Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-08
TRADES IN SKELETONS.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CREW.
SOME BUSINESS.

nrl0ua NfNnua OF
a Bedroom--A iieing That Love. Homes.
To deal In the bones Of human beings
would be an occupation rrpugnant to
most men. Yet In the vicinity Of Sixth
and South streets lives an old French.
man who finds more pleasure in this 90
oupation than anything else in his life.
His store IL a vcritable den OF skeletons.
The weather beaten sign swinging over
the door. creaking dismally with every
gnst Of wind, bearu this simple legend,
IN. de Robsire, Parfumerie," from
which tits evident monsieur would have
the world believe that he deals almost
exclusively in those perfumed waters 20
dear 10 the feminine heart. Every fam
fly has n skeleton In the closet. however,
and monsiour's family. which consists
only of himself, is no exception to tho
general Silc lilo has his skoleiou-in
fact he has scores OF thom-in closets
aud otherwise. the majority otherwise.
Tho truth Of the matter 10, tho old
Frenchman deals In skeletons.
The second floor boasts OF only two
small rooms, the rear one being used as
Workshop, while the other, directly
yer the store and fronting ON the street,
serves tho double purpose Of bedcham-
bcr and siorcroom.
Such another bodchamber rs tho ono
occupied by tho old Frcnchman prob
ably does not exist. aud how monsieur
manages 20 sleep tho sleep Of the jult
among such grewsomo surroundings 10
I'll insolyable mystery 10 tho fow who
have been admitted 10 Il.
The walls Of the small room are orna-
monted with skulls Gnd crossbones and
real life size skeletons. or rather death
fizc skeletons. IN al sorts Of grotcsque
positions. Four hideoas skulls grin from
their positions on top Of the four posts
az the bod, and close 10 the sides Of the
bed stands skeleton with arms out
stretched doing duty as n clothes rack.
Tho whole Is dimly lighted up by faint
gIimmcr OF light umnuatlng from laiap
made Of ghastly skull suspended from
tho middle 81 tie ceiling with thongs u
tanned hama1 hide
THE acuETos TRADE.
Do Rebairo himself Is ava odd looking
man, aud tho resemblance between him
aud one OF hisowu skeletons Is decidedly
striking. He has gaunl. woi1ik, Tea.
lures, hi' thin upper lip and b9ny chin
being adorned with nn iron gray nous
iaeho and Imperial.
For score Of years hn has boon carry
ing on hia business VA tho old place, hay-
ing emigratsi from France IN 1855.
coming direct 20 Philadelphia, whore ho
established himself IN business. For u
timo be had. n hard struggle 20 keep body
aud soul together, owing 20 tho number
Of competitors IN The field, together with
the dullues3 Of business. II soon became
necessary for him, IN addition 70 his
other trade, 20 set himself up "a % drug.
gist. and lie aiill run. his little shop,
though principally 40 n dccoy.
Late In tho sixties, when the KnlghtB
Of Pythias were organized ia this state,
tho demand for skeletons increased. ~
they were used 90 great extent IN tho
lodgogooms. De Robairo prospcred, az
u consequence. since most Of his compel.
itor. had given up tho business.
Oh and on during the following twenty
years business was dull and brisl. by
turns, but tho old mau had anasscd n
small fortune, and there Is no reason
why no should longer continue in tho
business except that he has taken lil;-
ing to his work, such as every true artist
does He is an artist In the full sense Of
the word. Theo Is undoubtedly no ono
who can articulato u skeleton as neatly
rs he. and II Is no idle boast on his part
when he claims that with eyes blind.
folded he can take mass Of bouesropro-
senting tho human frame aud build up
the skeleton rs II was originally, with
out one bone ont Of place.
WHAT THE "DoCToR" SAYS.
The doctor while standing IA his
workshop few days ago with his sleeves
rolled up over his skinny arms, thus held
forth on the subject nearest his heart:
"This skeleton you sec mo operating on
l have Imported from France. You will
notice tn, high polish on the bones, duo
To method Of preparation practiccd
only by the French. They clean the
bones by process Of mnceration with
muratic acid. tho whole operation re-
quiring two or three months time, while
In this country tho bonea arc hastily aud
carclessly boiled and como out rough
and dirty. In all my twenty years sery-
ice have never come across Chinese
skeleton. This Is due TO the fact that q
Chlnuman believes no win not reach
heaven unless his bones rest In tho Flow.
cry Kingdom.
1.-THE different prices Of skeletons are
based upon their degrees OF hardness
and whiteness, upon the development Of
the bones and tho amount Of absence OF
fat In their extrcmities. For this reason
the French article is decidedly Of mort
value than tho American or German
Up to this year oyer 1900 skeletons have
been imported into this country, buI
they have become scarce OF late foi
some reason, ind to supply the demant
find It necessary TO manufacture then
OF paper.
"Ot course have stock Of them II
my bedroom, but would not part witt
any Of these. Mon Doul have come I,
lool; upon them us dear friends aud com
panions. Here you my artificial skel
etoua, made Of papier macho, with arti
ilcial teeth, and the whole covered Will
u white polish which gives the appear
ance Of the genuine article. can maxi
three Of these each week, and they brni
from ten to fifteen dollars, while the i'm
ported genuine article costs from thirt!
30 thirty.fiye dullsrs aud the domestil