Isaac Sprague

Isaac W. Sprague (May 21, 1841 - January 5, 1887) was an American sideshow attraction. His stage name was The Skeleton Man. He also appeared as The Living Skeleton and The Original Thin Man.  He was born in Massachusetts. Doctors were puzzled when he began losing weight rapidly in his teens. He joined a sideshow in 1865, then got a job at P. T. Barnum's American Museum in New York City in 1868. He married and had three healthy sons. He died penniless in Chicago, Illinois in 1887.

Early years  
Sprague was born in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Sprague, a shoemaker, and his wife, Betsey Sprague. He was a normal child who spent much time swimming. At 12 years, he began to lose weight quickly. His appetite was healthy. Sprague blamed the swimming for his weight loss, but doctors were puzzled. Parents were puzzled, because they were healthy and weighed as much as an average adult back in 1800s.

Middle years
Sprague worked in his father's shoemaking business and later in his father's grocery store. The more weight Sprague lost, the weaker he grew. After his parents died, he was too weak to work and was forced to leave his job. 

In 1865, a sideshow passed through town. He declined a job offer with the troupe, but reconsidered and joined the show. He appeared as The Living Skeleton or The Original Thin Man. He went to New York City and got a job in P. T. Barnum's American Museum at $80 a week. Sprague's job ended when the museum burned to the ground in 1868.

Last years 
Sprague married Tamar Moore, and sired three healthy boys upon her. He returned to work with Barnum and other showman. At age 44, Sprague stood five feet six inches, and weighed only 44 pounds. Physicians decided he suffered from extreme muscular atrophy.  He died penniless in Chicago, Illinois in 1892.

References

Notes
 Hartzman, Marc. 2005. American Sideshow. Penguin. Unpaged. 

Category:1841 births
Category:1887 deaths
Category:Entertainers from Massachusetts
Category:American sideshow attractions