— 470 — 



drive her in two hours.' He said, ' You can take her, but first promise 

 me that you will not injure her,' which I did most emphatically. I 

 then advertised to handle this noted mare in the streets of Lexington, 

 but found the crowd so dense and congregating so fast that the police 

 interfered. I was then obliged to rei)air to the circus ground, where I 

 subdued and drove her within 60 minutes after taking her in hand. I 

 then used this mare in making my visits to the surrounding small towns 

 until I had her thoroughly broken. I spent the spring and part of 

 the summer of 1882 in Kentucky. One day on my arrival from Paris, 

 Ky., where I had been on business, making the journey in the open 

 air, on going into the hotel I noticed that every one eyed me with a 

 suspicious stare, and also seemed to avoid me. But I went into the 

 dining-room and there found m}'*wife seated at the table. Soon after 

 I took my seat the people all arose and left with fear and consterna- 

 tion. While we were both wondering what the excitement was, a phy- 

 sician came in with the landlord to give me a special examination and 

 diagnose my case. The doctor, after a good look at me, said, with a 

 smile upon his countenance, * Yes, he has got it badly, but instead of 

 its being small-pox, it is the measles.' I made up mj mind I did not 

 feel very well, so went to my bed, where I was confined for two weeks. 

 "As soon as I was able to resume my professional career I went from 

 Lexington to Ripley, Brown County, Ohio, arriving there in August, 

 1882, and stopping at the Latona Hotel, having at that time for niine 

 host one E. V. Chapin, formerly a New York man. While sojourning 

 at Ripley, I took in all the river towns in Ohio, from Pittsburgh, Pa., to 

 Portsmouth, Ohio, forming classes, still keeping my headquarters at 

 Ripley, and with good results. Presently I thought I would change 

 and embark in a business where I could have an easier time, make 

 money faster, and have a good time generally. And while I Avas in 

 this condition of mind, I met the manager of a theatrical troupe 

 which was stranded, and was over-persuaded by him to take his com- 

 pany and place them on their feet again. So into it I went, heart, 

 soul, and body (just the same as if I was handling a noted kicking 

 horse), and the outcome of it was ' Gleason's Nobody's Child Com- 

 pany,' and during the iiist real lucid spell I had after the fever had 

 abated I found myself peeping through the window of a box-office 

 looking for somebody to buy a ticket to see the play. I soon realized 

 that I was going to need some more ready money, so I persuaded a 



