The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-05

fact was forced upon me that hardly
a single skeleton among the countless
ones that we see from time to time.
Is composed of the bones which nature
originally placed, together.
In addition to the bodies that are
sent to the factory from the dissecting
school, l learned That travellers often
! have the curious desire to secure
what they know are genuine skeletons
of inhabitants OF far away countries.
Therefore, they obtain bodies of such
persons and after having them en-
balmed, send them to London agents
Of the skeleton factory who at once
see to it that the desire of the ship
per Is carried fout.G MANY such skele-
tons are to be seen today in the an
thropologlcal museums in different
parts of the world.
1t takes twelve months to put the
human bones in proper condition for
wiring. The first step, after the sub
Ject reaches the factory, is to cleanse
the bones of the flesh. The subjects
are therefore, placed in tanks filled
with water and picnic acid The next
process is that of boiling in strong
soda water, after which the subject ia
consigned to a tank. When the bones
have been thoroughly cleansed, they
are turned over to skilled ANTAGONISTS.
VINO Wire them together so strongly
that each is sure to retain its nrooer
place.
1t Is not always the case that the
bones are wired together by the
ANTAGONISTS as soon as they are in
proper condition. A visit paid to the
stock rooms of the factory indicated
tllat. mere were shelves upon shelves
on which were arranged with grew
some regularity skulls that seemed TO
represent every type of humanity that
mas ever existed Some of them had
peen' Tor one reason Or another. brok-
en- into pieces and We're held in proper
semblance by fine brass wires.
beneath these shelves. ranging up
ward from the floor to a height of
about four feet, We're huge drawers
niled with bones of every description
although they were not MIXED TO-
gether, but the different sorts serum
lously kept by themselves. There We're
vast heaps of ribs and thigh bones
Every one of the bones in these drawJ.
ers was lettered and numberad ID ''~ so
that when the ANTAGONISTS desired r.
WIRE a skeleton,9 they would simniv
write out an order, for exactly what
they wanted, by number and letter
ana the component parts of the
Skeletons We're soon brought to them
by one of the workmen.
Not the least important faat,,ro op
the skeleton factory is the task 0f
me me Workmen who make it possible
Tor the ANTAGONISTS to wire the hones
together. 1t may easily be understood
Illdt IN every bone there must he
bored a hole at. each end Of sufficient
SIZE TO permit the passage through of
Tor the bones split easily and ordin''
less. " ale USE
IN the work rooms, where the moro
uellcate portion Of the task of Dlacine
t ttie s sme!etons together is performed,
e lt ~ sit IS SO ODD that one really for
gets It's greWsomeness. Here an anato.
mist is engaged in putting together
the various bones which go to MAKE
up the hand. Another is putting tha
.anlshlng touch on the bones of The
ICot, just as the shoemaker carefuIlv
eAaliiiheS the shoe before he turns If
over to his assistant to he mod ~ -
sentable. When the task of tbe onate
mist IS completed, the skeleton is talS-
en- INTO an adjoining apartment and
mounted on a stand attached to Nv
IRON roo, or the ring which is insertad
ii ~ the skull is placed upon a hook
a. me END OF a rope which denends
LIN M ,'he, ceiling, and hangs suspended
l,..tqqFe fshoWroom.. of11thet factory - in
aicates perhaps better than ali elsa
ene exceedingly businesslike methods
VI Ihe establishment 1t is very Ia,,o.a
oIru tsht and lined with glass cases
oGai tanning specimen skeletons of
% [e1e. uWdrls, negroes and strange
1e en6s uiS TII by travellers in foreign
laiius. Ihen there are skeletons ~
CRIMINALS with the name. date of oN3 VI
ecutl0n and record of the crimes IN
sltacned labels; skeletons of males .na
lGHIdies OF all ages; shelves of bahu
11heietons, huge Of head and small re
"0oy' ana others of all sorts.
s+re vas d strange place, and the
sIrangest of all things to me was tbe
absolute nonchalance of evervbo ne
apout' Ihey appeared to consider tho
Shelelon business nothing more ont -
the ordinary than the selling Of dr,,
goous or the manufacturing of TOYS
L 90 not believe that one of the ner.
suns IN TINS place, over which, it seem
funeral pail always hung. had anv 't ne
.nat physical fear of the discarded
mortal tenement that exists in tba
heart or almost everyone.
learned in the course of investi-
saung fhe matter that the London
sheleton factory is an offshoot of
parent establishment in Paris which
mas existed for nearly a centurv
also learned that a similar institution
was IN full operation in New York ana
that Doth places were as busy as thew
could CO.. possibly be filling the orders
ms. ms Is, perhaps, accounted for bv
me statement to me by we'll posted
N--tNH NSii IlOuSdIu skeletons
year are needed to supply the demand
Personality, l Think this is, an exag-
geratlon, but the demand is certainly
very great.
The Partisan factory is under gov
eminent supervision, but it's secret il
wen guarded, and few persons know
of it's existence, outside the male or
tnose who have daily business connec-
[Ioh herewith The factory in New
L Ork is located on, I have been fold
1t Is called. the East side, though !
am sure L do not know where thai
reglon is. 1t is said to employ nearly
hundred persons. One of the most
curious things about these establish
ihehts is the fact that all about them
IS Kept secret so we'll. One would think
IN employing so many persons The
FACTS would leak out, but they do nor
seem to-
Certainly the skeleton factory is one
OF the most curious Of modern instf-
buttons. 1 would not if
however, to any one who is inclined to