| Doc Bartok bought the Hunt title and route in ´67 and I guess he inherited Roy Bush as part of the deal. The first time I heard of Roy a friend of mine told me, stop spinning candy, you´ve got to see this elephant act. It´s like none you´ve ever seen. He was right. When Roy came in to work the elephants the air would turn blue with a string of profanities that would stun the imagination and cause little old ladies in the front row to faint. For those who weren´t acquainted with Roy he suffered from Tourette´s syndrome. |
Monday, October 15, 2007
HUNT BARTOK CIRCUS 1967 #1 (From Robert Cox)
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Roy was the long time elephant boss on Hunt Bros. However I believe he started with Downie. His affliction was noticeable in that he would very quickly put a thumb up to his nose and mustache and then utter these profanities so quickly, while carrying on a conversation, that you would look and think, did I just hear what I think I did. When training horses in Hunt qtrs. I went to a diner with Roy and at the counter as the wateress took our order he did just that.
When Tommy Hanneford bought Chandra he kind of got Roy in the deal and soon everyone, most of all Tommy would do the thumb to face. Tommy even did it while standing on the bareback horse. Not very nice I guess but Roy was a part of the Hanneford Circus family for sometime, as he had been with Hunt and everyone liked him and he was with it and for it. I don't believe he was even aware of doing it and that others were copying him.
In the Hunt quarters they had eight elephants; five young ones that Roy worked and three large older ones that a fine young fellow. Junior Clarke worked and the bull hand was "Shorty Sharpe" who had a speech impediment. Now Roy was kept busy driving truck getting things and Junior was kept busy building seats, painting, rtc. so nobody ever went in the elephant barn but Shorty and they had a double tough female name "Jewel" and the only time we would know whether Shorty was dead or alive is when he would show up for meals in the cookhouse and the he might say, "Jewel hit me, she did, she did, Jewel hit me." or maybe, " my TV won't work, the mice chewed the wires, the did they did".
But these are just part of those great showpeople and I am glad and fortunate to know so many. Shorty would go on to become the groom for Johnny and Milonga Cline and then the rest of his life with Larry and George Carden and much loved by all.
A lot of Mr. Bush's affliction seemed to depend on the situation. I saw him once on Seal Test Big Top TV Show and his outbursts were so bad he had to hook his thumb thru a belt loop to control his arm, causing his leg to thrash about violently. Something like today's Rock Stars.
Yet some years later, upon hearing that we would work together at the Cleveland Grotto Circus I went to great pains to explain to my friends what to expect and the reason but to my surprise he was completely normal throughout the engagement. Much to the disappointment of my friends.
Johnny, my favorite Shorty Sharpe story involved a 5 qt. cooking pot. Shorty had a cooking pot that he used in the morning to shave, and "bathe" with. Through the day he used it to make soup, and goulashes to eat. In the night time it became his "donniker", in his crumb box. Over the years it had become pretty dinged up, and dented. Johnny Cline bought him a new one with a handle, so it was easier to carry. Because I was a "fellow groom" with Lou Regans elephants, Shorty showed me his new pot, and with a tear in his eye, and a choked voice, said, "this must mean I have finally hit the big time, Johnny got me a new pot". That motivated me, to get busy, and work to get "lot's of cash, and big, big, prizes. Bless, Shorty. Wade Burck
To Johnny
I have seen it when Shorty would really get Roy's goat and both thumbs went up.
I would like to say Roy was a great guy I sold peanuts in the menagerie for him at the Paladsaides run on the Hunt show when I was a kid, some fond memoreis
P.S.
A caution to Mr.Burk, my self and Mr. Zajicek have been holding a side bar and you are treading on the lines of Verbal Plagiarism.
While on the subject of great ones lets not forget some other gents Hanneford's "Harold" Oscars "Whitey" ,Hawthorn's "Buffalo Bob" along with Mr.Bush's Shorty these fine fellows during my younger days help me pass my "pile-its" exams
"Get your big fat ass up there," is mild compared to the things I heard come out of Roy's mouth as a child. I thought he was the coolest, he could say the wildest things and all the grownups would just ignore him. I learned some of my best words from Roy...words I still use...
Dear Robert Shapiro and Johnny Cochran, Here, side bar this!!!! When there is an underrated orator in our midst's, and out of respect, you make an effort to publish one of his more memorable tidbit's, it is not plagerism, it is public relation's. Wade Burck
Wow, I think this command of the King's English is getting out of hand on the blog, or you are suggesting that you went to school. I know Buckles has pretty good grammer, including the big words as well, as did his father. As for me I can only read, write or speak in general simple English and these words , plagarism and such meam I might have to have a dictionary at hand each morning. I recall visiting my old friend Count Nicolas on Beatty-Cole and before the show he advised me of a word he woulld be using in his announcements that "Ain't never been heard nowhere" and it went like this, " And now the CREDITARIUM OF ALL CIRCUS FEATURES". i GUESS HE COULD BE RIGHT, AS HE DID HIS "SASHAY down the hippodrome track, voody voo [counts words]. However I do commend all you shit kicking, shit shoveling scholars out there.
i guess now after all these years it was a privelege to know these characters.
one day Roy was dinkinhg coffee and talking to Bartok and his hnd started shking and he spilled coffee on docs shirt...the hand went to the moustache and he said f... you BARTOK...F.... YOU.HE SWIRLED ROUND AND LEFT.
Bartok looked at me and said...he oOesnt really mean that, its a sickness.
Great people all. bob
Correction, it wasn't Johnny Cline Shorty was working for at the time it was Larry Ruker. Wade Burck
Roy Bush had Tourettes syndrum. It manifested itsself in his wild outburst of profanity and hand motion. When Roy was on TV with the elephants he would clinch his thumb in his fist and hold his arm tight to his side to control his outburst until off camera. Roy was like family and growing up around him we never really listened to his words when he would have an outburst, it was just Roy, you just didn't want to go in a restaurant with him. Roy was a good and gentle man who loved the elephants and always looked out for the "good of the show". Shorty was a real character but the bottom line is he loved the elephants and took good care of them and all of us who knew both Roy and Shorty are better for having known them. Next
Doc Bartok did not buy the Hunt Circus title. My Dad allowed him to use it for a year when Doc bought a lot of equipment from my Dad, he thought it might help Doc be able to pay off the equipment sooner. He did pay it off and I am still the owner of the Hunt Circus title.
Dear Marsha
I've been trying to get in touch
with you but have only much too
old contact information
Sure hope that all is well and
I'd love to see you again
I'm currently in D C heading
for N Y for a couple of days
before I fly back to Sarasota
on Wednesday
Please get in touch as ALL my
old numbers still work or you
could send Buckles your Eaddress
so I could contact you
It's been a loooong long time
Best always
Chic
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