New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-01-20
Fortunes In Deformity.

The first dime museum was started
on the Bowery in New York in 1872.
At first the museums multiplied slow
ly, but about three years ago they
sprang up all over the country, and
now all large cities have from one to
three. It is bigger thing to be a
freak than to marry rich widow.
Freaks grow rich. The competition
between museums has run up the
price OF curiosities until they draw
more pay than a receiver in arailroad
suit. A good freak makes more money
without opening his mouth, than the
most accomplished actor. Little Lu-
cia Zerate, the Mexican midget, who is
undoubtedly thesmallest human being
ever exhibited, got $4,000 for four.
weeks in this city, and now
wants $500 week. Jo-Jo, the
dog-faced boy, gets $500 week. The
first season he Exhibited be drew s7oo,
but curlosities, as q rule, draw larger
salaries on their first tour. The
Greedy survivors were offered $1,000
week to show themselves, but the
Government interfered. The 'sturtle
boy" mistit little darkey, whose
limbs are frightfully distorted, COM
mands $75 g. week. The gentleman
with the elastic skin, who thinks moth
ing OF pulling the skin OF the back of
his neck over his face and can make a
neck-tie OF his nose, got $500 week
Tor his first season, and now gets 81 so.
The two negro girls who figure as
.what is it's are paid 5000 a week.
Chang, the Chinese giant, won't show
for less than $3.50 a week; Colonel
Goshen, who is almost as tall
and runs farm over in New
Jersey, gets but s55, but Mr..
and Mrs. Bates, the well-known giants,
are in demand at $500. The Count
and Countess Magri formerly Mrs.
Tom Thumb) and the Count brother,
Baron Little Finger, get 5000 week
Josephine Myrtle Corbyn, the Aztecs,
man and women, who originally
showed with Barnum, get $3.50. The
"Modern Hercules, who loves to catch
redhot cannon balls, does about
twenty minutes work q day aud
draws $500 a week, but he isnot prop
erly freak, although he is likely to
be one if he ever misses the ball and
1t hits him. But these are high-priced
freaks. The second-class curioslties
manage to worry along on from $50
to $3.50 a week. Fat women are in
demand at $40 Ada Briggs, who is
good-looking and heavy as sheis pref
ty, gets $50. Dave Navarro, the "fat
boy, who, by the by ,wasnot a woman,
made managers pay him 1925 week.
He died recently. Living skeletons
get from $40 to $50, Ike sprague
drawing the latter figure. Sprague is
SO delightfully."- ethereal that he can't
stand without being propped up with
straws. Armless men who do things
With their toes are bribed not to run
away for $50 week The "leopard
boy" a colored youth who is turning
white in spots, commands S25 week.
| Alblnos and minor curiosities that are
used to fill in the bill receive SIS and
$50 a week. Musical families those
families where the old gentlemen plays
the violin, the mother the piano, and
all the children some atrocious instru..
hlent-chiehy drums, draw from $50
to 500 week.
Freaks die, and sometimes they go
out OF the business. Captain Costen-
tenus, the original tattooed Greek, re.
tired npon fortune, and is now liv-
ing on a fine estate in Greece, but has
become blind. Dudley Forster, "Hop-
o-My-Thumb," a very little fellow,
made enough in two years to buy his
father a nice farm.-Philadelphia
Times.