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50
SAWDUST AND SPANGLES
THE SALARIES PAID TO FREAKS
The spread of the dime museum craze created a great demand for freaks and a consequent rise in their salaries. I know I am violating no confidence when I say that at various times the following freaks have drawn weekly the sums set opposite their names:
| "La Tocci Twins," | $1,000.00 | |
| "Millie Christine," | 600.00 | |
| "Wild Man of Borneo," | 300.00 | |
| "Chang, the Chinese Giant," | 400.00 | |
| "Chemah, the Chinese Dwarf," | 300.00 | |
| Ordinary giants and midgets, | $30.00 to | 100.00 |
| Bearded ladies, | 30.00 to | 75.00 |
| Living skeletons, | 30.00 to | 75.00 |
| Armless men, | 30.00 to | 100.00 |
| Ossified men, | 30.00 to | 200.00 |
And as an offset to the above figures, I have heard of a tatooed man who would talk outside, exhibit himself inside, do a turn of magic, lift barrels of water with his teeth, and, as boss canvasman, superintend the putting up and pulling down of the show, all for six dollars a week. He must have been first cousin to the man who traveled with the circus simply to be able to sit on the fence and hear the band play.
