The Washington times., 1922-06-18
The Old Stuff
Goes Great !

with his spooks on the lamp
- and wick circuit proves that
the old stun always goes great.
The acid test Of Time reveals the
fact that It goes best when It is'
shopworn. motheaten or much1
handled. :,
People are leary Of any take that
sDoGs too new and shiny. To get
q tumble from the mob 1t must be-
fairly familiar and reminiscent
The illusion must be practically
gone. a. that Of loilypop that has
been fondly licked down almost tol
the handle. Experiment BY yari.s.
ous astute showmen of all sort of
wares from Egyptian mummies tot
efficiency machinery for office or
home. proves that people much,
prefer the bunk with which they!
are acquainted and which their,
grandfathers before them knew.
An old fake is greeted as an old
friend. for It 10 sincere and honestl
Everybody knows 1t is only a wax
doll with a Goldfish tail posing asi
q mermaid and nobody is disap-
pointed. It IL only when pome
body trots out new exhibition OF
buncombe which they do not unI
derstand that the people rise on
their hind legs and voice the cry
Of the wild. A crooked bucket
shop Ia an ancient and honorable.
institution which IL greeted. on
its appearance, with loud acclaim
and enthusiastic patronage.
A crapehanger or weeping willow:
with q sliphorn. q hymn book. a
couple Of bushels Of sawdust fort
Q trail and q mouthful of ancient!
slang. can harangue the silver out
Of otherwise tight pockets ir the
name Of righteousness and live
happily ever after. The boobsj
know him. He has been storming'
mp and down the country and saw
ing 1t ever since Elder Cottonl
.Mather's COW Winnie was Q calf
The darned thing isn't saved yet,
and never will be, so this type Of
showmanship 10 more than likely
to be perpetual
So the experienced exhibitor;
avoids anything new that VIII
cause the audience to use It's COM.
mon sense and sticks to the old
stun. II an audience begins takinsl
Q thing apart to see what makes
Il tick, somebody 10 liable to get
up and tell the truth and Jazz upj
The works. The less people feel
called upon to think. the safer 10
the performance. A hosry-headedl
lie that has always been accepted
a. the truth gets BY on its rsputs-
tion. A ridiculous prejudice gains!
weight with sss. -,.
In other words. the antiques al
ways knock of. the persimmons.
They have tried many new,
Things, but have had only indifferi
emit success in putting them overr
The public did not want them;
They have had Q lot Of new appli.,
ances to fool them, but they have
always preferred something IKE,
the rabbit-in-thshat trick or lit
tie slats-writing. They would!
much rather bs bilked BY an old,
friend than by something they
never heard Of before. No magi7
elan really gets away with It un.
less he. wears large round cellu-
ioid cuffs and bulging dress suit
capable OF concealins q globe Of
goldfish. fourteen-quart pan OF
pork and beaas. q live goose. y
spinning wheel. three PekingeseI
small live pig and fifty or sixty
flags. II he IL not thus attired;
peopls have no faith in him, be-
cause he Is not playing the game
according to rule.
!, II q magician should come out
on the stage sttired in q one-piece,
bathing suit without mustache or
yapor-bath cabinet to deceive the
audiences, and should suddenly pro
1uce three kangaroos and q hippo
potamus By rubbing his palms to-
gethsr. he would Immediately be
q -