The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-10-15
[From the Philadelphia Timss ]
Charlie Ross IN Wax.

Said Chsrly Ross's father TO Times reporter
recently: When 1 was up in Canada for the
first time, six or seven months ago, working
out clue, one of my friends there told me that
Coles Circus had been along with wax figure
of. Charlie Ross. Almost the first thing we saw
in the town was a fence posted over with circus
bills. On one of the bills was huge cut of
boy, labelled Charley Ross, aud the small b lis
advertised wax figures of Charlie Ross aud the
whole Ross family. When We got to the circus
the first thing we saw in the menagerie tent
was big cage divided into two parts. Iu the
first part, nearest the entrance, was a woe-
begone looking family, labelled '"The Intem-
perate Family The other part was labelled
'The Ross Family" A beautiful little boy,
in wax, stood on the top of small round table.
He was about the size of Charlie, but didu't
look anything at all like him. Mrs. Ross who
sat in The background, was gorgeously dressed
in the very latest fashion but she wore a bright
green Dress and the real Mrs. Ross hasn't wora
anything but black for long time. They had
me standing there just behind Charley, finely
dressed, but. nothing like me at all. Besides
these they had number of children seated on
stools, and the only figure that was anything like
any of us was little girl that really looked
very much like my little girl While we were
talking l happened to hear the propretor's
name mentioned behind me, so turned around
ard asked him whether his figure was an exact
representation of Charley Ross,
"Oh, yes" he answered, =" had that made
under my own supervision, and know that it's
perfect"
"Where did you get the picture Of the boy7'
| asked him.
''Oh, got it from his father myself" he re-
piled, without any hesitation. I'm veiy init.
mate with the Ross family-go to their house
every tmeI visit Philadelphia Those are exact
likeuesses of the whole family" And he gave
me an excellent reason for having been at my
house, which was very plausible, but then [
knew he had never been here.
81 know the family So WELL" he continued
:" that I've offered $4,000 reward for the return
of the boy on my ow account; and III pay it,
too, every cent of it,"
L asked him whether he thought I looked
anything like the figure of Mr.. Ross
"Oh, no, " he SAID; "you don't look anything
like him at all Why, have you ever been
YES told him; 81 have been taken for
him very often am Charley Ross father"
"Well, sir" Mr. Ross continued, laughing,
quietly he was the worst taken-down man L
ever saw in my life. He stood there for two or
three minutes and couldn't say word. After
awhile he put his hands on bis hips and said:
Good Lord, Mr.. Ross, you don't say SOP
Then, after awhile, he took hold of both Of
my hands, and held on to them warmly, '' You
don't tell me you're the father of that how?
Well, well. well. Pm glad TO see you, and
me an it, every word of it, about that So 600 re-
ward, and nothing would please me better than
to have chance 10 pay it. But really did
yoa ip the Mayors Office in Philadelphia"
And L rather think he was, Mr.. Ross added
parenthetically.
Well, tor sou time he was so confused he
didn't know what to say. But to relieve him
asked him to tell me candidly where he got
that wax figure of Charley.
why, sent my son down to your store 10
fhlladelphia, he replied, "and he got ~ OF
you"
told him guessed not Then asked him
where he got the rest of the family.
"Well," said he, "as you are Mr.. noss,
| anybody else. You see we used to have an in-
| temperate family and temperate family So
| we let the intemperate family sand, aud just
| changed the label of the other from the TEN