Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 2, Number 2, May 1992 Page: 112
[56] p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal
20. Carnivals
At least once a year a carnival would come to Columbus. They would set
up in the block on the west side of the courthouse on Main Street. There were the usual
booths they have today. There usually was a small hobby horse carousel but I do not
recall any other rides. The carnival usually stayed a week, and farmers would come in
with the whole family and teams and wagons covered the surrounding streets.
One attraction I have never forgotten and I have never seen in any
subsequent carnival was a curved upright chute made of wood, highly polished, with one
end of the chute taller and slightly tilted backward. The chute was about 5 feet wide.
Behind the chute there was a tall ladder guy-wired to hold it securely. It looked to me
then that it was 100 feet in height, but probably it wasn't more than 20 or 25 feet. A
man would climb the ladder and stand on a small platform. He would test the wind with
a wet finger, then start back down the ladder as if he was afraid and with other
shenanigans would finally decide to jump or dive. He would stand rigidly straight and
simply fall forward and his body would hit the upper end of the chute and slide down
to the curved portion where two men caught him. The performance was free and always
drew a crowd. I watched almost every night as I was sure he would not hit the chute
and injure himself. A carnival was always an enjoyable event in the life of Columbus.
There were travelling shows that also stopped at Columbus. One name I
recall was Cole Brothers Dog and Pony Show. Weeks before the show was to visit,
advance men came and plastered large billboard signs on barns, warehouses, etc. It was
a big event to go to the railroad when they were unloading the animals and other
equipment - tents - wagons - etc.
One time I asked if I could do something for a free pass. A man told me to
take a bucket and go to a water faucet about a block away, fill it and pour it into a tub
for the elephants. I would pour it into a tub and an elephant would take one slurp and
the water would be gone. I carried water all morning and I never did get any excess water
in the tub. The elephants must not have had any water for a week. I wore out the soles
on my shoes to where when I took a step I had to flip my leg so the sole would be flat
and I could take a step. The show man finally felt sorry for me and gave me a pass. It
was a proud moment when I entered the tent that night with a free pass.
21. Halloween
Halloween was always a big night in Columbus. Some people would drive
up and down Main Street and around the Courthouse and there were the usual noise
makers. I remember one particular Halloween night. It probably was about 1916 or
1917. After the crowd had quieted down and gone home, some of the older boys hung
around to see what other mischief they could get into. I remember Joe Little Burttschell
was a leader, and it was decided that they build a pyramid of beer kegs in the middle of
the intersection of Main Street and Walnut Street, which was the highway through town.
The empty kegs were stored next to the ice house which was located at the railroad track
behind Nussbaum and Waldvogel's clothing stores about a block away. So they enlisted
the younger kids to roll the kegs to the intersection and the older boys stacked them.
We rolled the kegs down the alley behind the stores and then along the side of
Fehrenkamp's Grocery to the intersection.
I guess the pyramid was about seven or eight kegs high and it was decided
it would be keen to get an outhouse behind one of the stores and mount it on top which
we did. There was very little through traffic at that time of night and those that came
through would dodge the pyramid. About the time we finished, a deputy sheriff came112
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Nesbitt Memorial Library. Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 2, Number 2, May 1992, periodical, May 1992; Columbus, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151385/m1/44/?q=nesbitt%20memorial%20library%20journal: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nesbitt Memorial Library.