Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-09-17

"Have / ever tattooed anybody for
the show business 2 was asked of a
professional. Certainly / have. l
guess I've done at least half of all who
are on exhibition. About a month
ago, 1 finished two ladies in Cincinnati
ii. A man here In New York gave
me 500 and my expenses to 90 on and
do one of them, and, while doing the
first, one of her friends thought she
would like to go into the business. too,
and paid me S22j to do her too. Both
cf them are travelling around now as
some kind of PrincesSes, and they can
get $50 week easily. 1t took me
about six weeks to do each of these
ladies', working only two or three hours
a day. That's as much as is good for
them. 1t takes about two months to
finish up man, because he has more
space TO cover. | am working on one
man now. lie works on steamer, SO
that | can only get a hold of him about
once in two weeks. lie is going to I've
the finest specimen | have ever turned
out. He has got about every kind of
animal in the world on him, and big
picture of the Egyptian pyramids on
his back. He's got a rattlesuake curl
ell around his neck, and I'm waiting
for the election ROW to put on the next
President and Vice President, one on
each breast.
''DO you see all those photographs
there on the wall? They've all been
brought here for me to reproduce on
mems arms and chests, and then been
left with Inc as souvenirs.
The photographs which the artist had
reproduced were almost innumerable,
and represented every conceivable de-
gree of beauty and uglineSs; figures of
women with dearth of clothing predOm-
mated, however, and there were many
faces from real life. Among them was
one of Maggie Mitchell, the actress and
another of Sarah BernhaTdt in a riding
habit. Mr.. Thomas laughed when he
pointed to Bernhardt. IL came pretty
near having fight over her. said he.
alt was some kind of pale student
that wanted her done, and lie was
bound L should make her as thin as she
really was. Well, you see, signed my
initials or my name to portraits, like all
artists, and hated to have such shape
as that go out over my name, because il
might hurt my business. Anybody
that saw il might think | could mt do
any better. So | filed her out and
rounded her up. But the young man
was wild. Finally l compromised by
putting big shawl around her that hid
her shape entirely, and left nothing dis
tinct but her face. That satisfied him.
I've got a peculiar customer now, and
I'm expecting him in soon. He's an
old General-at least he says he iS-Over
60 years old. He's got seven bullet
wounds in his body, and he's hired me
to tattoo under each wound the name
of the battle where he got il and the
rank he held at the time. I'm up To the
General now, and one or two more sit
tings viii finish him off.
snow I'll tell about one more branch
of the business, and L must get ready
for the General. He's proud and Just
now Pm at work on a wound IN his hip.
The branch was going to tell YOU
about IS covering up old designs that
have been tattOoed on long ago. l have
cases of the kind pretty often, and they
pay well, because when man is anx-
iOus to get rid of some design he doesn't
care what 1t costs. The commonest
thing is when sailor gets a jealous
sweetheart, or, what's worse, jealous
wife. He may have half dozen differ
ent girls marked over him, and he
comes TO me to cover them up. marx
them out in black, and then put red
design on the background. l covered
up as many as three girls on a mans
arm with their names and loving mot
toes, with a big sign In God We Trust
reaching from his shoulder 10 his elbow.
But here comes the general, SO | must
say good day, and find out where lie got
the last wound. -