The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-25
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Human skinS Intiootd From Head I,
boston Globe. {,
Turn around, Jim, and let them se'
YOU"
Two men, seated on chairs, sat facinI
each other in II room on North street. On,
Of them was dressed. in a navy uniform
His name was Elmer L. Getchell. Tht
other was a Boston citizen named Janu
Burke, and he was dressed in n light ant
airy costume Of n pair Of trunks. There
was nothing more upon him in the. way
Of clothing, but no had more decoration on
his body than any man in the State. He
was tattooed from his neck down to his toe
nails, with all kinds OF figures OF men,
beasts, birds, ilowers, ship and shapes Of
every kind. His thighs were covered with
idols, etc, placed there when he was in
Burmah, eight years ago. All the rest Of
the work Was new, and had been put on
within n few weeks by Mr.. Getchell. The
figures were blue and red, and the various
figures were drawn in skilliul and artistic
style. As tho tattooed man turned around
his back ehowed tho commencement OF a
picture OF the Cruciflxion, copied after the
large steel engraving by Hilton.
II have a good deal 10 do on this man
yet. That picture will cover all Of the
back and extend around to the sides. You
see only the three figures on tho crosses
now, but | will work in all the other figures
that arc III the picture, and show the city
Of Jerusalem in the distance"
"How long docs it take to tattoo q man
and what does it cosl?"
~ did Frank Hadley in eight weeks, but
tho length Of time depends on the length OF
the sitting each day. Tho cost depends a
good deal on the sizs OF the man. It is less
work TO cover a little man than one who
tips the beam at 800 pounds. 1 have been
at this business Tor the last five years and
have tatooed thousands Of people. 1 charge
all the way from % cents up 10 $500, &C.
cordlng to the quantity and nature OF the
work. A single star, initials and similar
simple designs are the cheapest, and l can
do a great many Of them in a day. l can
cover a mans forearm in half an hour or
go. l have earned rs much as $40 so In a
day on different people.
"Wbat class OF people come 10 you2"
EVERY class and more landmsn than
sailors. An engineer will have a locomo.
tive on him, a member OF the fire depart
ment wants a steam fire engine or an az,
ladder or trumpet. Here is a photograph
Of Frank Hadley. You can see that his
breast has all the Masonic emblems on il.
while his back is covered with n large
picture, Rock Of Ages. Here is my book
Of designs. Here is a picture OF q sailor at
his mothers grave. That picture costs $40
and is intended for a back picture, Com.
mon figures Of girls, sailors, &C., cost a
dollar or two each. The British coat OF
arms, the lion and unicorn, costs $40. A
good many choose religious pictures,
especially among the eailors. Cruciixion
comes at all prices, according to the sizs 2"
us the operation a painful one?"
Not at all. This pencil hes nine fine
needles in il. 1ssretch the skin tight and
prick it; this way. 1t makes only u slight
itching. never draw blood. Just see
how it %feels."
He pricked the reporters hand, The
sensation was not painful. Then he re.
sumed the work on the man before him
and remarked:
II use the best Of Chinese ink. It costs
s. an ounce. For red l use pure yermil-
lion. l frequently cover up old designs
with new work. There is no danger OF
taking cold, or Of any bad effects at any
season Of the year. Some men almost faint
when l go to work on them, but that is all
imagination. There isno pain. Thie man
is being tattooed for exhibition in a dime
museum: Hadley has done well since l
finished him, and now gets $50 week in
Cincinnati, besides what he makes from
the sale Of his pictures"
do ladies get tattooed ?"
"Oh, yes! Certain ladies' sometimes get
the initials OF their admirers worked on
their arms. When they have a quarrel
with these admirers they come to me and
get the old work covered up with q design
and new letters worked. Here is q tat.
tooed lady who is going on exhibition"
A young woman who was standing in tie
room pulled up the sleeve OF her dress and
exhibited an arm covered with marks,
This is not my work." continued the
tattoo artist. "Children, too, are tattooed.
They are brought by their parents to have
initials and other marks put upon them 90
that they may be identified II lost. Ladies
bring pct dogs to have marks put on the
inside Of their ears for the same purpose.
The oldest work l ever did was the tattoo
ing OF the noses OF two bull pups. Their
noses we're black with the exception OF one
or two spole, and as these would bar them
from prizes at q show, they were brought
to mo to have tho spots covered. I did n
good job and they bore it like Christians.
It's aqueer businees, isn't il, but it paws
well, and I have all l can do the year
round. There is a good deal OF art in get.
ting the figures correctly drawn in the skin.
but When once it is done the figure never
changes. II | draw n picture on a child
and be grove 10 be a large man, the pic.
lure grows with him and the lines remain
as true rs at first. There are n good many
who make bad tattoo work, because thew
are bad artists. Steve Lee, OF PHILADELPHIA,
is a leading man, and H%ildebrand, Of New
York, is next to him. Lee has been eight
cen yeara at the business"
"Do you feel any Inconvenience" was
asked Of tho light and airy.costumed Mr..
Burke. 81
"None at all. It hurt me some when I
WAS tattooed in Butmah, but they pricked
Inc deeper than Getchell does"
"These stories about tho operation being
so paintul and requiring 80 much time are
all nonsense" said the artist. "You see
how fast l can work on this man, and his
needles rapidly described the leaf OF q
flower on the unliniching Burke's cpl
dermis. "Well, l can keep right along at
i al! day. Here is the medal I got from
Hadley."
Tho inscription on the medal read:
"Presenled to Elmer E. Getchell by