The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-17
SOME POINTS ABOUT "BARKERs."
Orator. WHO stand IN Front of Dime Siu.

3 tE-tAuaa " no stand IA L rDni OF lptint ath'
scums and Lure the Public In
It's n popularity Of barker" said a
Bowcry Snowman the other day as he
stood IN front of his dime museum and
listened TO the sonorous tones of a gentle
man near him who was setting forth the
attractions of the entertainment within,
that he can never give up barking after
he has once got thoroughly into the bust
ness. You know how fascinating singing
is TO people who think they have voices.
Many an old man and faded woman go
on singing through advanced years quite
convinced that they are giving pleasure
to their hearers, whereas they are only
distributing large blocks of pain around
the neighbOrhoOd. Bankers are the same
way. They get stuck on their voices. Did
you ever watch barker's face? Look at
this one"
The Snowman directed his gaze toward
the man who was walking slowly up and
down just within the wide doorway of
the museum and talking to the world at
large while he slapped his right leg with
flexible rattan cane. Nothing could eX-
coed the complaisance and affability of
the bar6er's manner as he rolled off the
periods with infinite JUNCTION. \ vowel
sound was choice bit not to be thought
lessly tossed off of the tongue, but to be
turned and fOndled and sent forth with
due resonance and deliberation. There
was the musical rhythm o. blank verse
in much That he said. His eyes roamed
over the various objects around him with
careful scrutiny, and it was evident on
looking At him closely that his thoughts
were far away from his words.
"Barilers are proud" continued the
Snowman reile Ctively, and usually very
friendly with the freaks. don't know
what maks EN- proud, unless it is being
so prominent in public life. There's no
reason why barker shouldn't help clean
up in the morning, lend a hand with the
broOmS, sell tickets till it's time for him
TO bark in front, and otherwise improve
his time and add to his purse, but he
won't He feels that his public position
couldn't stand the strain. Another thing
is the inability of the barker TO bark I'M
less his conditions are just right. You put
strange hat on him and his voice'n
falter ana his eye shrink. One man needs
to have toHthpick in his mouth for the
proper effect to be attained, another must
have a lit of ribbon of a certain shade of
red in the lapel of his coat, a third is most
eloquent when he has an unlighted cigar
in his mouth, and so on. Their whims are
absolutely iunumerable.
"One day. he continued, lowering his
voice coulidentially, there was n process
sion az c0Untrymen moving around the
SbEAtA s-+Atl coming NlllS way IL WIS Il
groccr's association or something of that
sort from back OF the state, and it was an
hour before my bankers regular time. But
he was standing near the gutter talking
with some high-toue friends of his'n-one
of 'um has brother what's on the perlice
-smokiu' a lJ-cent cigar. l SEE: Hist,
Billy, out here an bark FIR a minute,
Will your Go on, quick, so rs to gather in
all this here muchness driftiu, down here.
Hurry, an III 90 the beers an cigars for
self and and friends
What" he SCI. Ne bark uowE
"'OC course
But / amt got me Caney
No matter, go on
We'll, he did make the effort, but he
put no heart into it, an if he didn't blush
crimson I hope l may be dom the dog
faced boy act within n week. Them coun-
trymen," continued the Snowman, went
by without 4 glance, an tn barker was
too sore TO look his friends in the face.
But / didn't blame him 4 bit. know
their feelings well. Salarics: Bout SO
to $I4 a week When they gets to be pro
fessors and lectures about cur.osities in
side they get more. The freaks are very
roud OF them, cause the bankers speaks
n such glowing terms of them, an all
freaks is fond of having their deformities
!lattere1. New York sun.