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Reminiscences of a Showman

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Curious creatures of human form. Those whose abnormalities are so varied and so contradictory to natural physical attributes as to baffle all scientific explanation and leave them living enigmas as to why they were created by Him "who doth all things well!"

The marvels of mankind. Nature's fanciful and oddest freaks. Men born without arms, without legs; men and women of giant stature; miniature men and women of mature age and mind yet of infantile size; men who are impervious to destructive elements, and twins, united inseparably, by bonds of flesh, blood and bone! Men and women, too, of ponderous adiposity and extreme attenuation. People who became animated picture galleries by the use of the tattoo needle, and women with beards of abnormal growth. In fact every conceivable freak of birth or human life to make them the weird wonders of the world.

Giants as of Old.

Since the Biblical days of Goliath and the nursery rhymes of Jack the Giant Killer, men and women of prodigious growth have commanded respectful attention if not of awe.

The gigantic proportions of Og, Gog and Magog, the giants of the Tower of London centuries ago, are matters of history. Og was the tallest of the trio, and his suit of armor lies in that venerable pile where I have viewed it. Og is said to have been eight feet four inches high, but I doubt it from the visible appearance of the armor which he is said to have worn. The system of measurement has been changed from that of Og's time, when ten and one-half inches constituted a foot, but he must have been a tremendous fellow as modern measurements would make him about seven feet three inches.

Among the big people of our day and age, Chang, the Chinese giant, is likely to be long remembered of his extensive advertising and picturesque, appearance. His garb and make-up had a great deal to do with his extreme height, which was accentuated by reason of his flowing robes and rather thick soled Japanese shoes or slippers.

Captain M. V. Bates and wife, nee Anna Swan, the Nova Scotia giantess, were probably the two largest people ever united in matrimony, but I have described them at length in other chapters. Were one privileged to see them in real flesh and blood, the first impression would be that the tales of Jack the Giant Killer and the adventures of Gulliver were quite possible and had more solid foundation than mere fancy. This remarkable couple stood seven feet eleven and one-half inches in height and dressed neatly in modern evening costume when on exhibition.

Miss Ella Ewing, the tall girl from Missouri, was the next largest woman or giantess of which we have any record. Her home was at Gorin, Mo., when she was induced to leave that village to join the Barnum and Bailey show in strange and striking contrast to "Little Peter," the tiniest mite of mankind I have ever seen. These two antitheses of humanity became pronounced features to such an extent that they were made subjects of caricature during one of the presidential campaigns to illustrate the difference in "Little Peter Silver" (sixteen to one) and "Ella Ewing Wheat" at one dollar per bushel, which proved to be a most practical lesson as they stood side by side or were weighed in the balance.

Colonel Goshen, the so-called Arabian giant, was a man of huge stature, but he was not an Arabian, as the public was led to believe. I have recently been interviewed by the husband of his sister, both of whom are worthy colored people living in the South who were anxious to gain some information as to Colonel Goshen's property and where it might be found, as they claimed to be the only living relatives, and that he was born the natural son of the master and of a former slave.

Captain George Augar, who has attained great stature and made a reputation for himself both as a giant and very clever actor, and has been in very great demand by circuses and on the dramatic stage where he has impersonated the giant roles in specially written dramas such as Jack the Giant Killer and Gulliver's Travels, usually accompanied by his medium sized wife and a number of liliputians.

Mere Atoms of Humanity.

Of the many midgets that we have seen and known, undoubtedly Tom Thumb and his charming wife (Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stratten), will be best remembered because of their having been widely exploited in tours around the world under the direction of the renowned Barnum and the management of Silvester Bleeker, who traveled with them in all their long journeys. Mrs. Thumb, as a widow, married Count Rosebud, one of the midget brothers Margi, and is now living and enjoying good health at an age like all other ladies made known at her own sweet will only.

Minnie Warren, a sister of Mrs. Thumb, and if anything, more diminutive, was married to Commodore Nut, and together these four little people appeared in nearly every country on the face of the globe.

Commodore Foot and his sister hailed from Ft. Wayne, Ind., were extensively advertised and were capable of giving an entire entertainment by themselves.

Lucrecia Zaratti was a creature so small that she reminded one of a mannikin or animated doll and would have made a splendid companion piece to go with Little Peter, as they were nearly the same height and both of them became great because of being mere atoms in human form.

The Hovart family, or troupe, six in number, were likewise marvels in miniature, the largest of the group being smaller than "Tom Thumb" or his wife, and they were all possessed of unusual dramatic and musical ability. For several seasons this troupe constituted one of the leading features in the ethnological congress which included numerous giants and dwarfs in the Barnum show.

The Brothers Margi, previously known as "Count Rosebud" and "Baron Little Finger," were two of, the best-formed and well-informed little men one would ever expect to meet. They traveled with me in this and foreign countries, and they were always found very companionable and interesting. Both of them were accomplished musicians in voice and instrumental execution. The "baron" had for a wife a lady much larger than himself, who bore him two or three children, and "Count Rosebud," as I have stated, married Mrs. "Thumb," and together this trio are now giving most interesting entertainments.

Inseparable Twins.

The abnormal freaks of nature such as the Siamese twins, Chang and Eng, will remain long in the memory of those now living who will recall these dual characters as about the first united twins to appear in public. They had a long career as curiosities in the old Barnum museum in New York and elsewhere. These strange freaks were linked together by a ligament extending from breast to breast which enabled them to walk side by side or change sides with each other at will. The highest medical authority declared they were inseparable, and it was so proven when the death of Chang necessitated a surgical operation, which soon ended in the death of Eng. Both of these twins were married and each raised a small family of his own.

Mlle Millie Christine, or Christine Millie, an they or she were generally known, were also united by an inseparable bond. This dual character was a negress, and practically constituted one and the same person, with two heads, one body and four well-formed upper and lower limbs; the union, extending from the breastbone to the lower part of the body, was encompassed in one waist - "two hearts with but a single thought" - yet both capable of different emotions. Both heads were able to converse on different subjects at the same time. The voices were often blended in the same song. A touch on the foot or hand of one was distinctly felt by the other, while either could be engaged in distinct conversations on different subjects without interrupting the other. Taking all in all, they were a strange phenomena, and lived to an adult age, after having traveled the world over, appearing before royalty and other distinguished people in various countries. Their home was in South Carolina, where they were born.

The East Indian twin sisters, Radica and Doodica, were equally distinguished in their being ushered into the world as inseparable boon companions, and were for two or three seasons a leading feature among other curiosities with the Barnum & Bailey show. These young girls were united by a ligament closely resembling that which connected Chang and Eng, although, if anything, they were more singular in their habits and physical construction. When the time came for them to be separated or die together, Radica was removed from her sister by a surgical operation, which proved unsuccessful, as Doodica soon followed her sister to the grave.

La Loo, the double bodied boy, also from East India, was a strange freak of nature, carrying with him and growing from his breast the well-defined but diminutive form of a female with partially developed legs and arms, yet unmistakably a sister companion, which, to all appearances, had her head concealed in the breast of the boy up to its shoulders.

La Loo, himself, was fairly well educated, and by covering this deformity with a loose walking coat, he was able to make his way almost anywhere without attracting particular attention. He was for years a great attraction with many of the big shows and museums throughout the country.

The Missing Link.

Since the days of Esau we have had numerous freaks in human form, covered with hair from top to toe, but none of them more completely envelened with hirshute appendage than the Burmese family, which were secured in the King Thebold domain and brought to this country for exhibition with the Barnum show. This family consisted of father, mother and son, whose faces and the rest of their body were densely covered with long, silken hair, the same as on their heads. Their intelligence was far below the average and they more nearly resembled the animal species than anything human.

Jojo, the dog-faced boy, who closely resembled a human skyterrier, was another enigma of this kind that could not be traced back to any lineal ancestor of the same description.

A little later we had Lionel, the lion-faced boy, resembling young Esau, whose countenance was completely covered with long, flowing hair and a well-defined mane, extending down the back of the neck and cat-like whiskers underneath the nose. He was supposed to be a native of the Russian steppes, and was anything but intelligent or prepossessing.

Krao, who was described as the “missing link," every inch of whose person was covered with a luxuriant growth of hair, which gave her the appearance of being more than half human with many of the characteristics of the monkey family. Her hands and joints were extremely flexible and could be bent in all directions, while her hands were soft and delicate as a woman's. They were covered with hair and the fingers apparently jointless. Both cheeks of her face contained a pouch similar to those of the ape, while her teeth were of the canine order. This young girl was brought up as a show feature and closely watched through all of her years to maturity, closely studied by the medical faculty to try to ascertain her true origin and natural peculiarities. She acquired considerable education and was also very lady-like and mild-mannered in her personality.

As bearded ladies Madam Squires and Grace Gilbert were two of the most distinguished women of that character, both of them possessing long, full-flowing beards equal to any man; yet in all other characteristics of the female form divine.

Nature in her strange vagaries has given us many other human curiosities which have caused much speculation as to why they were brought into this world differing so greatly from normal man and womankind. Experience among them has developed the fact that they are endowed with much the same attributes of soul and sense, have the same feeling, same emotions, same heart interests as those with normal functions, organs and general anatomy.

"Came Into the World Half Made Up."

Yet we find such men as Eli Bowen, the legless wonder, who can do almost anything with his hands, even to walking, swinging his body between his arms instead of from his hips.

In direct contrast to this we have Charles Trip, born without arms, who yet paints, draws, sews, plays cards, writes and does everything with his toes that many other people would find difficult to do with their hands. He serves himself at the table and deftly lifts his cup with his toes to his lips, or adjusts his scarf before the mirror, and when Eli Bowen and Charles Trip are in companionship they assist each other in dressing, feeding and performing many friendly acts for the other with remarkable celerity.

We also have Albinos with pink eyes and milk white hair; fat women and living skeletons sitting side by side; sword swallowers and snake charmers vieing with each other in their own peculiar way for distinction and applause.

Elastic skin men, whose cuticle permits of shifting it from side to side with ease while some of them are known as rubber men (and I might say rubber necks), who are able to elongate themselves or contract their anatomy at will until they become "human telescopes" by reason of his mysterious faculty of extension and contraction.

The dislocationist or double-jointed individual who dislocates himself at every angle, is also a fit companion to the expansionist and possesses the ability to change his heart from the left to the right side, or to expand his chest to twice its normal size, or displacing the abdomen until the ribs and the joints of the vertebrae may be seen working through the skin.

The Whirling Dervish who dances upon pointed steel or penetrates his cheek and arms with needles and daggers or becomes a human pin cushion by sticking needles, pins, knife blades, stilettos and other long keen pointed instruments into his body without apparent injury, as a religious penance, is something to wonder at. The leopard children and fire eaters abound and the tattooed people convert themselves into living picture galleries by covering their bodies from hand to foot with ornate color scenes and designs equal to Cleopatra's needle for exhibition purposes only.

The Wild Men of Borneo, of whom we have all heard, were dwarfs who really came from the Isle of Borneo and were for years leading side show attractions with various circuses. These peculiar men, while small of stature, were possessed of remarkable strength, could easily lift and carry more than ten times their own weight, and like old "Zip," Barnum's original "What Is It?" who is alive today, were what we might call stock stars in the side show world as they were always on hand ready for work and never tired. But poor Waino and Plute, the wild men of Borneo, became tame and submissive when the former laid down and died and the latter went into retirement on account of the loss of his brother.

Thrilling Events.

Thrilling events, acts and features have long been considered essential in making up a circus program sufficiently sensational to attract attention and please the multitude.

Apparently the public craved for something to set its blood tingling to its finger tips or cause the heart to stop beating while its owner gasped for breath. At least such acts or performances were always well down on the bill and usually closed the show, and any circus without a thriller became quite passe.

The Human Cannon Ball.

The first of these early sensations was Zazel, an act imported from the Aquarium in London, where it was given continuously for over two years. This performance consisted of both human nerve and mechanical ingenuity.

A young lady of voluptuous build and athletic power was placed inside the mouth of a hugh cannon suspended in the air, and at a signal to fire an explosion took place which also released a rubber spring of great tension, and the human projectile was shot a distance of twenty-five or thirty feet, to be caught in a net stretched for the purpose. The breathless silence that always preceded the act only added to its intensity and the graceful bow of the young lady who had the temerity and muscular strength to withstand the shock and presence of mind to guide her flight, never failed to receive a round of rapturous applause.

The next thriller of any importance was Lu Lu, the human bird, only this "lady" proved to be a man who dressed in female attire and made up so artistically the public was deceived as to his identity for several years. This act was accomplished by the performer being thrown from a catapult and hurled clear across the arena from end to end of the tent and landing in a net much after the style of the female cannon ball.

Then came the high divers, who dove from great heights into small tanks of water to bob up serenely as though nothing had happened. Next we had Kilpatrick, the one-legged bicycle rider, who raced down high steps and inclined planes or climbed tremendous steeps with an automobile only to reverse its action and come down pellmell and dance attendance on one leg while he received the applause of the spellbound spectators.

Next in line I happened to find looping the loop on a bicycle in its experimental stages over at Coney Island. I shall never forget my first visit to that resort, in mid-winter, to see the act tried out for my special benefit. The apparatus, crudely constructed, was all ready. The performer ascended the incline, mounted his bicycle, hesitated, surveyed the situation, covered his eyes with his hand, dismounted and actually crawled down its runway, claiming that he was dizzy and would do the act another day.

The managers were profuse in their apologies to me. But I was not at all disappointed, as I had seen many great aerialists "weaken" in just the same manner, and refuse to undertake a trick which they had previously successfully accomplished; simply because of stage fright - or a premonition that something was going to happen. They could never be induced to undertake the risk again. I so explained to the managers, and told them to try to get another man, as I felt confident that one would never attempt the act again, and he never did.

A few days later, I was informed everything was in running order with another man, who was doing the stunt twice every day. I saw the performance, which certainly was a thriller, and immediately engaged it for the Forepaugh-Sells show, to open at Madison Square Garden, and it proved a most attractive feature for years.

The Dip of Death.

"Auto-Bolide," or the dip of death with Mlle. de Tiers as the fair and fearless chauffeur, was the thrill of thrillers that next came over from Paris to astound New Yorkers.

The apparatus used in the "Auto-Bolde" was of itself very impressive. It was divided into two sections. The first a long, narrow runway with curves and grooves into which the automobile glided through a loop at the lower end resembling the letter “S.” This runway was surrounded at an altitude of sixty feet or more by a platform upon which the auto rested until it was ready for thrilling descent and flight through space. The second part of the structure was a moon-shaped affair, into the circle of which the automobile made its aerial flight upside down, striking the incline curve and rushing to the ground.

The daring chauffeuse was drawn to the elevated platform, strapped into the car, and when all was ready released her machine, dashing down the runway with the speed of an express train. When it reached the curve the auto turned upside down, shot into space across an intervening gap of forty feet, striking the second runway, where it righted itself and rushed to the ground. The plucky driver then leaped from the car with winning smiles and waving hands to receive the thunderous applause of the startled spectators.

But it was always advisable to have an understudy, ready for this act, as there was no knowing at what time a mishap might occur. I remember upon one occasion for some unexplained reason the fair autoist declined to make the ride at a rehearsal of the apparatus, and it is well that she did, as it happened that some part of the appliance was not exactly true. The automobile, ballasted with exactly her own weight, made the decent, but missed its loop through the air and fell to the ground a demolished mass.

L'Tourbillon de la Mort, or the Somersault of Death, was a somewhat similar contrivance, with the exception that the automobile made a descent from an inclined plane, and when at the lower end of same it struck a spring which threw the machine and its occupant in a complete somersault, revolving in the air and striking another inclined plane with springs and weights to receive the shock. But this act was not considered a safe or satisfactory undertaking, as it usually ended in severe bruises to the lady rider, and fearing some serious accident, Mr. Bailey eliminated it from our performances.

There were several other sensational bicycle acts such as "Leaping the Chasm," or "Valo the Valitant," which were very sensational and the most graceful of all of these thrilling performances.

Also, "Leaping the Gap," on a bicycle, in which the daring rider accomplished the almost incomprehensible mid-air evolution by wheeling an inverted bicycle through space, executing a meteoric flight across a yawning gap without any support whatever, then dashing down a steep incline to wing his way around the loop, open at the top, then, oblivious to fear, leave the wooden support, fly through space, himself and wheel upside down, until the inverted wheel struck the opposite section of the loop when he glided to the ground.

These scientific and mathematical inventions, with their fearless manipulators became a sort of bane and annoyance to the conventional circus performers who looked upon them with a great deal of distrust and derision. I recall a rather peevish and sarcastic remark of Frank Melville, our equistrian director, to the effect that about the only thing he could do in those days was to dodge bicycles and automobiles that filled the air and the arena.

More recently we have had the Balloon Horse, rising to the apex of the canvas, apparently with an inflated balloon, and surrounded with a pyrotechnic display of fireworks. And again the Kinetic Golden Globe and other devices wherein the motorcycle, automobile and bicycle, our modern inventions, together with their daring exponents play important parts.

Ski sailing, a Scandinavian winter sport, with much of its wondrous daring, was also transferred to the circus, by the use of an inclined plane with an inverted turn at the bottom, and after the style of the platform used in leaping the chasm, but instead of using a bicycle the long wooden skies were lashed to the sportsman's feet, after he had ascended the imitation hill, and when all was ready the ski sailor would glide down the incline, shooting like a rocket until he reached the upward curse, when rising like a bird into the air a glorious picture of daring in the dizzy and dauntless flight, he would leap the chasm, landing safely on the other side in the twinkling of a star and slide along the hippodrome track until he came to a full stop.

Ski sailing is one of the popular winter sports of Norway and the Scandinavians of the far northwest, where great hills and heavy snows abound, and it was with a great deal of apprehension that it was undertaken to reproduce this act under cover as a circus performance, but it was successfully accomplished and continued to be a great attraction for some time. It is now featured at the New York Hippodrome.

A circus without a "thriller" of some kind is like an egg without salt or playing "Hamlet" with the principal character omitted. The public expect it, and successful management demands it.

Tricks That Kill.

Previous to the advent of mechanical "thrillers" the most sensational feature of the circus was that of long-distance leaping and somersaulting over elephants, horses and other high objects. So great became the rivalry among noted athletes and gymnasts in this line spirited contests were often brought about and numerous lives were sacrificed in attempts to excel each other. The leaping act, in which all acrobatic members of the company were required to participate, consisted of all inclined plane or "run," as it was designated, erected on jacks or horses, terminating at the lower end with a springboard from which the leaper would vault, revolving through the air, passing over the objects and landing on the leaping tick placed to catch the performers and break the fall.

Frequent claims have been made as to the number of somersaults turned by different artists in a single leap. A good leaper must turn at least two, and the best make two and a half revolutions in a single flight. A triple somersault was considered next to voluntary suicide, and several broken backs or necks are recorded. Colonel T. Allston Brown, the historian of theatricals, is quoted for some of these facts, and my personal acquaintance with the recent world's champions will serve for the rest. It is stated on good authority that Jim Meyers, a well-known American performer, one of the cleverest in the business, who married Rose Madigan, daughter of the old manager, Hank Madigan, went to Europe, and while on the continent made a feature of turning a double somersault over a line of fixed bayonets held at charge by soldiers in battle-array.

The first man to attempt a triple somersault was a performer in Van Amburg's circus in Mobile, Ala., in 1842, and he broke his neck in the effort. William J. Hobbes was the next to make the attempt, at Astley's Amphitheater, London, England, in 1845. He, also, was instantly killed. The next one was Johnny Aymar, who had been successful in turning doubles, and was the original to accomplish this feat, going over four horses. He also tried a triple on the Isle of Wight, England, in 1859, landing on his forehead and breaking his neck. Sam Reinhardt, a noted performer, while traveling with the Cooper & Bailey show, became overly ambitious to excel all previous efforts in doing doubles, and tried a triple at Toledo, O., in 1870, making a high leap, turned twice and a half, alighted on the flat of his back, and was disabled for some time. Billy Dutton also essayed the feat, but failed, and never made the second attempt. Bob Stickney is also said to have done the trick while practicing at a gymnasium, alighting in a blanket in a lump, but never alighting on his feet. Frank Stark, another old-time performer, undertook the feat in Indianapolis, Ind. He, too, alighted on his head, dislocating his neck, and died in a few hours.

"Johnny" Worland.

The only person living or dead who has ever accomplished this hazardous feat successfully, one or more, is John Worland, a gentleman who has traveled with me in connection with some of the big shows, and is now living at Corning, N. Y. I shall offer his picture for publication, as he is today a fine specimen of manhood and an honored citizen of the town in which he was born. "Johnny" Worland, who at home is known by his family name, John Comosh, was apprenticed to the famous Worland family of acrobats. He followed the calling for thirty years or more, and during that time visited many foreign countries and traveled with all the big shows and was always noted for his proficiency in many lines. He has been known to throw a triple somersault six times in succession from a trampoline board.

His first attempt to throw a triple over horses was at St. Louis. Mo., in 1884. He made three trials, first over five horses, landing on his back. His third attempt was more successful and he succeeded in landing on his feet. The next time he tried it was at the little town of St. Louis, Mich., with Howe's London Circus in 1876. This time he landed on the leaping tick in a sitting posture. He did it again at Eau Claire, Wis., in 1881 with the Forepaugh show, and a few days later at LaCrosse, and on both occasions at the afternoon performances, and to settle any dispute on this subject various members of the company made affidavits to these facts. The last time that Worland accomplished this feat was at New Haven, Conn., October 9, 1884, with the Adam Forepaugh show, in the presence of the mayor of that city and many newspaper correspondents.

The act was duly announced and other performers ran down the board throwing single and double somersaults, after which Worland made the run and threw the triple, landing on his feet as straight as an arrow, to receive the applause of the multitude. It has been seriously doubted that a triple somersault had ever been accomplished before an audience after due announcement, it being claimed that such a feat, if done, must be an accident and not preconceived, as many expert double somersault throwers assert that after the second turn is made they lose all control over their mental or muscular faculties. But Mr. Worland had completely mastered the double somersault and would never attempt a single, which made him absolutely sure of his energy, and when he undertook a triple he did not run as great a risk as others who made the attempt and failed.

Several other noted leapers, including Billy Batchellor, Danny O'Brien, George Bliss and Frank A. Gardner, were considered world champions for long-distance and double somersaulting, and Frank Gardner was also one of the best bounding jockey riders that ever entered the ring. He came from Galesburg, Ill. When he first entered the profession at a salary of $10 per week he was alluded to as the "Galesburg Pudding," but later, when a big feature of the greatest shows in the world, drawing a salary of $250 per week for his acts and defeating all comers, besides taking his own show to South America and touring this country on different occasions, his reputation became worldwide and unchallenged.

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