Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 179, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1920 — Had Barnums in Those Days. [ARTICLE]

Had Barnums in Those Days.

The love of monstrosities, which are usually mere freaks of nature, is still common; but it would appear to have been more popular in the good old times. In the year 1742 crowds frequented the Mitre, Charing Cross, London, to view “the largest Thames monster, or miraculous man-eater, that was ever In the world. As a boy was washing his mop this surprising monster caught hold -of it in his mouth, and had very like pull the boy into the river, but he calling out for help, several men came to his assistance with great difficulty dragged this mon ■ter out, and he lived four hours after onr shore.”