Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-06-12

ager Taps has memory lhnk.
According to Manager T. +. Sackett
Of the Bijou theater, Isaac W. Sprague
was the first unnaturally or abnOrmally
thin skin and bones man to be exhibit
ed to the public under the title of "a
Giving skeleton. it was during the
palmy days Of Barnum's Greatest Show
on Earth, and while that celebrated
Snowman was raking the continents III
search of curlosities III 1864 Incident
ally Mr.. Sackett was in those days with
Tony Pastor. Mr.. Sacllett was acting as
doortender, manager and all around
man for Pastor. He had previously been
out with Mile Christine, the two
headed girl, and had an eye ont for
freaks When tho Tony Pastor show
reached Florida, Stone 50 Murray S cir
Gus came there. Tho old inhabitants
will remember Stone 81 MuTay's show.
1t was contemporMeOus with Dan
Rice's, Tbayer d Noyes' and afterward
with the John Robinson circus. With
Stone d Murray was Isaac W. Sprague,
the living skeleton. Mr.. Sprague had
been discovered by Barnum in Massa-
chusetts. He was the first living skele-
ton on record since the discovery of the
world by Adam. And Sprague was a
real living skeleton too. He was moth
ing but skin and bones, yet he was
healthy and jolly.
In 1868 Baluum collected several Gu
riositcs including Sprague, and sent
thcm for a tour Of the world. Sprague
was the big card. Next to him was n
skeleton woman, nearly as attenuated
rs Sprapue, whose name has escaped
the wonderful memory Of Snowman
Sackctt. Among the other freaks with
which Barnum expected to and did as
tonish the world was Joyce Heth, the
colored woman he picked up in the
south, supposed to be 12j years old; the
"Woolly horse" and Annie Swan, the
first giantesS ever on exhibition.
SmGgue, on the steamer going over
20 London. fell desperately in love with
tie skeleton woman She returned his
affection, and, according to Manager
~ackctt, who was on the voyage, it WAS
q s.eht for the sentimental to observe
the bltug ana cooling of these attenuut-
ed specimens Of Pharaoh lean kline. "
The outra love affair gave Barnum a
business hirf, which be was not slow TO
take auyu4t-go OK. On their arrival il
dear old "Lmnon' the Snowman adver-
tiscd and hTalded the astounding fact
fey and wide that on certain day there
could be seen az st. james hall (where
,Eey Wore showing something that the
world had never before witnessed, name
~, The marriage Of two living, breath
iug skeletons. lie also announced the
fact that never before in the annals Of
show business had such thing as the
wedding of freaks been performed in
public. THIS was fact too
OF lie enthusiastic crowds which such
unique announcement drew, or the
iuterc ting conduct Of The living skele-
tons, welded III the presence Of "as-
somblel thousands" Manager Sackett
Is silent But be tells Of a fact, how
ever, which is Of such interest that it
was recorded in medical works, but
never before has seen the light Of news
paper prbl.cation. That was that
year after the marriage Of the skeletons
the wife bore q child which also was
Giving skeleton.
Stranger s.iIl to relate-but Sackett
stakes his fortune on the truth Of it
'w0 other children were also born TO
Mr. and Mrs Sprague, and they were
also Of the skeleton mold. For many
years aiterNard the parents travelled
with their unuaturally thin offspring.
aud added TO the stock Of the worlds
establishment. including both crowned
heads and those that were bald. The
original Spraguo AID his wife are dead,
bat tho three skeleton children, now
younP men, are showing about the coun-
t.y, healthy, happy and rich.
Tins is the only case or succession Of
cases in medical annals where father
and motEo transmitted the disease Of
wasting atrophy to their offspring.
Mr. Slckett also tells of another weird
case That came under his observation in
his peregrinating show days. Major
Burnoll, celebrated Snowman Of the
sixties, found pair Of freak twins in
the south, the offspring Of ,olored pee
pie. One Of the twins, boy, was black
as Kongo stock. The other, girl, was
~ liALt d4DlllO ilb It'l NuEuEtu llIt
twins for his show and exhibited them
Tor years The albino girl grew up and
married an albino in the west. The
offspring of the marriage was a baby as
black as the ace of spades OF course
this enhanced the showing price Of
Charley and his albino wife, and Major
Burnell increased their salaries accord
tngly.
ID. K. Prescott was the discoverer If
the far famed Sleeping Beauty, whom,
&c found in Tennessee in the sixties. He
brought her to st. Louis. She was a
young girl Of surprising beauty, with
but one fault discoverable. She slept
nine tenths of the time. She was the
greatest puzzle the medical men had
ever seen. 1t was one of these latter
who deprived her mother Of fortune
and Prescott of one Of his most popular
auriosities. The young doctor was left
alone in the showroom one day while
the beauty was sleeping as usual. His