The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-10-21
The Wax Figures of the Ross Family Ii
a Circus, as Seen by Mr.. Ross.

The Philadelphia Times says: Salu
Charley Ross father to Times reporter
yesterday: When was up in Canada
for the first time, six or seven months
ago, working out clew, one OF my
friends there told me that Coles circus
had been along not long before with
wax figure of Charley Ross, and
that they had distributed circulars set,
ting forth that the boys parents had
offered $1,000 reward for his recovery,
that the ladies of Philadelphia would
give $4,000 more, and that Cole himself
would add $4,000. This circular crea-
ted great deal of excitement through
out the country, and hundreds OF people
f1ocked in from miles around to see the
tigure-people who ordinarilywould not
90 near circus. | tried to- get my
friend to send me one of the circulars
Che said he had one in his house, he
thought) but he hasn't done it, and
guess he has overlooked it. Well, at
any rate,I got another elew that requit--
ed my presence in Canada, and a few
weeks ago l went up again. l had
friend with me, and when we got to
little town in the interior, where we
were to change cars, we had two hours
to wait for the next train. Almost the
first thing we saw in the town was 4
fence posted over with circus bills.
won't tell you the name OF the circus,
for the owner is a very clever fellow,
| and dom want to make him feel bad.
On one of the bills was huge cut of
boy, labeled Charley Ross, and the
small bills advertised. wax figures of
Charley Ross and the whole Ross fami
ly. OF course, was interested at once,
and proposed that we should 90 down
and see it, though | hadn't been inside
a circus tent for eighteen years before.
When we got to the circus and bought
our tickets, the first thing we saw in the
menagerie tent was big cage divided
l'into two parts. In the first part. nearest
the entrance, was woe-begOne looking
family, labeled The Incorporate Fam
! ily,' the other part was labeled The
| Ross Family A beautiful little boy in
wax stood on the top Of small round
table. He was about the size of Char
lev, but didn't look any thing at
all like him. His features were entirely
too sharp, for Charley had a full, round
! face. Mrs. Ross, who sat III the back
ground, was gorgeously dressed in the
| very latest fashion; but she wore bright
green dress, and the real Mrs. Ross
hasn't worn any thing but black for
long time They had me standing there
| Just behind Charley, finely dressed, but
nothing like me at all. The figure had
a large mustache and no beard, where
YOU can see that | have no mustache at
all. but full beard Besides these they
had a number of children seated on
stools, and the only figure that looked
any thing like any of us was little girl.
NV friend and | looked at it awhile very
much amused, and then we agreed to
listen to the comments that were made.
$50 he stood at one end of the cage
and | at the other, and we listened.
But am not going to tell you what we
heard said There was a crowd in front
of the cage all the time-ten times as
many persons as there were by any OF
the other cages. After we got tired of
this we started to find the agent of the
circus. He was in alittletent alongside,
aud we went in l asked him whether
that was good figure of Charley Ross
he had there. 'Oh, yeS,' he replied, it
couldn't be better; it's taken from life.
| asked him a good manymore ques-
tions about it, and while we were talk
ing happened to hear the proprietor
name mentioned behind me, so ] turned
around and asked him whether his
figure was an exact representation ol
=, Charley Ross. s
. ".Oh, yes, he answered, Il had that
made under nv own supervision, and
!. know that it's perfect
, "'Where did you get the picture O
= the boy?' asked him.
. "'Oh, l got it from his father my
). SELF he replied, without any hesitation
t&Tmvery intimate with the Ross famil!
, --gotO their house every time / visi
Philadelphia. Those are exact like
4 nesses OF the whole family And h,
= gave me an excellent reason for having
. fbeen at my house, which was verl
plausible, but then knew he had neve
q been here.
"'I know the family so well, he con
y tinued, sthat I've offered $4,000 reward
,sEfor the return of the boy, on my owl
|! account, and III pay it, too, every cen
: of it,
' 81 talked with him for nearly hal
& Ian hour" Mr.. Ross went on, "askin,
fhim all sorts of questions, and he CAV
= me very plausible answers to all Q
them. All the time | could hardly ykee
u from laughing in his face; and after
=: while, in spite of the winks my frien
\ gave me to keep quiet, / asked hir
), whether he thought | looked any thin
e Ike the figure of Mr.. Ross.
n "'Oh, mo, said he, you don't loo
le any thing like him, at all. Why, hav
n YOU ever been mistaken for him?'
le ".Yes, - told him; 4 have bee
d taken for him very often. [ am Charlie
D. Ross's father
is "Well, SIR" Mr.. Ross continued
Q laughing quietly, "he was the wor:
IS taken-down man ever saw in my lif,
ID He stood there for two or three minute.
ia and couldn't say word. After a VIII
D. he put his hands on his hips, and said
Of "'Good Lord, Mr.. Ross, you don
i, say so!'
$, "Then, after a while, he took hol
Id O: both of my hands and held on
70 them warmly. You don't tell n
ID you're the father of that boyP We
er well, well, I'm glad to see you, and
as mean it, every word of it, about tn;
n $4,000 reward, and nothing wouI
ID please me better than to have chan'
IL to pay it. But really did meet yo
ne once, Mr.. Ross; was introduced
er you in the Mayors office in Philade
~ phia.' And l rather think he was,
er MIR. Ross answered, parenthetically.
N swell, for some time he was so co
p fused he didn't know what to say. Bu
bs to relieve him, asked him to tell m
u candidly, where he got that wax hgu
lj of Charley.
list "sWhy, sent my son down to yo'
as store in Philadelphia, - he replied, al
on lie got it of you ;,
ce II told him I guessed not, and
nd called his son up. The boy acknoV
he edged that he had gone to the store al
he asked my brother for one of Charley
up photographs, but that my brother Ii
IN. refused to give it, and he bought o
he outside. Then | asked him where
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