West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-06-10
SOME FAMOUS H0AXES THAT
HAVE FOOLED MANY PEOPLE
Newspaper Men Were Taken IN by
the Monkey Picking Cotton Story
-Barnum Put Many Over
Brian Hughes is Champion Joker
of New York

eph Mulhattan, who conceived a hoax
that fooled many newspaper editors,
aroused the negroes OF the North and
South and amused "A nation. Mulhat
tan originated the story that mon
keys were to supplant the negro cot
ton pickers.
Mulhattan told the story so often
that his earnestness made some news
paper men who printed the story think
II was possible. He figured IL out on
paper as paying investment The
monkeys. OF course, would receive no
wages. so that on the face of IL much
would be saved in the cost of picLing
the crop. Then. 700, the monkeys
would increase rapidly. For a time
the story that monkeys would sun
plant negroes in picking cotton was
believed. particularly as the expert
ment was being tried on Louisiana
plantation The address OF the plan
tation, however. was so vague no one
was able TO locate il.
Barnum loved TO fool the people. A
rival Snowman obtained white ele-
phant. Barnum by telegraph tried to
obtain il and offered a huge sum. The
owner of the real white elephant used
Barnum's telegram ss a newspaper
advertisement and poster, which made
Barnum the more eager to get the
animal. Failing in getting the white
elephant. he cabled all over the world
to get one. Then he resorted TO sub
terfuge. He bleached an ordinary
elephant, and did IL so we'll that he
not only fooled the people who came
To see II but also a learned body of
scientists. who gave MIN a testimonial
TO the effect that 1t was a genuine al
bino elephant.
Another Barnum hoax was the giant
OF Cardiff, which was really a hoax of
a hoax. Barnum failed In getting the
real giant of Cardin, but that did not
deter him from showing the Original"
Cardin Giant
George Hull of Binghamton, n. Y.
and Rev. Mr.. Turk. of Ackley. Ohio
got into dipute about giants
Hull spent two years in the study
OF fossil remains and archaeology
Finally he got slab OF stone ~ feet
long. 4 feet broad ard 80 inches thick
and had 1t carved according to speci
fications
MT Hull very cleverly had the giant
carved so that therO might be a oues-
tion' or difference of opinion. as to
whether 1t was fossil or a pre-his-
toric sculpture. The giant" was rub
bed. scrubbed, bathed, washed and
prlckied with pores, an acid was used
that would take off the look of Chicago
and modernity.
Finally 1t was shipped. buried ON a
iarm or relative OF Hull and dis
covered" by a man digging a well
The digging of the well was plausible
enough. Delegations came from ALI
over the country. including both learn
ed men and curiosity seekers. So
great was the procession that IL be-
came quite profitable. and finally Il at
tracted Barnum's attention. He had
tailed to get the Cardin giant. but il
ala not take him two years to have a
replica OF iii n his museum.
No story OF hoaxes is complete un-
less New York's champion Joker is
mentioned. He is Brian G.. Hughes.
and he has perpetrated more than a
dozen jokes that have made the metro
polls chuckle To perpetrate these
hoaxes has cost him much money. but
in all of his tricks no one ever has
suffered particularly.
Probably his best known exploit
because 1t was so successful. was the
career Of his tom cat Nicodemus. a
tenement house cat he purchased for
10 cents, and which he advertised as a
$4,000 cat, mot for sale" In this case.
Nicodemus carried off first prize at the
show in Madison Square.
When Hughes decided to enter his
cat. which he termed Dublin brindIe
cat. Nicodemus." which he "valued
at $4,000" he inquired IF there would
be any objection, because of it's value
to having IL cared for during the show
by its regular attendant" There was
no objection. and when the show open-
ed a negro, probably "Sam" Smith
who had taken part in a number Of his
hoaxes. appeared in a gorgeous livery
During the time that there was a
crowd in front Of Nicodemus. Smith
looked out carefully for the smallest
comfort Of the animal.
A widely known florist sent flowers
every day; a celebrated caterer fur
nished the meals. at least the boxes
and baskets so indicated. Spectators
spent many minutes reading the long
pedigree Of Nicodemus. When the
judges looked over the flowers. the
manicure set the impressive negro
and the pedigree, Nicodemus blinked
at a blue ribbon attached to his wick
er cage. And then somebody whisper
ed II to the newspapers. and Hughes
and New York chb sKled. The flow
ers came from much cheaper place
than the box indicated; the food was
the scraps from the lunches of his
employees.
-R--