“But probably the most versatile artist of this great aggregation was ----, the press agent of this enormous aggregation. He deserves special mention.” “On last Thursday evening of the circus, the editor of the ----, upon invitation of the pleasing and wide awake press agent, went ‘behind the scenes’ on a tour of the dressing-rooms of the great institution. We were first introduced to the great and only ----, just preparing to mount the twenty-three bareback horses, which he rides to the consternation of all who see him. Going to the left, the curtain was raised and Trunktown was seen, that is, about one hundred and fifty people sitting upon, diving into, standing or beside their trunks, in various stages of deshabille, preparing for their various acts. Taking off his plug, the press agent announced the presence of the editor, and everybody came forward and shook us by the hand--for a little while we thought we were running for President of the United States. A chair was brought for us and a little chat indulged in with those near, among whom was the great bareback rider. We had a chat with the gladiators, also, who were making up for their act, one of the most pleasing and artistic of the show. In shaking hands with those chaps we got some white powder on our left shoulder, which they use to powder their faces. After returning to our wife in the circus auditorium, we had great difficulty in explaining the powder away. But the press agent bore testimony that we had not visited the ladies’ dressing-rooms, not being the right gender.” * * * * * An old-time press agent, writing a brief list of a few men met with in the circus’s transitory career and who will continue to exist when showmen of this generation have passed on, mentions: The man who travelled with Dan Rice. The man who when a boy carried water for the elephant. The man who knew the man who sold his cook stove to secure the price of a circus ticket. The man who knows how many thousands of dollars the circus takes out of town. The man who is anxious to know when “show folks” sleep. The man who sympathizes with us because of our “hard life.” The man who asks: “Where do you go from here?” The man who knows the show is “split up” in the smaller towns. The man who is sure “this is the best show town of its size in the United States.” TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. Archaic or alternate spelling has been retained from the original. End of Project Gutenberg's On the Road With a Circus, by W. C. Thompson