The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-12-08
FREAKS" FOR MUSEUMS.
QUEER PEOPLE OF ALL KINDS FOR
PUBLIC EXHIBITION.
Self-Made Curiosities Better Cards
Than Genuine-Freaxs of Nature
Women Will Marry Freaks.

Women Will Marry Freaks.
''Do we find much difficulty in procur-
ing new freaks2 Sometimes yes and
sometimes no. It is just like any other
commodity for which there is a market
the supply at times is scarce and at
Others more plentiful"
Thus spoke a museum manager in re-
ply to the query of a Chicago NepS re-
porter. "On the whole, however," he
continued, 1--WE do not find it easy. We
are often sorely puzzled where to find
something new, but circumstances and
accidents invariably bring out supply
for the demand. There is the matter of
cranks, for instance. Celebrated cranks
are cropping up every day. To day one
Of these fellows may be unknown to any
one beyond his own family, tomorrow
he may take notion to go down the Nj
agara rapids, jump of the Brooklyn
bridge, or atrempt to shoot the President,
and we would like to give him $500
week to come to our museum and exhibit
himself to Che admiring eyes of the pub
lie, with which he has suddenly become
famous. In this way, you see we are
not dependent alone upon the eccen-
tricities of nature for our exhibits"
'Does this species of curiosity bring a
high salary as a rulep
''Well, should smile. Graham, who
went through Niagara rapids in barrel,
got $400 q week. Cutting, the editor
who raised such fuss in Mexico, was
offered more than that, but wouldn't ex-
hibit"
"Do you find that these fellows who
have become or made themselves celebri-
ties take better with the public than the
freaks of nature"
"Yes; they are much better than or
dinary freaks, of which samples are fire.
quently occurring and being exhibited,
but we always consider a genuine new
freak worth more money to us than any
other kind of exhibit. | have discovered
little colored child, about three years
old, down South who has never been
taught even the alphabet, l do believe
she hardly knows one letter from an
other, and yet put book on any tech
nical matter into her hand and she will
read it without stammer. Nobody can
account for it. | would give that little
girl most anything to come here, but
you'd scarcely believe it, so sensitive are
the humble parents and friends of that
little colored girl that nothing can in
duce them to let her be put on exhibit
ton.
This is a rare exception, however,
which proves the general rule of peoples
anxiety to make money out of their de-
formities or natural peculiarities. We
find the world growing more and more
democratic in this respect every day.
Nowadays the respectability or social
standing of people won't prevent them,
as it did when this business first became
general, to exhibit their children or rela.
tiyes in dime museum, provided they
are well paid for it.
GLOW do you keep yourself posted on
these new freaksl and by what means do
you canvass for and procure them2"
''Oh, the newspapers do all that for
us. They find their way into more places
nowadays than even travelling agents.
We simply advertise for applications,
and we find that the demand always
creates a supply. We advertise more ex-
tensively than any other museum mana
gers in America We have always a sup
ply of foreign newspapers and keep our
card in them also. We find, however,
more trouble with these foreign freaks
than with all the others put together.
You can't get one of them to leave France
or Russia, for instance, unless you offer
them fabulous sums, pay their travelling
expenses, provide them with good hotels,
and in some cases guarantee to send them
back again.
"We find the greatest difficulty in re-
moving the generally prevailing impress
sion amoug the public that exhibits in
museums are merely frauds made up to
deceive the eye. But they won't believe
sometimes. For instance, in the case of
Feejee Jim. Half the public believed he
was some sort of mulatto faxed up like
one of those celebrated islanders, and
that the history given of him was false,
instead of being true, as it is. This feel
ing of incredulity is due to a great ex-
tent to Barnum. In his early DAYS he
used to do a great deal of this kind of
business, and when success smiled upon
him, and he became independent, he
thought he'd have a good joke at the ex-
pense of the public. He wrote book
entitled 'Humbug,' in which he told the
public that he had been hoaxing people
all the time, and told many falsehoods as
to how he did it. There never was a
more genuine Snowman than Barnum,
and he never exhibited anything that
wasn't genuine, but he misrepresented
himself, told the public he was fraud,
and they believed him. Barnum told me
afterward that it was the greatest mis-
take of his life to write that book.
''The private history of some of the
freaks is even more amusing than their
appearance. l have known of lots of
hirtations being commenced in museum
and ending in matrimonial bliss. And
now just look here and take my word
for it, have had lots of experience and
know what am talking about-there
never yet was man freak no matter
how distorted in face and fgure-that