicians were snoring behind the
painted panels, but, oh-there was the
elephant! Huge, and grey, and tower
Ing he loomed-his great bulk magni-
fled in the mist-the thud. thud of his
great feet penetrating the dampened
surface Of the road to fine thick dust
beneath, which arose In yellow cloud
at each impact.
There was no thought for flight
among the children, spell bound, they
watched the beast lumber past, his
long trunk swinging from side to side,
and enormous ears dropping YEARLY.
AS long as their eyes could follow they
watched him, standing yet in silence.
after the mist had swallowed him, pic.
turing his numbering gait, and the re.
signed weariness OF his advance.
Then because. overwrought child spir-
its must have some outlet, they all
shrfeked at the top of their lungs and
danced up and down to get rid of an
emotion too vast for words.
One small fellow look Ills strawsh
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