The times., 1899-06-11
Arts and methods
OF FAKIR MERCHANTS
Glib Tongues and Spectacular
Shows Catch the Unwary.
Panaeeas for Human Ills Draw Dol
lars to Curbstone Merchants.
ders, and Professors of Anatomy
Prominent In the Guild.

Prominent In the Guild
The Peace Jubilee afforded many forms
of amusements for yariously minded peo-
pie, and one OF the chief of these was tho
genus fakir. Considered as an amusement,
however. the fakir was hardly more inter-
esting than he was study. He offered the
usual badges and buttons for those whose
nature Graves personal adornment OF this
character. He offered souvenir spoons and
trinkets to be taken away to their Vir-
ginia and Maryland homes by visitors from
those States as mementoes of their soiourn
at the Capital. He offered official and SOU
venir programmes. He was ubiquitous in
many other directions with fruit and
candy, with popcorn, with lemonade and
other soft drinks, with a telescope for the
star-g -gazers at night. with patriotic red.
white, and blue hats for nickel, and with
flags.
The appearance of the fakir at the Ju-
bilee was not, after all, so much an at
traction in itself. however attractive this
may have been to the student OF the guild.
as it was a revival of the memories Of
fakirs in general who have visited Wash
who has watched the street-corner sales
man of loud voice and ready tongue for
man years. was moved. on recent even
ing, over the beer and sweitZer, to recits
these recollections:
THE first fakir l remember having OBJ
served occupied a vacant lot away up
Seventh Street for an entire summer dur
ing every good evening. He was in some
ways the most ambitious OF his class I
Y r. IL III
| two assistants had erected small stage at
, the back of the lot and a promiscuous
entertainment OF wornout songs and jokes.
with banjo accompaniment. was given by
them as preliminary to the serious BUSH
ness of the evening He had patent
medicine. a remedy for lung kidney. and
liver troubles, which he sold for a dollar
a bottle. Having attracted crowd OF
eager listeners by his old jokes and songs
almost as old. he had a marvellous per-
suasiveness in getting rid of his goods that
have never seen equaied since; perhaps
because people do really learn a little by
| experience, no matter what philosophers
| may say. | saw him sell sixty bottles CT
| his nostrum one evening in half an hour
He would describe its many virtues. while
his assistants went out among the crowd
and collected the dollars from the eager
seekers after health.
"Oniy few weeks ago I witnessed the
exhibition of the man who is. | suppose.
the legitimate evolution from this lower
order of fakir. He sold patent medicines.
| too and faxed them OF under the flare OF
the gasoline light in the same old way.
And he was eminently successful in his
walk of life as well. But there the like
ness of their methods ends. The old fakir
was lean and hungry looking man with
furtive eye for the police. meant to
frNfo hall
unlawfully smutty. The new man is fat
and prosperous-looking with VaRdyke
beard and a rich watch chain on his we'll
cut vest He drives to his place of busi-
ness in carriage and conducts his ezhi-
bition from the vehicle
This man has a wonderful diagram Of
the interior Of the human anatomy in col
ors exhibiting the same organs that the
old fakir talked about SO giibly- There
are no jokes in this mans talk He dis
courses learnedly on the pathology Of the
human body after the manner of lectur-
er in medical college as near as he can
initiate one 1t is even possiblc that he
may have attended a course of medical lee
lures and the thought is forced on one
that in his best days he may have been a
poor grade of physician himself. This
fakir sells innumerable boxes of his pre-
paratiOn after his talk is concluded 1
doubt however. il his new song and dance
is as successful as that of the other.
There is one fakir who has been prac-
ticing his arts in the city for many years.
| remember him at least fifteen years ago
with a corn salve. ard only yesterday |
saw him selling the back number official
programmes of the Jubilee for aickIe.
; Only a nickle,' he said Sold for %
cents. Full of interesting information
about the Capital City. valuable soUve-
, mir to take home with you He was max
) ing money, too. at this apparently hope
less task. \ souvenir programme week
after seems as old as an old newspaper.
When this man appeared in Washing
ton he was in the midst of 4 great corn
salve crusade. He wore Prince Albert
: coat. a silk hat and patent leathers- He,
too. exhibited his wares from the back OF
a carriage, hired by the hour. He made
: actual physical tests OF the efficacy OF MS
, salve by operating on small cOlored boys
before the multitude. This man sold his
customers box Of salve for 20 cents and
gave to each purchaser free. in addition
paper and envelopes, a pOcketbOok. and a
.Jananese silk handkerchief. l learned BY
investigation that the cost to him OF the
entire lot, salve and gifts was trife
under 13 cents.
..since that time this gentleman has
l faxed handkerchiefs. grease eradieator
needle. shoe polish. patent glue. and many
: | other dubious goods known 10 the eNper'
street-corner artist. He is, in my opinion
the prince Of his class. 1 hope he ha:
D made a fortune though 1 have been told
that the lot of the fakir is not bed o
!; roses. He is a tall thin man, with keen
u eye, a smooth tongue, not depending OF
I the 'patter' furnished him by the whole
5 saIers. as many do, and quick memory
| for all the new Jokes. He nearly always
seems to be successful.
THE man who paints landscapes in ten
j minutes is on a somewhat different plane
hut he belongs to the fakirs undoubtedly
A few years ago he visited Washington
He hired a vacant store on Pennsylvania
Avenue and filled it with blank eanYasses
He brought one or two assistants with hin
d TO sell the paintings after they were com
i pIeted. He wore a velvet Jacket and wor'
his hair a trife longer than the conyen'
: tionaI cut in fulfillment OF the popular
4 ideal of the artist makeup. He was clever
e in his way, OF course. and in ten minutes
u would paint a Scene on the Hudson, o
Twilight in the Old Meadow or Night
: fall or A Storm at Sea- quite up to th'
imagination of the crowds that gathered
to witness his exhibition and buy hi
works He had two sizes of works on
eight inches by sixteen inches which n
sold for $3.50, and one twelve by twenty