Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-25

lSt Louis Post Dispatch r

II NSt1 A0oeD-SRotSu
Tattooed men and women are no
longer curioslties. There are four or
I'VE women in the almost indecent
business OF exhibiting themselves al
ready, whose salaries do not range
above SEQ a. week. Tat,ooed men
are more numerous. Besides Costeu.
as. Who had himself linked in. China.
there are probably q dozen more idi.
OTIS who have allowed themselve to be
covered from he 81 to foot with indeli
BILE marks, and who hope in time to
rival the tstiooed Greek.
A museum manager referred q Post
dispatch reporter to tattoo artist.
The employee said the young man
could be found in q room over . Mar
ket street restaurant. The restaurant
keeper referred the reporter to q
bootblack who knew the artist, and
who had both arms covered with pic.
lures. The bootblack said he knew
Tattoo Dutch, as he called the ar
list, and led the reporter to q cheap
lodging house on Sixth, between
Market and Walnut streets.
The artist was found in a low, din
gy front room. filed with beds. and
boys ranging from l6 to 90, and was
at work upon the arms of one OF the
individuals He had already COM
rleted a large picture OF sailor an
der q weeping willow dropping above
tombstone, on which was the in-
scription: In Memory of Ny Father
and was putting The finishing touches
to another pic .ure revealing a sailor
lad and his lassie under the spreading
ooughs OF an oak. The pictures ex-
tended almost from the wrist to the
elbow of the left arm, and were cor
respondingly wide.
What would you charge to tattoo
me from head to foot.n
Between $500 and $4O0-ssy 5000.
l would charge more for tattooinp a
woman, because it would take long
er. You look as though you stand |
punishment and believe Icould put
you through in four or five months;
out everybody can't take it in such
heavy doses. If maa's health were
not to be taken into consideration.
the job could be done in three or four |
weeks. The best, however, that |
could be at all expected under the |
circumstances would be three months.
The average time required is nine |
months This period is necessary on |
account OF the rests that must be Civ.
en- Say | tattoo your arm-put eight
or nine pictures on it a day-well it
would be sore for a week aud during
that time | could do no work. But / |
would undertake to decorate you in
less than nine months for 5000. II
would take fully year to tattoo a
woman properly. l don't suppose
any of these women on exhibition
are tattooed except on their arms,
shoulders and legs"
While he talked he went on with
his work. He took the reporters
arm and with pen and India ink first
drew the picture Ola ballet girh max
ing the picture about four inches
high; every detail of the drawing was
carefully filed out, and the picture
looked quite perfect when he put the
pen aside. But the work was only
begun. Mixing some Chinese YER
million with water, he now had |
colors two to select from. |
Producing what seemed to be a lead |
pencil. he dipped the point in the |
India ink and the first jab he gave the
arm informed the reporter of the |
character of the instrument in the ar
lists hand. When examined it prov
to be five needles bound in a line on |
the round bit OF pencil-shaped wood. |
About an eighth of au inch of the |
needles was exposed. Dipping the |
arrayed points in the ink, the artist |
pricked the skin along the lines made |
in the pen-drawing, and by constant |
dipping and pricking. using now the |
India ink. and again the Chinese red. |
as the picture called for either color, |
in three-Quarters Of an hour the bal |
let girl was finished and the reporter |
paid q dollar for the job.
The work was cleverly done. and
tie needles gave only the slightest
pain, and but once was there a sight
OF blood above the surface of the ink.
The needles are not driven. straight
into the flesh; the instrument is held |
lightly in the operators hand at an
angle with the skin surface. Instead
of prodding. the points are gently in
serted and the skin fibres opened out
SO as to receive the ink. /
According to Bender's statement, |
during the past two or three years
that he has been visiting St. Louis,
be must have tattooed nearly q thou.
sand people.