, 1888-02-05
A CRAZE.
A. Fad That Is Growing Among People
Who Ought to Know Better.

Who Ought to Know Better.
Professor S. O'Reilly just now is illus
trating the art of ~tattooing in a Bowery
museum. His subject is a young woman
who IS ambitious of posing as q museum
freak, " and to that end lays aside mod
esty and endures the pain incident to the
pricking of a sheaf of fifty needles, with
which the professor indelibly d~elineates
birds, beasts, reptiles, heraldic devices
and human figures in her sensitive skin.
The professor is a historian as far as
his calling is concerned, and likes to talk
about it.
'FOf course it's popular" he said.
1.-The art was so generally prac-
ticed since it was used to mark slaves.
You'd be surprised at the number of
people of tone and position in society
who come to me to be marked with de-
signs and colors that will never be oblit-
Grated while they live. 1t used. to be
that sailors were the only people who
coveted such branding. There was some
reason and utility in it for them, as it
often served to identify them when they
persisted in their perilous calling. Re
Gently, however, they form but a small
proportion of those who wish to come
unde the needle.
"When the work is artistically done
men and women al thus qualify them
selves to earn a very substantial and easy
livelihood in the museums. 1 have
tatooed twelve persons from head to foot,
five of whom were females who are now
exhibiting themselves at good salaries.
TIL most successful of these is Mrs. De
Burgh, who is 10Y exhibiting in London.
She has a large picture on her back, lone
in colors, representing the Lords Sup
per- Her body is completely covered
with 1900 different designs. Her hus-
band, also, is covered from head to foot,
and is rs picturesque as Capt. Constan-
tine, the tatooed Greek, who died a few
years ago. The work, in his case, began
when he was q British soldier in Burmah,
and was in progress for years. He met
his wife while the last touches were
being added to his picture gallery, and
she was squirming under the first thrusts
of the needles.
"Another distinguished example is a
noted Canadian athlete. Nearly all his
work vas done at one session, lasting
thirteen hours. l used fifty needles in
the bunch that marked him for life. 1t
was simply a vagary on his part, as he
had no purpose of exhibiting himself for
a living.
'"There is no danger in the operation if
properly done, and the pain may be
greatly diminished. use a mixture of
hamamelis and cocaine to moisten the
ink and take sensation out of the parts 1
am operating upon. There is no sore
ness, and very little pain. 1t is not
always safe, though. One operator in
West Virginia was sentenced to two
years Imprisonment for injuries resulting
to his subjects from using saliva with
which to moisten the ink. Persons tat
tooed by sailors have contracted diseases
communicated by the use of saliva as an
ink moistener.
1.-The majority of the ~tattooing of the
present day is probably done in Africa,
where different tribes have distinguish
ing marks pricked in their black skins.
These badges are generally put on the
face, neck or breast. A fish bone is used
for n needle. The South Sea Islanders
are almost universally tattooed.
''Tattooing merely for purposes of
identification is much more extensively
practiced now than there is any popular
conception of.
THE majority of the people who come
to me are of the middle class, though
very often l receive orders to 90 to
private residences up town to do mark
ing, especially on children. On one oc-
casion 1 received an order to come to one
of the big houses on Fifth avenue, and
when l got there 1 had to put dis.
tinguished marks or q set Of triplets, all
of whom were about n month old. There
was also a young miss of about 10 years,
who, after watching me at work, came
to me privately and requested me to
prick fancy carriers on her legs. 1 did
so, and she was very proud of them.
After that 1 received several orders of
the same kind from young ladies. The
upper class are as q rule very good
patrons of t~attooing artists. 1t has grown
to be the latest fad in dudedom. Tho
~favorite designs for them are their fair
ones pictures, and you can rely upon it
they have to pay handsomely for it. AS
far as tatooing is concerned, it is grow
ing more popular in this country every
To- ~ NJ vi. r.