February 6, 2013
5-5:20
Water for Elephants
Pages: 70-80

It is back in the past and Jacob is back on the train with kinko the clown and the dog queenie. He gets of the train which is stopped and sees all the workers putting the tents up and the rest of the people getting off the train. He makes a connection that the farther back in the train you are, the better your quarters are. He and kinko are the closest humans to the engine while uncle al has the cart right in front of the caboose. He meets August who introduces him to marlena who looks an awful lot like Catherine and she recognizes him from their small encounter under the tent yesterday which Jacob denies. He inspects the horse that is having problems and realizes that the horse is floundering which is really bad and can't be fixed. Uncle al comes at this moment and asks Jacob about the horse's condition. This is bad because this horse in particular, silver star, is a liberty horse and they are difficult to get. Uncle al is mad when he realizes that the horse can't perform anymore and starts yelling at everyone and tells Jacob he will be paid $9 a week to fix the horse and be under August's command but will be fired if he looses the horse. He also announces that they will be packing up and moving out despite just arriving. The townspeople watching get mad because they circus was supposed to stay for 2 days. They go to eat breakfast where they hear a bunch of rumors. One aerialist named Lottie sees marlena and starts talking to her and Jacob learns the history of Alan J. Bunkel (uncle al) and his circus. In 1929 he got a sleeping car and two flats from the benzini brothers who couldn't afford it anymore. This became his lifestyle. He would venture around when he heard a circus was failing and took the stuff they didn't want. He was especially interested in natural freaks. This is why they are leaving now. The fox brothers circus had just collapsed and uncle al wants to get a natural freak before anyone else can. It's a three say journey to the town so they stalk up on supplies.

I like the part where Jacob realizes there is a hierarchy. Uncle al at the top and he is at the bottom. The hierarchy rank is determined by the position on the train. The performers and guys in charge are given better rooms while the workers are given rooms that are not so good and are closer to the train engine. This is similar to real life where certain individuals are given better treatment that others.

I read well because it was quiet.