We shall let this versatile John Brooks close the pre-Chabert record
and turn our attention to the fire-eaters of Chabert's day. Imitation
may be the sincerest flattery, but in most cases the victim of the
imitation, it is safe to say, will gladly dispense with that form of
adulation. When Chabert first came to America and gave fresh impetus to
the fire-eating art by the introduction of new and startling material,
he was beset by many imitators, or--as they probably styled
themselves--rivals, who immediately proceeded, so far as in them lay,
to out-Chabert Chabert.
One of the most prominent of these was a man named W. C. Houghton, who
claimed to have challenged Chabert at various times. In a newspaper
advertisement in Philadelphia, where he was scheduled to give a benefit
performance on Saturday evening, February 4th, 1832, he practically
promised to expose the method of poison eating. Like that of all
exposers, however, his vogue was of short duration, and very little can
be found about this super-Chabert except his advertisements. The
following will serve as a sample of them: