Sawdust & Spangles: Stories & Secrets of the CircusCoup, W. C. (William Cameron)
History
Sawdust & Spangles: Stories & Secrets of the Circus
Coup, W. C. (William Cameron)
Circus
They played, as I have said, to phenomenal business. For two weeks
thousands of persons daily struggled for the privilege of paying ten
cents to see this amusing fake. At the end of that time one of the
employes betrayed the secret to a reporter and the attraction was
rendered valueless. Strange to relate, the success of this "fake" was
the means of bringing from Europe the original dog-faced boy, "Jo-jo,"
who for several years drew a good salary at the various dime museums,
but never created so much excitement by virtue of his genuineness as
the "fake" did.
THE TWO-HEADED GIRL'S THREE-HEADED RIVAL
Millie Christine, the "two-headed nightingale," had been exhibiting in
New York City, and public attention was called, shortly afterward, to
the fact that a lady with three perfect heads would be exhibited on a
certain day. Now, this strange being was really an optical illusion,
built on the same lines as the ghost show invented by Professor Pepper.
Three girls were used, and all portions of their figures not intended
to be shown were covered with a black cloth. The whole illusion is
merely an effect of light and shade.
Still another "fake" that not only "drew" well but positively deceived
the whole New York press, was the "Dahomey Giant." About 1882 a very
tall specimen of the African race walked into an Eastern museum looking
for work. He was actually over seven feet in height, and had never been
on exhibition. Knowing that his value as a negro giant would be but
little, the proprietors resolved to introduce him as a monster wild
African. After consulting Rev. J. G. Woods' Illustrated History of the
Uncivilized Races, it was determined to make a Dahomey of the tall
North Carolinian. A theatrical costumer was set to work to make him a
picturesque garb. A spurious cablegram was issued, purporting to be
from Farini, of London, stating that the Dahomey giant had sailed with
his interpreter from London and would arrive in Boston on or about a
certain date.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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