Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-11-30
Tattooingas as II Ira de.

| sueSt, NeW 1Ork Is framed sign bear
ing an elaborately executed and vividl,
colored Goddess of Liberty, with til,
equally glaringly tinted words under
Meath: ''Tattooing done here by Martin
Hilderbrandt. Ascending q narrow
stairway and turning to the right, th,
reporter found himself in a small room
lnquiring for the owner of the sign, the
reporter was It'd that he was at present
tattooing man, but would be done di-
rectly. Under the impression that the
reporter was a customer, the woman
who had given the information handed
him book which she said contained
the designs her husband was capable of
executing on the human epidermis.
The book was curiosity in itself. 1t
contained about so crudely executed
and highly colored drawings and de-
signs. There were Goddesses of Liberty
! In profusion af all sizes and styles, the
coats of arms of the United States, Eng
land, France. Germany, Spain, Italy,
Sweden, Denmarkan Russia; anchors
and chains, a full-rigged man-of-war fir
ing off cannon, ships of all kinds; the
flags of different nationalities; ballet
girl with a very short skirt and very mus
cular limbs; Venus; willow-surround-
ed tomb with the words, "My mother"
on its face; butchers knife and cleaver
crossed; black smiths hammer and
tongs: mermaids sitting on a rock play
ing on a Tyre; Masonic emblsms; burn
ing hearts, eagles, lions etc. Under
meath each design was the cost of hay
ing it executed, the prices ranging from
25 cts to 80. II was evident that the Gus
toners of the shop preferred realistic
pictures to allegorical hints, and heart
pierced by an arrow cost only 25 cents,
while the design of a jauntily clad sailor
embracing short-skirted female cost
g.
While the reporter was still admiring
these works of art, the artist himself
SHtclcu. hc WIS IL SioIt tLilCh-Stt iiistu
some 80 years of age. He was very
willing to give information concerning
his peculiar trade. Seeing his book of
designs in the reporters hands, he has
tened to assure him that ''them's not
all the designs 1 kin make by a good
deal; kin tattoo anything a customer
calls for"
Il suppose sailors are your chief GUS
tomers?"
''Oh, no, mechanics, tradesmen and
'long-shoremen are the class of men 1
do most of my tattooing on. l have Gus
toners from all over the United States.
all kinds of people, and have even had
gentlemen come 70 my door ipthsix pEizl
vate carriages. lam the only man in the
city who has a permanent place of busi- |
ness. There's an old fellow who goes
around among the sailors on the docks,
but his trade isn't big"
"What designs are the most popu-
lar ?"
"Well, that's all according to taste or
hobby, American sailors like Goddesses
of Liberty, sailors of other nations the
coats-of-arms of their country. An In
dian waving tomahak is a great favo
rite with some tars. Then I've put |
many knives and cleavers on butchers |
arms, hammers and tongs on black
smiths. Masonic emblems are always |
in demand. Sometimes there are sail
ors who want the initials of their sweet
hearts names put on their arms. Some
times men who have been Tilted by their
girls afterwards have their names |
or initials covered with other pictures. |
Some of the fellows who used 'to run |
wild der machine in the old volunteer
fire department days, have had me put |
pictures of fireman with a speaking |
trumpet at the mouth On their hands or |
forearm. Young men have the coats-of |
arms of their country or State put on. A
design of willow surrounded tomb |
with the words To the memory of my
mother, is a great favorite with old
men,"
"Have you executed a number of de-
signs on any one person?'
eyes, I've tattooned one man from |
head to foot. He has large design of
Washington's tomb on his breast, and
smaller figures of flowers, leaves, ETC.,
on the rest of his person. He exhibited
q Coney island last year, and got $40
week. Another man / almost covered |
with pictures was a Spaniard about so
years of age, He brought his own de-
sign with him, and these 1 put on him,
smaller or larger than the pattern. They |
were slmost all of religious character.
On his back put the Virgin Mary sur
rounded by 80 angels. A large picture
of the crucifixion put on his breast,
Then there was picture of blind man
led by little girl to the end of preci-
pice. aud saved from falling over by an
angel. Three mermaids l tattood on
one SlUe, u TOOSttl stilu Cde icSptSd'Ois
On each shoulder. and more ereligious fig |
ures ON his arms.
'Did he go into the show business
too?"
'sNo. / asked him if he intended to
do SO, he said, no: then 1 asked him his
reason for having himself tattooed all over
but he wouldn't tell me-"
''Do many boys come to you to get
tattooed?"
Sometimes fathers bring their boys
and have their name or some mark put
on them, so that they can re recognized
when stolen or lost. A sea captain was
lately drowned in the East river, and his
body was only recognized by an India
ink mark on his arms. When l was
with the army of the Potomac put the
names of hundred of soldiers on their
breasts, and many were recognized by
these marks after being killed or woun-