The national leader., 1889-06-22
BIG PAY OF FREAKS.
Some of the oddities That Are Real Gold
Mines in Themselves.

Mines in Themselves.
"Horrorsl how can such creatures liye?"
exclaimed country dame few days ago, as
she pottered about with her ewes bulginc out
In surprise at the human curlosities in one
OF the museums of this city ''They make
more money in one week than you do in six
all the same" and little all wise street
gamin laughed at the surprise of the country
dame
That's true, murmured the museum pro
prletor, who had overheard the previous re-
marks, land no one knows it better than l."
Ihe freak of nature possesses a veritable
gold mine In himself. All prodigies, whether
they be great or small, one eyed like the
NEUROLOGICAL Cyclops, or possessing as many
heads as hydra, can fill their purses, pro
Vlded they muster enough courage and
strength to sit in gaudy dresses loaded with
tlnsel on museum stools. The salaries of some
or these freaks are enormous, and not a few
make as much money in the course of year
as the honored gentleman who occupies the
presidential chair. Their salaries range from
SO to 81, 600 week, and are determined by
the relative eccentricities or peculiarities of
the freaks. For instance, albinos with pink
eyes and silken white hair receive from $40
to $50 per week, while those with eyes and
hair of the same ruddy hue are valued at
500 week because of their rarity.
Among the high priced freaks are the so
called skeletons" or extremely thin persons
whose weekly salaries range from $3.50 to $500
10 be proper skeleton freak one must have
bones, skin and little blood, with all the vi
tails, but no flesh to speak of. Bow legged skel-
eton freaks are preferable to those who are
knock kneed simply because they are scarcer.
Such prodigies as woolly babies or infants.
with remarkable growth of hair all over the
body, face and limbs, are worth a great deal |
to the museum manager They receive COM
pensation of from $500 to 500 a week to sit
on a museum stool. Rare curiosities like dog i
faced boys also come high. They, or rather
their parents, guardians or owners, receive !
for putting them on exhibition salaries rang |
ing from S400 to 5000 per week. Those hav-
ing faces resembling pug dogs get $500 a /
week, while others who more fortunately DOS |
sess shepherd dog or greyhound faces bring
$3.50
The star freaks in dime museums are how |
ever, midgets, and Mexican ones, like the |
famous Lucia Zarate, who has maid and in /
terpreter to accompany her around the cou1a- !
try, draw salaries ranging from $3.50 to $500 |
a week. Good midgets weigh from ten to
twelve pounds. There are so many fat people |
that there is a general impression that prodi-
gies in this direction do not command large |
salaries. This is not the case, however. They
are paid as high as 5000 a week, but to earn
such a valuation they must weigh at least 600
or 700 pounds Giants are paid about 1915 a
week. Those from Japan, for some unaccount-
able reason, are the best drawing cards, and
are consequently the highest priced Aztecsre-
ceive the comparatively low compensation of
s175 weekly.
Big footed girls are much needed curiosi-
ties at museums. To possess large enough
pedal extremities to be called freak, how
,ver, it is necessary that each foot shall be
three times as large as the owners head For
such a monstrosity $3.50 is the price paid
weekly. Armies people who do all manner
If work with the feet are paid 500 or more.
according to the skill which they may have
acquired in making their feet do the work of
heir missing hands, There are so many "wildu
sirls that freaks of this class receive only Sl25
| week Ossifed men are paid from $500 to
$500, and are considered very profitable
reaks in well conducted museums. Genuine
1indoo snake charmers receive about s175
week. Glass eaters draw weekly salaries
angling from SIS to Sl25. Twins and triplets
eceive 500 for the same length of time.
den with remarkable memories, boomerang
hrowers and such ordinary curiosities get
rom $25 to 500 week
Freaks are rarely kept in any dime museum h
ver two weeks at one time. Managers find
hat if kept longer than this they hardly prove 4
ources of profit. Philadelphia Record