The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-10 00:00:00

A SHOWMAN'S PROFITS.

In the Middlesex Sheriff's Court, on Monday,
before Mr. Under-Sheriff Bnrchell and a special jury,
the case of "Zibach v, the Metropolitan and Metro-
politan District Railway Companies" came on for
the amount of comt en.ation to be assessed for the
claimant's premises, which were required for railway
pip poses by the above-named companies.
Mr. Benedict Zibach, the claimant, sworn, stated
that he was the owner of premises situate in White-
chapel-road and Baker's-row, which the Metropolitan
and Metropolitan District Railway Companies wanted
for the purpose of the extension of their line. He
was a Swiss, and came to London in 1859 as a
waiter. In 1873 he took up a building lease
of the above-mentioned premises for eighty years, at
a ground rent of £4l. The witness produeed builders'
bills which he had paid to the amount of 22,329.
He had also paid the Board of Works £l4O for the
cellarage attached to the premises, and had expended
£164 on machinery and fittings. He had carried
on various businesses on the above-named pre-
mises. He was a mineral water manufacturer
in the summer, carried on a barber's business on
the second floor, a photographic studio at the top of
the house, and exhibited living curiosities during
the winter. Three years ago, a little before Boxing
Day, he bought a talking machine from the
Steleoscopio Company for £l2. He took it home,
overhauled it, and subsequently exhibited it in
Whitechapetroad, and took £l5 in pennies on
Boxing Day, paying about 103. for "two chaps"
to work it. (Laughter.) In November last he
exhibited a fat boy and a skeleton, realising £l2 a
month. The following year he gave the room for an
exhibition, found the gas, and received half the
takings, his share being £l5 per week. He also ex-
hibited a giant and a giantess and two dwarfs at half
takings, for six weeks, from which he made nearly
£42. A snake charmer produced a similar amount.
Then he had some marionettes, which brought him in
an additional £l5 per week. He often had four
shows going at once, and generally two. The net
annual profit of his mineral waters was about
£450, the greatest part being consumed on the
premises. The photographs he did himself, and
made 9d. in the shilling out of them, or from £2 108.
to £3 per week. From the barber's business he
cleared every week over Li. His custom in respect of
the show business was to let the curiosities have the
room and gas, and he got half the receipts, his wife
taking the money.—ln cross-examination, witness said
he calculated he cleared £6OO a year from everything,
but had no banking account—never had, and was not
going to say how much be had saved, or where it was.
—ln re-examination, be stated that he had lost £220
over a lawsuit, and ksd paid £l3O for a patent for im-
provements in stoppers for bottles for mineral waters.
He would not give £3O a year for the best house on the
opposite side of the road for his purposes.—By the
jury: He had had losses, and had lost more than £7O
within the last six months over horseracing.

The wife of the last witness also gave evidence, and
stated that one of the exhibition-rooms alone would
hold 10s. or 125. worth of people at one time, at " a
penny a turn." There were three shows last winter,
in the front shop, back shop, and basement. The
shows generally commenced about eleven or twelve
o'clock in the day, got slack in the afternoon, and
lively towards six o'clock, running on then ts) eleven
o'clock,

Edairt Bentley Haynes, surveyor and valuer, gave
evidence on behalf of the claimant, and said that from
an analysis he had made he found the arose total of
the takings of 1880 amounted to £1...35 144. 9d. The
profits were £451 from the shows. £B5 from the hair-
dressing, £167 from the photographic business, whole-
sale mineral water business £215, retail £284; from
which had to be deducted £250, the estimated rental
value of the oremises, and other it. ms, leaving a net
profit of £7OO.
Michael Davis, a showman, said he had been "in
the purfes,inn" for three•and thirty years, and had
exhibited marionettes at Mr. Zibach's, where he took
£l4 per week. He had also exhibited at the Royal
Aquarium and before her Maje3ty the Queen at
Windsor Castle. (Laughter.)
Seth Ellis, another showman, said be had exhibited
the Canadian twin sisters last year at Mr. Zibach's for
six weeks, and considered the position an excellent ene
by reason of the number of people who came from the
Bethnal-green-road, Mile-end, and Stepney.
Mary Watson, a very intelligent lady, said she
weighed over 80 atone and had exhibited at Mr. Zibach's

with her mother, whose height was 6ft. Sin., and had
taken about £3O per week.
After some f,zrther evidence had been given the ottee
wai adj

The case was concluded on Tuesday, when a number
of surveyors were called on either side, whose estim ates
of the rental value of the premises (rated at £105)
ranged from £!6O to £250 a year,' whilst their esti-
m.tes of the total value of the property ranged from
£2,160 on the part of the railway companies to £3,792
on the part of the claimant; and in addition to the
latter amount Mr. Philbriek asked for three years'
purchase of the net profits, £6OO or £7OO a year. The
amount offered in settlement by the railway com-
panies was £2,800. The value of the fixtures was
eventually agreed at £150; and counsel having ad-
dressed the jury on behalf of their respective clients,
the learned judge delivered an exhaustive summing up,
and the jury gave a verdict for £3,985, including every-
thing.