Showmen were often given names for the city or county in which they
were hired. Thus "Cincinnati Bill" or "Chicago Jim" would not only
serve as well as any other name, but they possessed this advantage,
that they indicated in a breath where Bill or Jim had been picked up by
the circus. When the show was touring Texas we chanced to hire a man in
Bastrop county. Of course we called him Bastrop. He proved to be an
"all around" handy man, and, while he had no professional training for
any particular feat or "turn," he proved a capable man in whatever
position he was placed. One of his early duties was that of driving;
but there came a time when he was given a chance to distinguish
himself. After we had "opened our doors" for business in a certain town
our crier was taken sick and we could think of no better man to take
his place than Bastrop. Our position was particularly trying from the
fact that an opposition show had started up soon after we had got under
way, and there promised to be some lively music between us before we
left the town. For some reason or other the opposition show seemed to
be doing the biggest business and we were unable to account for it save
by the fact that they had a big snake which seemed to attract the
crowds. In every crowd of countrymen visiting a circus there is sure to
be some sympathetic chap who is quick to catch the pathos of a thing of
this kind and try to console the one that is being worsted. There was
such an one in this crowd. This man came over to Bastrop, stood
watching the latter's lips and drinking in the marvelous flow of words
that proceeded therefrom. Finally he blurted out: "Wall, you don't
appear to be gettin' em as fast as that young man over there."
"No," replied Bastrop, "I don't because I'm no d---- Yankee liar. But
I've got the best show. I am from Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas. I
have got a human family--Master Eastwood of Ohio, the lonely star that
is now shining for you. If I had the merits and qualifications of
Master Eastwood [Eastwood could write and Bastrop couldn't] I would now
fill the President's chair. Then I have the "Little Man" with the
chariot and horses presented by Queen Victoria. Then I have the tall
man. The great curiosity is why one should _grow_ so small and the
other _remain_ so large. Why, ever since Adam, people have been of
the human family, and if it were not for the human family where would
the show be?" This sort of talk given out with a showman's gusto would
be sure to draw a crowd.