The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-03

were enormous, and a special coffin had to be made for her. Miss Mills often said
 she got her start in life on chicago's s eobblestones, and that she wanted the
 inscription on her monument to read,
 Here lies the original Chicago girl"
 A number of people in the city make a
 speciality of handling snakes. Blanche
 Alexander Zoa and Julenne all are snake eharmers, and have number of interest
 ing reptiles in their possession. They declare that at the end of the season
 their pets are anxious to return to the
 quiet and peace of Chicago as are the
 owners, and that on the road they often actually show signs of homesickness.
 The best known among the circles that
 affect red and blue ships, snakes, birds
 and flowers as permanent ornaments on
 their skin are John Hays. Barney Cruntz.
 Princess Lulu, Del F'ugo, on Halstead
 street. and New York Dutch The last
 gentleman was a sailor, and he declares
 that on one of his voyages he was ship
 wrecked, captured by a band of savages,
 and tattooed from head to heel by them.
 Fred Walters, the blue man, lives at
 Chicago Heights, and James Morris, who
 owns an elastic skin, spends his spare
 time in this city. The Spotted Family
 which consists of MT. Davis, his wife and
 three children, are often in Chicago. This
 family is part white and part black, even as to hair, like a calico pony on merry go-round.
 The atmosphere of Chicago is distinctly
 favorable for the growth of hair, as the
 testimony of several women will show
 Edith King, who is also midget; Mme
 dc We're and Zelda de Coopa are endowed
 with a considerable hirsute adornment
 upon their faces, and Mme. Taylor and Mamie Gay have hair upon their heads | that measures seven or eight feet in l length. There also are two Circassian l beauties in the city, Maude Hasset and | Irma La Telle.
 A slight variation In hirsute oddities | is found in the case of the Roys. This | family consists at present of a mother and son, altogethe CT the father, before
 his death, was a well known perform | CT. The Roys claim to be the only | genuine Albinos in this country, and | one of the most interesting features | in connection with them is the fact that young Roy is perfect type of the Albino It Is usually thought that the children of Albinos return to the | normal state of coloring.
 The large army of dyspeptics in Chi cago Is added to by some freaks who are the possessors of unusual vagaries in the way of appetite. The most rabld of these probably is Prof. Harrison, who lives upon tacks, nails and other hardware. Prof. Harrison can take q bite out of knife blade with the same ease that a less accomplished person nibbles at a cracker. Ardo, the human ostrich; Miles, the sword swallower and fire eater; Prof. Miles, the owner of q cast iron stomach; Mrs. Clifford, the only woman sword swallower, all min gle conspicuously among the elite of the show world in Chicago.
 
 tested to by the industry of some un- fortunates who have been deprived of their arms or legs, but, undiscoura ged, have carved out a place and a fortune for themselves with their remaining members. This is usually done with their teeth. Charlie Tripp, who has no arms or legs, but highly cultivated set of teeth, for many years made Chi cago his home, but he now has re- tired to Kansas. Johnny Huber one of the most widely known of this class Of exhibits, is the owner of a trained ani- maj act consisting of lions, tigers and leopards. But Johnny has deserted Chicago for Indianapolis as a stopping place between engagements. Barney Nelson, who is an armless wonder, still is living in this city.
 Just as an armless and footess state can be turned to advantage so can a superf1uty of feet be used as capital as in the case of Eli Bowen who has four feet. George Volney is able to dislocate his feet and every other part of his body MT. Volney has the distinction of being the oldest contortionist in the business, and he says that he has passed the great CT part of his 62 years in this city. One of the highest salaried freaks in this country is Captain Ringman, the man who does not know the feeling of pain The captain is so much in demand that he is able to pass only a short part of each year in Chicago, but he considers that his home. Captain Ringman is able to pass iron bars through sits in his flesh and hang weights upon them, but the climax of this act Is reached when he takes his eye out and passes a needle through it.
 Bill Doss is another freak that is the only one in his class. MT Doss is called the human telescope, as some strange formation of the bones of his chest en- able him to fold himself up much as ths sections of a spyglass are showed to- gether.
 Dave Mushrow. the bear man, and Nicodemus the hog man, claim Chicago as home, and Alice, the dog-faced girl. before her death, was long a resident of Chicago. It is>not generally known, per haps but the Wild Men of Borneo be- came Chicagoans after they retired and died here of old age Psycho, the maid Of the mist, an electrical oddity, is in the city and Professor King, the paper king" Is passing peaceful old age in one of the suburbs surrounded by marvels of paper and other works or his gentle art.
 There are many more than might be named but enough have been given to show the existence of a remarkable class of people pursuing their eccentric exist -f..l.