Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-03-07
CIRCUS CURI0SiTiES.
Remarkable Mysteries OF the Show
Business.

DNshhSsSs
A New York reporter happening to
come across a number of showmen, the
conversation drifted into the mysteries
of those accompaniments of the circus
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 a certain amount
of respect. "There's too many hum
bugs on show, and they are mighty
poor humbugs at that. I don't sup
pose that since the days of Barnum's
woolly 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.
"Got up for the purpose, you mean.
That kind of thing may be done on a
small scale, but / never saw any that
amounted to anything. I once heard
tell of Cincinnati Snowman that got
anumber of mules male into zebras.
though 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 q
very short time through the dye work
ing into the system. If any feller
gives you taffy of that kind you can
just bet he's trying to gouge YOU"
81 had thoroughbred Durham bull
last summer" said Major Clarke, 'that
gave milk, and | owned a COW with
two udders, one on its back, the othel
in the natural place That COW gave
four quarts daily of the sweetest milk
ever tasted. | sold the two for a
handsome sum and / believe they are
now with a show in Baltimore.
"Double-headed rabbits and things
of that sort fetch fancy prices-some-
where about 5000. But as a 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 u Siamese rattlesnakc. Their
foundation was perfect and they were
joined by a strong ligature exactly in
the center of the body. l 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
a good thing, was afraid to risk it.
I'm told he made $4,000 a year out of
'em, and for all | 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 a few pass through
my hands, but nothing specially inter-
esting."
sis 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 a man could success
fully transform live COW into hip
popotamus, hippopotamuses would
soon become a 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-
irmed Springers assertions. "rhere
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
can fill your paper.
"I've manufactured whales, hippo
pOtamuseS, rhinOceroses. unicOrns, gOr-
illas, monkeys, sea serpents, alligators,
balloons and nearly the whole list of
curiosities that you would find in a
frst-class circus. | made a whale for
Yankee Robinsons 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 a
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. l can showyou a re-
markable specimen sent to me to be
stuffed" and from an assortment of
carcasses a rabbit with a coat exactly |
like that of a sky-blue terrier was
shown to the writer. scientifically |
speaking said Mr.. Wallace, "that is as
rare a thing as ever / saw. That rab-
bit was shot in Suffolk county, and is
now the property of weekly newspa-
per in this city.
81 had recently a COW with four legs |
and two arms, which | sold to a
Chicago firm as curiosity. If l had
the time, could show you calf, the
queerest montrosity ever sent to my |
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