Mohave County miner., 1888-10-20
OLD SHOWMAN'S TALK.
HE EXPOSES THE METHODS or
MANUFACTURING FREAKS.

bugged--why the Snowman Is n show.
manila the Mermaid shbp-The MAX.
ing Of Monstrosities.
It was our old friend the showman--the
only survivor OF A. Ward. Esq, truthful
"a the needle TO the pole He Is q queer
duck, Is this friend Of ours, the old show.
man, with rare eye for seeing the curl
Gus and unique. with strong fancy. with
q cosmopolitan instinct and with sense
Of the charm Of successful humbuggery,
He believes with the idol OF the show
world the venerable sage Of Bridgeport
--tilet tie public likes to be humbugged.
A good, square. snap side show attracts
him az drop Of sugar attracts dies. He
IL never go happy as when, with his shiny
tail hat on tbs bacl, of his head aud with
his keen eyes dancing In the excitement
of the hour, be is aloft on the boz
of tho side show in front Of the circle
Of pictures Of the Circassan woman. and
the fat woman and tho line of freaks, orat
ing crowd Of believers on the wonders
of his show inside the canvas.
THE sHowMAE's EXPERIENCE
II he has leisure he visits the resorts Of
the shady side Of life, not from sense OF
depFavity bat for study Of the curious
He has walked miles Of railroad ties In the
current Of hard luck. when, with his va
ried talents, be might have been enjoying
the delights Of beautiful home. He han
done everything from Richard Ill" In 81
troupe Of the barn storming "profesh" to
| turning the hand organ at the feet Of q
mermaid stuffed with sawdust. When
| the reporter saw him he was of duty, eye
ing with critical keenncss the people OH
the circus grounds. -.
THE Snowman quotb he. rises early
and rctires late. | know him. know
all about him He puts oil his nerve,
strength. vigor and brains into the busi
ness. The shoYman is usually a siow'
man because he couldn't be anything else
If he had every opportunity in the world
| He'd rather be Snowman and have to q
| to bed while his only shirt was being
washed than be bank cashier rolling Il;
somebody else's millions.
"l've been to the city," continued out
friend, as he sat On a property box an.
locked at the sky. I've taken in mos
! of tine things In which I'm interested, ant
you know what they are. Lots of thert
are the old chestnuts, but lots OF then
were not. visited Gn old friend Of nin'
on the Bowery, and some old acquaint
| anees In Philadelphia There is certain
Free Masonry In the profession that helrr
fellow out in foreign lands, such as th'
Bowery. When was in the latter plae'
called on friend, one morning, and b.
says let's go up to the mermaid shop
You remember that mermaid OF mine
don't your Hal Ha! Welll that was
good one--the cheapest and best mermai,
ever shown in this state, but 1t wouldn'
do to have carried 1t outside. A line o
| stovepipe and canvas skin won't wol1
everywhere outside Of the cross roads
Well, we went up to the mermaid shop
called 1t the fake factory. It's goo
one"
Go on, was the reporters suggestion
MANUFACTURE OF FREAKS.
well, sir, since I'm talking on til
fake, did you know that the finest aftis
In the world in the manufacture Of freak
and curioSities Is au Alaskan? It's fact
, was surprised myself, for always SUP
posed that he would be Yankee. II
was away when we called, but his assistaa
was there. They were making Egyptia
mummies that day, full line Of them 10
o museum in Paris. They are made o
plaster Of paris and boiled in Tobacco
Juice! and they are Summers when the
are done. 1t Is O. curious yarn how th
reporters got on to his place. He occu
pies q place under the roof and dries hi
curiosities on the fat roof In the sun. tn
elevated railroad pushes along over tn
city here, and some travellers by the morn
ing train saw curious sight out on on
4 Il H. 4.
of dead bodies. drying In the sun, and
conglomeration Of hidcous monstrositie
and blood curdling freaks Of nature.
course somebody investigated 1t, and as
result the birthplace OF the freak wa
| found.
81 wish could give you that Alaskan
name, but | can't. It's sumner In length
and he is an artist of as distinguishe
talents as his name is long. He made tn
man OK that struck the professors of ana
omy everywhere. He drew the skin oye
the ribs SO adroitly that there seemed
zled the scientists as well as the commo
peorde. There are two or three othe
freak makers In the Bowery that y
called on, but there are no others that al
proach this fellow. A mermaid Is notl
Ing at all for him. He can draw a chicken
skin over the skeleton as handily as yo
draw on your glove, and no man can swes
that it Is artificial"
"Are none of these freaks genuinef"
Mighty few that know anything abor
are very genuine. Most of this man o.
or man horse, mermaid, sea serpen
Egyptian mummy, royal anatomic'
marine museum stuff Is manufactured
OF course there are some freaks Of natul
in the way of monstrosities that are gen
uine. The India rubber man Is freak
nature, and was in to see the centaur I
man horse at the dime museum. That
genuine IL you like it. It's coon wit
his legs twisted out Of shape. The pot
| cuss was marked In birth and can't wal
upright---a dead give away Of fake TIN
don't excite any particular interest. 'Au
tralian children are idiots. Circassia
women can be made with ease and celerit.
Bearded women can be found anywher
The country Is full Of Albinos, and If
! were not they can be manufactured
order at any time. New York Graphic