The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 7: MiscellaneousWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 7: Miscellaneous
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
The man with the blue hog was there. Says he, "Gentle-MEN, this
beast can't turn round in a crockery crate ten feet square, and is
of a bright indigo blue. Over five hundred persons have seen this
wonderful BEING this mornin, and they said as they come out, 'What
can these 'ere things be? Is it alive? Doth it breathe and have a
being? Ah yes,' they say, 'it is true, and we have saw a
entertainment as we never saw afore. 'Tis nature's [only fifteen
cents--'ere's your change, sir] own sublime hand-works'--and walk
right in."
The man with the wild mare was there.
"Now, then, my friends, is your time to see the gerratist
queeriosity in the livin' world--a wild mare without no hair--
captered on the roarin wild prahayries of the far distant West by
sixteen Injuns. Don't fail to see this gerrate exhibition. Only
fifteen cents. Don't go hum without seein the State Fair, an' you
won't see the State Fair without you see my show. Gerratist
exhibition in the known world, an' all for the small sum of fifteen
cents."
Two gentlemen connected with the press here walked up and asked the
showman, in a still small voice, if he extended the usual courtesies
to editors. He said he did, and requested them to go in. While
they were in some sly dog told him their names. When they came out
the showman pretended to talk with them, though he didn't say a
word. They were evidently in a hurry.
"There, gentleMEN, what do you think them gentlemen say? They air
editors--editors, gentleMEN--Mr. ---, of the Cleveland ---, and Mr.
---, of the Detroit ---, and they say it is the gerratist show they
ever seed in their born days!"
[Nothing but the tip ends of the editors' coat-tails could be seen
when the showman concluded this speech.]
A smart-looking chap was doing a brisk business with a gambling
contrivance. Seeing two policemen approach, he rapidly and
ingeniously covered the dice up, mounted his table, and shouted:
"Ere's the only great show on the grounds! The highly trained and
performing Mud Turtle with nine heads and seventeen tails, captured
in a well-fortified hencoop, after a desperate struggle, in the
lowlands of the Wabash!"
The facetious wretch escaped.
A grave, ministerial-looking and elderly man in a white choker had a
gift-enterprise concern. "My friends," he solemnly said, "you will
observe that this jewellery is elegant indeed, but I can afford to
give it away, as I have a twin brother seven years older than I am,
in New York City, who steals it a great deal faster than I can give
it away. No blanks, my friends--all prizes--and only fifty cents a
chance. I don't make anything myself, my friends--all I get goes to
aid a sick woman--my aunt in the country, gentlemen--and besides I
like to see folks enjoy themselves!"
The old scamp said all this with a perfectly grave countenance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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