The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-30
MUSEUMS MAKE MONEY.
Clear Large sums and Aid Tammnny IN
New York.

n. Y. Cor. Chicago Herald
Three actors are PLAYING triplets in
current farce in Broadway theater. Prob
ably their salaries aggregate between $500
and 500 a week. They are a fairly clever
trio of comedians. and the remuneration
is doubtless satisfactory. But see how
much more valuable for amusement pur-
poses is born popularity than acquired
ability. At dime museum twin bows are
getting 500 a week, and the manager calcu-
lates that thev are drawing at least 81 600
TO his establishment. They don't do any
acting, but merely sit, stand and walk
about on a platform to be looked at Of
course, there Is something wonderful
about these real twins to lift them into
greater show value than the imitation
triplets ct the other house, and it is that
they are joined more inseparably than the
Siamese twins and as much so as Mile
Cristine. They are more singular than
either OF those pairs because they are one
individual from the waist downward. So
it would be more correct, perhaps, to call
them boV and a half. Anyway, their
monetary success illustrates the prevail
ence Of morbid sentiment among people
who 90 to shows.
The dime museum business is of
vastly greater magnitude considered from
the dollars point than most people have
any idea of. There are four big dime
museums In this city, conducted on the
principle of giving a big 10 cents worth
10 every visitor and chock full OF variety
show, freaks of nature and other ex-
chants and satisfaction of curiosity. The
proprietors are men of wealth. At the
beginning of the present year Tammany
hall, having entire control of the CITY de-
.,lt T.A 49,
ought to contribute heavily to
the annual campaign fund; so the
museum men were astonished to be mott
fed that their yearly licenses would not
be renewed, the reason for the refusal be-
ing that the law admitting minors TO pub
lie shows had been violated. This was
true OF the museums, as ii was OF every
theater in town, but the sudden enforce
ment of the statute against the lO-cent
places was 10 the nature of a demand for
election money. There was no corruption
in it, in the sense of official plumber, but
merely method Of supplying the sinews
of political warfare. The museums were
closed for a month and then, after
paving for their licenses in the in
direct way mentioned, they opened
for business again. The four rich pro-
prietOrs acted in concert for their mutual
interests during this period of rebellion
and final equalization. Having been thus
brought together. they asked of the Tam
many magnates as a concession earned by
contributing to the fund that what are
called the "snide" museums, numbering
thirty or forty in various parts OF the
town, sbe closed. This determination was,
therefore, carried out, and quite laudably
too, because these shows were outright
humbugs, with their six-foot giants. four
foot dwarfs, to say nothing of their swind-
ling devices. The general upshot of the
matter is that the four big and honest
museums are thriving greatly. Each Of
them expends not less than 81 900 week
in advertising, their announcements oc-
theaters in the advertisement pages Of
the journals.