Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1905 — BEN WALLACE’ NEW WILD MAN [ARTICLE]

BEN WALLACE’ NEW WILD MAN

James F. Stutesman, of Pern, thus describes Ben Wallace’s latest oircus acquisition. ‘T see that my fellow townsman, Ben Wallace, has a great feature with his circus this season in the original wild man. The wild man came into Peru the other day all ready for his summer’s engage ment with the Wallace show. He came all the way from Arkansas and from'his appearance 1 believe he oame via the box car rou*e with several intermissions along the ties, “He is a great, big, strapping negro, abont six feet high, with a head on him like a peanut. He has feet that would put our largest elephant to shame, only he has six large toes on eaoh f«.ot, He is called “Shine,” and that name is about ail he>owns on thiß earth. “Shi n e” is very vicious indeed, especially so when he has on his war'paint, which consists of a large pair of tusks, which are inserted into his[mouth about time for him to appear before the publio. Huge earrings are also placed in his ears and to the innocent he is about as wild a looking individual as one would oare to meet. “It is ‘Shine’s’ stunt stunt to be looked in a cage that has heavy iron bars, and as soon as the foghorned ‘spieler’ has told the people all about the oapture of the wild man. whioh took place in Florida after he had run wild in the woods for years. ‘Shine’ is supposed to lunge at the bars and roar, while people fall all over themselves in getting back from the cage. He is strictly on to his job and does his stunt in every way becoming to the wild man from most any old seaport.”