Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-17
PASSING HOBEH'S.
The Last Show Place Of the Freaks m
New York.

/ Museum on 18th street the ldSi uiiilo
museum in Greater New York If not i'll
the entire country disappears. Yet "
wears ago the dime museum had am
important place in the amusement
world The moving pictures are sup
| noscd To have FASTENED if they did rot
bring about its disappearance.
MANY amusement seekers OF TO-DAY
can remember the time Wien the
Bowerv was lined With dime mu-
seums. Huher's, q little further up
tcwn. remained the best of the lot'
but no visit of country relatives was
considered complete without a trip 10
the old Globe Dime Museum, on the
Bowery above Houston street. and the
Gaiety. on the Bowery just ABOVE
Canal. In addition to these three big
museums there We're perhaps 20 Others
many OF them fakes, and a big muse
UNI over on Sth avenue, opened ana
conducted for several years by JoDn
T. Doris, the veteran Snowman, who
still be seen occasionally on Broad
way. These -four first class museums
| in 1893 worked in conjunction with
similar establishments in other Dig
cities and played the freaks on CIR
cult, lust as theatres now play Dig
| companies.
| Most of the dime museums were i'll
| buildings three stories high, though
Huber's had a fourth story Wherc
George Huber kept small menaSerie.
The downstairs floor was usually the
theatorium or amusement hall, and
the visitors we're carefully guided up
stairs first. This was the cutio hall
for the freaks, who We're arranged on
platforms around the hall while the
professor" explained things.
On the next floor was usually the
museum of natural history, wax
| works, collections OF coins, bits Of
rope supposed to have been used III
hanging murderer or lNnening 4
Negro, daggcrs said TO have been
taken from criminals, reyolVers, hand
cuffs. etc. Sometimes there WAS n
glass worker. who sold his products
as souvenirs. Later. in some OF tho
museums they introduced the penny
| in-the-slot machines.
| At the height of the museum craze
! the amusement hall on the first hooi
| was the most important and profit
able department of the enterprise
The visitors, having been guided over
the two upper floors. and paying from
10 to 30 cents for admission, were
carefully conducted To the door oil
the theatorium. where an additional
nickel or dime was demanded.
The shows given in the museums
were generally condensed melodramas,
made from dime novels or standard
81 INN
no case over 30 minutes Given in a
small hail. on n small stage. but with
real scenery made of paper. and
change OF scene for each act, these
dramas were really more successful
than might be imagined. They were
| played by regular museum favorites.
who became just as popular in their
own field as the higher priced stars
at the regular theatres.
| Carrie stanley. famous along the
| Bowery Is years ago, was the leading
soubrette of the Globe Museum, and
with her husband. Charles Il. Burns,
| produced a new play each week, Civ
| ing sometimes as many as 10 or Ia
| presentations a day, according to the
| crowds. The plays We're usually con"
densad versions Of such classics as
The Corsican Brothers" THE Count
of Monte Cristo." Uncle Toms Cab
ill.," 1.-THE Two Orphans" and Lady
| Audley's Secret
The most popular favorite of the
| Bowery museums was Fanny Herring
| who was soubrette at the Gaiety
Like many of the other museum lead
ing ladies, she always played male
| roles. She had tie leading roles II
such dramas as THE Engineer D,tec
tive. or Tracked tn His Lair" in Wlicf
she wore a dress suit and d mustache
and appeared as an athletic young mar
ABOUT town. Fanny Herring retired
from the museums about 10 wears ago
and died at Sunsbury, Conn, thre
years ago at the age OF 90. IN
played the male roles until she wa
over 50.
!. ''TEe Professor at the museum
was always q big card. There Wer
J two who became famous in New ior
resorts. The one at Huber's Away
wore a dress suit, was smart an
dapper and usually recited poetry /
trying to move his crowd Oh from on
freak to another. For instance. j
| calling attention 10 the armleSS won
der he would spring something Xix
| this:
| A marvel of deXterity,
| Ne arms with which to do his work.
! No task so great that he will shirk.
| Next is a wonder oft denied,
| The lady who is ossified.
Her entire body turned to bone,
The greatest wonder ever known.
And 50 on indefinitely, in logger
| verse, which was changed ct any M
ment to suit tho exisencies ot the o.
. casior As the people passed throue
the han Of the freaks It WAS "it'
customary Tor one freak To eNchan;
a time worn iok" With another Urea
This was supposed to entertain 4
crowd in an impromptu Nay, One
| the fayoritc museum Jokes WAS thi
Fat l.ady-DiG YOU hear the awf
news about the India Rubber Boy?
The Dog Faced Eoy-No. tell II
about him.