Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-25
FREAKS NOT SATISFIED.
Managers of Museums Troubled
Over the Situation.
CASE OF THE BRAZILIAN TWINS.
In Utter Folly They Allowed Them
selves to BE Severed and Have
Sunk Into ObIiviOn-Hov the Won
derfuI Operation Was Performed.
Twin Freaks Now In Existence.

Sunk Into ObliviOn-HONy the Won
derfuI Operation Was Performed.
Twin Freaks Now In Existence.
Museum managers are wrought up
over the news from Rio Janeiro that the
Brazilian twins, Rosalina and Maria,
who We're born Joined together, have
been so successfully operated upon
that they will work out their exist
ences separately, says the New York
Telegraph. This is but another demon
stration that surgery and medicine are
fast becoming exact sciences and will
soon make malformation and abnormal
corporal phenomena easy of correc-
ton.
In unpleasant truth freak explOiters
fear a shortage in their peculiar COM
modities. They see the Ossified man
visiting DR.. FIeshly's twentieth CEN
fury fat promoting emporium and re-
turning with neatly nodded form and
demanding back salary. They fear the
bearded lady will become envious OF
her pink checked sisters and answer
the advertisements of connections war
ranting the removal of superfuous
hair, with the promise of roses and
cream complexion to follow.
"Only the other day." said Snowman
Huber recently, Il caught the agent of
an antifat establishment talking TO the
$50 pound woman up in my balcony.
That fellow shot through the door a
moment later without the fOrmality of
receiving back his admission fee. 1
would not have minded it SO much If
the woman had not only listened to
him, but actually wanted to try his
treatment,
Just think of that! But all freaks
are the same way. They get more mon
ey for less work than any other class
of people in the world except bloated
bOndholders. but they are not satisfied.
Every mothers son and daughter of
them wants to be like ordinary people.
They won't be persuaded it's grand
thing to be unique. And look at the
gratitude of the thing, We make them
fame and money, but they want TO run
us out OF the business"
Such walls and logic are heard up
and down the Bowery and lower Third
avenue in New York these days. Every
freak manager says his monstrosities
jump wildly at any chance, however
improbable. which may do away with
the means by which they earn a liveli-
monty held that freaks enjoy the as
their peculiarities create
and are proud OF their isolation.
The operation on the Brazilian chill
dren created establishment among the
men for several reasons. Their
greatest was that the parents of the
girls should throw away $500 per
week. Two managers said the twins
could have earned that amount indefi-
nitely, there being now a great dearth
Of good attractions. All considered it
wonderful the surgeons were success |
full. 1t was the common opinion that |
to separate persons so Joined by nature |
meant certain death TO both.
Medical men in New York agree that |
the operation was wonderful in its dar- |
ing. The children. who were 10 years |
Did, were Joined at their seventh ribs. |
Not only was there an osseous connec- |
ton, but their lives appeared to be one. |
BY means of y rays the surgeons saw
that the liver glands were perfect IN |
Zach. Early in the winter the ribs |
we're sawed apart. The shock to the
patients was so great it was deemed
necessary TO let them recover before
the separation. The liver
vas divided the other day.
There are now three pairs of con-
,ected twins in existence. All have
,een shown in New York city. They
ire the mulattoes Millie and Christine,
he double headed nightingale" of
south Carolina; the Tocci twins of Ital-
an birth and only two legs and the
Bohemian twins" The most famous |
we're the Siamese twins. They were
'orn in 1911. After appearing all over
he world as museum freaks they mar
led sisters and settled on a plantation
Il North Carolina. One died of pneu-
nonia. The other at once fell into a
tupor and was dead in two hours