Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-25
OLD SHOWMAN'S TALK.
HE EXPOSES THE METHODS OF
MANUFACTURING FREAKS.

The PubIic's Fondness for Being Hum.
bussed-Why the Snowman Is Show
man-In the Mermaid Shop-The Max.
Ing of Monstrosities.
It was our old friend the showman-the
only survivor Of a. Ward, Esq, truthful
as the needle to the pole. He is 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
a cosmopolitan Instinct and with sense
of the charm of successful humbuggery.
He believes with the idol Of the show
world-tbe venerable sage Of Bridgeport
that the public likes to be humbugged.
A good, square, snap side show attracts
him as a drop Of sugar attracts flies. He
is never so happy as when, with his shiny
tall hat on the back of his head, and with
his keen eyes dancing in the excitement
| of the hour, he is aloft on the box
of the side show in. front of the circle
of pictures of the Circassian woman, and
! the fat woman and the line Of freaks, orat-
ing crowd of believers on the wonders
Of his show inside the canvas.
THE sHowMAN's EXPERIENCE.
| If he has leisure he visits the resorts of
| the shady side Of life, not from sense of
! depravity but for study of the curious.
| He has walked miles of railroad ties in the
current Of hard luck, when, with his va
ried talents, he might have been enjoying
| the delights of beautiful home. He has
| done everything from Richard I1I' in q
| troupe of the barn storming ''profesh' to
turning the hand organ at the feet of a
mermaid stuffed with sawdust. When
L., l., I,,%xr
| ing with critical keenness the people on
the circus grounds.
The Snowman quoth he, crises early
and retires late. l know him. l know
all about him. He puts all his nerve,
strength, vigor and brains into the bust
ness. The Snowman is usually show
man because he couldn't be anything else
if he had every opportunity in the world.
to bed while his only shirt was being
somebody else's millions.
':I've been to the city," continued our
friend, as he sat on a property box and
of the things in which I'm interested, and
you know what they are. Lots of them
are the old chestnuts, but lots Of them
on the Bowery and some old acquaint-
Free Masonry in the profession that helps
a fellow out in foreign lands, such as the
Bowery. When l was in the latter place
called on friend, one morning, and he
says let's go up to the mermaid shop.
You remember that mermaid of mine,
don't you? Ha, Hal WE'LL that was a
good one-the cheapest and best mermaid
ever shown in this state, but it wouldn't
do to have carried it outside. A line Of
stovepipe and q canvas skin won't work
everywhere outside of the cross reads.
Well, we went up to the mermaid shop.
1 called it the fake factory. It's good
one"
''Go on, was the reporters suggestion.
MANUFACTURE OF FREAKS.
t'Well, sir, since I'm talking on the
fake, did you know that the finest artist
in the world in the manufacture of freaks
and curiosities is an Alaskan? It's fact.
was surprised myself, for l always sup
posed that he would be Yankee. He
was away when we called, but his assistant
was there. They were making Egyptian
mu1nmies that day, a full line of them for
a museum in Paris. They are made of
plaster Of paris and boiled in tobacco
juice, and they are Summers when they
are done. 1t is curious yarn how the
reporters got on to his place. He occu-
pies place under the roof and dries his
curiosities on the fat roof in the sun. The
elevated railroad pushes along over the
city here, and some travellers by the morn
ing train saw a curious sight out on one
of the roofs. 1t looked like collection
IS ~ h.
conglomeration of hideous monstrosities
and blood curdling freaks Of nature. OF
course somebody investigated it, and as Il
result the birthplace OF the freak was
found.
name, but | can't. It's sumner in length,
and he is an artist Of as distinguished
talents as his name is long. He made the
man OK that struck the professors of anat-
omy everywhere. He drew the skin over
the ribs SO adroitly that there seemed to
be absolutely no fault in it, and it puz-
zled the scientists as well as the common
people. There are two or three other
freak makers in the Bowery that we
called on, but there are no others that ap-
preach this fellow. A mermaid is moth
ing at all for him. He can draw a chickens
draw on your glove, and no man can swear
that it is artificial"
"Are none of these freaks genuine?'
''M;ghty few that know anything about
are very genuine. Most Of this man OK,
or man horse, mermaid, sea serpent,
Egyptian mummy, royal anatomical
marine museum stuff is manufactured.
Of course there are some freaks of nature
in the way of monstrosities that are gen.
uine. The India rubber man is freak of
nature, and was in to see the centsur Of
q man horse at the dime museum. That's
genuine if you like it. It's a coon with
his legs twisted ont of shape. The poor
cuss was marked in birth and can't walk
upright-a dead give away Of fake that
don't excite any particular interest. Aus
tralian children are idiots. Circassian
women can be made with ease and CELEBRITY.
Bearded women can be found anywhere.
The country is full of Albincs. and if it
were not they can be manufactured to
order at any time. New York Graphic.