Actually my grandfather was a carny when he was young (teen years, so sometime around 1910-1920))and he used to talk a little about it. In those days the 'freaks" were proud of their jobs, and most of them loved their uniqueness. It was much later that popular taste in entertainment began to shift away from it. The transition period was when burlesque was very popular. It also included very unusual acts, sometimes including some of the so called "freaks". It created opportunities for some folks who could not have gotten employment in more conventional environments.