The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-17

then skeletons are imported from France
and Germany, four or five houses in this
cily doing a regular business in the article
though always in connection with
some other trade. At the house of Messrs
Otto & Reyn6ers, in Chatham street, the
writer was referred to a gentleman who had
charge of the skeleton department" A
thin little man. with bald head and deep
set, nervous eyes, bowed and, rubbing his
hands slowly together, said that he should
be happy 10 give any information possible.
The writer replied that he would like to be
made sccUginted with any interesting facts
concerning TIE trade, and if allowable would
like TO look over the stock. "If you'll have
the goodness to step down stairs, sir" said
the skeleton salesman, "I1l show you"
Lighting q candle as he spoke, he led the
way behind show case filed with surgical
instrU ments to a door, and through this
door Gown flight of awkward stairs to the
cellar, which, although the dusk was only
just beginning TO shut in was quite dark.
THE SALESMAN
paused at the foot of the Stairs to close a
second door, elevating the candle as he did
so in order the better to see. "My young
men," he said, "do not like to come here sf-
ter dark. They have a sentimental idea
that things of this sort grow uncomfortable
when the lights gone, put bless Your hesri,
sir, bones is honest; they never stir unless
stir EN-" and, setting his candle on a con-
venient box, the skeleton salesman waved
his hand as II to l. dicate ana recommend a
general view of the place. AS the eye gradu-
u lily ACCUSTOMED itself to the moderate
light it became filled with a vision of boxes
innumerable. These were strangely
labelled with such specifications
as, Bones, femur, bumerus; No.
skull, seven cuts;" skull after Bouchene,"
and many similar. Some of these boxes
were opened, and revealed bones
of all sorts aud conditions, physi 1log-
ical specimens of the heart, lungs and liver,
and numerous other interesting
realities which looked rather CHASTITY in the
candle-ligat. The skeleton salesman, alter q
moments pause, turned to curtain Of some
dark material which screened completely a
large cabinet on one side of the apartment;
this curtain he drew, discovering the inte-
rior of the cabinet, which was lined with
black velvet and which contained halt a
dozen full grown apatomies dangling at the
end CT short copper wires. "Now," said the
skeleton salesman, shading the candle with
his hollow handin order to throw a stronger
light upon the pleasant spectacle in the
cabinet, "that's much better quarters for 'em
than those siiver-handled horrors as thew
commonly pack 'em in-don't you think ?"
"What do you mean by siver-hand'ed hor-
rors?" "Coffi u.s. OF course" People have a
notion that slIey must pack 'em away in
boxes and brick graves at q ruinoUs expense,
when they might make profit on 'em and
KEEN 'em of some use in the world by just
consiguing 'en to some respectable house as
did
A GOOD BUSINESS
in that line. Turning the subject the writer
proposed a number of questions, in answer
to which he obtained variety of informa-
ton. The best workmanship in skeletons
always excepting the work of Maitre Mazzur
lis done in France. There the joints are
articulated with screws, and the bones are
capable of being taken apart and replaced
without trouble. In Germany the joints are
srticulsted with wires simply. This process
not only renders it impossible to take the
different bones apart, but allows of no rotary
motion of bone in its socket. The German
skeletons are erticulated by number of
small and comparatively unknown business
houses scattered about the country, and
oftentimes by the pedellen of the universi-
ties, but all the French skeletons
emanate from the one great house
Medecin. Wherever a skeleton is seen with
screws in its elbows, that skeleton came
always excepting the work of Maitre
MaZzur-from the Pays Latin of Paris. 1t
was put in an oblong box, in company with
two others, with its knees against its chin
and its feet securely tucked into the hollow
of its pelvis, and so, unknown to the super
stitious mariners who sailed the ship, was
sent across the water like tea or sugar or any
other amiable and inoffsnsive thing. There
is no duty on skeletons-if there were there
would not be near so many sold. Skeletons,
as rule, are luxury rather than a neces-
sity. But at this point the skeleton sales
man seemed utterly exhausted from having
been so long held down to tact. Probably
never before had he drawn the screen over
his stock and left his department" for the
day with so little regret as he then expe-
rienced, and his 'good night" as he puffed
out his candle at the head of the stairs
seemed really honest and hearty.