The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-06-09
Selling of
A Foreign Title

Acrobatus Tells How a Poor vene-
tian Bagged an American
Heiress Very Neatly.
For several years prior to the time
the Worlds Fair was held in Chicago,
Tony Genasco had travelled with his
father through nearly all the states
in the Union. In earlier days before
they had come to America, father
and son had been gondoliers on the
canals in Venice. 1t was in that way
that they had heard of the wonders
of this country, for American tourists,
when travelling in foreign lands, sell
dom cease to boast of the great things
they have at home, never emitting to
mention Yellowstone Park, Niagara
Falls or the Mammoth Caves the
night riders patrol. Hour after hour,
as Tony and his father padded their
gondola with it's load of passengers
through the canals, they would listen
to the weird tales about this country
that their passengers told them. At
last they decided to raise anchor and
seek their fortune in America. Ar
irving in New York, with several
hundred others by way of the steer
age, they Immediately set out to equip
themselves with the paraphernalia
with which they deemed it necessary
to make fortune. From a second
hand dealer, who had emigrated from
the auld sod" and whose name was
Moses Eckstein, they purchased a
hurdygurdy which had seen better
days.
Next they visited the American
agency of the Hagenbeck animal deal
ers. Here they bought large brown
bear and flea bitten monkey who
answered to the name of Jocko. Now
Jocko was no novice in the line OF
business for which he was intended
as he had made similar excursions
through the states and had been dill
igently trained to perform his part
If, whenever he would pass the con
tribution cup on the street during q
performance and bystander refused
to cough up'' Jocko was taught te
dig down." This he would do, too
and in so deft manner that it would
have made the average New York
dip" or Gypsy fortune teller greer
with envy to have seen him do it
So it was in this manner that they
travelled from town to town, always
walking from one place to the other
Occasionally, while on the road, they
would meet with some acquaintance
whom they had known in their native
city. These latter would generally
have a large basket with an odd piece
of oil cloth covering the top, strap
ped to their shoulders. These, too
had heard wonderful tales which ha(
caused them to come to our shores
But unlike Tony and his father, the!
had taken to selling five and ten-cen
notions.
Whenever they would meet as
have stated they would sit by tn
roadside and put each other wis
about the hostility of the towns the.
had passed through for those of thei
kind. In this way they had travele'
for several years until the Fall befor
the opening of the Worlds Fail
Then it was decided between then
that they would look for larger game
/ Chicago was selected as the plac
where they would spend the comin
| Winter 50 as to be on hand early il
the Spring. Now, of the time O
which l write they were in the las
town they intended to stop tbefor
going into Chicago.
! AS nearly everybody knows wha
kind of an exhibition a frameup 0
this kind gives, / will just say a wor
about the way it was pulled off o.
the last day as it was the same tina
day asall the precedingones. ALI hand
gathered in the center of the mai
street to tune from the hurdygurdy
Tony makes the bold announcement
that he will wrestle the bear. The
his father butsinsky and says: Son
4 time da bear she throw-a-da mar
SOM time da man she throw-a-d
bear After that stunt is finishe
Tony says: For half-a-doll' l NAL
heem climb-a-da pole" When til
bear is up Tony makes this propos
tion: For half adolf | max heer
COM down." Truly, p. T. Barnur
had the right idea when he said:
= a,.oko, is herr, ra.zorxr aoaond ,, Eo