The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-17
FREAKS IN A CIRCUS.
They Tell How They Enjoy Their
Experiences.

She was an inquisitive woman, and
she was watching the freaks of the
! Barnum & Bailey circus, the other day.
She had watched the peculiar gyra-
| tons of the Imperial Russian troupe of
| dancers, and puzzled her brains over
the awesome feats of Tomasso. the hui
| man pin cushion, and she had wonder
ed how on earth Beautiful Marie, the
fat lady, managed to get around com
| fortably with her 4O6 pounds of solid
! flesh. Presently she stopped before
the platform of Trippe, the armless
| wonder.
Pardon me- she said, ''but how on
earth do you-er-freaks manage to
get any good out of life? Seems to me
you must either be in here exhibiting
yourselves, or else hiding away some
| where for fear some one will see you
| without paying the price of admis-
| sion?"
Trip had listened patiently, in spite
| of a slight elevation of the browS at
| the use of the word freaks" But the
armless wonder is a gentleman under
any and all circumstances, and he an
swered coureously:
I'VE have many ways of enjoying
life. Even sitting up here on plat
form to be stared at has its compen-
sations. Just think what a wonderful
opportunity we have for studying hui
man nature. Every kind and condition
of men and women pass before US. We
look down and we see courtesy, kind
ness, rudeneSS, SelfiShneSS, hate, love
all the peculiarities of human nature
pictured before us on a screen. Why,
madam, what could be more interest
ing to an observing man or woman
and I assure you there are many such
among the prodigies-than to run the
gamut of human passions as depicted
in the faces and by the manners of
the thousands who pass before US ev-
cry day"
what then?''
1--WE have our means of personal en-
joyment. OF course, it depends upon
the individual, just as it does in the
professional world The human prodigy
has the same feelings, the same senti-
ments, the same sense of pleasure in
pleasurable things as the rest of hui
mainly. But, it is as you say, much
of the time we are compelled by the
very nature of our profession to keep
aloof from the public. If we became
too common in the eyes of the world
we would undoubtedly lose our value. |
Nevertheless, we have our enjoyments. |
Miss May, the gfantess, for instance, is |
an expert needlewoman. That occupies
many spare hours. Lionel, the lion |
faced boy, strange to say, has a great
eye for beauty in nature, and makes |
many pretty sketches from nature. He
is learning to paint in water colors, |
and that keeps him pretty busy dur
ing the hours that would otherwise be
idle, the Coryeap TwinS-and by the |
way, there is the most remarkable ex-
hibit since the days of the Siamese
Twins-are learning photography.
am nySGlI an enthusiastic amateur
photographer, and I am teaching them |
the mysteries of the camera. Like my
self, they develop and print tl-eir own
pictures. 1 have q collection of nearly |
five hundred photographs taken during /
the Barnum & Bailey tour of Europe,
from which we returned last fall. l
also take all my own photographs. 1 |
pose some other person in order to
get the correct focus; then take the
position myself, and allow my compan-
ion to press the bulb. All the personal
photographs I sell are made in this
way"
How do the midgets enjoy themselves
during off hours?''
''They probably get along better than |
some of the other 'prodigies.' There are
five of them, and that makes plenty of |
company for all. At the hotel however,
and also on the road, they have to be
retired to a great extent, and they are
consequently thrown upon their own re-
sources for entertainment This sum-
mer finds them busy at their English
dictionaries. The Hovarth midgets are
Hungarians although like most of the
Magyar people, they also speak German
huently. Mr.. Bailey disc )vered them
in Vienna In a little midget theater.
Their great objection to coming to this
country was their unfamiliarity with
the English language. Now, l notice, /
they spend all their spare time study
ing the peculiarities of American
speech. and before the season is over