Show S sc MEW KB af pf n r rf fl tf me show sidelights Side Sights I 1 diverting chronicles of circus life arife by FRANCIS METCALFE fex A A cobnis it tr W G capman THE LIBERTY or OF FRANZ AND RF OF FUZZY madame morelli the pretty little frenchwoman who makes a half balt or of loop leopards ards panthara pan pari thera and jaguars jagears do things which nature never intended them to do had bad finished her act and driven the snarling performers through elt tho the narrow runway run w ny to their separate parate te cages fastening each one as she bho thought securely two rr french ch clowns were filling ailing in the V time me and making tho the audience Bud lonco or of coney island pleasure seekers laugh by their antics with a performing dox dog wafie tho the stage bands were bringing in the properties for the next trained animal act when the tha proprietor came from behind the scones scenes and strolled apparently patently ly unconcerned to tho chii back of tho the arena where abere be could command a clear view ot of the performance the audience and the cages lie he said a few words worda to each of the tha trainers and keepers whom ho he passed and tho the stranger who knew the clock like regularity with which each one of them went through hla his allotted duties noticed an unwonted haste and sup pressed excitement among amona them As aa he joined the proprietor ator the cound of hammering mingled with the noise of the blatant brass band anil and tho the cries of the he ballyhoo for tho the other attractions attract lona tn in through the open windows and he saw that stevenson the tha mild eyed quiet man who Is always on hand to rescue imper imperiled tied trainers and keepers whon when their own carelessness or unexpected revolt on the tha part of the animals leads to a fight was rapidly nailing balling boards over the ventilating spaces above the tha cages madam morelli whip and training rod in hand band hurtled hurdled from tier her dr dressing essinK room to the runway and every keeper and trainer seemed to be lottering loitering in the space apace between the leopards don den and the audience ile he looked at the proprietor inquiringly but the little trickle rockla of blood which ran down his check from under I 1 Z I 1 I 1 jill i I 1 ED DOLLA ra TO ANYONE WHO WILL ENT R E C AV e his hl cap answered the question he be would have asked an animal was wa loose and the proprietor had encountered it in his rounds A crash ot of weird music arora frou th ha band drowned the he sound bound ot of a cracking whip and 0 sharp harp commands com manda which carna came from the runway and announced the appearance 1 pe arance aranco of branau tho the snake minka charm or r in the exhibition age and the audience udie nee wa watched ached him play with a obra cobra all that franz the jaguar which a few minutes before had bad desisted resisted des isted from rom his attempt to tear the fair boulders ot at morelli only after a dozen blank cartridges had been tired llred in hla his fa face was now a at large abo proprietor gave fave a sigh ot at relief relict as the jaguar backed backed into hla his cage from rod the runway snarling bum line and string striking fit at the little woman who forced him backyard backward with tho the whip until sue she was able to slam the door and make him orce more it a prisoner of course that might have been a serious thins thing for the tha jaguar and for any pocketbook book said aho he proprietor na as three deep be scratches in tits his head vera belus being plastered up lie iio suggested that they should go up and hear bear madame Morell ts account of it she was sitting on the tha edge of her bed wending mending a rip which the Jag ragnars jaguars jagua nars rs sharp claws claw had nude in her gown and she eho shrugged her shoulders w when hen the stranger inquired it sho she had been hurt it was nothing she said albl laughing ile he jumped at mo me from the top 0 t A cago cage when I 1 carao came in bat I 1 boat beat him bilm oft oct and whipped him back into hla his cage it was only the close quarters which made it bad for or I 1 am used to lighting fighting them she was interrupt by a yapping and caterwauling la in the tha doorway and sprang on the lied bed her face white terror as a small terrier and the monn gerlo cat rolled into tha th room in a clawing biting alx up the terrier was waa raising a litter of puppies in the next room and tho the eat cat had transformed tie the space paea iback of Mor ellla bed into a nursery an aad d a meeting of the two anxious mothers mothe re in the halt had bad led to ta tr trouble Ma modama darne morelli always alway goes through her bar performance sn in an tiding drem and she aha stood an w tha bod bed her ber long train gathered closely about her trembling like a leaf cheri the proprietor finally separated sep aratea the combatants combatant and restored peace this matter ot of specialties alues seems to run through every eiery branch ot of the show business said the presa agent as aa they took their seats at the table 1 I rat rai a L dime museum in st louls louis several years ago in those days day there was waa lots of money in iland the freaks would never never stand tor for any change in their billing caused wa asod to have a reah fresh lot sent on by our new york agent every two weeks and one monday morning when I 1 went down to look over the new arrivals I 1 knew that he had been up against the demon rum when h ho a e engaged ri such cuch a tough looking bunch the fat at woman looked as aa it she was wasting away with consumption and the bearded lady had a way ot of absentmindedly mInd edly humming bumming the popular airs in a bass basis voice whick which gave the whole snap away there was one likely lo 10 looking a king girl and when I 1 asked her what she was waa she told me ma she eho was wag the web footed lady and showed me her feet beet which had little pieces of 0 skin growing between the toes I 1 1 I knew that good enough so I 1 ibold told her she was mistaken that she was a blaut and I 1 gave her ter a wig and the fixings and put her on tho the ilat platform form but say would you believe it she was so 0 o mad and embarrassed by the change in her stunt that when the lecturer was calling attention to her blonde beauty she would blush until she looked like ilka an indian princess and every time ho he turned MR back she would take oft off her shoes and wiggle vil agle her toes fit at the audience to show what she really was it was waa up tous to get some real attraction to tide over the time until our agent should get sober and send us another bunch of freaks so mer ritt who was waa my partner and myself hunted bunted up a big buck and made a deal with him to go on as a wild man we tipped ripped up a hair mattress and glued the contents onto hi him mand and wired a couple of big tusks ao oats bat teeth and with mith an iron collar around hla his nock and a log chain around his waist he be was as good an imitation as was waa ever faked we put him in a big cage which we had used week before for or a mangy old lion ilon one ot of tho the five hundred or so BO wallace the unta mables which were touring the country and merritt JM erritt taught him to howl like ike a steam calliope we called him fuzzy the terrible man eating cannibal which wua was a waste ot of words but merrelt had bad language to burn ile he had sot got hold of a phony five ave hundred dollar bill and when he wab giving his bla omlei spiel about how fuzzy fumy was ca captured I 1 upon a desert island where he was waa found chewing a human leg and how he ha cou eat cat anything but raw meat and was always trying to got get at lis hla keeper for dessert he ha would wave his phony live hundred spot oyer over hla his head and give it to era cm good five fire hundred dollars ladles ladies and gents genta I 1 wilt give to any man w who ho will remain for the short abort space of two minutes in the cage with fumy duay iau wua axy five hundred dollars to any qian nian who la in brave enough to run the risk of letting this terrible ninn man eating cannibal get hla hinder binder limbe about liam lalni for then all would be lost and F fuzzy uzzy would fasten his bis t drible teril e ble fangs fanga in his victims throat and suck hla his ber bar lud 1 weil it etwas was a good spiel all ilent nil all right and when merritt struck that part one ot of the tha supers would prod up old fuzzy who would rould rattle hla his chains and howl tor for tair fair and the aud audience lonce would get cold chills down their backs wo we were playing to the S it oi 01 and giving so BO many shows a day that territt pretty nearly lost hla his voice and fuzzy had been prodded so much that he had to take his meals meala stan standing dlug up we ran em through gli pretty fast and one afternoon merritt men lit was just juat geina to give the abo alt all out signal which cleared the tha exhibition hall tor for the neil next perform ancs ance when aben up steps a big husky black roustabout from the levee and commences to io strip oft off his coat coal jes jea a linit boss boom tays says he be ah reckon ah A needs need tut dat five hi hundred indred lu fa mah nod and merritt loats at t him in astonishment i mr deluded colored brother 1 aabye be ba do da you appreciate the runt that you are going to a certain aul and gorrim death it this terrible mizzy gets tits itts hinder binder limbs about you he be will suck your ber berlad lud ah doan reckon leibon hell belt sit me an ah eat tenly ertly needs do da money answers the coon and continues to strip and merritt sizes him up and sees the finish of fuzzy who was shak frig aiss the bars bara and trying to get away avay train from the super who was wa prodding him but everybody thought he was waa trying to get at the coon to make a meat meal of him and some of the women folks wore were getting hysterics one of 0 the boys had bad put me wise and 1 broke through ther crowd and called a halt in the proceedings ladles and gentlemen says 1 I 1 I 1 believe th that at a man existed who was foolhardy enough to be tempted temp te to certain death by the lure of a pat pal try five hundred dollars dut but although talc man la Is me BO reckless of his own life r mu emst insist that he get a per anit fro from t the be mayor relieving us ua from all responsibility before we al low him to be torn limb from limb return tomorrow at two and if this mans courage still keeps up you will see nee before your shuddering eyes an encounter which will make the historical gladiatorial combats ol of ancient rome pale into insignificance i I 1 could sling aline a few language myself those days and the mayor was a friend of mine or I 1 thought he be was so 80 11 I 1 figured we wa could catch the suckers for in an admission and then call it off because be caus he te would refuse a permit out but he be was onto tho the game and bt h was waa one of those blame fools who thought he be had a sense of humor so he be gives him a document with a big red seal on it which looks like a doe doc tors tars diploma which says that thomas jefferson la Is allowed to go in and win in our five hundred and the next day the coon shows up smiling and ready and I 1 knew we had to make good somehow I 1 passed gassed the word to merritt to delay the game and make a last grand effort to throw a scare into the coon and he put up a spiel to beat the band this terrible fuzzy has none of the attributes of a human being aab says he be he lives upon ra raw w meat and would prefer human flesh deah it he be could get it 01 nr the expression of ghoulish glee ayco as be regards the fool foolhardy bardy man who will soon furnish him such a 8 meal as he formerly enjoyed in his native jungle lie Ile sleeps at night suspended from tho the top bars of at his cage by tola blit claw like ilke hands and feet which will soon be tearing the flesh of 0 this man who stands beford fotr nowa iowia picture of perfect health and strength lie ile speaks no BO language but I 1 he utters howls and yells which will be more horrible corr ibl than ever before when he be Is sucking the warm hearts dearve be lud of the figure figura which you see sea before you tor for the last time simein in human shape just juet then the super gives elves fuzzy a prod and he howls howla like balsam balsams Bala ams s ass but the coon can stands there smiling and not feared a bit 1 I had taken the precaution to I 1 a button up the box office talie take in ia my inside pocket and while merritt was making a bluff at looking tor for the key to the cage door I 1 looked around to see that there was a free exit for the coon was standing there swelling out his chest and grinning as aa it he had bad the live hundred already in his jeans and I 1 knew he be bluffed out just juet then a typical antebellum mis sour lan one of the kind that has to b bo shown hown steps up in front lie he wait vaa v aa tanked taked up until his hia safety valve would have blown off it it been wired down but he was wa pretty steady pins when he held onto the railing la front of the cage Profess ah ab 1 says bays he be did I 1 understand yo all correctly to say ay that chii yeah object in the cage has none ol at the attributes of the human race corrects says merritt Merrt tt glad ot at an excuse to delay things ile he is lowet than the beatti of c the field well ho he sut tenly aint much tc look at says tho he Sout southerner hernor looking lookin ii him over carefully ile he wont eat like ilka folks he cant talk an he sleeps like a bat bai I 1 dunno why such a duall lant lani critter should cumber the i y earth car t h I 1 and with that he be puts hie bit hand band ia to tita his hip and pulls out a forty live from under toe the ol of hta his coat fuzzy takes one look at it and it 1 i need any prodding to maka i him holler and he arlea to tear oft off the 1 false tusks foh gawda bato mi doar shoot h ha it yells dat white mahns been tellin a passel ob lies ites about me until as euah some flAg g geln I 1 ter fer to git me ah can eat an talk like any one and moo moa obery one knows me about yeah wen nh ab aint got dose yeah contraptions on OIL 11 shut v up you blame foell says bays merritt llo ile wont shoot boit you nabbe he knows dist debbe you knows dut dat but how does doea I 1 know dat daff cuzzy dat gun gua aut autt tenly estly looks bolts olg it to ine inc about this time the other coon got wise and saw tho the five hundred biln vanishing fishing and the last I 1 saw of mer ater ritt he was vas trying to break a half nolson nelson th t tho the coon had got on him and dodge the rest ot of the crowd at the samo same time I 1 left st louka louis on a freight that night wearing a few lumps w where here some borne stray brickbats brick bats landed aud a nd tho the next time I 1 saw sa merritt was in chicago and ho he was on crutches and had his head covered with plas tor no thunderbolt dropped from th 12 blue dome over the studded tower and the proprietor with a childlike and blind bland smile on his face motioned to the walter waiter to qa glasses |