County fairs are marvellous in many ways. Here all manner of wonderful things can be seen, gathered from the highest mountains to the inner-most recesses and depths of the sea. Gen. Sherman had a chance to-day to see for the first time a real mermaid, at least the party of fakirs [fakers] that had it on exhibition said it was real.
    The mermaid was in a large tank arranged on a high platform. In front of the platform was a large canvass, on which was painted a handsome mermaid. All mermaids are pictured as handsome. They are generally brunettes and very captivating. The picture was very attractive, and in case the passers by did not notice it, their attention was called to it by the shouts of the fakir-blowers, who yelled to the crowd to “step up and see the greatest wonder of the world.”
    The two fakirs that did the noise business were dressed in suits of blue cloth with brass buttons, the suit being a kind of a cross that worn by naval officers and Pullman palace car conductors. The man that lectured on the mermaid was rigged up in a full sailor suit. His lecture was as novel as his “wonder.” It went like this:
    “Step up ’ere everyone and see the mermaid and listen to the story of the man that captured her. It is the only real mermaid ever placed on exhibition. Captured by me in the Caribbean sea, near the land of Menditty, where there is neither house, town nor city; where the men are five feet eleving inches from head to foot and five feet eleving inches from foot to head, a total height of sixteen feet eleving inches. It's a wonder, and it will cost you but ten cents or three for a quarter, one for yourself, your son and daughter. It remains on exhibition out nine days more, when it gets shipped to Persia, where it is to be exhibited to the Queen of Sheba. Pass along up here and see the wonder—a real mermaid. Those who are not satisfied will be given back their money and a copy, of the photograph of the man that captured the only real mermaid now on exhibition.”
    Those who could not resist the eloquence of the man who had been in the land of Menditty, paid their ten cents and saw a paper mache mermaid about two feet long resting quietly in a small box on the platform. The fakirs spoke about their exhibition as “The annex of the Navy department.” The men did a good business, and took in the ten cent pieces at a lively rate. When the fair closed for the day, the sailor put the only real mermaid in a bag and carried it away under his arm.

Evening Star. (Washington, D.C.), 21 Oct. 1882. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.