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Show WILES OF A CIRCUS MANAGER. Clement'Scott, the late dramatic critic, crit-ic, wrote verse In his leisure moments. By this verse he Is not known, for his fame comes as one who spoke the final word concerning the merits of a play. He achieved a high reputation through his power of criticism and his authoritative author-itative expression of it. Of this he cared less than for his verses. Frank Parley, the veteran circus manager, found out this with good results re-sults for himself. Perley had charge of "the greatest show on earth." It is of him that the story was told that he stammered so badly that he had to be the manager for Barnum and not for Forepaugh, as he could pronounce the first name and not the other. Perley took "the greatest show" to England. It was an event. He determined deter-mined that . he would have a notice from Clement Scott, though his friends In London told him It was Impossible. Scott would not condescend to notice a circus. Perley made a heavy wager that he would not only get a notice, but one in advance. A woman told him that Scott wrote verses, and that he was fonder of his poetry than of his dramatic criticisms; that he had published them and sent copies to his friends. After this information the circus manager called on the dramatic critic. He apologized for sending up his business busi-ness card, saying that he had no personal per-sonal ones with him. Scott was Icy. Perley explained that he had not called on business, but wanted to see the man who had given him pleasure. Then he talked of Scott's verses with enthusiasm. enthu-siasm. He told him how as manager of a circus he traveled from one end of the world to another, and always carried Scott's verses with him. Scott was In a melting mood, and Perley recited re-cited his quatrains with fervor. The next day the English public gasped with astonishment when It read a brilliant advance notice of America's "great circus" signed by Clement Scott. |