The Circus Blog

Posted By thecircusblog on April 7, 2009

My Father told me a story about this great American patriot,  the likes of which we most likely will never see again. In the early 1900’s, when Will Rogers was a young man he would visit Grandfather’s Circus and would stay sometimes for a week or two. He would eat in the cook house and become part of the show and would even travel from spot to spot. My father was a boy at the time but he remembered how kind he was and the sense of humor that he had when he spoke to you…. and always a smile on his face. Some of the towns that grandfather played had little money so he would barter. People brought canned goods, hay, dry goods etc and Grandfather  never turned them away. If Will Rogers was there he bought popcorn for the kids that were poor. Dad told me also that quite often grandfather would leave a part of the side wall on the back end of the circus tent pulled up just a little to allow those who had no money to sneak in. What great men there were in those days. I’m so very proud to be related to that heritage.

Here are some of Will Roger’s Quotes about “Getting Older”:

• Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
• The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
• Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know “why” I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.
• When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of algegra.
• You know you are getting old when everything either  dries up or leaks.
• I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
• One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
• One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.
• Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
• Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it is called golf.
• And finally…If you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you are old.

Here are a few more quotes:

• Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco
• Never kick a cow chip on a hot day
• There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman….neither works.
• Never miss a good chance to shut up.
• Always drink upstream from the herd.
• If you find yourself in a hole,  stop digging.
• The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
• There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.
• Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement.  

Now more than ever we need someone like Will Rogers! 

Categories: JE Henry Circus 1800 - 1900
Tags: Will Rogers