The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-04
FREAKS IN HEAVEN.
Tho Startling Theory Advanced by n 81.
Louis Collector of Cufiosities.
From Hs Post Dispatch.


Tho Startling Theory Advanced by n 81.
Louis Collector Of Cufiosities.
Ftom he st-Dispatch.
"What becomes of the freaks2' replied
a collector of human curiosities as he
stood in his 6x10 private Office and
smoked a cigar as powerful as his "Her-
cules. " "Well, the most of 'em stick to
the show business till they die. don't
suppose they are freaks in the other
world, do your Because a mans born
into this world without any legs or arms,
or with only one eye, or with horn
growing out of his forehead or hump
big enough to play checkers on his back,
it doesn't follow that he must go through
eternity that way, docs it? / have q
good deal of time to think nowadays, and
| believe since my wife died-she was
my bearded LADY, have taken on a
melancholy view of life that not even
museum crowd can cure me of.
"And then we had consultation, she
and l, about trying a depilatory, but we
concluded 1t would be sorter flying in
the face of Providence to get rid of that
beard altogether So she stuck IL out
But / don't believe she q bearded angel.
who married an heiress and retired. 1t
was at at Corydon, Ind. The girl was
an orphan, her parents had lett her q
big farm, and she fell in love with 10
Manning's classical features and big
mustache. / hear that they live very
happy together.
81 believe in a future life as firmly as
the most punctua cnurch-goer. And
somehow or other the sufrerings and hui
Mutations of the freaks in this world
seem to make it all the moro sure that
there must be another where they can
start square and fair with the rest, or at
least get even. j don't mind telling you
that my wife, who was exhibited for
twenty-five years as a bearded lady, was
dreadfully sore about her aftliction,' us
she called it. She tried shaving once,
but the stubble that came out on her face
the second or third day hurt her so much
that she had to let her beard grow again.
"Of course, human beings sent into
the world in some strange and unnatural
condition, or MANNED by accident-like
the man with the broken neck, who has
been showing here so long, and who was
run over by a train of cars in Penn
sylvania-can make a great deal more
money on a museum stage than they can
in private life, and most of them think
they live happier with the excitement
and travelling around from place to
place, But good many of them are SO
proud and sensitive that they would
rather live on quarter day in private
life than get $50 week and be stared at.
cts wonderful how soon they get ac-
customed to it, though | had girl in
my show in Frisco, whose mouth reached
almost around her neck. When she
laughed she came near decapitating her.
self. AT first she thought of going into
monastery, SO as to be beyond the
reach of hearing anything that would
make her laugh But she changed her
mind, sat on the stage in my show while
niger MINISTRIES were doing acts and
things like that, and got so used to it all
that when / saw her last you couldn't
get her to laugh to save your life. She
was teaching school then"
The museum philosopher walked re-
gretfully over to the platform where the
bearded lady used to stand, and was soon
absorbed in thought about hirsute angels.