The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-03-30
CIRCUS CURIOSITIES.
Remarkable Mysteries of the show
Business.

known as menageries.
"Menageries don't pay like they used
to-" said Billy Coleman; "leastways
not like they used to in my young
days" Billy is veteran Snowman
bordering on to sixty, and his views
were received with q certain amount
of respect. "There's too many hum
bugs on show, and they are mighty
poor humbugs at that. 1 don't sup
pose that since the days of Barnum's
woody horse, that any circus man has
made fortune out of animals alone,
except in the legitimate line"
"What about manufactured freaks
of nature?" queried the reporter.
SCOT up for the purpose, you mean.
That kind of thing may be done on
small scale, but never saw any that
amounted to anything. 1 once heard
tell of a Cincinnati Snowman that got
number of mules male into zebras,
though I question very much if it ever
occurred. You see, it's against nature,
and, even supposing that the trick was
successful, the mules would die in
very short time through the dye work
ing into the system. If any Teller
gives you taffy of that kind you can
just bet he's trying to gouge you"
Il had thoroughbred Durham bull
last summer" said Major Clarke, chat
gave milk, and owned a COW with
two udders, one on it's back, the Other
in the natural place. That COW gave
four quarts daily of the sweetest milk
| ever tasted. ! sold the two for
handsome sum and / believe they are
now with show in Baltimore.
'Double-headed rabbits and things
of that sort fetch fancy prices-some-
where about 5000 But as rule they
don't live long. Travelling and change
able climate soon carries 'em off,"
81 once knew of man." chimed in
Joe Springer, Snowman that has had
considerable experience down South,
that had a Siamese rattlesnake. Their
foundation was perfect and they were
joined by strong ligature exactly in
the center Of the body. 1 guess those
snakes were about five feet long.
They were found in Mexico, and were
exhibited in South America. You see,
it was too cold for them north, and the
man that owned 'em, knowing he'd got
good thing, was afraid to risk it.
I'm told he made $4,000 year out of
'em, and for all 1 know he may be
travelling with 'em yet"
Harry Springer, the well-known
dealer in animals, was asked whether
he had any experience in handling live
freaks of nature.
Eyes, I've had few pass through
my hands, but nothing specially inter
esting."
as it true that live animals are doc
tored for menageries and sold for some
thing else?"
"No,it a'int. Such stories are all rot.
In the first place it can't be done, and
in the second, if it could be done, it
would bring down the price of the gen.
uine articles If man could success
fully transform a live COW into hip
popotamus, appropriateness would
soon become drug on the market and
of no value at all. You can discount
all such yarns at 100 per cent
Mr.. j. Wallace, taxidermist, also con-
frmed Springer's assertions. "There
is no animal living that can be success
fully changed to resemble that of
another species. But if you want to
know anything about manufacturing
dead whales, mermaids and the like l
can fill your paper.
"I've manufactured whales, hippo
llllllOCtlOStS,
illas. monkeys, sea serpents, alligators,
balloons and nearly the whole list of
curiosities that you would find in a
flrst-class circus. l made whale for
Yankee Robinson's circus, and after he
had it two years he didn't know it
from a real one. I've also made a
white whale for Cope's circus"
"Of what materials?"
"That's my secret. Now good
many people consider a unicorn
curiosity. Well, I've made unicorns,
although, strictly speaking, there's no
such an animal in existence. It's
merely rhinoceros by another name"
"Do you often come across live freaks
of nature?"
Occasionally. can show you a re-
specimen sent to me to be