The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-05-24
Monstrosities to Order.


Philadelphia Item.
..Wnat is wanted" said the artisan,
adding a daub of glue to the dorsal fin
of the mermaid, sis something they
can put OF the canva to draw folks in.
The side shows are getting ready to
start out. They have their fat women,
albions, Brazilian apes, big snakes and
that sort of thing, but they won't draw.
Folks will stop and look at the canvas,
say that they have seen snakes,
monkeys and fat women enough, and
will pass on. But if the sideshow can
hang out a mermaid or a serpent, or an
alligator boy, folks will pay their dimes
and step right in. Usually they find
that the monkeys alone are worth the
price of admission, and they are not
disposed to find fault because the mer-
maid is not alive. But if some one does
find fault the side Snowman says to
him.:
"'Look q here, young Teller. Dye
'spose that if I'd a got hold of that
mermaid before she died I'd been
showin' her up country here for ten
cents a headP No, sir; you'd have to
come to the city to see her, and pay yer
dollar"
Cutting a t~hree-cornered piece out of
the Goldfish skin and neatly drawing it
down around the papier mache body of
the mermaid, the artisan went IN: 81
used " be in the magic line taking up
his shears, swallowing them, and pick
ing them from beneath his knee pam
but magic doesn't pay any longer. 1t
pleases the intelligent public, but the
public is small"
'How came you to 60 into the man.
ufacture of monstrositles and curiosi-
tiesp" asked n Item reporter.
"Well over in New York one day 1
saw in a show window n of those
Japanese mermaids. The price was
$500. Up country a little while after
that l saw a mermaid advertised ut a
side show. 1t was one of Japanese
make. 1 thought if the Japs could get
$500 TOR mermaids l could manufacture
them profitablv at those figures"
Here the artisan gave the mermaid's
tail an upward and sidewise twist, put
on some glue and set it up to harden.
"This mermaid" he said, sis made
to fit some expensive canvas that a
western man has got hold of cheap.
is a sketch of it."
1t was arough pencil sketch of a mer-
maid sporting in the ocean, and a lasso
descending over her head from a boat.
In the distance was the ship from
which the boat came. The scene rep
represented the capture of the mermaid
On the Pacific ocean, 400 miles off San
sit isn't a bad way" said the artisan,
''to make the c~uriosities to fit the can
vas that is to be displayed outside. In
hat way the sights fill the bill, and the
public is not deceived"
"For what is the chief demand this
'pringP"
"Mermaids. alligator boys, sea SER
,ents and double babies.
"What does an alligator boy costP"
"Here is one," leading the way to an
nner room and pointing to a creation
which he had recently finished, ''that
,ost S75. You see it is about four feet
ong and covered with leather. The
nonstrosity is supposed to have been
'orn of negro parents in Louisiana, to
AVE made its escape into a lagoon
about seven years old, and to
ave been found dying on the bank
llCi a hSutW lth u Dull dlllSdlOls .
Sand the double babiesP" .
"They are modelled after the one that /
vas born of Italian parents here last
ear. | went to see it, as l go to see all /,
that l hear of. Double ,
abies have two heads, four arms, four {
egs and only one body. 1t is a job to
ct them up as they should be, and |:
hey are rather expensive" l