New Britain herald., 1928-03-24
PERSUASIVE fAKIR
 VAN|SHES FOREVER
Made Cleanup in Nimble Nickels
 and Dancing Dimes

institution in themselves, patronized by more customers in a single night than the total number of lndividu- als in the great stream that passed in and out of some of the Main street stores in two or three days. they seem to have slipped into obliv- ion. regulated out Of the way by city ordinances and state laws until they are but a memory Of another period. Like the circuses and the ole sWlm- min hole, the fish pole with the line Of string and the pended pin for hook. the fakirs of ycsteryear will be something 10 explain to the youth Of years to come. None but the men who know them will ever be able to do them justice In ies- cription, nor will any but those same men ever adequately appraise the worth Of the fakirs as a source of entertainment and amusement
 East Main Street Like Bazaar,
 On Saturday evenings a fe" years back, there were medicine men vendors of fountain pens, razors, soap, euspenders. belts, buckles and dozens of other similar articles sta fioned on the north side Of East Main street from Main street east for a distance of 52 Or 15 feet, while a short distance south, on Conner cial and Main streets were others, not as numerous. however, as the first group, because the latter had more room on account of the width of East Main street. Along about the middle of the afternoon the fakirs busted themselves arranging their stands. Some had only small cases of the folding type. with sup ports that always seemed in danger Of collapsing with disastrous results, while others built stands of packing cases. the better to elevate them selves for the editication of the crowd on all sides.
 AS soon as dusk fell. the kerosene lights were rigged up and the hally- hoo started Out in front was loud voiced man believing forth the great healing properties of some sort of medicinal oil. It would cure any, thing that anyone ever had and number of things nobody in the crowd had even had or heard of anyone else having had. It was for men. women and children, horses, dogs, cats and everyone and every thing else and it generally sold for about half the price of other medl- cines in stores Gall, of course. ac- cording to the fakir.) Stories Of crippled men who had been restored 10 normal health by the use of a few doses of the great fluid rolled off the tongue of the super-salesman like water off greased boots. and as l.e warmed up to his subject, ht could make his listeners cry fol shame | the very thought of being without bt least one bottle.
 Sus-pendcrs !-
 Nearby. the spectator could find smaller layout, consisting Of small. black case. on the top Of which were several dozens of sus- pcnders. The barker in this outfit did not bark. He was an old mar with snow white hair. wearing [ plain black suit, white shirt, white collar and black tie, and in a 10" monotone he held forth on the su perior points of his products. stretch ing them at arms length and snap ping them to prove their elasticity As a rule, not more than handful of the Saturday night crowd fingered around this stand. The old mai was too tame, and his goods tot commonplace.
 Another strong voiced ballho artist was the big fellow with tn cowboy suit and the tanned face O the outdoors man. He sold soap an' only the very best brand, too. II admitted il and he wanted evcryon on Main street to know it. Selecfln a boy or two from the crowd. h proceeded 10 shampoo their hai with a vigor that threatened 10 sna their heads off, much to the deligh of their i1uddies with the torn trous CTS and stone-hruised feet down 1 the front. Just q few drops wer needed and in few seconds ther would be developed the finest lath ST anyone could wish. and not onl that, but this soap cleaned ever speci< of dirt away and left sanl ,ary, wholesome condition that coul not but drive away disease. The sa h demonstration, many Of the pros pective patrons walked away Tor tea the big shouter would knock ther down and take their money trol them, so rough and persistent did h seem to the more timij men in th crowd
 Razors. Pens. Buckles, Etc.
 Then .herc were the fellows Hf whittled away great chips frol wooden blocks with ordinary razor only 70 vank hair out of hand switch and split it 10 denons'rat the exceptional quality of the biad not 70 mention the fountain De fakirs who stabbed the wood wit tho points as though they "e1 made c. the strongest metal. \ sorts of oin'ments, new style slldln buckles with monograms and othf goods were laud.d 10 the skies. an some of them found q ready nlarke The .akirs having no "oNerheaG except the cost of licens@, th" transportation and kerosene. fh' svsre able to und"rsrll local dealer rrd ur7douht cdlv 'he latter felt T com petition for some ot the str" corner mon "rlayed' East Ma street year afte. year Tor q long tim
 Probably the oldest of the grou and undoubtedly the man who ne t.el as much profit as tho others. VI the electricity man" Year 'n ar year o'ff. h. took lip his stand