Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-05-30
A rArTooINo caAke,
A Fad That Is Growing Among People
Who Ought 20 Know Better.

Who Ought 10 Know Better.
Professor S. 0'Reilly just now is Illus
trating the art Of tattooing IN a Bowery
museum. His subject Is a ""g woman
Who is ambitious of posing as a museum
'.freak, and to that end lays aside mod
ssty and endures the pain incident to the
pricking of a sheaf Of fifty needles, with
which the professor indelibly delineates
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 10 talk
about it.
''Of course it's popular" he said.
''The art was never so generally prac-
tced since Is was used to mark slaves.
You'd be surprised al 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 10 be
that sailors were the only people who
coveted such branding. There was some
reason and utility in il for them, as it
often served 70 identify them when they
persisted in their perilous calling. Re
Gently, however, they form but a small
proportion of those who wish 10 come
under the needle.
..When the work is a~rtistically done
men and women can thus qualify them
selves to earn a very substantial and easy
livelihood in the museums. / have
tatooed twelve persons from head to foot,
five of whom were females who are now
ayhf1iftnn fhapngAluaa al 0raI salaries
The most successful of these is Mrs. De
Burgh, who is o exhibiting in London.
She has a large picture on her back, done
in colors, representing the Lords Sup
per- Her body is completely covered
with 1,S00 different designs. Her hus-
band, also, is covered from head TO foot,
and is as picturesque as Capt. Constan-
tine, the tatooed Greek, who died a few
years ago The work, in his case, began
when he was a Brit sh soldier in Burmah,
and was in progress for years. He met
his wife while tie last touches were
being added to his picture gallery, and
she was~quirmipy under the first thrusts
of the needles.
''Another dis inguished example is a
noted Canadian athlete. Nearly all his
work was done at one session, lasting
thirteen hours. 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
hamameiS and cocaine TO moisten the
ink and take sensation out of the parts l
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 10 two
years Imprisonment for injuries resulting
10 his subjects from using saliva with
which 10 muisten 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 lone in Africa,
where different tribes have distinguish
ing marks pricked in their black skins,
These badges are generally put un the
face, neck or breast. A fish bone is used
for a 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
10 me are Of the middle class, thorgh
very often / receive orders TO go 10
private residences up town to do mark
ing, especially on children. On one &C.
casion | received an order to come TO one
of the big houses on Fifth avenue. and
when | got there l lad 10 put dis
tinguished marks on n set If triplets, all
of whom were about a month old. There
was also a young miss Of about Is years,
who, after watching me at work, came
10 me privately and requested me to
prick fancy garters on her legs. ! did
80. and she was very proud u them.
After that ! received several orders Of
the same kind from young ladies. The
upper class are AS a rule very good
patrons OF tattooing artists. 1t has grown
to be the latest fad ia duded0m. The
favorite designs for them are their fair
ones picture, and you can rely upon it
they have ~ pay handsomely FOR it. As
far as tatooing is concerned, it is grow
ing more popular in this country every
day."-Nsw York Graphic.