The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-07-10
ARTIFICIAL MERMAIDS.
TIE GIRLS OF THE SEA" MANU-
FACTURED BY SKILLED HANDS.

Monkeys Bodies Joined to Fishes, Tails
with Cunning and Dexterity-How the
Their Aids-The Mermaid Maker Talks.
"Mermaids made and repaired" Such
an advertisement was well calculated to
attract attention, and, as it confronted
me one day in little frequented street
in a large eastern city, l determined to
make the acquaintance of the maker of
these incongruities. Failing an old fash
Toned brass bell handle, little old man,
crowned with a square paper cap, came
to the door, and after cycling me suspi-
clousl Y for moment invited me an.
There was the ''beggarly array of empty
boxes, Walls containing strange animals,
curious stuffed birds which peered from
high shelves and were laced together bv
cobwebs laden with dust, while many
other objects strewn about told of the
trade of the taxidermist.
THE MERMAID MAKER.
Yes" said the old man, in reply to
my questions, Il am a mermaid maker,
and fatter myself that have produced
some of the most artistic mermaids ever
placed upon the market. Why, sir"
continued the speaker, warming up under
the recollection of his triumphs, II pro-
duced one that fooled even the doctors.
You see, mermaids have been made as
long as anything. The Chinese manu-
featured them centuries ago, and SO we'll
that large number of people believed
in them; and if the work is fairly done
TIE production is one of the best cards
show can have.
Zone day man came to me and
knew the moment saw him that he was
Snowman. He said he had mermaids,
but that on the last trip a man had ofs
fered to wager him $500 that he would
| not dare to allow the mermaid to be cut
open; SO he wanted something that would
bear inspection and be ready for such a
contingency. told him / could do it,
and received the order to go ahead.
Generally in cheap work l stuffed
the skins with cotton or something of
the kind and let them go, but in this
case l went to work on scientific princi-
pies. took the skin of q monkey and
separated it at the waist; then allowed
it to dry as mummy would, all of which
l helped along by the application of heat.
l now took fish common in the China
sea, one that would not be familiar, and
treated it in similar way, and finally
joined them both. / fastened scales upon
the monkey portion and carefully graded
them up among the hairs; then intro
duced some hairs down upon the fish
portion; barnacles were fastened here
and there, and a great cut was left open
up and down the abdomen, through
which any one could readily see the ribs
and the joining of the vertebra.
THE face had been given an agonized
look, the hands were clinched, and, all
in all, it was one of the most disagreed
BILE sights l ever saw, even though did
produce it.
"Yes, it gave complete satisfaction
When they exhibited it a cloth was
thrown over the body, and when any
question was raised the proprietor would
say that he would leave it to a commit
tee of medical men, thus being confident
of obtaining some notoriety. In one case
a number of provincial doctors were COM
pletely deceived, and signed paper re-
| tracing certain statements which they
had made to the effect that the mermaid
was sham