The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-29
FAMOUS MERMAID
Of TIE JAPANESE
One of the Fakes That Lasted
a Long Time.
STORY FROM WASHINGTON
Tale with Many Interesting
Points Is Told.
STORY FROM WASHINGTON

J streets. Northwest, which is one of the
remarkable old curiosity shops of the city.
+, The establishment has been running since
1872, and during that time three genera
lions OF Hancocks have made point OF
! collecting things rare or likely to be of
/ interest to future generations. Among
| these is one which cannot be duplicated
elsewhere, and which deserves to be pre-
served as a curio that is a landmark TO
the history of frauds and fakes. The OBJ
iect is nothing more nor less than what
in the past has been variously known as
a Japanese MERMAID Fiji mermaid"
! Chinese mermaid" ETC.. declares the
| Washington Post.
For ages the Japanese and Chinese
have been experts in the making of mon
strs and fabulous animals. Give a Jap
anese the tail of dried fish, some man
key or pig skin. and a little wool Or cot
ton, and he will turn out a mermaid
which, If found lying on the beach by
| one acquainted with its history, would
| be taken for the dried remains of just
such creature Several centuries ago,
I when European ships found their way in
! to japanese waters, the Japanese heard
deal of merInaids and mermen from
the superstitious Portuguese, Dutch. and
English sailors, so much that finally one
day shrewd workman constructed out
of piece Of dried fish and part of
monkeys skin and skeleton what looked
for all the world like a dead mermaid that
had laid Oh the beach for several weeks,
until the skin and body were thoroughly
nummifed. This Of course made a great
sensation among the ignorant and super
sdtious European sailors, who purchased
the fraud at high figure. Finding they
could sell these humbugs at astounding
prices, other Japanese and Chinese began
making fake mermaids which, when they
sold the INTO the sailors, they alleged
came from the distant South Seas. near
the Fiji Islands, etc.
Europe and America did not hear OF
these mermsiAs, however until along
q bout l622. whe nan English sailor took
one to Lenden. whore it created an i'm
mense sensation, and even puzzled the
men Of science of that day and time
Finally it remained for Barnum to exploit
the ma tier, which he did some years after
this mermaid reached London. Speaking
of the matter in his memoirs and life, he
says:
"A curiosity, which in an extraordinary
degree served my evsr-present object Of
extending the. notoriety of the American
Musum (Barnum's fourth venture in the
amusement line, located on Broadway,
and about the worst collection OF hum
bugs and frauds ever gathered together
under one roof, was the so-called 'Feejee
Mermaid 1t has beenu supposed that
this mermaid was manufactured by my
order, but such is not the fact. 1 was
known as a successful Snowman, and
strange things of every sort were brought
to me from all quarters for sale or ex-
hibition. In the summer of 1912 Mr.. Moses
Kimbar of the Boston Museum came to
New York and showed me what purported
to be a mermaid. He had brought it
from sailor, whose father, a sea captain
had purchased it in Calcutta in 1922 from
some Japanese sailors. l may mention
here that this identical preserved speci-
men was exhibited in London in 1922, as
fully verified on my visit to that city
In 1858, for l found my advertisement of
1t in an old file of the London Times, and
a friend gave me a copy of the mirror,
published by J. Limbsrd. 335 Strand, No
vember 8. 1922. containing a cut Of this
same creature and two pages of letter
press describing it. together with an ac-
count of other mermads said to have
been captured in different parts of the
world The mirror stated that this speci-
men was the great source of attraction in
the British metropolis. and 800 to 400 peo-
pie every day paid their shilling TO see
it
This was the curiosity which had fall
en- into AIR. KimbalIs hands. 1 requested
my naturslstss opinion of the genuine
ness of the animal, and he said he could
not conceive how it could have been man
ufactUred for he never saw a monkey
with such peculiar teeth, arms, hands,
etc and he never saw q fish with such
peculiar fms; but he did not believe in
mermaids Nevertheless 1 concluded To
hire this curiosity and to modify the gen
eral incredulity as to the possibility Of
the existence Of mermaids (Which was
evidently not a very hard task IN those
days, and to awaken curiosity to see
and examine the specimen invoked the
potent power OF printers ink.
Since Japan has been opened to the
certain artists in that country manufac-
ture great variety OF fabulous animals
with an ingenuity and mechanical per
lection we'll calculated TO deceive No
doubt any mermaid was a specimen Of
this curious manufacture. I used It mainly
70 advertise the regular business IF the
museum and this effective. indirect ad-
vertising Is the only feature can com
mend in special show. OF which I con-
fess l am not proud Newspa pers
throughout the countr yc0pied the nsr
maid notices. for they were novel and
caught the attention OF readers. Thus
wa sthe fame OF the museum as well as
the mermaid waited from one end of the
land 10 the other. I was careful 70 keep
up the excitement. for knew that every
dollar sown in advertising would return
IN ten sand perhaps hundreds in a futare
harvest. and after obtaining al the no
toristy possible BY advertising and exhIb-
itiug the mermaid 81 the museum I
sent the curiosity throughout the country.
directing my agent everywhere = adver-
tise II as From Raruuul's Great Aue-i- /
can Museum. New YorA- The effect was
Immediately felt: money flowed IN rapi-lg.
and was readily expended II more sd
vertisinc'
such. in brief. IS the history OF one %
the most gigantic fakes ever perpetrafed
upon TIE American public TIE ''FiJi rsr-
maid" Old Neutrality-suspicious. have = dis
tiact recollection OF this hoax. ard %
how the people nockee 70 see What looked
like q rnura-nessd monkey with 4 hsa's |
act that tie mermaid ozssaess was more