The sun., 1903-05-17

ton. A cage was built on a platform in
tie, place and the portieres from Pilsy's
bedroom were used as a curtain TO cover
the cage. The bars were Ills from an
iron fence purchased al secondhand
lumber yard
Into tnis cage they put Plsy's fatherin-
law. with his hands shackled to a heavy
chain. His only clothing was a pair OF
trunks, and as he had prepared for the part
by keeping away from barber shops for
two weeks his face was covered with hair
They taught him that at a signal. each titne
they had lured a crowd into the place, he
was to roar and growl and rattle his chains
Then when Brnrker raised the curtain to
give the crowd a chance to gaze upon the
Wild Man from Rockaway he was to show
his teeth and jump at the iron bars as if
II" was trying to get out.
When they opened the museum up for
business Bcnck stood on the sidewalk
pointing to tn" pictures on the canvas
and shouting for trade. Meantime Pilsy's
daughter in the box Office was grinding
sQu"aky music from a hand organ they
had hired in Pearl street
At I he end of the first week when they
figured up accounts they had made $500,
charging 10 cents admission, and turning
a crowd out every five minutes. They
kept it up for three weeks Then they were
compelled to find new attraction, so they
hired seven girls, whom they picked up
in tn" street, to sit in short skirts on the
platform and pose as candidates in "a
as coming from PHILADELPHIA another from
Boston, a third from Chicago, a fourth
from California, another from New Or
leans, one from St Louis and another from
Buffalo.
all day. They kept this up until the police
ordered the place closed. When they re-
ceived word that they must shut down be-
cause they had no license they asked for a
weeks time TO get their expenses out of
it, They then advertised in out-of-town
papers and sold the museum to man from
The West who paid them $500 for the trap
pings and good will of the place.
The police put him out after few days.
In the meantime Beneker had gone to Coney
getting there in time to put in profitable
season.
In the following wint er Beneker lost his
money by bucking he tiger in an uptown
gamhl ing house. Since then he has been
following the fairs through he country and
doing all sorts of things. He has worked
AZ hotel detective in the les of the West
and he has found employment as n railroad
conduct or.
To-day he is on the road with a novel
show, having with him another old time
Bowery museum barker known as "Blub-
, ber." Many years ago Blubber barked for
Barnum's side show, and among circus men
he Is considered one of he best barkers in he
Nv lltS itISo III all oI
the freak roles that have ever been put
ON the programme of a Bowery museum.
He has posed as the tattooed man, has
played the ossificd man, exhibited himself
as the living skeleton and the human pin.
cushion. With the aid of carpenter and
a costuiner he was able to make a hit as
Chang, the Chinese Giant year after the
real Chang was in his grave. He has done
the head grabbing act" known to the
public az phrenology, and has sai for hours
on platform in Bowery Museum, posing
az the Albino Girl.
The partners had Il remarkable show
during the week that Barnuri & Bailey's
Circus Vas in Brooklyn. They exhibited
man whom they announced as B1sco. the
great Australian snake eater, naming
their exhibit after a snake performer well
known throughout the country. Their
Bosco was n tramp whom they had pick ed
up out side the circus grounds, and by filling
him UP with whiskev had induced him to
do the sna ke-eating act.
After leg sing a space near the big circus
they put up a tent and got Brooklyn bar
tender to paint on canvas the picture Of
wid-eyed man eating sns kes. They ex-
plained 10 their Bosco that it would be easy
to bite the heads from small garter snakes
and black snakes and then pretend TO 'eat