The novelty of all these curious and wonderful sights wore away after
awhile, and then began my circus life in all its stern reality. The
hardships and trials and the rough attaches of that "vast aggregation"
can never be forgotten. If the showmen were rough, so also were our
patrons. The sturdy sons of toil came to the show eager to resent any
imagined insult; and failing to fight with the showmen, would often
fight among themselves; for in the days of Abraham Lincoln's childhood
the people divided themselves into cliques, and county-seats were often
the arenas selected to settle family feuds. In other words, "fighting
was in the air," and, as may be imagined, the showmen received their
full share of it. It was no infrequent occurrence to be set upon by a
party of roughs, who were determined to show their prowess and skill as
marksmen with fists and clubs if required. As a consequence showmen
went armed, prepared to hold their own against any odds. Not once a
month, or even once a week, but almost daily, would these fights occur,
and so desperately were they entered into that they resembled pitched
battles more than anything else. Many years later, when describing this
part of my career and later battles and circus fights to General Grant
and Governor Crittenden at St. Louis, in which city my show was
exhibiting, they admitted that my experience in thrilling and startling
incidents compared favorably with their own, the difference being that
they had perfect discipline and were backed by a powerful government,
whilst for showmen there seemed to be little sympathy.
The roads at that time were in a terrible condition--so bad that slight
rains would convert them into seas of mud, and a continued rainstorm
would make them impassable.
One day one of our men became so immersed in quicksand that he sunk up
to his armpits, and would have been very quickly swallowed up entirely
had not some of his old comrades come to his rescue. Fastening one end
of a long rope around his body, they drew him from his perilous
position with the aid of a team of horses, and with so much force that
a very necessary part of his attire was left completely behind him.
These and other rigorous scenes were occurrences to which I became
inured.
In these peaceful days it is almost impossible to realize the rough and
desperate character of the people in the backwoods districts from which
the old-time wagon shows drew their principal patronage. Even the
latter-day circus men have no adequate conception of the improvement
which time has wrought in the general character of the show-going
public in the country communities. There is no denying the fact that
then, as now, the attaches of the big circus were rather poor specimens
of humanity; but in common justice it must be said that some of their
pioneer patrons were more than a match for them. Never shall I forget
the awful impression made upon my boyish mind by the first combat of
this kind which I witnessed. Although I had not been long with the
show, I had caught the prevailing sentiment that we were constantly in
the "land of the Philistines," that the hand of every man was against
us, and that our only safety was in perpetual alertness and the ready
determination to stand together and fight for our rights on the
slightest signal of disturbance.
"DOC" BAIRD AND THE BULLY
Connected with the side-show of the circus was a quiet inoffensive
little man known as "Doc" Baird. While we were showing in a
county-seat, the bully of the community, who was evidently bent upon
displaying his courage, singled out the little "doctor" as his victim
and proceeded to pick a quarrel with him. This proved a difficult thing
to do, for Baird was decidedly pacific in his disposition and preferred
to stand abuse rather than fight. I was among the attaches of the show
who witnessed the trouble, and it seemed to me a shame that a big
fellow like the bully should be permitted to terrorize the most
inoffensive of all the showmen. Suddenly the altercation grew warmer,
the bully's arm shot forward and the little doctor was knocked to the
ground. Instantly, however, he was on his feet, and the next moment I
heard the sharp report of a pistol, saw the smoke curl from the muzzle
of the arm and watched the fall of the bully. This was the first time
in my life that I ever looked upon the face of the dead or witnessed
any affray of a fatal character. The shock and shuddering which it
caused me were so great that I actually attempted to leave the show
business, but was soon back again into the "current of destiny" and
became inured to these exciting scenes.