Year: 1879

a person who has great liking for look
ing at giants, and dwarfs, and abnormally
thin and fat men and women, and other
such entertaining natural curiositics, was
walking down the Bowery one cold night
last wintcr-wallling pretty M.sllly to keep
warm, and looking with some interest Mt
the art treasures hung up in front Of the
museums-whcn he heard deep bass voice,
evidently coming out Of the gutter, saying:


81 won't go there any more. There's no
use saying another word about it. l tell
you won't it, I've lost ten good pounds
now, and another week of it would take off
ten more and ruin me- won't do it, and
l think it's Il shame to ask me. But I've
been imposed on and run over ever since
I've been with you, Shameless" "


1t was two o'clock in the morning, and
the streets were almost empty. The speak
er was sitting OIL the ourbstoncs talking to a
gentleman in long ulster and a silk hat.
He was the giant from the museum directly
in front of which he sat, and when he spoke
his whole 400 pounds shook with emotion.
With chivalrous spirit that rebcllcd at
seeing the strong impose upon the weak,
the person took the liberty to ask the gen
tlcman in the ulster what was the trouble.


ooh, he's tho most unreasonable giant
that ever lived, " said the gentleman, who
proved to be the giants manager. sIIe
ought to live in Fifth avenue hotel, hc
ought"


"Now, Tony, said the giant in whm-
pering voice that sounded like thilds,
''you're not doing nc fair; you know you
arc not. All ask is enough to keep up me
'ealth But I've boarded over in that place
till it's beginning to tell on me. 1t don't do
for me to lose flesh; flesh IS money; and for
me to be fed continually Oh oat meal and
dried peach pies will soon take the bread
out Of my mouth. Get nc placc where
I'll have enough to eat, and LII go; other
wise I'll stay here till you find policeman
big enough to pick inc up"


The person was moved with sympathy
for the sufferings Of the giant, and before
leaving hi to his uncertain fate made an
appointment to meet him next afternoon in
the museum, and possibly give him some
useful advice. The giant was found the
following afternoon surrounded by crowd
of admirers, each Of whom insisted upon
pinching his legs, to mako sure that he was
human. In q lull in the proceedings the
|. giant gave the person this little insight into
the private affairs Of living ouriosities


'Now, Pm not like dwarf" said tho
giant-(which was very true, his height
DCiiS q uiiO oFci olSht iCct - u uWNTl Can
60 without eating a long time, and rather
improve his appearance. But must eat.
Feed giant, and starve dwarf-that's
the idea. In the Bowery, here, there's
more than hundred people that the public
has to pay to get sight Of OF course, it
is pleasant to be distinguished, and to be
courted by the people, and all that; but then
such q life has it's troubles, too. You see,
1t wouldn't do for us to mako ourselves too
common in the streets. If giants and
dwarfs should once be common in tho streets
tho business would be done for; so we have
to be boarded near to the exhibitions There
is place two blocks up from here, on the
other side of the street where they board
nearly all Of us, and we go up in wagons,
late at night; yes, that's tho reason you
never scc us in public. There's tho Austria
lian children board thore, and tho Circas-
sian lady, and tho Tiny Tins, and the fat
woman, and the fat girl, and the living
skoleton, and the tattoocd man, and two or
three dozen moro. Well, they send us two
meals a day from there, and then when we
go home at night we have another meal.
That makes us three meals day. The
boarding house-keeper says he loses money
.