Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-07-21
\ VERSATILE FREAK.
nor carlo, Sometime. OF Gotham,

,..o1 Young man walked into the Cen.
soi nalice station and asked for lodging
''tVon're welcome to all we have" said
,iart Burns, "but if you'll tell ms
r-bether you're black, white, brown OF
,od | shall see that you have the best
he'd in the house.
ne applicant scratched his head and
..ood first on one foot and then the
otber Finally he drawled out, "My
',ronlfather and grandmother ON nv
,notber's side were Indians My fathers
fatber was Spaniard, and his mother
aMexican. don't know what | am"
.,Wbat's Your business?" asked Iieut
Burns.
,Iye been in Barnum's band of brave
Mold but bad Bedouins. I've PLAYED
gulu, Kaf1ir. Malay, Indian and 'Greas.
or swallowed the sword for six months
.eat fire, licked hot pokers with nv
tongue danced on hot Goals, chewed hot
steel breathed out fire from my nose.
walked over razors, broke glass with nv
feet and played the human ostrich"
"Well, what is your occupation
asked Lieut.. Burns.
"Tm museum freak, fakir, a sport
and bum" said the copper colored
man.
"If you'll tell us how YOU work the
fakes you shall have a feather bed" I'M
blushingly promised Patrolinan O'Don-
nell
There amt no fake in the human
~ I. s.pr
eats glass, swallows knife blades, stones,
pieces of iron and everything else he can
get hold Of There amt no fake in that
Cause why? Cause you don't get a
chance to make Il fake out of it. Ii You
could we'd fake 1t. 1t amt a trick to eat
a glass sandwich. just put thin piece
of glass between a couple of pieces of
bread and when the bread goes down.
down goes the glass, too. People think
it's hard on the stomach, but that's only
imagination / saw fellow do it, and
Ibid it ten minutes afterward. There
amt any tricl; i'll stepping on glass. You
watch the fellows that do it. First they
stir the glass up with a stick to make
you think they're trying to get the sharp
pieces on top. They're just turning the
sharp points down. But fellow must
have real dry feet or he can't do that. If
his feet sweat or ar" yl.all get cut.
"The fire eating fake is nothing. If
you soak Your hands and feet in borax
water three or four honrs a day for a
couple of weeks you'll be able to stand a
pretty hot piece Of iron. We don't run
any risks, but mix Il little paste and lots
OF borax. We put a coat of this on our
hands, and when we pull a hot poker
across it there's lots of smoke, siz2le
and bad smell We don't hold the
poker very tight or very long, but people
think they smell burning flesh. We
cover the bottoms of our feet the same
way, and dance around on hot Goals and
iron for a few seconds. But if the paste
iswet yonr feet stick and you get burned.
You can fill your mouth with borax. Law
lots Of 1t Oh your tongue and lick red
hot poker 1t makes little flame. and
when people see it they think you're
breathing out fire"
But doesn't the glass you eat hurt
your stomach:'
mot mine, The only trouble is that
you're liable to cut yonr tongue, and
you've got to be careful"
The freak was turned over to Turn
key Eustace, who was instructed to give
him a good bed.
Where did you come from?' asked
Eustace.
From New York. said the freak.
Foot or rail:"
Both"
"Where are You going from here?"
I'm going to get job as soon as !
can, ana when | have couple of dol
lars I'll skin out"
whats your nane?"
"Signor Carlo"
"How old are you?'
Twenty. Cleveland Leader.