National Republican., 1883-08-06
Chicago Nous.

are Discovered and sccured-CIrcassiRn !
Beauties "NIadc Up" in Chicago Other
Wonders.
Chicago Ne,ps
Passengers for Rock Island, Davenport
Omaha, Council Bluffs, Burlington, and the
west, all abo-o.a-a-r-r-r.d.d! Passengers for
the Lake Shore depot all abo-o-a-a.r.r-d"
rang ont through the rotunda Of the Grand
Pacific with startling rcvorberations as the
bus conductor stood just inside the door to
the ladies entrance" and delivered the vollcy
with iudGscribablc rapidity. There was the
usual hustle and confusion attending upon
this hotel event, and when all was quiet again
the Daily NeWS reporter who leaned carelessly
against the marbIo-toppcd counter exchang-
ing gossip of the day with Clerk Turner
was saluted with Looks like a side show
rush in n low but distinct tone. He
turned and was confronted by smiling
face, embelishng small but compact
; ody. The stranger was well dressed in navy
blue clothes, and looked like anything from
cAtinss official at Washington clear up to a
straw hat drummer OF on II summer vacation.
There was a keen pair OF dark eyes, dark fea-
lures, with short mutton-chop whiskers and
huge diamond stud. No other jewelry sup
ported the blazing claims of this solitaire for
attention.
"Yes, it looks like a rush for the doors of q
sideshow on opening night at-well say
nj Plymouth, Ind. Great town for jays
What are jays?' Pooh only cornfield ca
naries; thought you know. Excuse me, but
I'll play it open that you are a reporter. All,
just what thought Well" said the stranger,
with deep sigh, there was time when l
would hasten to clasp you in my arms--in a
metaphorical way. of cour,e-and we would
exchange show news to the merry, merry
Popping of the cork. Hoy? Never mind, l
may get back there yet"
"May ! ask what you mean, sir?" asked
the bewildered scribe.
"Oh, certainly. There you go. There was
time when, If you had given me chance
to answcr-but never mind, I'll tell you.
Allow me- and the stranger Gshed out huge
card, which bore the words: 81. l.. Somers
general agent, NJ j & Co., New
York, hats and caps." "Thero you have me-
But used TO could say Prof Somers, col
lector of curiosites and general manager of
researches after wonders Then was happy.
Now-well, live better, but that's all. 1t
was once my delight to lay all the chumps
out on catching on to Cuross.'"
Would you mind telling mo someth ing
8bDut the old time business"
Would | mind? | should hesitate not.
Let's go and guzzle a lemonade, and I'll give
you something that may interest you. OF
course, every great Snowman and such
musuem people rs Bonncll, Kohl, Merriman
and Barnum have special agents out looking
after curiosities of their own, but we used to
beat 'em on specisl things all hollow. You
~ lst know thAt when arJ living curiosity
like dwarfs, fat girls, g., lacome noted
ehongh to get into county parers in the
there and bargain for1t. Now I'll show you.
Here's snap that some agent will be getting
onto, and am surprised it has not occurred
before. You read in the papers day or so
ago how man was found out in Missouri
somewhere with beiid over four and half
e. 1.N.yV 49, y
VII pouncc down on lNn like t&ousand of
brick, and talk him into the museum bust
ness. Then there is a mani learn by letter,
for you see they stu write me, though am
out Of tho busincss-discovered in Virginia,
near Charcsburg some where near the "Pan
IL llc' of West Virginia, who has perfectly
vile cyctalls, no pupils whatever. He is
{" + CIr osity. | know where there is q
th d with as perfect an outlined second face
on the back of the head as you can WISH yet
lGvc normohey cannot get that objeGp on ex-
hibiton.
II wonder whether people know what be-
comes Of the Curiosities Chicago has pro-
GuCed several great ones There was the
whale; of course that was Chicago object.
il now lies at thelakc fiont on an old blue
hu car. Then there was Madeline Stiles, or
S,uriHia'S snake dress IS they call it. 1t was
un exhibition so long at the West Side mu-
scum. Well, it was great object of curl
o'ity ut ono timc right after the trial of that
arl for the murder OF Charley Stiles. 1t WAS
made OF black velvet, with twisting and
curling snakes embroidered all over it. Iti
now in the east, think at New York. Then
there was Charles Napers, better known as
La Monda, the bonclcss wonder, who was
born on tho NcIth Side, and left here to
travel some year ago. He was about % Yeas
OF age, and was so teii bly, and wonderfully
formed that it seemed as though he really had
no homes in his anatomy. lie was of German
IL l..
English when he left home. He is now in
Europe
PLENTY of Circassan girls came from Chi
cagO, but you know how they are made up
don't you? Well, they are done up in stale
beer and molasses, or rather their hair is, and
they sleep on blocks of wood under the neck
until the hair becomes bushy and rather stiff.
il is dried in that way, and the face is tanned
dark in some way. That makes, with little
pencling ofeyebrows, your averags Crcassian
beauty. Skeletons are common, as are Al
binos, though the latter two are more natural
and are horned that way as my little boy
says.
ave have had few things in the celebrity
or curiosity line sweep this country like
Jumbo and the Jersey Lily. They are as le.
gitimate curiosities as Col. Goshen, the giant,
or Admiral Dot the dwarf. Jumbo and the
Langtry You had chance to see here. see
by IcSsing down Madison street that one of
your leading clothing firms has dress made
q by daughter Of Sitting Bull, the famous In
dian cheftein. 1t is a singular thing how
quick in this country one sensation replaces
another. I'll bet there isn't one out of every
twenty that can tell who Sitting Bull is and
anything about his history, yet but "a year or
SO ago he was the talk of the nation. and the
best fund your funny photographers had. Now
dress made by his daughter is of little con-
qucnc;, Then there were the revolvers of
the great outlaw, Jesse James, | expect that
several thousand cartridges taken right out
OF the fourteen chambers of those same Colt S
Ievolvcr5, one strapped about the form of
the dead outlaw chief, have been sold to
tine credulous in this country, yet he, too, is
about forgotten, and Bob Ford, the man that
killed him, and his brother, both objects at
one time of curiosity, walk the streets of
youP town daily, and are little thought Of
One was arrested a short time ago for carry
ing concealed weapon, Thus they come and
co."