The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-02-17
HEADED.

OF course said the doorkeeper,
we calculate in the dime museum
business to deceive the public q little
nov and then, but as it is done for the
amusement and instruction Of the pub
lie | don SEQ as any one has any call
to complain. Suppose | do exhibit a
freak that isn't quite genuine. II it
draws. it is because the public likes 1t,
in which case the public ought to be
satisfied. If it doesn't dl the public
doesn t pay ont any money to see it and
naturally doesn't feel that it is swim
died. Now. | was swindled once, and
pretty had. too, by an artificial freak,
and it was | and not the public that
suffered. IL You want to hear about it,
I'll tell you the whole story, though |
shouldn't like it to be known in the
profession. for it doesn't do any credit
to me as a professional man.
Il was exhibiting in Boston a good
many years ago, and l am free to say
that l was losing money. Boston doesn't
seem to care for natural freaks. 1t goes
in for philosophical and p~hilanthropic
freaks.
II don't like to lose money any more
than you do. and things were looking
pretty blue for me when one day a car
riage drives mp to my door and a chap
sends in word that he wanted to see me
on professional business. told my man
to show him in, and when | saw him |
put him down for Il rascal without wait
ing to hear HIM speak. He told me that
he had just arrived from Europe with q
two headed girl, and that she was the
biggest thing that any museum had ever
offered to the public. He had her with
him in the carriage, and | was the first
manager that he had called to see since
he landed.
"Now, | knew well enough that a
two headed girl is about the scarcest
thing that a museum can get hold of. ]
kind. and she was worth pretty near
her weight in gold.
Il went out to the carriage and had
Il look at the girl. There she sat, wrap
ped up in u big shawl. AS far as l could
see she was all right. Anyway there
We're two heads above the edge of the
shawl. and they were as pretty heads as
you could find in any English young Ia
dies seminary. Ii the two headed cir!
only corresponded to the sample I saw
in the carriage, she would be the big
gest attraction that Boston or any
other city had ever seen.
"Wcll. | Went back to my office. and
the fellow and | talked the thing over.
He said the girl was a L%aplander and
couldn't speak a word Of any language
except ~Laplandish. She was Is years
old and had never been out of her native
village until he had accidentally seen
her and hired her for a five years tour
of the world. So far he had not cxhib-
tied he1 anywhere. and he wanted her
to make her debut in my show SO as TO
give her a respectable standing in the
profession from the start. Her terms
were 500 d week and IA benefit every
six months, and he said that he should
ask any other manager 1925.
II told him to bring in his girl where
| could have a fair look at her, and then
it would be time enough to talk about
terms. He brought her in, and noticed
that she climbed down out Of the car
riage with considerable difficulty. The
agent helped her into my office, where
she sat down on the sofa and smiled at
me with both heads in a way that would
have been dangerous if she had tried it
on some managers that know.
There she u.s., said the agent. The
only genuine white two headed girl the
world has ever seen. Above the waist,
where she is Joined together. she is per
feet; two distinct girls, and good look
ing ones too. She's only got one pair Of
legs, which prevents her from walking
easy, but she is as strong and healthy
as they make EN-, and there amt the
least danger that she'll die on your
hands.
Then he spoke some ]gibberish, which
| supposed WAS Laplandish, to the girl.
and she drew up the hem of her dress
SO as to show two nice little feet, and
no more. Those feet ought to have
awakened my suspicion, for they were
the regulation Boston size. But | was
So anxious to find that she was genuine
that | didn't notice that there was any
thing wrong about her feet.
What do you say said the agent.
Isn't she q first class attraction:'
She'll draw safe enough, said l.,
provided she's genuine. L don't mean
to say she amt, but We got to be sure
about it before We can do any business. >
"'Oh 1t easy enough to prove that
she is genuine says the fellow. I've
got certificates from three Of the leading
physicians in Lapland. besides the aft
davit of her father and mother and the
parish priest. If they don satisfy You,
nothing will. aud | shall have to take
her to another manager.
Show me the certiticates.' said |.
Well, he produced them on the spot.
and they seemed all right. or course I
, couldn't read a word of them, but they
had a lot of sealing wax on them, which
is always convincing and had a genuine
official lock. "lnted the girl so bad
y