The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-09
EARL ADJUSTMENTS
SHOWS ENJOYED BY NEW YORK
ERs A HUNDRED YEARS AGO,
queer Relics Exhibited by PeaIe. the
Artist, in PhiIadeIphia-Wh John
Bonnin b @came Shopkeeper.

WOHuSIAui Slk NV OI Ills winch ne DuQOr
ously described as consisting of three
moral bares, kangaroo { a amoozin' lit
tie RaskaD-Gwould make you larf YER
self to deth t. see the little cuss jump TN
and squeaD qax figgers of G. Washing
ton" and sci eral other worthless. The
"amoozin' lit lie kangaroo" was produc-
tive of many laugh but, of course, no
one thought Ct asking for the show Yet
had the humtrist lived a century before
his time, and In all seriousness made the
same announ sment. he would have been
rewarded by groups of curiosity
willing TO pair their money and see the
show, however meagre it might be.
1t took very little 10 amuse our ances-
tors The bel innings of Barnum's fam
Gus museum lind che many lesser lights
of the lime variety can be traced far back
In our countrT's history. Monstrosi.ies
both animate and inanimate, have excit-
ed the curiosity of human nature in all
ages, and the settlers of our thirteen col
onies were ever ready to pay for the priv
ilese of seeing peculi 1ri,ies of that sort
While we may not be surprised, there
fore. that such cur.osities attracted at
tention, it is amusing to see how much
respect was paid to objects which are
now considered commonplace. A lion or
a monkey was q positiXe luxury and our
native animals of the woods, such as the
elk and the moose were frequently ex-
hibted. AS late as 1895 New Workers con-
sidered ii great treat to see a live Afri-
can lion, and his good qualities supple
mented by crude wood cut were ex-
tCcsvely advertised in the papers of the
day. Mr. Joseph Hobby was the owner
of the sovereign of animals as the ex-
hibitor was pleased to call him. The lion
in
in Chatham street, and to quote the
words of the clever Snowman, Great at
tention has also been paid in providing Il
healthy and pleasant situation for those
ladies and gentlemen who may favor the
proprietor with their presence This no
BILE animal is between three and four feet
high, measures eight feet from nostril to
tail, of beautiful dun color, between six
and seven years old, and is uncommonly
strong built. His legs and tail are as
thick as those of common-sized OK. He
was caught in the woods of Goree in
Africa when a whelp, and brought from
thence to New York. He is as tame as
any domestic animal whatever and is
really worth the contemplation of she Gu
rious. Price of admittance, two shili-
ings."
When Monkeys Were a Scarcity.
The scarcity of monkeys is apparent
from an adVer isement in the Providence
Gazette of Feb. 4, 1872. Natural Curos-
ity. A monkey about three weeks O d
20 be seen at the house of Peter Daspre
az the south end of this town. This sing
ular little animal meri the attention of
every curious person. rs il is perhaps the
first of the kind ever seen in North Amer
lea. It's face and ears are white and
very much resemble those of the human
species!" For half a dollar apiece the in
habitants of New York in 1885 could gaze
upon an elephant kept in a small house
on Lower Broadway. Children were per-
mitted to view that natural wonder for
half price, and it was expressly stipulat-
ed TINT nobody is allowed to give any
thing to the elephant bat his keeper"
Philadelphia had the honor for several
yeers of possessing the only museum of
curiosities in the country. II was known
far and wide as Pelle's Museum, ana lis
proprietor was the famous portrait paint
err and engraver Charles Wilson Peale.
He started his museum in 1854 The per-
fed bones of a mammoth lately unearth-
ed in Ohio laid the foundation of his col
lection. The newsDap- rs encouraged his
efforts and while some good things We're
obtained from time TO time, il is amusing
to look back and see the simplicity Of
some of his great attractions. In a liz
of additions in June, 1890 we find live
American swan, an East India goose,
that curious ANNA! the OHposum, with
nine young ones. q pair of Megul SIP
pers. a piece Of the I3astile. the skin,
dressed of the leg and thigh of an In
dian killed by Gen. Sulivan's troops in
their Western war the finger Of famous
officer in the Bri ish army, executed in
Philadelphia for murder; a land crab
from jamaica the foot of an Africa deer.
and a copy Of the Alcoran in Arabic
P,aIe's Moving Pictures and Trans
PRrcucies.
One room was fited up as @ picture
gallery, in which many of his own paint
igs were hung. He also devised Il sys-
TEN Of moving pictures, and on special
occasions exhibited transparencies, illum-
mated paintings OF prominent Americans.
which were very popular for many years.
After Washingtons death Peale drapsd
his museum in Black and exhibited "a
transparent painting Of Washington,
which, we are told, drew "A large con-
course of spectators" Peale's museum
was originally in a small building adjou-
o. ing the house on the southwest corner
of Lombard and Third streets. In 1902
the state of Pennsylvania allowed the
museum to occupy the upper rooms OF
the old State House i'm Philadelphia. In
1920 il was Incorporated under the name
of the Pbiladelphia Museum Company,
with Benjamin Franklin Peale as man
oyer and Titan II. Peale. the youngest
son. curator Charles Wilson Peale died
in 1927 at the good old age of IS years.
His last work was a full-length portrait
of himself, painted a the age of SO, which
is now in the Philadelphia Academy.
Several years before Pealc began to en-
terrain his ne ghbors with his collection
OF curiosities. q quaint character was en-
deavoring to give intellectual entertain
ment to HE inhabtants Of New York.
This was John Bonnin, who exhibited a
philosophical optical machine. camera OBJ
scuras, and gave numerous lectures. His
most prosperous year was 1850, and he ev-
identity made his influence felt as a fav-
orabl nowspaTc~ shows: The common
topic discours- here since the coming
of ' Donnin = entirely changed. In
stea the conmCn chat. nothing Is
scare mentioned now but ~ Uoet en-
tertaining parts Of Fu~ore VIII p ere rep
resented so livey in NJ. y '@ uri7us
Prospects" INF. r'nnff - f"' Alr Bon
min. he soon found tNat H. ''uij not make
financial success in If, from mere in
telectuel abii les. and in May he became
a shopkeeper giving his reasons for this
step in the most open-hearted manner.
John Bonnin Hereby gives notice to
his Friends and Wellwishers that af Ell
having tried many different ways to sup
port himself and family, though with the
utmost Honestly and Care. yet not being
attended with desired success, has now
by the assistance Of some Merchants
opened store in Crown Street in the
house where Capt Howit lately lived
near Mr.. Abraham Lofts. Where may