Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-07-19
BIG PAY OF FREAKS.

Some of the Oddities That Are Real Gold
Mines in Themselves.
"Horrors how can such creatures live?'
exclaimed a country dame few days ago, as
she pottered about with her eyes bullying out
in surprise at the human curieSities in one
of the museums of this city. .x.They make
more money in one week than yJL do in six,
all the same,n and a little all wise street
gamin laughed at the surprise of the country
dame.
'sThat's true" murmured the museum pro
pretor, who had overheard the previous re-
marks, ''and no one knows it better than l"
The 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
vided they muster enough courage and
strength to sit in gaudy dresses loaded with
tinsel on museum stools. The salaries of some
of 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
s25 to 81 900 week, and are determined by
the relative eccentricities or peculiarities of
the freaks. For instance, albinos with pink
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.
To be a 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 a remarkable growth of hair all over the
BODY, face and limbs, are worth great deal
to the museum manager. They receive COM
pensation of from $500 to 500 week to sit
on a museum stool Rare curiosities like dog
faced boys also come high. They, or rather
their parents, guardians or owners, receive
for putting them on exhibition salaries rang
| ing from $500 to 5000 per week. Those hav-
ing faces resembling pug dogs get $500 a
week, while others who more fortunately pos
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 coun-
try, draw salaries ranging from $3.50 to $500
a week. Good midgets weigh from ten to
twelve pounds. There ares 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 valuation they must weigh at least GOO
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
| $175 weekly.
| Big footed girls are much needed curiosi-
ties at museums. To possess large enough
pedal extrelnities to be called a freak, how
ever, 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
of work with the feet are paid 800 OF more
according to the skill which they may have
acquired in making their feet do the work Of
their missing hands. There areso many wild
girls that freaks of this class receive only $12s
a week. Ossifed men are paid from 5000 tt
$500, and are considered very proftabl,
freaks in well conducted museums. Genuine
| HlndOO snake chafInefs receive ABOUT SIG
a week Glass eaters draw weekly salaries
ranging from SIS to 1926. Twins and triplet
receive 500 for the same length of time
Men with remarkable memories, boomerang
throwers and such ordinary curiosities ge
from $25 to 500 week.
Freaks are rarely kept in any dime museum
over two weeks at one time Managers fine
that if kept longer than this they hardly prove
sources of profit. Philadelphia Record.