The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-05-25
WELL PAID FREAKS.
Large Salaries Paid to Human Curios-
tiles for MuseumA

WILL NV ] U6UNOs
Large Salaries Paid to Human Curios-
tiles for MuseumA
The freak of nature possesses a
veritable gold mine in himself. All
prodigies, whether they be great or
small, one-eyed like the mytholog-
ical .Cyclops, or possessing as many
heads as a hydra, can fill their pur-
ses, provided they muster enough
courage and strength to sit in gaudy
dresses loaded with. tinsel on mu-
scum stools. The salaries of some
of these freaks are enormous, and
not few make as much money in
the course Of the year as the hon
ored gentleman who occupies the
Presidential chair. Their salaries
range from $25 to $1,000 a week,
and are determined by the relative
eccentricities or peculiarities of the
freaks. For instance, albinos with
pink eyes and silken white hair re-
ceive from $40 to $50 per week,
while those with eyes and hair of
the same ruddy hue are valued at
800 a week because of their rarity.
Among the high-priced freaks are
the so-called Skeletons" or ex-
tremely thin persons, whose weekly
salaries range from $3.50 to $500.
To be a proper skeleton freak one
must have bones, skin and a little
blood, with all the vitals, but no
flesh to speak of. Bow-legged skel-
eton freaks are preferable to those
who are knock-kneed, simply be-
cause they are scarcer. Such prod
igies as woolly babies, or infants
with remarkable growth of hair
all over the body, face and limbs,
are worth great deal to the muse
UNI manager. They receive COM
rensation of from $500 to 500 a
week to sit on a museum stool.
Rare curiosities like dog-faced boys
also come high. They, or rather
their parents, guardians and own
ers, receive for putting them on ex-
hibition salaries ranging from $4OO
to $500 per week. Those having
faces resembling pug dogs get $500
week, while others who more for
tunately possess shepard-dog or
orev-honnd faces bring $3.50.
The star freaks in dime museums
are, however, midgets, and Mexican
ones, like the famous Lucia Zarate,
who has a maid and interpreter to
accompany her around the country,
draw salaries ranging from $3.50 to
5000 a week. Good midgets weigh
from ten to twelve pounds. There
are so many fat people that there
is general impression that prodi-
gies in this direction do not COM
mand 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 week. Those
from Japan, for some unaccounta-
BILE reason, are the best drawing
cards, and consequently the highest
priced. Azetecs receive the COM
paratively low compensation of
$175 weekly.
Big-footed girls are much needed
curiosities at museums. 10 pos
sess large enough pedal extremities
to be called a freak, however, it is
necessary that each foot shall be
three times as large as the owners
head. For such monstrosity $3.50
is the price paid weekly. Armless
people who do all manner of work
with the feet are paid 800 or more,
according to the skill which they
may have acquired in making their
feet do the work of their missing
hands. There are SO many "wild"
girls that freaks of this class receive
only 1925 week. Ossified men are
paid from 5000 to $500, and are
considered very profitable freaks in
we'll conducted museums. Genu-
inc Hindoo snake-charmers receive
about $175 a week. Glass-eaters
draw weekly salaries ranging from
$75 to $125. Twins and triplets re-
ceive 500 for the same length OF
time. Men with remarkable mem
cries, boomerang-throwers and such
ordinary curiosities get from $25
to 500 q week.
Freaks are rarely kept in any
dime museums over two weeks at
time. Managers find that if kept
longer than this they hardly prove
sources of profit.-Phila. Record
What Causes Wrinkles.
The following paragraph would
seem to do away with the old theory