The Washington herald., 1921-11-08
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.Dn By Day
Impressions
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1Onh' NOV. Tine only
dime museum left in Manhattan is
on Fourteenth street in a dingy,
decaying building. Upstairs are Of
fiees filled with doctors who treat
men only" The museum lure can
not compete with the pageantry OF
cinema palaces along the one-time
RiaIto.
twenty years ago Huber's
Museum on Fourteenth street, Doris
Muses. on Eighth avenue and the
old Globe Museum on the Bowery
were as much New York institutions
as churchills and Rectors-aIso
closed and shuttered.
At the Bowery museum. were
George. the Turtle Boy, and Laloo,
the East Indian Enigma-a small
girls head grew from his body. Roy
McCardell tells of a pool game IN
which George, the. Turtle BOY, and
Laloo were playing. Laloo pushed
the ten ball in the corner pocket
with his elbow and the indignant
Turtle Boy fairly snapped at him:
If You do that again I'll kick your
sister"
Sailors flocked to museums and
New Workers took their country
cousins. Emma Shaler, the ossi-
fled Girl; Lillith, the Legless Lady;
Madam Rosa. the Bearded Lady;
Corinna, the Clrcassian Princess
and Sword Swallower; George
Anger, the Welsh Giant; Enoch. the
Man Fish, and Billy Wells. the Iron
Skull Man, started on the Bowery..
In those days Dana used to have a
bright young reporter write a Mon
day Morning story weekly about one
of Bdwery's human curiosities.
There were theaters back OF the mu-
seums with tiny stages where some
OF New York's best known actors
got their start.
The plays were full of action
were The Dumb Boy OF Manches-
ter" The Ticket of Leave Man."
Little Sureshot, the Pride of the
Prairie" Death or Brooklyn Bridge
at Midnight" etc
extinct. They wore wide hats, ling
bone watch chains. flowing black
ties and fierce black dyed mustaches.
/ remember one in front Of Huber's
who called out: Passing. to the left
of the curio hall we have the Wood
Sisters-Rose Wood and May Hog
any" Always he got a laugh
Inspired by the appreciation he
would continue: -'On the right we
have Fiji, the one-legged camel.
Chained and shack-ul since birth,
boys, chained and shack-uld since
sfrrh!" Picturesque places they
were! And a young generation is
missing many thrills.
1dealsm sometimes dies hard!
New York's Town Hall was built a
year ago. an imposing edlfice where
in public opinion would have its
sway. 1t was a conSecrated forum
for truth. Engraved In marble across
the front were appropriate words
from the doctrine Of the Master. 1t
was intended that public spirited
men would make the walls ring like
those of Independence Hall and Fan
euil with addresses and debates.
Just now the Town Hall is occu-
pied by negro musical perform
ance with the gambling title Put
and Take" Instead of forensic
artists there are clog, buck and
wing dancers and shimmy shakers
from the heart Of HarIem's Black
Belt.
Bat Masterson passed on in the
editorial rooms of the Morning Tele-
graph, just as he wished to go
with his boots on. The last time
saw the old war horse was three
days before his demise. He was en-
tertaining a few old cronies in his
sanctum. Bat was the last link be-
tween the old West and the new. He
had many notches on his gun, yet
he never killed save in the line OF
official duty. He was a terror along
the old Santa Fe trail for years, yet
he was slight of stature and appear
ed more like meek, plodding book
keeper than the quickest man in the
old West on the draw. He knew
how to shoot from both hips and he
never missed his man.