Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-01-03
OLD SH0WMAN'S TALK.
HE EXPOSES THE METHODS OF
MANUFACTURING FREAKS.

The Publie's FOndness for Being Hum
plugged Why the Snowman Is show
MANN the Mermaid shop-The Max
ing of Monstrositie
1t was our old friend the showman-the
only survivor of A Ward. ESQ. truthful
as the needle to the pole. He is queer
duck, is this friend of ours. the old show
man, with rare eye for seeing the curl
Gus and unique, with a strong fancy, with
a cosmopolitan instinct and with a sense
of the charm of successful humbuggery
He believes with the idol of the show
world-the venerable sage of Bridgeport
that the public likes to be humbugged
A good, square, snap side show attracts
him as a drop of sugar attracts flies He
is never so happy as when, with his shiny
tall hat on the back of his head, and with
his keen eyes dancing in the excitement
of the hour, he is aloft on the box
of the side show in front of the circle
of pictures of the Circassian woman, and
the fat woman and the line Of freaks, orat
ing a crowd of believers on the wonders
of his show inside the canvas.
THE SHOWMAN'S EXPERIENCE
If he has leisure he visits the resorts of
the shady side of life, not from a sense of
depravity but for study of the curious
He has walked miles of railroad ties in the
current of hard luck, when, with his va
ried talents, he might have been enjoying
the delights of beautiful home. He has
done everything from Richard III" in a
troupe Of the barn storming protest" to
turning the hand organ at the feet Of a
mermaid stuffed with sawdust. When
the reporter saw him he was off duty, eye
ing with critical keeuness the people on
the circus grounds.
The Snowman, quoth he, rises early
and retires late. know him | know
all about him. He puts all his nerve,
strength, vigor and brains into the bust
ness The Snowman is usually a show
man because he couldn't be anything else
if he had every opportunity in the world
He'd rather be a Snowman and have to go
to bed while his only shirt was being
washed than be bank cashier rolling in
somebody else's millions
i've been to the city" continued our
friend, as he sat on a property box and
looked at the sky I've taken in most
of the things in which I'm interested, and
you know what they are. Lots of them
are the old chestnuts, but lots of them
were not. | visited an old friend of mine
on the BOwery, and some old acquaint
ances in Philadelphia. There is certain
Free Masonry in the profession that helps
fellow out in foreign lands, such as the
BOwery. When | was in the latter place
called on friend, one morning. and he
says let's go up to the mermaid shop
You remember that mermaid of mine,
don't you? Hal IIa! Well that was a
good one-the cheapest and best mermaid
ever shown IN this state, but it wouldn't
do to have carried it outside. line of
Stoveplpe and canvas skin won't work
everywhere outside of the cross roads
Well we went up to the mermaid shop.
| called 1t the fake factory. 1t s a good
one"
go on" was the reporters suggestion
MANUFACTURE OF FREAKS.
"Well, sir, since I'm talking on the
fake, did you know that the finest artist
III the world in the manufacture of freaks
and curiosities is an Alaskan? It's fact
was surprised myself, for always sup
posed that he would be a Yankee He
was away when we called, but his assistant
was there. They were making Egyptian
mummies that day, full line of them for
a museum in Paris They are made of
plaster of paris and boiled in tobacco
juice, and they are summers when they
are don..-.- 1t - a curious, yarn how me
reporters got on to his place, He occu-
pies place under the roof and dries his
curiosities on the fiat roof in the sun. The
elevated railroad pushes along over the
city here, and some travellers by the morn
ing train saw a curious sight out on one
of the roofs. 1t looked like collection
of dead bodies, drying in the sun, and a
conglomeration of hideous monstrosities
and blood curdling freaks of nature. Of
course somebody investigated it. and as
result the birthplace of the freak was
found.
Il wish could give you that Alaskan's
name, but | can't. It's a sumner in length,
and he is an artist of as distinguished
talents as his name is long. He made the
man OK that struck the professors Of anat-
omy everywhere. He drew the skin over
the ribs so adroitly that there seemed to
be absolutely no fault in it, and it puz-
zled the scientists as well as the common
people. There are two or three other
freak makers in the Bowery that we
CtLlCu Oli, OuG Illtl Z are IIO OluCIo lLdI APP
proach this fellow. mermaid is moth
ing at all for him. He can draw a chicken
skin over the skeleton as handily as you
draw on your glove and no man can swear
that it is artificial"
Are none of these freaks genuine?"
"Mighty few that know anything about
are very genuine. Most of this man OK,
or man horse, mermaid, sea serpent,
Egyptian mummy, royal anatomical
marine museum stuff is manufactured.
OF course there are some freaks Of nature
in the way Of monstrosities that are gen
ulne. The India rubber man is freak of
nature, and was in to see the centaur of
a man horse at the dime museum. That S
genuine if you like it. It's a coon with
his legs twisted out of shape The poor
cuss was marked in birth and can't walk
upright--a dead give away of a fake that
don excite any particular interest. Aus
trallan children are idiots Circassian
women can be made with ease and CELEBRITY.
Bearded women can be found anywhere.
The country is full of AIbinos, and if if
were not they can be manufactured to
order at any time. New York Graphic.
Chart y of the Physicians.