The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-08
DOOM OF The dime MUSEUM.
RAD DAYS HAVE CONE UPON
THAT KIND or SHOV.
An Old Manager Declares I1at Cheap
Vaudeville and the Scarcity OF freaks
Have Ruined One OF the Most
Profitable Branches or the business.

dom sald q Onoc well known and we'll
TODD museum manager. who was asked
his views OF the decadence " that once
popular place OF amusement.
"A dozen years ago" he continued the
museums OF this country were making
more money than any Of the theatres.
but variety at cheap prices aud Il lack of
interesting freaks killed the business,
got wise about ak or seven wear ago,
pulled out my money and went into vaude-
Vile continuous-a ten. twen,' and thirt',
and kept ahead OF the game. Otherwise
il would have been your Uncle Charley
over the hills to the poorhouSs.
-There was a stage In the game when
all YOU needed was a ia, woman. a living
skeleton, a tattooed man and a Circassian
beauty, Oh something Of that kind TO have
a steady line OF people going in and out.
with big profits az the end Of every week.
There wasn't a town In the United States
OF over 10000 inhabitants that didn't have
its dime museum. II didn't cost much
TO start one. Two or three floors Of an
ordinary business block made ample room
for a curio hall and a little theatre. Salaries
were not high, and freaks. both natural and
manufactured. were plenty.
As n rule, the museums gave their pat
rons their moneys worth. In the larger
cities they were compelled by competition
to give a big entertainment Many pro-
vided in addition to their collections OF
freaks, good displays OF wax works. in
teresting relics and curios, besides a fair
stage show. The price OF admission was
40 small that all could afford it, and II was a
rare thing for a patron to complain that he
had not received his moneys worth.
But the museum had its day. There
are to-day probably not more than -four
in the entire country that are successful.
There is one in New York. one In Boston,
one In Philadelphia and one in Chicago.
There are a good many places that still
cater TO a certain class Of patrons and call
themselves dime museums. but they are
nearly all d~isreputabIe and depend almost
wholly on swindling games for their profit
Inca lculable injury was done TO the better
class Of museums by managers who per
mitted the int PRODUCTION of the various
forms Of s%windling Of their patrons. the
most common Of which were the envelope
game and the grab box, both In the nature Of
lotteries, In which the victims had no nance
whatever OF winning.
THE first Of the legitimate dime museums
was started in this city, twenty-five years
ago on the Bowerv. by George Middleton,
who had Just returned from a successful
tour Of Australia with an American circus.
He made money. but discovered a new aud
rich field in Chicago. where, in partner
ship with Charles T.. Kohl. another circus
man, he established three museums that
proved for wears immensely profitable
Both men became millionaires and live in
palatial homes In the most aristocratiC
sertion OF the Windy City. They owned
at one time museums in Cincinnati, Cleve-
land and Minnea polls, but pulled out when
II became apparent that there was no more
money in the business. They are now
chief in control of the Western end OF
the vaudeville trust, and own thue theatres
in Chicago and two in st, Louis-all big
money-makers.
I'm the early davs Of the dime museums
freaks were plentiful and nttrac'ive-,ha
il TO sav they drew great crowds-but to-
dav there are but few IN TIE market. Most
Of the high-pr!ced freaks are dead Among
these were Chang and Eng, the S'aInese
twins jonathan Hass. the wonderful o.
sifed man. Chang. the Chinese giant; Lucia
Z~arate.t he Mexican midget, and Col. Ruth
Goshen, Barnum's greatest giant.
High salaries were willingly paid foi
good freaks. but they were rot ~ big a.
some ma image claimed. Probably H.,
A"N - FARA ' 49, l'NA ~ ~ hAhA' w
" was drawn 10y the Mexican midget, LucIa
Iaraie. This mite Of humanity was only
nineteen inches tall and weighed but foui
and a half pounds She vas the daughtci
OF an ignorant Mexican Coupl" and Vas
| discovered bv a man who j. now a prom,.
nant theatrical manager IN New York n.
took her on a tour, also exhibiting with heI
Col Goshen. the giant. The contrast Ia
their sizes was something startling and 10.
tour Wa a succassful one. Iittia IuriH
- agg.VWluNN .sYV.a.aI la "a AVFH4 - .uY
ager- booking ID" dime museum circuits
She was laid ~, ?0O a week aud was on 81.
hib,tion Ia Chicago during The World
Fair, drawing thai salary during the en.
tire period
Not all fneaE- are born som. of then
are made. and made 10 order la thi'
city there j. an establishment that used g.
make 4 great deal 81 prom IN turning pu'
counterfeit Egyptian, Azt'~' aud M"Aicaf
mumini"-. m"ruuaii- and the Ike TIE
'aTdih Glaut vac one 81 ID" c%lrN"f'r|
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finding q numerous prfun"d budir- lie
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