Evening journal., 1922-05-20
Making Up Circus
By Ethel Wilson

came back. "IIeave-aye. hev-aye
have It out!"
Tattooed men; men whose cheeks
! bulged with tobacco; red faces
streams OF perspiration; veins and
muscles like cords and ropes; sus
pender Y's everywhere.
Stakes in piles like jackstraws
piles Of sawdust; bales OF hay stack
ed him; raw meat; blocks OF ice
buckets galore; tanks of water
cries Of laughter and whistles OF
men; roars and growlings Of lions
tramping of horses hOofs; clatteI
of boards; rumble Of wheels; paw
ing of bears; barks of dogs. cir
Gus Of sights and sounds and all
without an admission ticket.
All this time the one-legged, one
armed man who directed this feat
Of tent raising was a marvel An
arm and a leg off OF opposite sides
of his body. But he still had a
good, clear head. Voices echoed be-
meath the roof of the tent. Dust few
and horses struggled on their feet.
Hal hal Go ahead Pull outl
All right Come onl Don't look
ahead! Ha, hal Three hours late!"
So shouts and work went hand in
hand.
You folks II have to move out
now and give them a chance TO At
up the tent" the man with the
wooden leg now spoke to the crowd.
The lion keeper chopping the car
rass OF an animal, gave no heed TO
Slim with the acting stand. nor to
tho disc on wheels. the chairs. the
hoops and the hundred and one
things that ft up the rings OF the
circus tent. The first pennant went
up TO the top Of the pole in the cen
ter OF the tent.
Hello, Dannie." a driver patted
his horse.
"You wouldn't think they could
get It up in time; a day here and a
day there" said an onlooker at 11.5oI
a. m.
The electrician appeared. A man
went up a rope. A whistle sounded
Faces got redder. Jaws kept right
on chewing. Veins and muscles
more distended. Suspenders every
where.
"Nobody's hurt yet" came proudly
from the lips OF one OF the hustling
men.
- m. The rings were being made
up. Bundles Of nets. The only man. |
really dressed-up, with hands fold |
ID behind him. marched about call
ng to by-standers to get out Of the
way. The six great arc lights like
razzle- -dazzles took their places at the
ops Of the six tallest poles. The
.hree rings and the seats went up
1t the same time.
Get out OF the way from herel"
,ame an excited cry as red seats
With backs shut up went by on mems
ihoulders.
1890 p. m. and the first trapeze
vas swung. Some seats were in
,lace. The clap OF the backs sound
ID from all parts OF the tent. A
lozen wagons filled the ring. Still
hey came. Men shovelled and pick
ID A man with a leather apron ap-
reared on the scene.
lis p. m. 1.-The last wagonw call
ID a voice. Red draperies began TO
wave in the breeze. Stakes as thick
Is dandelinon stems in spring. The
ent began TO look dressed up. The
ed plush canopy in place. The
ings with all their apparatus ap-
eared in readiness.
A look back over the field on the
ray to the entrance. Tents where
rass was. Pennants and flags every
here floating triumphantly. Bags
Z oats; bales OF hay waiting here
nd there. Horses being ourried.
len being shaved. The doctors
snt Nobody hurt yet.
1876 p. m. Crowds were buying
ckets and the performance was
bout to begin. Ginger ale and lem
made bottles lined the street from
le entrance. Like palm trees they
ood in even rows on either hand.
ags of peanuts waited expectantly
nd hot dogs simmered on the Goals
etween the bricks of improvised
owes.
A never ending line OF people