*'
JAMES V. CHIXHJPEK •£•
•SV, .„. 1£53 Walker Ave^ Y Ol¥
Oakland, Calif, -f1
liCSB LIBRARY
L IFE
OF
P. T. BARNUM
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF,
INCLUDING HIS
GOLDEN RULES FOR MONEY-MAKING.
BROUGHT UP TO 1888.
ILLUSTRATED.
" a map of busy life.
Its fluctuations and its vast concerns."
' And see what I can show in this
*****
Strange eventful history."
— SHAKESPEARE.
The noblest art
Is that of making others happy.
—P. T. BARNUM.
BUFFALO :
THE COURIER COMPANY, PRINTERS.
1888.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
AN EXACT FAC-SIMILE OF THIS BOOK SOLD AT COST !
REDUCED FROM $1.50 TO ONLY FIFTY CENTS !
Desiring to bring this History of My Life (of which over a million
copies have already been sold) within the reach of the poorest purchaser,
I have determined to have them sold without a profit. By printing many
thousand copies at one time I have brought the cost down to FIFTY cents,
or SIXTY cents, including postage, when sent by mail. Every book will
be printed on the same quality of paper, have the same binding, the same
illustrations, and be, in fact, a perfect foe-simile of this volume.
These books may be procured by mail or otherwise from Leggatt
Brothers, 81 Chambers street, New York, H. E. Bowser, Bridgeport, Ct.,
and in the tents of " The Greatest Show on Earth."
The Public's Obedient Servant,
P. T. BARNUM.
N. B. — This book is not copyrighted. Any and all persons are at liberty
to publish al 1 or any parts of it.
P. T. BARNUM.
©ocUco/tod
to
to
wv
PREFACE.
WBITTEN originally in 1869, this book is my Recollections of more than
Fifty Busy Years. Few men in civil life have had a career more crowded
with incident, enterprise, and various intercourse with the world than
mine. With the alternations of success and defeat, extensive travel in this
and foreign lands; a large acquaintance with the humble and honored;
having held the preeminent place among all who have sought to furnish
healthful entertainment to the American people, and, therefore, having
had opportunities for garnering an ample storehouse of incident and anec-
dote, while, at the same time, needing a sagacity, energy, foresight and
fortitude rarely required or exhibited in financial affairs, my struggles and
experiences (it is not altogether vanity in me to think) cannot be without
interest to my fellow-countrymen.
Various leading publishers have solicited me to place at their disposal
my Recollections of what I have been, and seen, and done. These pro-
posals, together with the partiality of friends and kindred, have constrained
me to put in a permanent form what, it seems to me, may be instructive,
entertaining and profitable.
Thirty years since, for the purpose, principally, of advancing my
interests as proprietor of the American Museum, I gave to the press some
personal reminiscences and sketches. They were, however, very hastily,
and therefore imperfectly, prepared. Though including, necessarily, in
common with them, some of the facts of my early life, in order to make
this autobiography a complete and continuous narrative, yet, as the latter
part of my life has been the more eventful, and my recollections so various
and abundant, this book is new and independent of the former. It is the
matured and leisurely reviewing of more than half a century of work and
struggle, and final success, in spite of fraud and fire — the story of which
is blended with amusing anecdotes, funny passages, felicitous jokes, cap-
tivating narratives, novel experiences, and remarkable interviews — the
sunny and sombre so intermingled as not only to entertain, but convey
useful lessons to all classes of readers.
/I PEBFACB.
And above and beyond this personal satisfaction, I have thought that the
review of a life, with the wide contrasts of humble origin and high and
honorable success; of most formidable obstacles overcome by courage and
constancy; of affluence that had been patiently won, suddenly wrenched
away, and triumphantly regained — would be a help and incentive to the
young man, struggling, it may be, with adverse fortune, or, at the start,
looking into the future with doubt or despair.
All autobiographies are necessarily egotistical. If my pages are as
plentifully sprinkled with "I's," as was the chief ornament of Hood's
peacock, " who thought he had the eyes of Europe on his tail," I can only
say, that the " I's " are essential to the story I have told. It has been my
purpose to narrate, not the life of another, but that career in which I was
the principal actor.
There is an almost universal, and not unworthy curiosity to learn the
methods and measures, the ups and downs, the strifes and victories, the
mental and moral personnel of those who have taken an active and promi-
nent part in human affairs. But an autobiography has attractions and
merits superior to those of a "life" written by another, who, however
intimate with its subject, cannot know all that helps to give interest and
accuracy to the narrative, or completeness to the character. The story from
the actor's own lips has always a charm it can never have when told by
another.
That my narrative is interspersed with amusing incidents, and even the
recital of some very practical jokes, is simply because my natural disposi-
tion impels me to look upon the brighter side of life, and I hope my
humorous experiences will entertain my readers as much as they were
enjoyed by myself. And if this record of trials and triumphs, struggles and
successes, shall stimulate any to the exercise of that integrity, energy,
industry, and courage in their callings, which will surely lead to happiness
and prosperity, one main object I have in yielding to the solicitations of
my friends and my publishers will have been accomplished.
P. T. BARNUM
WALDEMEKB, BRIDGEPORT, CONN., 1888
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.— My Birth -Going to School— First Visit to New York— My Landed Property
—Trading Morals— The Bethel Meeting- house— Sunday School and Bible Class— The
" One Thing Needful," 17
CHAPTER EL— Death of my Grandmother— My Father— His Death— Beginning the World
Barefooted— The Tin Ware and Green Bottle Lottery—" Charity " Hallett— A Novel Fur
Trade— Country Store Experiences— Old " Uncle Bibblns," 23
CHAPTER III.— My Clerkship in Brooklyn— Opening a Porter-house— Selling Out— My Clerk-
ship in New York— My Habits— In Bethel Once More— Beginning Business on My Own
Account— The Lottery Business— Wits and Wags— First Appeanmce at the Bar— A Model
Love-letter, 27
CHAPTER IV.— Pleasure Visit to Philadelphia— My Marriage— A New Field— My Editorial
Career — Danbury Jail— My Liberation — Removal to New York — Keeping a Boarding-
house, 33
CHAPTER V.— The Amusement Business — Joice Heth — Beginning Life as a Showman-
Second Step in the Show Line — Connecting Myself with a Circus — An Abusive Clergyman
—A Terrible Practical Joko, 87
CHAPTER VI. — An Unreasonable Landlord — Turning the Tables— Leaving the Circus— My
First Traveling Company — Preaching to the People — Escapes from Danger — Outwitting
a Sheriff—" Lady Hayes' " — Joe Pentland as a Savage — A Nonplussed Legerdemain Per-
former—Disbanding my Company — A New Partnership —The Steamboat "Ceres"—
Sadden Marriage on Board— Arrival at New Orleans, 43
CHAPTER VTL— Advertising for an Associate — A New Business — Swindled by my Partner-
Diamond, the Dancer — A New Company — Desertions— Success at New Orleans — Back
to New York— From Hand to Month— Fortune Opening Her Door— The American
Museum, 50
CHAPTER Vin.— I Become Proprietor of the American Museum — Extraordinary Advertising
— Incidents and Anecdotes — Pleasing my Patrons — A Wilderness of Wonders — Niagara
Falls with Real Water— The Fejee Mermaid— Wholesale Advertising Again— Drnmmond
Lights, 55
CHAPTER IX.— The Most Popular Place of Amusement in the World— Afternoon and Holi-
day Performances — Fourth of July Flags — Victory Over the Vestrymen — St. Patrick's
Day in the Morning — Inponring of Money — Zoological Eruption — Baby Shows — Grand
Buffalo Hunt— The Woolly Horse— American Indians— P. T. Barnnm Exhibited— A Curi-
ous Spinster, 62
CHAPTER X. — Peale's Museum — Mysterious Mesmerism— The Rival Museums — My Mania—
My First Interview with Charles S. Stratton— General Tom Thumb in New York— An
Apt Pupil— Free From Debt— In Search of a New Field— Arrival at Liverpool— Exhibition
of General Tom Thumb in Liverpool, 70
CHAPTER XI.— Arrival in London— Enormous Success— Daily Levees for the Nobility and
Gentry— At Buckingham Palace— A Royal Reception— Favorable Impression— Amusing
Incidents of the Visit— Second Visit to the Queen— The General's Watch— Napoleon and
the Duke of W«llingtoa— Third Visit to the Queen, 74
X CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XII.— In France— The General and Party in Paris— Visit to King Louis Phillippe—
A Splendid Present — Long Champa— The General's Equipage — All Paris in a Furor —
Second, Third and Fourth Visits to the King of the French— "Tom Ponce" Every-
where—The General as an Actor, 81
CHAPTER Xin. — In Belgium— Professor Pinte — At Brussels— Presentation to King Leopold
—The General's Jewels Stolen— The Field of Waterloo— An Accident— Losing an Exhi-
bition—The Custom of the Country— How Kelics are Planted at Waterloo— From Brussels
to London, 83
CHAPTER XTV.— In England Again — Levees in Egyptian Hall — Going to America— Samuel
Rogers — An Astonished Railway Superintendent— Business and Pleasure— Albert Smith—
Stratford-on-Avon— Albert Smith as a Showman — The Road from Warwick to Coventry
—The Yankee Go-ahead Principle, 87
CHAPTER XV.— The Wizard of the North— Second Visit to the United States—" The Rules
of the Ship "—Three Years in Europe— Warm Personal Friends— Our Last Performance
in Dublin— Departure for America — Notes — Deaths of Friends, 93
CHAPTER XVI.— Renewing the Lease of the Museum Building— Tom Thumb in America-
Tour Through the Country — Ceasing to be a Traveling Showman — Return to Bridgeport
— Search for a Home — Building and Completion of Iranistan— The Baltimore and Phila-
delphia Museums— My Agricultural and Arborcultural Doings, 95
CHAPTER XVII.— The Jenny Lind Engagement— Musical Notes in Wall street— A Friend
in Need 100
CHAPTER XVm. — Arrival of Jenny Lind — Tremendous Throng at the Wharf—" Welcome
to America"— The Prize Ode by Bayard Taylor— First Concert in Castle Garden-
Unbounded Enthusiasm, 105
CHAPTER XIX.— Managing Public Opinion — Miss Lind's Charities — The Nightingale at
Iranistan— Avoiding Crowds— In Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington— Visit to Mt.
Vernon — Christmas and New Year — We go to Havana— A Happy Month in Cuba, . Ill
CHAPTER XX. — A Magnificent Triumph — Benefit for the Hospitals — Vivalla and his Dog-
Voyage to New Orleans — The Editor cf the New York Herald on Board— Arrival at the
Crescent City— Up the Mississippi — Amusements on Board, ... 117
CHAPTER XXI.— Arrival at St. Louis — A Surprising Proposition— Temperance Lecture —
Sol. Smith— Unique Dedication— Jenny Lind's Character and Charities, 123
CHAPTER XXII— Visit to the " Hermitage "—"April-fool " Fun— The Mammoth Cave— Ruse
at Cincinnati— Rt turn to New York— The Final Concerts in Castle Garden and Metro-
politan Hall — Jenny's Concerts on Her Own Account— Her Marriage to Mr. Otto Gold-
schmidt — At Home Again — Total Receipts of the Concerts, 127
CHAPTER XXIII.— Another Venture— General Tom Thumb— Elephant Plowing— Side-shows
and Various Enterprises— Catherine Hayes— Iranistan on Fire— My Eldest Daughter's
Marriage, 138
CHAPTER XXIV.— Vacation at Home— Country Agricultural Society— Philosophy of Hum-
bug—A Chop-fallen Ticket-seller— A Deluded Hack-driver— Pequonnock Bank— The
illustrated News— The Crystal Palace 137
CHAPTER XXV.— The East Bridgeport Enterprise— Clock Company in Litchfield— The
Jerome Clock Company— A Rained Man— Paying Honest Debts— My Failure— Down in
the Depths, 143
CHAPTER XXVI.— Friends to the Rescue— Citizens' Meeting in Bridgeport— My Letter on
the Situation— The Silver Lining to the Cloud— Our New Home in New York, . . 148
CHAPTER XXVII. — Sale of the Mnsenm Collection — Supplementary Proceedings of my Cred-
itors—The Summer Season on Long Island— A Black Whale Pays my Summer's Board
—The Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine Company Remove to East Bridgeport— The
Cause of my Ruin Promises to be my Redemption— Setting Sail for England, ... 154
CONTENTS. Xi
CHAPTBR XXVIII.— Old Friend* in Old England— Otto Goldschmtdt and Jenny Lind Gold
•chmidt— My Exhibitions in England, 167
CHAPTER XXIX.— From London to Baden-Baden — Strasbourg — Scene in a German Custom-
house—Golden Prices for the General— A Call from the King of Holland— Down the
Rhine— Departure for Holland, . . . 160
CHAPTBB XXX.— The Finest and Flattest Country in the World— Habits and Customs—
The Hague— August Belmont— Back to England — I Return again to America— Fun on
the Voyage— Cold Shoulders in New York— Iranistan Burned to the Ground, ... 103
CHAPTER XXXI.— Back Once More to England— Tour Through Scotland and Wales— How
I Came to Lecture— How to Make Money and How to Keep it— Lecturing in the Prov-
inces, 168
CHAPTER XXXn.— An English Yankee— Dinner to Tom Thumb and Commodore Nutt—
Measuring a Monster — The Steam-engines " Barnum " and " Charity," 192
CHAPTER XXXIH. — At Home — Barnum on his Feet Again— Re-purchase of the Museum—
My Reception by my Friends — Museum Visitors — Old and Fast Friends, 196
CHAPTER XXXIV.— A Remarkable Character— Old Grizzly Adams— Tour of the Bear-tamer
Through the Country— A Life and Death Struggle for a Wager— Old Adams Wins— His
Death— The Prince of Wales Visits the Museum— I Call on the Prince in Boston— The
Museum Flourishing, 208
CHAPTER XXXV.— East Bridgeport— Another New Home— Lindencroft— Progress of my
Pet City— Inducements to Settlers — Situation of Bridgeport — Its Advantages and Pros-
pects, 207
CHAPTER XXXVI.— More About the Museum— My First Whaling Expedition— Transporting
Living Whales by Land— The First Hippopotamus in America— Commodore Nutt— Indian
Chiefs, 211
CHAPTER XXXVII.— Miss Lavinia Warren— The Little Commodore in Love— Tom Thumb
Smitten— Jealousy of the General— Miss Warren Impressed — Popping the Question — The
Engagement— The Wedding— A Spicy Letter— Grand Reception of Mr. and Mrs. Stratton
—The Commodore in Search of a Green Country Girl, 217
CHAPTER XXXVHI.— My Political Principles— Lindencroft— My Election to the Legislature
—My War on Railroad Monopolies— The XTV. Amendment, 22V
CHAPTER XXXIX. — Burning of the American Museum — A Public Calamity — Intention to
Retire to Private Life — The New Up-town Museum, 241
CHAPTER XL.— Propositions for a New Capital of Connecticut— The Railroad Controversy—
My Victory— Again Elected to the Legislature— Friends at Lindencroft, . , . .247
CHAPTER XLL— The American Museum Lease— Its Value— Bennett of the Herald Buys it
for $200,000— The Herald's Influence and Hard Experience— Bennett Refuses my Adver
tisements — Bennett Humbled— Damage to Bennett's Establishment — Peace, . . . 253
CHAPTER XLJI.— At the West— A Ride on a Locomotive— Tricks to Secure Seats in the
Ladies' Car— How I Became a Teetotaler— Lecturing Throughout the Country, . . 257
CHAPTER XLIII.— A Gigantic Amusement Company — Curiosities from Everywhere— A
Superb Menagerie— Destruction of my Second Museum by Fire— Foot Races at the White
Mountains, t gg4
CHAPTER XLTV.— Popular Superstitions— Number Thirteen— Thirteen in Every Hotel, 269
CHATTER XLV.— Interest in Public Improvements— The Eye of Faith— Opening of Sea-
Side Park, 274
CHAPTER XLVI.— Plans for the Public Benefit in Bridgeport— Sale of Lindencroft— Living
in a Farm-hoube— VVuldemere 27j
Xfl CONTENTS.
CHAFTIB XL VI I. — A New Experience — "Doing Nothing" — A Failure — Excitement I>»
manded— Vtoit of English Friends— I Show Them Our Country— Trip to California—Salt
Lake City— Brigham Young — Sacramento and San Francisco — Admiral Dot — Wild Buffalo
Hunt In Kansas— My Great Traveling Show— Trip to Colorado— Fourteenth Street Hip-
podrome— A Brilliant Audience— Departure for the South — New* of the Conflagration-
Speech at the Academy — An Expensive Exhibition— A Pleasant Episode — An Ocean
Voyage— The Vienna Exhibition— Death of Mrs. Barnnm, . . 281
CHAPTER XLVHL— The Roman Hippodrome— An Enthusiastic Reception— Resting at Wai-
demere— A Complimentary Dinner— Interesting Letters and Speeches, 299
CHAPTER XLEX.— Success of my Traveling Hippodrome — My Second Marriage — P. T.
Barnnm Exhibiting a Live King — Elected Mayor of Bridgeport — The Centennial — Pro-
fessor Donaldson— Close of the Season— The Hippodrome Sold at Auction— The New
Traveling Show— My Valedictory Message as Mayor of Bridgeport, 80ft
CHAPTER L.— Breakfast with Lord Rosebery and Mr. Tupper— My Show in Nova Scotia
and elsewhere — My New Book "Lion Jack" — Death of my Youngest Daughter— My
Visit to England — Lecturing there — The London World's Description of my Home anil
Habits in Bridgeport— Fatal Accident to the Advertisers of my Great Show— Visit to
Colorado — My third Election to, and Doings in, the Connecticut Legislature — Building a
Dyke— Byronic Poetry thereon— My fourth Election to the General Assembly of Con-
necticut, 315
CHAPTER LI. — Bergh Vanquished— Transformation Scene — Baby Elephant — The Great Alii
ance — Winter Quarters of the Great Barnum-London Show— Valley of the Shadow of
Death — Four Pullman Carloads of Editors — Torch-light Procession and Grand Opening
— Testimonials from Garfleld and Arthur — My Voyage to Europe— Presentation of Foun-
tain to Bethel 823
CHAPTER LIL— Another Baby Elephant— Jumbo, the Greatest of the Great— Visit to
England— Irving Dinner — George Augustus Sala— Barnum more than half English, 330
CHAPTER LHL— Visit to Europe— Sir Charles Lees— Mackay, the Millionaire— Death of Tom
Thumb— Enormous Show Receipts — " Barnum in Britishland " — Almost my Obituary—-
The Sacred White Elephant— The Show in 1884— How a Mean Town got Left— Opening
of the Barnum Natural History Museum, at Tuft's College, Boston — I offer Gen. Grant
One Hundred Thousand Dollars and Valuable Inducement— Reception of Letter from
Burmah addressed, " Mr. Barnum, America." , 335
CHAPTER LIV.— The Show in 1885— Elephant Albert Sentenced to Death and Shot— Death
of Jumbo— His Skin Stuffed and His Skeleton prepared for Exhibition— Jumbo's Size-
Purchase of Alice, Jumbo's Widow— I visit the Show incognito— Withdrawal of my
Partners, Messrs. Hutchinson, Cole and Cooper— Death of Jenny Lind, .... 3-14
CHAPTER LV.— The Church and Circus— The Mission of the Circus— Morality of Employees
—Speaking in Church— Indorsed by the Clergy and Religious Press— Bust for the Smith-
sonian Institute — Mr. Henry Bergh's Indorsement, 348
CHAPTER LVI— Burning of the Winter Quarters at Bridgeport, Conn.— Mrs. Gilligan and
the Lion— Death of the White Elephant and Alice— Growth of the City of Bridgeport-
Inauguration of Bridgeport Hospital— I give two Gold Prize Medals annually to Students
in Bridgeport High School— Opening of Sea Side Institute— My Gift to Sea Side Park, 352
1. PORTRAIT OP P. T. BARNUM Frontispiece.
2. MY BIRTHPLACE 17
3 PHINEAS TAYLOR 24
4. MY PROPERTY AND MY TENANT 32
5. MY DELIVERY FROM IMPRISONMENT 36
6. THE COWARD AND THE "BRAVE" 40
7. VICTORY OVER VESTRYMEN 48
8. SQUALLS AND BREEZES 56
9. THE AUTHOR TRAINING TOM THUMB 72
10. TOM THUMB AND THE POODLE 70
11. ROYAL HONORS TO THE GENERAL 81
12. MANURE CART EXPRESS 85
13. PUTMEINIRONS 88
14. IRANISTAN 97
15. PORTRAITS OF JENNY LIND AND P. T. BARNUM IN 1851 100
16. WELCOME TO JENNY LIND 105
17. THE PRINCE IN THE MUSEUM 112
18. THE ITALIAN AND HIS DOG 120
19. ELEPHANTINE AGRICULTURE 132
20. MOUNTAIN GROVE CEMETERY 144
•21. THE " CUSTOMS " OF THE COUNTRY 156
22. THE GREAT DUKE AND THE LITTLE GENERAL 168
23. THE MUSEUM BUILDING 180
24. "THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT" 193
25. GRIZZLY ADAMS AND HIS FAMILY 200
26. EAST BRIDGEPORT 208
27. CAPTURING WHITE WHALES 216
28. THE FAIRY WEDDING GROUP 225
29. MARRIAGE IN MINIATURE 228
30. ALARM AT LINDENCROFT 240
31. THE GREAT UNKNOWN 252
32. AFTER THE FIRE 264
33. SEA SIDE PARK 276
34. WALDEMERE 278
35. BARNUM FIVE SECONDS AHEAD 300
36. BRONZE FOUNTAIN PRESENTED TO MY NATIVE TOWN 328
37. WINTER QUARTERS OF THE GREAT TLONDON-BARNUM SHOW 330
38. PROPOSED CHANGE OF ENGLISH COAT-OF-ARMS 33*
39. P. T. BARNUM'S MOTHER, IRENA 88
40. P. T. BARNUM'S WIFE, CHARITY 288
41. PRIVATE SHOW TO A SICK BOY 287
42. BURNING OF WINTER QUARTERS 359
CHAPTER I.
EARLY LIFE.
1 WAS born in the town of Bethel, in the State of Connecticut, July 5, 1810. My
name, Phineas Taylor, is derived from my maternal grandfather, who was a
great wag in his way, and who, as I was his first grandchild, handed over to his
daughter Irena, my mother, at my christening, a gift-deed, in my behalf, of five
acres of land, called "Ivy Island," situated in that part of the parish of Bethel
known as the "Plum Trees."
My father, Philo Barnum, was the son of Ephraim Barnum, of Bethel, who
was a captain in the revolutionary war. My father was a tailor, a farmer, and
sometimes a tavern-keeper, and my advantages and disadvantages were such as
fall to the general run of farmers' boys. I drove cows to and from the pasture,
shelled corn, weeded the garden; as I grew larger I rode horse for ploughing,
turned and raked hay; in due time I handled the shovel and the hoe, and when I
could do so I went to school
I was six years old when I began to go to school, and the first date I remember
inscribing upon my writing-book was 1818. The ferule, in those days, was the
assistant school-master. I was a willing, and, I think, a pretty apt scholar. In
arithmetic I was unusually ready and accurate, and I remember, at the age of
ten years, being called out of bed one night by my teacher, who had wagered
with a neighbor that I could calculate the correct number of feet in a load of
wood in five minutes. The dimensions given, I figured out the result in less than
two minutes, to the great delight of my teacher and to the equal astonishment of
nis neighbor.
My organ of "acquisitiveness" was manifest at an early age. Before I was
five years of age I began to accumulate pennies and "four-pences," and when I
was six years old my capital amounted to a sum sufficient to exchange for a sil-
ver dollar, the possession of which made me feel far richer than I have ever since
felt in the world.
Nor did my dollar long remain alone. As I grew older I earned ten cents
a day for riding the horse which led the ox-team in ploughing, and on holi-
days and "training days," instead of spending money, I earned it. I was a
small peddler of molasses candy (of home make), ginger-bread, cookies and cherry
rum, and I generally found myself a dollar or two richer at the end of a holiday
than I was at the beginning. By the time Ins twelve years old, besides other
property, I was the owner of a sheep and a calf, and should soon, no doubt, have
become a small Croesus, had not my father kindly permitted me to purchase my
own clothing, which somewhat reduced my little store.
When I was nearly twelve years old I made my first visit to the metropolis.
It happened in this wise : Late one afternoon in January, 1822, Mr. Daniel
Brown, of Southbury, Connecticut, arrived at my father's tavern, in Bethel,
with some fat cattle he was driving to New York to sell, and put up for the night.
After supper hearing Mr. Brown say to my father that he intended to buy more
17
18 EARLY LIFE.
cattle, and that he would be glad to hire a boy to assist in driving them, I im
mediately besought my father to secure the situation for me, and he did so. My
mother's consent was gained, and at daylight next morning, I started on foot in
the midst of a heavy snow storm to help drive the cattle. Before reaching Ridge-
field, I was sent on horseback after a stray ox, and, in galloping, the horse fell
and my ankle was sprained. I suffered severely, but did not complain lest my
employer should send me back. We arrived at New York, in three or four days,
and put up at the Bull's Head Tavern, where we were to stay a week while
the drover disposed of his cattle. It was an eventful week for me. Before I left
borne my mother had given me a dollar which I supposed would supply every
want that heart could wish. My first outlay was for oranges which I was told
were four pence apiece, and as "four pence" in Connecticut was six cents, I
offered ten cents for two oranges, which was of course readily taken ; and thus,
instead of saving two cents, as I thought, I actually paid two cents more than
the price demanded. I then bought two more oranges, reducing my capital to
eighty cents. Thirty-one cents was the "charge" for a small gun which would
"go off " and send a stick some little distance, and this gun I bought. Amusing
myself with this toy in the bar-room of the Bull's Head, the arrow happened to
hit the bar-keeper, who forthwith came from behind the counter and shook me,
and soundly boxed my ears, telling me to put that gun out of the way or he
would put it into the fire. I sneaked to my room, put my treasure under the
pillow, and went out for another visit to the toy shop.
There I invested six cents in "torpedoes," with which I intended to astonish
my schoolmates in Bethel. I could not refrain, however, from experimenting
upon the guests of the hotel, which I did when they were going in to dinner. I
threw two of the torpedoes against the wall of the hall through which the guests
were passing, and the immediate results were as follows : two loud reports, —
astonished guests, — irate landlord, — discovery of the culprit, and summary pun-
ishment— for the landlord immediately floored me with a single blow with his
open hand, and said :
" There, you little greenhorn, see if that will teach you better than to explode
your infernal fire-crackers in my house again."
The lesson was sufficient if not entirely satisfactory. I deposited the balance
of the torpedoes with my gun, and as a solace for my wounded feelings I again
visited the toy shop, where I bought a watch, breastpin and top, leaving but
eleven cents of my original dollar.
The following morning found me again at the fascinating toy shop, where I
saw a beautiful knife with two blades, a gimlet, and a corkscrew, — a whole
carpenter shop in miniature, and all for thirty-one cents. But, alas! I had only
eleven cents. Have that knife I must, however, and so I proposed to the shop-
woman to take back the top and breastpin at a slight deduction, and with my
eleven cents to let me have the knife. The kind creature consented, and this
makes memorable my first "swap." Some fine and nearly white molasses candy
then caught my eye, and I proposed to trade the watch for its equivalent in candy.
The transaction was made and the candy was so delicious that before night my
gun was absorbed in the same way. The next morning the torpedoes "went off "
in the same direction, and before night even my beloved knife was similarly
exchanged. My money and my goods all gone, I traded two pocket handker-
chiefs and an extra pair of stockings I was sure I should not want for nine more
rolls of molasses candy, and then wandered about the city disconsolate, sighing
because there was no more molasses candy to conquer.
EAELY LIFE. 19
I doubt not that in these first wanderings about the city I often passed the
corner of Broadway and Ann street — never dreaming of the stir I was destined
at a future day to make in that locality as proprietor and manager of the
American Museum.
After wandering, gazing and wondering for a week, Mr. Brown took me in
his sleigh and on the evening of the following day we arrived in Bethel I had
a thousand questions to answer, and for a long time I was quite a lion among my
mates because I had seen the great metropolis. My brothers and sisters, how-
ever, were much disappointed at my not bringing them something from my
dollar, and when my mother examined my wardrobe and found two pocket
handkerchiefs and one pair of stockings missing she whipped me and sent me to
bed. Thus ingloriously terminated my first visit to New York.
Previous to my visit to New York, I think it was in 1820, when I was ten years
of age, I made my first expedition to my landed property, " Ivy Island." From
the time when I was four years old I was continually hearing of this " property."
My grandfather always spoke of me (in my presence) to the neighbors and to
strangers as the richest child in town, since I owned the whole of " Ivy Island,"
one of the most valuable farms in the State. My father and mother frequently
reminded me of my wealth and hoped I would do something for the family when
I attained my majority. The neighbors professed to fear that I might refuse to
play with their children because I had inherited so large a property.
These constant allusions, for several years, to " Ivy Island " excited at once my
pride and my curiosity and stimulated me to implore my father's permission to
visit my property. At last, he promised I should do so in a few days, as we
should be getting some hay near " Ivy Island." The wished for day arrived and
my father told me that as we were to mow an adjoining meadow, I might visit
my property in company with the hired man during the " nooning." My grand-
father reminded me that it was to his bounty I was indebted for this wealth, and
that had not my name been Phineas I might never have been proprietor of " Ivy
Island." To this my mother added :
"Now, Taylor, don't become so excited when you see your property as to let
your joy make you sick, for remember, rich as you are, that it will be eleven
years before you can come into possession of your fortune."
She added much more good advice, to all of which I promised to be calm and
reasonable and not to allow my pride to prevent me from speaking to my brothers
and sisters when I returned home.
When we arrived at the meadow, which was in that part of the " Plum Trees"
known as " East Swamp," I asked my father where " Ivy Island " was.
" Yonder, at the north end of this meadow, where you see those beautiful trees
rising in the distance."
All the forenoon I turned grass as fast as two men could cut it, and after a
hasty repast at noon, one of our hired men, a good natured Irishman, named
Edmund, took an axe on his shoulder and announced that he was ready to
accompany me to "Ivy Island." We started, and as we approached the north
end of the meadow we found the ground swampy and wet and were soon obliged
to leap from bog to bog on our route. A mis-step brought me up to my middle
in water, and to add to the dilemma a swarm of hornets attacked me. Attain-
ing the altitude of another bog I was cheered by the assurance that there was
only a quarter of a mile of this kind of travel to the edge of my property. I
waded on. In about fifteen minutes more, after floundering through the morass,
I found myself half -drowned, hornet-stung, mud-covered, and out of breath, on
comparatively dry land.
3d EARLY LLPE.
"Never mind, my boy," said Edmund, " we have only to crow this little creek,
and yell be upon your own valuable property."
We were on the margin of a stream, the banks of which were thickly covered
with alders. I now discovered the use of Edmund's axe, for he felled a small oak
to form a temporary bridge to my "Island" property. Crossing over, I pro-
ceeded to the center of my domain. I saw nothing but a few stunted ivies
and straggling trees. The truth Sashed upon me. I had been the laugh-
ing-stock of the family and neighborhood for years. My valuable " Ivy Island"
was an almost inaccessible, worthless bit of barren land, and while I stood deplor-
ing my sudden downfall, »> huge black snake (one of my tenants) approached
me with upraised head. J <jave one shriek and rushed for the bridge.*
This was my first and '«st visit to " Ivy Island." My father asked me " how
I liked my property ? " and I responded that I would sell it pretty cheap.
As I grew older my srttled aversion to manual labor, farm or other kind, was
manifest in various wpys, which were set down to the general score of laziness.
In despair of doing batter with me, my father concluded to make a merchant of
me. He erected a building in Bethel, and with Mr. Hiram Weed as a partner,
purchased a Ftonk of dry goods, hardware, groceries, and general notions and
installed me WE clerk in this country store.
We krpt a cash, credit and barter store, and I drove sharp bargains with
women who brought butter, eggs, beeswax and feathers to exchange for dry
goods, and with men who wanted to trade oats, corn, buckwheat, axe-helves,
hats, and other commodities for tenpenny nails, molasses, or New England rum.
It was a drawback upon my dignity that I was obliged to take down the shutters,
sveep the store, and make the fire. I received a small salary for my services
and the perquisites of what profit I could derive from purchasing candies on my
own account to sell to our younger customers, and, as usual, my father stipulated
tbat I should clothe myself.
There is a great deal to be learned in a country store, and principally this —
that sharp trades, tricks, dishonesty and deception are by no means confined to
the city. More than once, in cutting open bundles of rags, brought to be
exchanged for goods, and warranted to be all linen and cotton, I have discovered
in the interior worthless woolen trash and sometimes stones, gravel or ashes.
Sometimes, too, when measuring loads of oats, corn or rye, declared to contain
a specified number of bushels, say sixty, I have found them four or five bushels
short In the evenings and on wet days trade was always dull, and at such
iimes the story-telling and joke-playing wits and wags of the village used to
assemble hi our store, and from them I derived considerable amusement, if not
profit. After the store was closed at night, I frequently joined some of the
village boys at the houses of their parents, where, with story-telling and play, a
couple of hours would soon pass by, and then as late, perhaps, as eleven o'clock,
I went home and slyly crept up stairs so as not to awaken my brother with
whom I slept, and who would be sure to report my late hours. He made every
attempt, and laid all sorts of plans to catch me on my return, but as sleep always
overtook him, I managed easily to elude his efforts.
Like most people in Connecticut in those days, I was brought up to attend
church regularly on Sunday, and long before I could read I was a prominent
scholar in the Sunday school My good mother taught me my lessons in the New
Testament and the Catechism, and my every effort was directed to win one of
•8*0 Illustration, page 82.
1BABLT LIFE. 21
those " Rewards of Merit," which promised to pay the bearer one mill, so that
ton of these prizes amounted to one cent, and one hundred of them, which might
be won by faithful assiduity every Sunday for two years, would buy a Sunday
school book worth ten cents. Such were the magnificent rewards held out to the
religious ambition of youth in those days. : .
There was but one church or "meeting-house" in Bethel, which all attended,
sinking all differences of creed in the Presbyterian faith. The old meeting-
house had neither steeple nor bell and was a plain edifice, comfortable enough m
summer, but my teeth chatter even now when I think of the dreary, cold, freez-
ing hours we passed in that place in winter. A stove in a meeting-house in those
days would have been a sacrilegious innovation. The sermons were from an hour
and one-half to two hours long, and through these the congregation would sit
and shiver till they really merited the title the profane gave them of "blue
skins." Some of the women carried a "foot-stove" consisting of a small square
tin box in a wooden frame, the sides perforated, and in the interior there was a
small square iron dish, which contained a few live coals covered with ashes.
These stoves were usually replenished just before meeting time at some neigh-
bor's near the meeting-house.
After many years of shivering and suffering, one of the brethren had the
temerity to propose that the church should be warmed with a stove. His impious
proposition was voted down by an overwhelming majority. Another year came
iround, and in November the stove question was again brought up. The excite-
ment was immense. The subject was discussed in the village stores and in the
juvenile debating club ; it was prayed over in conference ; and finally in general
"society's meeting," in December, the stove was carried by a majority of one
and was introduced into the meeting-house. On the first Sunday thereafter, two.
ancient maiden ladies were so oppressed by the dry and heated atmosphere
occasioned by the wicked innovation, that they fainted away and were carried
out into the cool air where they speedily returned to consciousness, especially
when they were informed that owing to the lack of two lengths of pipe, no fire
bad yet been made in the stove. The next Sunday was a bitter cold day, and
the stove, filled with well-seasoned hickory, was a great gratification to the
many, and displeased only a few.
During the Rev. Mr. Lowe's ministrations at Bethel, he formed a Bible class,
of which I was a member. We used to draw promiscuously from a hat a text of
scripture and write a composition on the text, which compositions were read after
service in the afternoon, to such of 'the congregation as remained to hear the
exercises of the class. Once, I remember, I drew the text, Luke x. 43 : "But
one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be
taken away from her." Question, " What is the one thing needful? " My answer
was nearly as follows :
" This question ' what is the one thing needful ? ' is capable of receiving various
answers, depending much upon the persons to whom it is addressed. The mer-
chant might answer that ' the one thing needful ' is plenty of customers, who buy
liberally, without beating down and pay cash for all their purchases.' The
farmer might reply, that ' the one thing needful is large harvests and high prices.'
The physician might answer that 'it is plenty of patients.' The lawyer might
be of opinion that ' it is an unruly community, always engaging in bickerings
and litigations. ' The clergyman might reply, ' It is a fat salary with multitudes
of sinners seeking salvation and paying large pew rents.' The bachelor might
exclaim, ' It is a pretty wife who loves her husband, and who knows how to sew
22 EARLY LIFE.
on buttona' The maiden might answer, ' It is a good husband, who will love,
cherish and protect me while life shall last.' But the most proper answer, and
doubtless that which applied to the case of Mary, would be, "The one thing
needful is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, follow in his footsteps, love God
and obey His commandments, love our fellow-man, and embrace every oppor-
tunity of administering to his necessities.' In short, ' the one thing needful ' is to
live a life that we can always look back upon with satisfaction, and be enabled
ever to contemplate its termination with trust in TTim who has so kindly vouch-
safed it to us, surrounding us with innumerable blessings, if we have but the
heart and wisdom to receive them in a proper manner."
The reading of a portion of this answer occasioned some amusement in the
congregation, in which the clergyman himself joined, and the name of "Taylor
Barnum " was whispered in connection with the composition; but at the close of
the reading I had the satisfaction of hearing Mr. Lowe say that it was a well
written answer to the question, " What is the one thing needful? "
P. T. BARNUM'S MOTHER, IRENA,
AT THE AGE OF 78. See page 23.
CHAPTER II.
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES.
IN the month of August, 1825, my maternal grandmother met with an accident
in stepping on the point of a rusty nail, and, though the incident was at first con-
sidered trivial, it resulted in her death. Alarming symptoms soon made her
sensible that she was on her death-bed ; and while she was in full possession of
her faculties, the day before she died she sent for her grandchildren to take final
leave of them. I shall never forget the sensations I experienced when she took
me by the hand and besought me to lead a religious life, and especially to remem-
ber that I could in no way so effectually prove my love to God as by loving all
my fellow-beings. The impressions of that death-bed scene have ever been among
my most vivid recollections, and I trust they have proved in some degree
salutary.
My father, for his time and locality, was a man of much enterprise. He could,
and actually did, " keep a hotel ;" he had a livery stable and ran, in a small way,
what in our day would be called a Nor walk Express ; and he also kept a country
store. With greater opportunities and a larger field for his efforts and energies,
he might have been a man of mark and means. Not that he was successful, for
he never did a profitable business ; but I, who saw him in his various pursuits,
and acted as his clerk, caught something of his enterprising spirit, and, perhaps
without egotism, I may say I inherited that characteristic. My business educa-
tion was as good as the limited field afforded, and I soon put it to account and
service.
On the 7th of September, 1825, my father, who had been sick since the month
of March, died at the age of forty-eight years. My mother was left with five
children, of whom I, at fifteen years of age, was the eldest, while the youngest
was but seven. It was soon apparent that my father had provided nothing for
the support of his family ; his estate was insolvent, and did not pay fifty cents
on the dollar. My mother, by economy, industry, and perseverance, succeeded
in a few years afterwards in redeeming the homestead and becoming its sole
possessor ; but, at the date of the death of my father, the world looked gloomy
indeed ; the few dollars I had accumulated and loaned to my father, holding his
note therefor, were decided to be the property of a minor, belonging to the
father and so to the estate, and my small claim was ruled out. I was obliged to
get trusted for the pair of shoes I wore to my father's funeral I literally began
the world with nothing, and was barefooted at that.
I went to Grassy Plain, a mile northwest of Bethel, and secured a situation as
clerk in the store of James 8. Keeler & Lewis Whitlock at six dollars a month
and my board. I lived with Mrs. Jerusba Wheeler and her daughters, Jerusha
and Mary, and found an excellent home. I chose my uncle, Alanson Taylor, as
my guardian. I soon gained the confidence and esteem of my employers; they
afforded me many facilities for making money on my own account, and I soon
entered upon sundry speculations and succeeded in getting a small sum of money
ahead.
23
24 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES.
I made a very remarkable trade at one time for my employers by purchasing,
in their absence, a whole wagon-load of green glass bottles of various sizes, for
which I paid in unsalable goods at very profitable prices. How to dispose of the
bottles was then the problem, and as it was also desirable to get rid of a large
quantity of tin-ware which had been in the shop for years and was considerably
''shop-worn," I conceived the idea of a lottery in which the highest prize should
be twenty-five dollars, payable in any goods the winner desired, while there were
to be fifty prizes of five dollars each, payable in goods, to be designated in the
scheme. Then there were one hundred prizes of one dollar each, one hundred
prizes of fifty cents each, and three hundred prizes of twenty-five cents each. It
is unnecessary to state that the minor prizes consisted mainly of glass and tin-
ware; the tickets sold like wildfire, and the worn tin and glass bottles were
speedily turned into cash.
As my mother continued to keep the village tavern at Bethel, I usually went
home on Saturday night and stayed till Monday morning, going to church with
my mother on Sunday. This habit was the occasion of an adventure of momen-
tous consequence to me. One Saturday evening, during a violent thunder shower,
Miss Mary Wheeler, a milliner, sent me word that there was a girl from Bethel
at her house, who had come up on horseback to get a new bonnet ; that she
was afraid to go back alone ; and if I was going to Bethel that evening she
wished me to escort her customer. I assented, and went over to " Aunt Rushia's "
where I was introduced to "Chairy" (Charity) Hallett, a fair, rosy-cheeked,
buxom girl, with beautiful white teeth. I assisted her to her saddle, and, mount-
ing my own hone, we trotted towards Bethel
My first impressions of this girl as I saw her at the house were exceedingly
favorable. As soon as we started I began a conversation with her, and, finding
her very affable, I regretted that the distance to Bethel was not five miles instead
of one. A flash of lightning gave me a distinct view of the face of my fair com-
panion, and then I wished the distance was twenty miles. During our ride I
learned that she was a tailoress, working with Mr. Zerah Benedict, of Bethel.
The next day I saw her at church, and, indeed, many Sundays afterwards, but 1
had no opportunity to renew the acquaintance that season.
Mrs. Jerusha Wheeler, with whom I boarded, and her daughter Jerusha were
familiarly known, the one as " Aunt Rushia," and the other as " Rushia." Many
of our store customers were hatters, and among the many kinds of furs we sold
for the nap of hats was one known to the trade as " Russia." One day a hatter,
Walter Dibble, called to buy some furs. I sold him several kinds, including
' ' beaver " and ' ' cony, " and he then asked for some ' ' Russia. " We had none, and,
as I wanted to play a joke upon him, I told him that Mrs. Wheeler had several
nundred pounds of "Rushia."
" What on earth is a woman doing with ' Russia ? ' " said he.
I could not answer, but I assured him that there were one hundred and thirty
pounds of old Rushia and one hundred and fifty pounds of young Rushia in Mrs.
Wheeler's house, and under her charge, but whether or not it was for sale I could
not say. Off he started to make the purchase and knocked at the door. Mrs.
Wheeler, the elder, made her appearance.
" I want to get your Russia," said the hatter.
Mrs. Wheeler asked him to walk in and be seated. She, of course, supposed
(hat he had come for her daughter " Rushia."
" What do you want of Rushia!" asked the old lady.
" To make hats," was the reply.
PHINEAS TAYLOR. See page 17.
!N«:rDENTS AND ANECDOTES. 45
"To trim hats, i suppose you mean?" responded Mi's. Wheeler.
"No, for the outside of hats," replied the hatter.
"Well, I don't know much about nats,-' said the old lady, "but I will call n\y
daughter."
Passing into another room where "Rushia" the younger was at work, she
informed her that a man wanted her to make hats.
"Oh, he means sister Mary, probably. I suppose he wants some ladies' hats.''
replied Rushia, as she went into the parlor.
" This is my daughter," said the old lady.
"I want to get your Russia," said he, addressing the young lady.
"I suppose you wish to see my sister Mary ; she is our milliner," said young
Rushia.
"I wish to see whoever owns the property," said the hatter.
Sister Mary was sent for, and, as she was introduced, the hatter informed hei
that he wished to buy her " Russia." 4*
"Buy Rushia! " exclaimed Mary in surprise ; " I don't understand you."
"Your name is Miss Wheeler, I believe," said the hatter, who was annoyed bj
the difficulty he met with in being understood.
"It is, sir."
" Ah ! very well. Is there old and young Russia in the house i "
"I believe there is," said Mary, surprised at the familiar manner in which !)••
spoke of her mother and sister, who were present.
" What is the price of old Russia per pound?" asked the hatter.
" I believe, sir, that old Rushia is not for sale," replied Mary indignantly.
" Well, what do you ask for young Russia?" pursued the hatter.
" Sir, " said Miss Rushia the younger, springing to her feet, "do you come heiv
to insult defenceless females ? If you do, sir, our brother, who is in the garden
will punish you as you deserve."
" Ladies! " exclaimed the hatter, in astonishment, "what on earth have I don«
to offend you ? I came here on a business matter. I want to buy some Russia
1 was told you had old and young Russia in the house. Indeed, this young lad.}
just stated such to be the fact, but she says the old Russia is not for sale. Now
if I can buy the young Russia I want to do so — but if that can't be done, pleas*
to say so and I will trouble you no further."
"Mother, open the door and let this man go out; he is undoubtedly crazy,'
said Miss Mary.
" By thunder! I believe I shall be if I remain here long," exclaimed the hatter
considerably excited. "I wonder if folks never do business in these parts, thai
yon think a man is crazy if he attempts such a thing?"
" Business! poor man! " said Mary soothingly, approaching the door.
"I am not a poor man, madam," replied the hatter. "My name is Waltei
Dibble ; I carry on hatting extensively in Danbury ; I came to Grassy Plain tc
buy fur, and have purchased some 'beaver' and 'cony,' and now it seems I am
to be called 'crazy' and a 'poor man,' because I want to buy a little ' Russia ' to
make up my assortment."
The ladies began to open their eyes ; they saw that Mr. Dibble was quite in
earnest, and his explanation threw considerable light upon the subject.
"Who sent you here?" asked sister Mary.
" The clerk at the opposite store," was the reply.
" HP is a wicked young fellow for making all this trouble," said the old lady
' he has been doing this for a joke."
26 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES.
•' A joke! " exclaimed Dibble, iii surprise. " Have you no Russia, theu! "
"My name is Jerusha, and so is my daughter's," said Mrs. Wheeler, ''and that,
1 suppose, is what he meant by telling you about old and young Rushia."
Mr. Dibble bolted through the door without another word and made directly
for our store. " You young scamp ! " said he, as he entered ; " what did you mean
by sending me over there to buy Russia? "
" I did not send you to buy Rushia ; I supposed you were either a bachelor or
widower and wanted to marry Rushia," I replied, with a serious countenance.
"You lie, you young dog, and you know it ; but never mind, I'll pay you off
some day; " and taking his furs, he departed with less ill-humor than could ha.\ e
been expected under the circumstances.
Among our customers were three or four old Revolutionary pensioners, who
traded out the amounts of their pensions before they were due, leaving their
papers as security. One of these pensioners was old Bevans, commonly known
as "Uncle Bibbins," a man Hho loved his glass and was very prone to relate
romantic Revolutionary anecdotes and adventures, in which he, of course, was
conspicuous. At one time he was in our debt, and though we held his pension
papers, it would be three months before the money could be drawn. It was
desirable to get him away for that length of time, and we hinted to him that it
would be pleasant to make a visit to Guilford, where he had relations, but he
would not go. Finally, I hit upon a plan which " moved " him,
A journejrman hatter, named Benton, who was fond of a practical joke, was
let into the secret, and was persuaded to call " Uncle Bibbins" a coward, to tell
him that he had been wounded in the back, and thus to prpvoke a duel, which he
lid, and at my suggestion "Uncle Bibbins" challenged Benton to fight him with
musket and ball at a distance of twenty yards. The challenge was accepted, I
was chosen second by "Uncle Bibbins," and the duel was to come off imme-
diately. My principal, taking me aside, begged me to put nothing in the guns
but blank cartridges. I assured him it should be so, and therefore that he might
feel perfectly safe.
The ground was measured in the lot at the rear of our store, and the principals
and seconds took their places. At the word given both parties fired. "Uncle
Bibbins " of course, escaped unhurt, but Benton leaped several feet into the air,
and fell upon the ground with a dreadful yell, as if he had been really shot.
"Uncle Bibbins" was frightened. I ran to him, told him I had neglected to
extract the bullet from his gun (which was literally true, as there was no bullet
in it to extract), and he supposed, of course, he had killed his adversary. I then
whispered to him to go immediately to Guilford, to keep quiet, and he should
hear from me as soon as it would be safe to do so. He started up the street on 11
run, and immediately quit the town for Guilford, where he kept himself quiet
until it was time for him to return and sign his papers. I then wrote him that
" he could return in safety ; that his adversary had recovered from his wound,
and now forgave him all, as be felt himself much to blame for having insulted a
man of his known courage."
"Uncle Bibbins" returned, signed the papers, and we obtained the pension
money. A few days thereafter he met Bentou.
" My brave old friend," said Beuton, " I forgive you my terrible wound and
long confinement on the brink of the grave, and I beg you to forgive me also. I
insulted you without a cause."
" I forgive you freely, " said "Uncle Bibbins;" "but," he added, "you must
bt» careful next time how you insult a dead shot."
CHAPTER III.
IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF.
ALB. OLIVER TAYLOR removed from Danbury to Brooklyn, Long Island, where
ue kept a grocery store and also had a large comb factory and a comb store in
New York. In the fall of 1826 he offered me a situation as clerk in Ms Brooklyn
>tore, which I accepted, and before long was entrusted with the purchasing of all
goods for Ks store. I bought for cash entirely, going into the lower part of New
York city in search of the cheapest market for groceries, often attending auctions
of teas, sugars, molasses, etc., watching the sales, noting prices and buyers, and
frequently combining with other grocers to bid off large lots, which we subse-
quently divided, giving each of us the quantity wanted at a lower rate than if the
goods had passed into other hands, compelling us to pay another profit.
Well treated as I was by my employer, who manifested great interest in me,
still I was dissatisfied. A salary was not sufficient for me. My disposition was
of that speculative character which refused to be satisfied unless I was engaged in
some business where my profits might be enhanced, or, at least, made to depend
upon my energy, perseverance, attention to business, tact, and "calculation."
In the following summer, 1827, I was taken down with the small-pox and was
confined to the house for several months. This sickness made a sad inroad upon
my means. When I was sufficiently recovered, I went home to recruit.
During my convalescence at my mother's house, I visited my old friends and
neighbors and had the opportunity to renew iny acquaintance with the attractive
tailoress, " Chairy " Hallett. A month afterwards, I returned to Brooklyn, where
I gave Mr. Taylor notice of my desire to leave his employment; and I then opened
a porter-house on my own account. In a few months I sold out to good advantage '
and accepted a favorable offer to engage as clerk in a similar establishment, kept
by Mr. David Thorp, 29 Peck Slip, New York. It was a great resort for Danbury
and Bethel comb makers and hatters, and I thus had frequent opportunities of
seeing and healing from my fellow-townsmen. I lived in Mr. Thorp's family and
was kindly treated. I was often permitted to visit the theater with friends who
came to New York, and, as I had considerable taste for the f Irama, I soon became, in
my own opinion, a discriminating critic — nor did I fail to exhibit my powers to my
Connecticut friends who accompanied me to the play. Let me gratefully add
that my habits were hot bad. Though I sold liquors to others, I do not think I
ever drank a pint of liquor, wine, or cordials before I was twenty-two years of
age. I always had a Bible, which I frequently read, and I attended church regu-
larly. These habits, so far as they go, are in the right direction, and I am thankful
to-day that they characterized my early youth. However worthy or unworthy
may have been my later years, I know that I owe much of the better part of my
nature to my youthful regard for Sunday and its institutions — a regard, I trust,
still strong in my character.
In February, 1828, I returned to Bethel and opened a retail fruit and confec-
tionery store in a part of my grandfather's carriage-house, which was situated 011
the main street, and which was offered to me rent free if I would return to my
27
28 IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF.
native village and establish some sort of business. This beginning of business on
my own account was an eventful era in my life. My total capital was one hun-
dred and twenty dollars, fifty of which I had expended in fitting up the store, and
the remaining seventy dollars purchased my stock in trade. I had arranged with
fruit dealers whom I knew in New York, to receive my orders, and I decided to
open my establishment on the first Monday in May — our "general training " day.
It was a "red letter" day for me. The village was crowded with people from
the surrounding region and the novelty of my little shop attracted attention.
Long before noon I was obliged to call in one of my old schoolmates to assist in
waiting upon my numerous customers and when I closed at night I had the satis-
faction of reckoning up sixty-three dollars as my day's receipts. Nor, although I
had received the entire cost of my goods, less seven dollars, did the stock seem
seriously diminished: showing that my profits had been large. I need not say
how much gratified I was with the result of this first day's experiment. The
store was a fixed fact. I went to New York and expended all ray money in a
stock of fancy goods, such as pocket-books, combs, beads, rings, pocket-knives,
and a few toys. These, with fruit, nuts, etc., made the business good through the
summer, and in the fall I added stewed oysters to the inducements.
My grandfather, who was much interested in my success, advised me to take an
agency for the sale of lottery tickets, on commission. In those days, the lottery
was not deemed objectionable on the score of morality. Very worthy people
invested in such schemes without a thought of evil, and then, as now, churches
even got up lotteries, with this difference — that then they were called lotteries,
and now they go under some other name. While I am very glad that an improved
public sentiment denounces the lottery in general as an illegitimate means of
getting money, and while I do not see how any one, especially in or near a New
England State, can engage in a lottery without feeling a reproach which no pecu-
niary return can compensate, yet I cannot now accuse myself for having been
lured into a business which was then sanctioned by good Christian people, who
now join with me in reprobating enterprises they once encouraged. But as public
.sentiment was forty-five years ago, I obtained an agency to sell lottery tickets on a
commission of ten per cent., and this business, in connection with my little store,
made my profits quite satisfactory.
I used to have some curious customers. On one occasion a young man called
on me and selected a pocket-book which pleased him, asking me to give him credit
for a few weeks. I told him that if he wanted any article of necessity in my
line, 1 should not object to trust him for a short time, but it struck me that a
pocket-book was a decided superfluity for a man who had no money.
My store had much to do in giving shape to my future character as well as
career, in that it became a favorite resort; the theater of village talk, and the
scene of many practical jokes. For any excess of the jocose element in my char-
acter, part of the blame must attach to my early surroundings as a village clerk
and merchant. In that true resort of village wits and wags, the country store,
fun, pure and simple, will be sure to find the surface. My Bethel store was the
scene of many most amusing incidents, in some of which I was an immediate
participant, though in many, I was only a listener or spectator.
The following scene makes a chapter in the history of Connecticut, as the State
was when "blue laws" were something more than a dead letter. To swear in
those days was according to custom, but contrary to law. A person from New
York State, whom I will call Crofut, who was a frequent visitor at my store, was
equally noted for bis self-will and his really terrible profanity. One day he was
IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF. 29
in my little establishment engaged in conversation, when Nathan Seelye, Esq. .
one of our village justices of the peace, and a man of strict religious principles,
came in, and hearing Crofut's profane language he told him he considered it his
duty to fine him one dollar for swearing.
Crofut responded immediately with an oath, that he did not care a d n for
the Connecticut blue laws.
"That will make two dollars," said Mr. Seelye.
This brought forth another oath.
"Three dollars," said the sturdy justice.
Nothing but oaths were given in reply, until Esquire Seelye declared the damage
to the Connecticut laws to amount to fifteen dollars.
Crofut took out a twenty-dollar bill, and handed it to the justice of the peace,
with an oath.
"Sixteen dollars," said Mr. Seelye, counting out four dollars to hand to Mr.
Crofut, as his change.
" Oh, keep it, keep it," said Crofut, " I don't want any change, I'll d d soon
swear out the balance." He did so, after which he was more circumspect in his
conversation, remarking that twenty dollars a day for swearing was about as
much as he could stand.
On another occasion, a man arrested for assault and battery was to be tried
before my grandfather, who was a justice of the peace. A young medical student
named Newton, volunteered to defend the prisoner, and Mr. Couch, the grand
juryman, came to me and said that as the prisoner had engaged a pettifogger, the
State ought to have some one to represent its interests and he would give me a
dollar to present the case. I accepted the fee and proposition. The fame of the
"eminent counsel" on both sides drew quite a crowd to hear the case. As for
the case itself, it was useless to argue it, for the guilt of the prisoner was estab-
lished by evidence of half a dozen witnesses. However, Newton was bound to
display himself, and so, rising with much dignity, he addressed my grandfather
with, "May it please the honorable count," etc., proceeding with a mixture of
poetry and invective against Couch, the grand juryman whom he assumed to be
the vindictive plaintiff in this case. After alluding to him as such for the twen-
tieth time, my grandfather stopped Newton in the midst of his splendid peroration
and informed him that Mr. Couch was not the plaintiff in the case.
"Not the plaintiff 1 Then may it please your honor I should like to know who
is the plaintiff ? " inquired Newton.
He was quietly informed that the State of Connecticut was the plaintiff, where-
upon Newton dropped into his seat as if he had been shot. Thereupon, I rose
with great confidence, and speaking from my notes, proceeded to show the guilt
of the prisoner from the evidence; that there was no discrepancy in the testi-
mony ; that none of the witnesses had been impeached ; that no defense had been
offered; that 1 was astonished at the audacity uf both counsel and prisoner in not
pleading guilty at once; and then, soaring aloft on general principles, I began to
look about for a safe place to alight, when my grandfather interrupted me with —
"Young man, will you have the kindness to inform the court which side you
are pleading for — the plaintiff or the defendant ? "
It was my turn to drop, which I did amid a shout of laughter from every corner
of the court-room. Newton, who had been very downcast, looked up with a
broad grin and the two "eminent counsel " sneaked out of the room in company,
while the prisoner was bound over to the next County Court for trial.
30 IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF.
While my business in Bethel continued to increase beyond my expectations, 1
was also happy in believing that my suit with the fair tailoress, Charity Hallett,
was duly progressing.
How I managed one of our sleigh rides may be worth narrating. My grand-
father would, at any time, let me have a horse and sleigh, always excepting his
new sleigh, the finest in the village, and a favorite horse called "Arabian." I
especially coveted this turnout for one of our parties, knowing that I could eclipse
all my comrades, and so I asked grandfather if I could have " Arabian " and the
new sleigh.
" Yes, if you have twenty dollars in your pocket," was the reply.
I immediately showed the money, and, putting it back in my pocket, said with
a laugh : ' ' You see I have the money. I am much obliged to you ; I suppose I can
have 'Arab' and the. new sleigh ?"
Of course, he meant to deny me by making what he thought to be an impossi-
ble condition, to wit: that I should hire the team, at a good round price, if I had
it at all, but I had caught him so suddenly that he was compelled to consent, and
" Chairy " and I had the crack team of the party.
There was a young apprentice to the tailoring trade in Bethel, whom I will call
John Mallett, whose education had been much neglected, and who had been pay-
ing his addresses to a certain "Lucretia" for some six months, with a strong
probability of being jilted at last. On a Sunday evening she had declined to take
his arm, accepting instead the arm of the next ma,n who offered, and Mallett
determined to demand an explanation. He accordingly came to me the Saturday
evening following, asking me, when I had closed my store, to write a strong and
rernonstratory "love-letter" for him. I asked "BUI Shepard," who was present,
to remain and assist, and, in due time, the joint efforts of Shepard, Mallett and
myself resulted in the following production. I give the letter as an illustrative
chapter in real life. It is certainly not after the manner of Chesterfield, but i
such a letter as a disappointed lover, spurred by
The green-eyed monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on,
frequently indites. With a demand from Mallett that we should begin in strong
terms, and Shepard acting as scribe, we concocted the following:
BETHEL, . 18—.
Miss LUCRETIA : I write this to ask an explanation of your conduct in giving me the uiitteu
on Sunday night last. If you think, madam, that you can trifle with my affections, and turn
ne off for every little whipper-snapper that you can pick up, yon will find yourself consid-
.wiKli' tvi i^t.iL-dn rYX7« ..,..1,1 tViti^ f.i*> t., Af.illr.tt ond it mot liic •mnrrkvnl H*» caifl ho lib-nH
* These were the euphonious names of localities in the vicinity of Bethel.
IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF. 31
my mind, and when, my dear girl, I remember how often you have told me that yon loved
me better than anybody else, and I assured you my feelings were the same as yours, it almost
breaks my heart to think of last Sunday night. [" Can't you stick in some aflecting poetry
here ?" said Mallett. Shepard could not recollect any to the point, nor could I, but as the
exigency of the case seemed to require it, we concluded to manufacture a verse or two, which
we did, as follows:]
Lucretia, dear, what have I done,
That yon should use me thus and so.
To take the arm of Tom Beers' son,
And let your dearest true love go?
Miserable fate, to lose you now,
And tear this bleeding heart asunder!
Will you forget your tender vow?
I can't believe it— no, by thunder
[Mallett did not like the word "thunder," but being informed that no other word could
be substituted without destroying both rhyme and reason, he consented that it should remain,
provided we added two more stanzas of a softer nature ; something, he said, that would
make the tears come, if possible. We then ground out the following :]
Lucretia. dear, do write to Jack,
And say with Beers you are not smitten ;
And thus to me in love come back,
And give all other boys the mitten.
Do this, Lucretia, and till death
I'll love you to intense distraction:
I'll spend for you my every breath,
And we will live in satisfaction.
I" That will do very well," said Mallett. "Now I guess you had better blow her up a
little more." We obeyed orders as follows :] It makes me mad to think what a fool I was
to give you that finger-ring and bosom-pin, and spend so much time in your company, just
to be flirted and bamboozled as I was on Sunday night last. If you continue this course ol
conduct, we part forever, and I will thank you to send back that jewelry. I would sooner
see it crushed under my feet than worn by a person who abused me as you have done. 1
shall despise you forever if you don't change your conduct towards me, and send DC e a letter
*pf apology on Monday next. I shall not go to meeting to-morrow, for I would scorn to sit
in the same meeting-house with you until I have an explanation of your conduct. If you
illow any young man to go home with you to-morrow night, I shall know it, for yon will be
watched. [" There," said Mallett, "that is pretty strong. Now I guess you had bette*
touch her feelings once more, and wind up the letter." We proceeded as follows:) My sweet
girl, if you only knew the sleepless nights which I have spent during the present v eek, the
torments and sullerings which I endure on your account ; if you could but reall e that I
regard the world as less than nothing without you, I ascertain you would pi'yme. A
homely cot and a crust of bread with my adorable Lucretia would be a paradif^, where a
palace without you would be a hades. [" What in thunder is hades ? " inquired Jack. We
explained. He considered the figure rather bold, and requested us to close as soon as pos-
sible.] Now, dearest, in bidding you adieu, I implore you to reflect on our past enjoyments,
look forward with pleasure to our future happy meetings, at.d rely upon your aflectionate
Jack in storm or calm, in sickness, distress, or want, for all these will be powerless to
change my love. I hope to hear from you on Monday next, and. If favorable, I shall be
happy to call on you the same evening, when in ecstatic joy we will laugh at the past, hope
for the future, and draw consolation from the fact that " the course of true love never did
run smooth." This from your disconsolate but still hoping lover and admirer,
JACK MALLETT.
P. S. — On reflection I have concluded to go to meeting to-morrow. If all is well, hold
your pocket handkerchief in your left hand as you stand up losing with the choir — in which
.case I shall expect the pleasure of giving you my arm to-morrow night. J. M.
The effect of this letter upon Lucretia, I regret to say, was not as favorable as
could have been desired. She declined to remove her handkerchief from her right
hand, and she returned the "ring and bosom -pin" to her disconsolate admirer,
while, not many months after, Mallett's rival led Lucretia to the altar. As for
Mallett's agreement to pay Shepard and nr 'self five pounds of carpet rags and
twelve yards of broadcloth "lists," for our services, owing to his ill success, we
compromised for one-half the amount.
CHAPTER IV.
STKU-GGLES FOR A LIVELIHOOD.
DURING this season I made arrangements with Mr. Samuel Sherwood, of Bridge
j)ort, to go on an exploring expedition to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where we
understood there was a fine opening for a lottery office, and where we meant to
try our fortunes, provided the prospects should equal our expectations. We went
to New York, where I had an interview with Mr. Dudley S. Gregory, the princi-
pal business man of Messrs. Yates and Mclntyre, who dissuaded me from going
to Pittsburg, and offered me the entire lottery agency for the State of Tennessee,
if I would go to Nashville and open an office. The offer was tempting, but the
distance was too far from a certain tailoress in Bethel.
The Pittsburg trip given up, Sherwood and I went to Philadelphia for a pleas-
ure excursion and put up at Congress Hall in Chestnut street where we lived in
much grander style than we had been accustomed to, and for a week we were in
clover. At the end of that time, however, when we concluded to start for home,
the amount of our hotel bill astounded us. After paying it and securing tickets
for New York, our combined purses showed a balance of but twenty-seven cents.
Twenty-five cents of this sum went to the boot-black. Fortunately our breakfast
was included in our bill, and we secured from the table a few biscuits for our
dinner on the way to New York.
On arriving we carried our own baggage to Holt's Hotel. The next morning
Sherwood obtained a couple of dollars from a friend, and went to Newark and
borrowed fifty dollars from his cousin, Dr. Sherwood, loaning me one-half the
sum. After a few days' sojourn in the city we returned home.
During our stay in New York, I derived considerable information from the
city managers with regard to the lottery business, and thereafter I bought my
tickets directly from the Connecticut lottery managers at what was termed " the
scheme price," and also established agencies throughout the country, selling con-
siderable quantities of tickets at handsome profits. My uncle, Alanson Taylor,
joined me in the business, and, as we sold several prizes, my office came to be
considered "lucky," and I received orders from all parts of the country.
During this time I kept a close eye upon the attractive tailoress, Charity Hallett,
and in the summer of 1829 I asked her hand in marriage. My suit was accepted,
and the wedding day was appointed; I, meanwhile, applying myself closely to
business, and no one but the parties immediately interested suspecting that the
event was so near at hand. Miss Hallett went to New York in October, ostensibly
to visit her uncle, Nathan Beers, who resided at No. 3 Allen Street. I followed
in November, pressed by the necessity of purchasing goods for my store; and the
evening after my arrival, November 8, 1829, the Rev. Dr. McAuley married us
in the presence of sundry friends and relatives of my wife, and I became the
husband of one of the best women in the world. In the course of the week we
went back to Bethel and took board in the family where Charity Barniun as
"Chairy " Hallett had previously resided.
I rto not approve or recommend early marriages. The minds of men and
32
STRUGGLES FOR A LIVELIHOOD. 33
women taking so important a step in life should be matured, but although I was
only little more than nineteen years old when I was married, I have always felt
assured that if I had waited twenty years longer I could not have found another
woman so well suited to my disposition and so aiimirable and valuable in every
character as a wife, a mother, and a friend.
In the winter of 1829-30, my lottery business had so extended that I had branch
offices in Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford and Middletown, as well as agencies in
the small villages for thirty miles around Bethel. I had also purchased from my
grandfather three acres of laud on which I built a house and went to housekeej
ing. My lottery business, which was with a few large customers, was so arranged
that I could safely entrust it to an agent, making it necessary for me to find some
other field for my individual enterprise.
So I tried my hand as an auctioneer in the book trade, traveling about the
country, but at Newburgh, New York, several of my best books were stolen, and
I quit the business in disgust.
In July, 1831, my uncle, Alanson Taylor, and myself opened a country store in
a building, which I had put up in Bethel in the previous spring, and we '••tocked
the "yellow store," as it was called, with a full assortment of groceries, hard-
ware, crockery, and "notions;" but we were not successful in the enterprise,
and in October following, I bought out my uncle's interest and we dissolved
partnership.
About this time, circumstances, partly religious and partly political in their
character, led me into still another fie1 A of enterprise which honorably opened
to me that notorietv o£ *iucu in later lite I surely have had a surfeit. Consider-
ing my youth, this new enterprise reflected credit upon my ability, as well as
energy, and so I may be excused if I now recur to it with something like pride
In a period of strong political excitement, 1 wrote several communications for
the Danbury weekly paper, setting forth what I conceived to be the dangers of a
sectarian interference which was then apparent in political affairs. The publica-
tion of these communications was refused, and I accordingly purchased a press
and types, and October 19, 1831, I issued the first number of my own paper, The
Herald of Freedom.
I entered upon the editorship of this journal with all the vigor and vehemence
of youth. The boldness with which the paper was conducted soon excited wide-
spread attention and commanded a circulation which extended beyond the imme-
diate locality into nearly every State in the Union. But lacking that experience
which induces caution, and without the dread of consequences, I frequently laid
myself open to the charge of libel, and three times in three years I was prosecuted.
A Danbury butcher, a zealous politician, brought a civil suit against me for accus-
ing him of being a spy in a Democratic caucus. On the first trial the jury did
not agree, but after a second trial I was fined several hundred dollars. Anothei
libel suit against me was withdrawn. The third was sufficiently important to
warrant the following detail:
A criminal prosecution was brought against me for stating in my paper that a
man in Bethel, prominent in church, had "been guilty of taking usury of an
orphan boy," and for severely commenting on the fact in my editorial columns.
When the case came to trial the truth of my statement was substantially proved
by several witaesses and even by the prosecuting party. But "the greater the
truth, the greater the libel," and then I had used the term "usury," instead of
extortion, or note-shaving, or some other expression which might have softened
Z*
34 STRUGGLES FOR A LIVELIHOOD.
the verdict. The result was that I was sentenced to pay a fine of one hundred
dollars and to be imprisoned in the common jail for sixty days.
The most comfortable provision was made for me in Danbury jaiL My room
was papered and carpeted; I lived well; I was overwhelmed with the constant
visits of my friends; I edited my paper as usual and received large accessions to
my subscription list; and at the end of my sixty days' term the event was cele-
brated by a large concourse of people from the surrounding country. The court
room in which I was convicted was the scene of the celebration. An ode, written
for the occasion, was sung; an eloquent oration on the freedom of the press was
delivered; and several hundred gentlemen afterwards partook of a sumptuous
dinner followed by appropriate toasts and speeches. Then came the triumphant
part of the ceremonial, which was reported in my paper of December 12, 1832,
as follows:
" P. T. BAKNUM and the band of music took their seats in a coach drawn by six horses,
which had been prepared for the occasion. The coach was preceded by forty horsemen,
and a marshal, bearing the national standard. Immediately in the rear of the coach was
the carriage of the orator and the President of the day, followed by the committee of
arrangements and sixty carriages of citizens, which joined in escorting the editor to his
home in Bethel.*
" When the procession commenced its march amidst the roar of cannon, three cheers
were given by several hundred citizens who did not join in the procession. The band of
music continued to play a variety of national airs until their arrival in Bethel (a distance
of three miles), when they struck up the beautiful and appropriate tune of 'Home, Sweet
Home!' After giving three hearty cheers, the procession returned to Danbury. The
utmost harmony and unanimity of feeling prevailed throughout the day, and we are happy
to add that no accident occurred to mar the festivities of the occasion."
My editorial career was one of continual contest. I however published the
160th number of The Herald of Freedom, in Danbury, November 5, 1834, after
which my brother-in-law, John "W. Amerman, issued the paper forme at Nor
walk till the following year, when the Herald was sold to Mr. George Taylor.
Meanwhile, I had taken Horace Fairchild into partnership in my mercantile
business, in 183], and I had sold out to him and to a Mr. Toucey, in 1833, they
forming a partnership under the firm of Fairchild & Co. So far as I was con-
cerned, my store was not a success. Ordinary trade was too slow for me. I
bought largely and in order to sell I was obliged to give extensive credits. Hence
I had an accumulation of bad debts: and my old ledger presents a long series of
accounts balanced by "death," by "running away," by "failing," and by other
similarly remunerative returns.
There was nothing more for me to do in Bethel; and in the winter of 1834-5, I
removed my family to New York, where I hired a house in Hudson street. I
tiad no pecuniary resources, excepting such as might be derived from debts left
for collection with my agent at Bethel, and I went to the metropolis literally to
seek my fortune. I hoped to secure a situation in some mercantile house, not at
a fixed salary, but so as to derive such portion of the profits as might be due to
my individizal tact, energy, and perseverance in the interests of the business.
But I could find no such position; my resources began to fail ; my family were
in ill health; I must do something for a living; and so I acted as "drummer " to
several stores which allowed me a small commission on sales to customers of my
introduction.
Nor did all my efforts secure a situation for me during the whole winter; but
in the spring, I received several hundred dollars from my agent in Bethel, and
* See illustration, page 36.
STRUGGLES FOR A LIVELIHOOD. 35
finding no better business, May 1, 1835, I opened a small private boarding-house
at No. 52 Frankfort street. We soon had a very good run of custom ^rom our
Connecticut acquaintances who had occasion to visit New York, and as this
business did not sufficiently occupy my time, I bought an interest with Mr. John
Moody in a grocery store, No. 156 South street.
Although the years of manhood brought cares, anxieties, and struggles for a
livelihood, they did not change my nature and the jocose element was still an
essential ingredient of my being. I loved fun, practical fun, for itself and for
the enjoyment which it brought. During the year, I occasionally visited Bridge-
port where I almost always found at the hotel a noted joker, named Barrow,
who spared neither friend nor foe in his tricks. He was the life of the bar-room
and would always try to entrap some stranger in a bet and so win a treat for the
company. He made several ineffectual attempts upon me, and at last, one even-
ing, Darrow, who stuttered, made a final trial as follows: "Come, Barnum, I'll
make you another proposition; I'll bet you hain't got a whole shirt on your back."
The catch consists in the fact that generally only one-half of that convenient
garment is on the back; but I had anticipated the proposition — in fact I had
induced a friend, Mr. Hough, to put Darrow up to the trick — and had folded a
shirt nicely upon my back, securing it there with my suspenders. The bar-room
was crowded with customers who thought that if I made the bet I should b<
nicely caught, and I made pretense of playing off and at the same time stim-
ulated Darrow to press the bet by saying:
" That is a foolish bet to make; I am sure my shirt is whole because it is nearly
new; but I don't like to bet on such a subject."
"A good reason why," said Darrow, in great glee; "it's ragged. Come, I'll
bet you a treat for the whole company you haint got a whole shirt on your
b-b-b-back!"
" I'll bet my shirt is cleaner than yours," I replied.
" That's nothing to do w-w-with the case; it's ragged, and y-y-you know it."
" I know it is not," I replied, with pretended anger, which caused the crowd to
laugh heartily.
"You poor ragged f-f-fellow, comedown here from D-D-Danbury, I'm sorry
for you," said Darrow tantalizingly.
" You would not pay if you lost," I remarked.
"Here's f-f-five dollars I'll put in Captain Hinman's (the landlord's) hands.
Now b-b-bet if you dare, you ragged c-c-creature, you."
I put five dollars in Captain Hinman's hands, and told him to treat the com
pany from it if I lost the bet.
"Remember," said Darrow, "I b-b-bet you hain't got a whole shirt on your
b-b-back!"
"All right," said I, taking off my coat and commencing to unbutton my vest.
The whole company, feeling sure that I was caught, began to laugh heartily.
Old Darrow fairly danced with delight, and as I laid my coat on a chair he came
running up in front of me, and slapping his hands together, exclaimed:
"You needn't t-t-take off any more c-c-clothes, for if it ain't all on your
b-b-back, you've lost it."
"If it is, I suppose you have!" I replied, pulling the whole shirt from off my
back!
Such a shriek of laughter as burst forth from the crowd I scarcely ever heard,
and certainly such a blank countenance as old Darrow exhibited it would be hard
to conceive. Seeing that he was most incontinently "done for," and perceiving
36 STRUCWLES FOR A LIVELIHOOD.
that his neighbor Hough had helped to do it, he ran up to him in great auger
and shaking his fist in his face exclaimed:
" H-H-Hough, you infemal r-r-rascal, to go against your own neighbor in favor
of a D-D-Danbury man. I'll pay you for that some time, you see if I d-d-don't."
All hands went up to the bar and drank with a hearty good will, for it was
seldom that Darrow got taken in, and he was such an inveterate joker they liked
to see him paid in his own coin. Never til] the day of his death did he hear the
last of th«» " whole shirt."
CHAPTER V.
MY START AS A SHOWMAN.
BY this time it was clear to my mind that my proper position in this busy
world was not yet reached. The business for which I was destined, and, 1
believe, made, had not yet come to me. I had not found that I was to cater for
that insatiate want of human nature — the love of amusement; that I was to
make a sensation on two continents; and that fame and fortune awaited me so
soon as I should appear before the public in the character of a showman.
The show business has all phases and grades of dignity, from the exhibition of
a monkey to the exposition of that highest art in music or the drama, which
entrances empires and secures for the gifted artist a world-wide fame which
princes well might envy. Men, women and children, who cannot live on gravity
alone, need something to satisf y their gayer, lighter moods and hours, and he
who ministers to this want is in a business established by the Author of our
nature. If he worthily fulfils his mission, and amuses without corrupting, he
need never feel that he has lived in vain.
The least deserving of all my efforts in the show line was the one which intro-
duced me to the business ; a scheme in no sense of my own devising; one which
had been some time before the public and which had so many vouchers for its
genuineness that at the time of taking possession of it I honestly believed it to be
genuine.
In the summer of 1835, Mr. Coley Bartram, of Reading, Connecticut, informed
me that he had owned an interest in a remarkable negro woman whom he
believed to be one hundred and sixty-one years old, and whom he also believed
to have been the nurse of General Washington. He then showed me a copy of
the following advertisement in the Pennsylvania Inquirer, of July 15, 1835 :
•
CURIOSITY.— The citizens of Philadelphia and its vicinity have an opportunity of witness-
ing at the Masonic Hall, one of the greatest natural curiosities ever witnessed, viz.: JOICB
HETH, a negress, aged 101 years, who formerly belonged to the father of General Wash-
ington. She has been a member of the Baptist Church one hundred and sixteen years, and
can rehearse many hymns, and sing them according to former custom. She was born near
the old Potomac River in Virginia, and has for ninety or one hundred years lived in Paris,
Kentucky, with the BoA'ling family.
All who have seen this extraordinary woman are satisfied of the truth of the account of
her age. The evidence of the Bowling family, which is respectable, is strong, but the
original bill of sale of Augustine Washington, in his own hand-writing, and other evidences
which the proprietor has in his possession, will satisfy even the most incredulous.
A lady will attend at the hall during the afternoon and evening for the accommodation of
those ladies who may call.
Mr. Bartram further stated that he had sold out his interest to his partner, R.
W. Lindsay, of Jefferson county, Kentucky, who was then exhibiting Joice
Heth in Philadelphia, but was anxious to sell out and go home — the alleged
reason being that he had very little tact as a showman. As the New York papers
had also contained some account of Joice Heth, I went on to Philadelphia to 3ee
Mr, Liusday and his exhibition.
37
38 MY START AS A SHOWMAN.
Joice Heth was certainly a remarkable curiosity, and she looked as if she
might have been far older than her age as advertised. She was apparently in
good health and spirits, but from age or disease, or both, was unable to change
her position; she could move one arm at will, but her lower limbs could not be
straightened; her left arm lay across her breast and she could not remove it; the
fingers of her left hand were drawn down so as nearly to close it, and were
fixed; the nails on that hand were almost four inches long and extended above
her wrist ; the nails on her large toes had grown to the thickness of a quarter of
on inch; her head was covered with a thick bush of grey hair; but she was tooth-
less and totally blind, and her eyes had sunk so deeply in the sockets as to have
disappeared altogether.
Nevertheless she was pert and sociable and would talk as long as people would
converse with her. She was quite garrulous about her protege "dear little
George," at whose birth she declared she was present, having been at the time a
slave of Elizabeth Atwood, a half-sister of Augustine Washington, the father of
George Washington. As nurse she put the first clothes on the infant, and she
claimed to have "raised him." She professed to be a member of the Baptist
church, talking much in her way on religious subjects, and she sang a variety of
ancient hymns.
In proof of her extraordinary age and pretensions, Mr. Lindsay exhibited a
bill of sale, dated February 5, 1727, from Augustine Washington, county of
Westmoreland, Virginia, to Elizabeth Atwood, a half-sister and neighbor of Mr.
Washington, conveying "one negro woman named Joice Heth, aged fifty-four
years, for and in consideration of the sum of thirty -three pounds lawful money
of Virginia." It was further claimed that she had long been a nurse in the
Washington family ; she was called in at the birth of George and clothed the new-
born infant. The evidence seemed authentic, and hi answer to the inquiry why
so remarkable a discovery had not been made before, a satisfactory explanation
was given in the statement that she had been carried from Virginia to Kentucky,
had been on the plantation of John S. Bowling so long that no one knew or cared
how old she was, and only recently the accidental discovery by Mr. Bowling's
son of the old bill of sale in the Record Office in Virginia had led to the identifi-
cation of this negro woman as "the nurse of Washington."
Everything seemed so straightforward that I was anxious to become proprietor
of this novel exhibition, which was offered to me at one thousand dollars, though
the price first demanded was three thousand. I had five hundred dollars, bor-
rowed five hundred dollars more, sold out my interest in the grocery business to
my partner, and began life as a showman. At the outset of my career I saw
that everything depended upon getting the people to think, and talk, and become
curious and excited over and about the "rare spectacle." Accordingly, posters,
transparencies, advertisements, newspaper paragraphs — all calculated to extort
attention — were employed, regardless of expense. My exhibition rooms in New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, Albany, and in other large and small cities, were
continually thronged and much money was made. In the following February,
Joice Heth died, literally of old age, and her remains received a respectable
burial in the town of BetheL
At a post-mortem examination of Joice Heth by Dr. David L. Rogers, in the
presence of some medical students, it was thought that the absence of ossifica-
tion indicated considerably less age than had been assumed for her; 'but the
doctors disagreed, and this "dark subject" will probably always continue to be
shrouded in mystery
MY 8TAKT AS A SHOWMAN. 36
I bad at last found my true vocation. My next venture, whatever it maj
have been in other respects, had the merit of being, in every essential, unmis-
takably genuine. I engaged from the Albany Museum an Italian who called
himself "Signer Antonio" and who performed certain remarkable feats of
balancing, stilt-walking, plate-spinning, etc. I made terms with him for one
year to exhibit anywhere in the United States at twelve dollars a week and
expenses, and induced him to change his stage name to "Signer Vivalla." 1
then wrote a notice of his wonderful qualities and performances, printed it in
one of the Albany papers as news, sent copies to the theatrical managers in New
York and in other cities, and went with Vivalla to the metropolis.
Manager William Dinneford, of the Franklin Theatre, had seen so many per-
tormances of the kind that he declined to engage my "eminent Italian artist;"
but I persuaded him to try Vivalla one night for nothing, and by the potent aid
of printer's ink the house was crammed. I appeared as a supernumerary to assist
Vivalla in arranging his plates and other "properties; " and to hand him his gun
to fire while he was hopping on one stilt ten feet high. This was "my first
appearance on any stage." The applause which followed Vivalla's feats was tre-
mendous, and Manager Dinneford was so delighted that he engaged him for the
remainder of the week at fifty dollars. At the close of the performance, in
response to a call from the house, I made a speech for Vivalla, thanking the audi-
ence for their appreciation and announcing a repetition of the exhibition every
evening during the week.
Vivalla i-emained a second week at the Franklin Theatre, for which 1 received
$] 50. I realized the same sum for a week in Boston. We then went to Washing-
ton to fulfill an engagement which was far from successful, since my remuneration
depended upon the receipts, and it snowed continually during the week. I was a
loser to such an extent that I had not funds enough to return to Philadelphia. I
pawned my watch and chain for thirty-five dollars, when, fortunately, Manager
Wemyss arrived on Saturday morning and loaned me the money to redeem my
property.
As this was my first visit to Washington, I was much interested in visiting the
capitol and other public buildings. I also satisfied my curiosity in seeing Clay,
Calhoun, Benton, John Quincy Adams, Richard M. Johnson, Polk, and other
leading statesmen of the time. I was also greatly gratified in calling upon Anne
Royall, author of the Black Book, publisher of a little paper called " Paul Pry,"
and quite a celebrated personage in her day. I had exchanged The Herald of Free-
dom with her journal, and she strongly sympathized with me in my persecutions.
She was delighted to see me, and although she was the most garrulous old woman
[ ever saw, I passed a very amusing and pleasant time with her. Before leaving
her, I manifested my showman propensity by trying to hire her to give a dozen
or more lectures on " Government," in the Atlantic cities, but I could not engage
her at any price, although I am sure the speculation would have been a very
profitable one. I never saw this eccentric woman again; she died at a very
advanced age, October 1, 1854, at her residence in Washington.
I went with Vivalla to Philadelphia and opened at the Walnut Street Theatre.
Though Ms performances were very meritorious and were well received, theatri-
cals were dull and houses were slim. It was evident that something must be done
to stimulate the public.
And now that instinct — I think it must be — which can arouse a community and
•Bake it patronize, provided the article offered is worthy of patronage — an instinct
#luch served me strangely in later years, astonishing the public and surprising
40 MY START AS A SHOWMAN.
me, came to my relief, and the help, curiously enough, appeared in the shape of
an emphatic hiss from the pit !
This hiss, I discovered, came from one Roberts, a circus performer, and I had an
interview with him. He was a professional balancer and juggler, who boasted
that he could do all Vivalla had done and something more. 1 at once published
a card hi Vivalla's name, offering ?1,000 to any one who would publicly perform
Vivalla's feats at such place as should be designated, and Roberts issued a counter
card, accepting the offer. I then contracted with Mr. Warren, treasurer of the
Walnut Street Theatre, for one-third of the proceeds, if I should bring the receipts
up to $400 a night — an agreement he could well afford to make as his receipts the
night before had been but seventy-five dollars. From him I went to Roberts,
who seemed disposed to "back down," but I told him I should not insist upon the
terms of his published card, and ask him if he was under any engagement? Learn-
ing that he was not, I offered him thirty dollars to perform under my direction
one night at the Walnut, and he accepted. A great trial of skill between Roberts
and Vivalla was duly announced by posters and through the press. Meanwhile,
they rehearsed privately to see what tricks each could perform, and the "busi-
ness " was completely arranged.
Public excitement was at fever heat, and on the night of the trial the pit and
upper boxes were crowded to the full. The "contest" between the performers
was eager, and each had his party in the house. So far as I could learn, no one
complained that he did n<5t get all he paid for on that occasion. I engaged Rob-
erts for a mouth and his subsequent "contests" with Vivalla amused the public
and put money hi my purse.
In April, 1836, I connected myself with Aaron Turner's traveling circus com-
pany as ticket-seller, secretary and treasurer, at thirty dollars a month and one-
fifth of the entire profits, while Vivalla was to receive a salary of fifty dollars.
As I was already paying him eighty dollars a month, our joint salaries reimbursed
me and left me the chance of twenty per cent, of the net receipts. We started
from Danbury for West Springfield, Massachusetts, April 26th, and on the first
day, instead of halting to dine, as I expected, Mr. Turner regaled the whole com-
pany with three loaves of r ye bread and a pound of butter, bought at a farm
house at a cost of fifty cents, and after watering the horses, we went on our way.
We began our performances at West Springfield, April 2Sth, and as our expected
band of music had not arrived from Providence, I made a prefatory speech
announcing our disappointment, and our intention to please our patrons, never-
theless. The two Turner boys, sons of the proprietor, rode finely. Joe Pentland,
one of the wittiest, best, and most original of clowns, with Vivalla's tricks and
other performances in the ring, more than made up for the lack of music. In a
day or two our band arrived and our "houses" improved. My diary is full of
incidents of our summer tour through numerous villages, towns, and cities ii.
New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Dis
trict of Columbia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
While we were at Cabotville, Massachusetts, on going to bed one night one of
my room-mates threw a lighted stump of a cigar into a spit-box filled with saw-
dust, and the result was that about one o'clock T. V. Turner, who slept hi the room,
awoke in the midst of a dense smoke, and barely managed to crawl to the win-
dow to open it, and to awaken us in time to save us from suffocation.
At Lenox, Massachusetts, one Sunday I attended church as usual, and the
preacher denounced our circus and all connected with it as immoral, and was very
abusive; whereupon, when he had read the closing hymn, I walked up the pulpit
MY START AS A SHOWMAN. 41
stall's and handed him a written request, signed "P. T. Barnum, connected with
the circus, June 5th, 1836," to be permitted to reply to him. He declined to
notice it, and after the benediction I lectured him for not giving me an opportu-
nity to vindicate myself and those with whom I was connected. The affair
created considerable excitement, and some of the members of the church apolo-
gized to me for their clergyman's ill-behavior. A similar affair happened after-
wards at Port Deposit, OIL the lower Susquehanna, and in this instance I addressed
the audience for half an hour, defending the circus company against the attacks of
the clergyman, and the people listened, though their pastor repeatedly implored
them to go home. Often have I collected our company on Sunday and read to them
the Bible or a printed sermon, and one or more of the men frequently accompanied
me to church. We made no pretence of religion, but we were not the worst
people in the world, and we thought ourselves entitled to at least decent treatment
when we went to hear the preaching of the Gospel.
The proprietor of the circus, Aaron Turner, was a self-made man, who had
acquired a large fortune by his industry. He believed that any man with health
and common sense could become rich if he only resolved to be so, and he was
very proud of the fact that he began the world with no advantages, no educa-
tion, and without a shilling. Withal, he was a practical joker, as I more thai]
once discovered to my cost. While we were at Annapolis, Maryland, he played
a trick upon me which was fun to him, but was very nearly death to me.
We arrived on Saturday night, and as I felt quite " flush " I bought a fine suit
of black clothes. On Sunday morning I dressed myself in my new suit and
started out for a stroll. While passing through the bar-room Turner called the
attention of the company present to me and said:
" I think it very singular you permit that rascal to march your streets in open
day. It wouldn't be allowed in Rhode Island, and I suppose that is the reason
the black-coated scoundrel has come down this way."
" Why, who is he?" asked half a dozen at once.
" Don't you know? Why that is the Rev. E. K. Avery, the murderer of Miss
Cornell!"
" Is it possible! " they exclaimed, all starting for the door, eager to get a look at
me, and swearing vengeance.
It was only recently that the Rev. Ephraim K. Avery had been tried in Rhode
Island for the murder of Miss Cornell, whose body was discovered in a stack-
yard, and though Avery was acquitted in court, the general sentiment of the
country condemned him. It was this Avery whom Turner made me represent.
I had not walked far in my fine clothes, before I was overtaken by a mob of a
dozen, which rapidly increased to at least a hundred, and my ears were suddenly
saluted with such observations as, "the lecherous old hypocrite," "the sanctified
murderer," "the black-coated villian," "lynch the scoundrel," "let's tar and
feather him," and like remarks which I had no idea applied to me till one man
seized me by the collar, while five or six more appeared on the scene with a rail.
" Come," said the man who collared me, "old chap, you can't walk any further;
we know you, and as we always make gentlemen ride in these parts, you may
just prepare to straddle that rail! "
My surprise may be imagined. "Good heavens!" I exclaimed, as they all
pressed around me, "gentlemen, what have I done?"
"Oh, we know you," exclaimed half a dozen voices; "you needn't roll your
sanctimonious eyes; that game don't take in this country Come, straddle the
rail, and remember the stack-yard ' "
42 MY START AS A SHOWMAN.
l grew more and more bewildered; I could not imagine what possible offence I
was to suffer for, and I continued to exclaim, "Gentlemen, what have I done?"
Don't kill me, gentlemen, .but tell me what 1 have done."
"Come, make him straddle the rail; we'll show him how to hang poor factory
girls," shouted a man in the crowd.
The man who had me by the collar then remarked, "Come, Mr. Avery, it's m.-
use, you see, we know you, and we'll give you a touch of Lynch law, and start
you for home again."
"My name is not Avery, gentlemen; you are mistaken in your man," 1
exclaimed.
"Come, come, none of your gammon; straddle the rail, Ephraim."
The rail was brought and I was about to be placed on it, when the truth flashed
upon me.
"Gentlemen," I exclaimed, "I am not Avery; I despise that villain as much as
you can; my name is Bamum; I belong to the circus which arrived here last
night, and I am sure Old Turner, my partner, has hoaxed you with this ridicu-
lous story."
"If he has we'll lynch him," said one of the mob.
"Well, he has, I'll assure you, and if you will walk to the hotel with me, I'll
convince you of the fact."
This they reluctantly assented to, keeping, however, a close hand upon me. As
we walked up the main street, the mob received a re-enforcement of some fifty
or sixty, and I was marched like a malefactor up to the hotel Old Turner stood
on the piazza ready to explode with laughter. I appealed to him for heaven's
sake to explain this matter, that I might be liberated. He continued to laugh,
but finally told them " he believed there was some mistake about it. The fact is,"
said he, "my friend Barnum has a new suit of black clothes on and he looks so
much like a priest that I thought he must be Avery."
The crowd saw the joke and seemed satisfied. My new coat had been half torn
from my back, and I had been very roughly handled. But some of the crowd
apologized for the outrage, declaring that Turner ought to be served in the same
way, while others advised me to "get even with him." I was very much
offended, and when the mob dispersed I asked Turner what could have induced
him to play such a trick upon me.
"My dear Mr. Barnum," he replied, "it was all for our good. Remember, all
we need to insure success is notoriety. You will see that this will be noised all
about town as a trick played by one of the circus managers upon the other, and
our pavilion will be crammed to-morrow night."
It was even so ; the trick "was told all over town and every one came to see the
circus managers who were in a habit of playing practical jokes upon each other.
We had fine audiences while we remained at Annapolis, but it was a long tim*
lief ore I forgave Turner for his rascally " joke."
CHAPTER VI.
MY FIRST TRAVELING COMPANY.
AN amusing incident occurred when we were at Hanover Court House, in Vir
ginia. It rained so heavily that we could not perform there, and Turner decided
to start for Richmond immediately after dinner, when he was informed by the
landlord that as our agent had engaged three meals and lodging for the whole
company, the entire bill must be paid whether we went then, or next morning
No compromise could be effected with the stubborn landlord, and so Turner
proceeded to get the worth of his money as-follows:
He ordered dinner at twelve o'clock, which was duly prepared and eaten. The
table was cleared and re-set for supper at half -past twelve. At one o'clock we all
went to bed, every man carrying a lighted candle to his room. There were thirty-
six of us and we all undressed and tumbled into bed as if we were going to stay
all night. In half an hour we rose and went down to the hot breakfast which
Turner had demanded and which we found smoking on the table. Turner was
very grave, the landlord was exceedingly angry, and the rest of us were convulsed
with laughter at the absurdity of the whole proceeding. We disposed of our
breakfast as if we had eaten nothing for ten hours, and then started for Richmond
with the satisfaction that we fairly settled with our unreasonable landlord.
At Richmond, after performances were over one night, I managed to partially
pay Turner for his A very trick. A dozen or more of us were enjoying ourselves in
the sitting-room of the hotel, telling stories and singing songs, when some of the
company proposed sundry amusing arithmetical questions, followed by one from
Turner which was readily solved. Hoping to catch Turner I then proposed the
following problem :
"Suppose a man is thirty years of age, and he has a child one year of age;
he is thirty times older than his child. When the child is thirty years old, the
father, being sixty, is only twice as old as his child, When the child is sixty the
father is ninety, and therefore only one-third older than the child. When the
child is ninety the father is one hundred and twenty, and therefore only one-
fourth older than the child. Thus you see, the child is gradually but surely gain-
ing on the parent, and as he certainly continues to come nearer and nearer, in time
he must overtake him. The question therefore is, suppose it was possible for them
to live long enough, how old would the father be when the child overtook him
and became of the same age?"
The company generally saw the catch ; but Turner was very much interested
in the problem, and although he admitted he knew nothing about arithmetic, he
was convinced that as the son was gradually gaining on the father he must reach
him if there was time enough — say, a thousand years, or so — for the race. But
an old gentleman gravely remarked that the idea of a son becoming as old as his
father while both were living, was simply nonsense, and he offered to bet a dozen
of champagne that the thing was impossible, even "in figures." Turner, who
was a betting man, and who thought the problem might be proved, accepted the
wager; but he was soon convinced that however much the boy might relatively
43
44 MY FIRST TRAVELING COMPANY.
gain upon his father, there would always be thirty years difference in their agt»
The champagne cost him $25, and he failed to see the fun of my arithmetic,
though at last he acknowledged that it was a fair offset to the Avpry trick.
We went from Richmond to Petersburg, and from that place to Warrenton,
North Carolina, where, October 30th, my engagement expired with a profit to
myself of $1,200. I now separated from the circus company, taking Vivalla,
James Sandford (a negro singer and dancer), several musicians, horses, wagons,
and a small canvas tent with which I intended to begin a traveling exhibition of
my own. My company started and Turner took me on the way in his own car-
riage some twenty miles. We parted reluctantly, and my friend wished me every
success in my new venture.
On Saturday, November 12, 1836, we halted at Rocky Mount Falls, North Car-
olina, and on my way to the Baptist Church, Sunday morning, I noticed a stand
and benches in a grove near by, and determined to speak to the people if I was
permitted. The landlord who was with me said that the congregation, coming
from a distance to attend a single service, would be very glad to hear a stranger,
and 1 accordingly asked the venerable clergyman to announce that after service
I would speak for half an hour in the grove. Learning that I was not a clergy-
man, he declined to give the notice, but said that he had no objection to my
making the announcement, which I did, and the congregation, numbering about
three hundred, promptly came to hear me.
I told them I was not a preacher, and had very little experience in public
speaking; but I felt a deep interest in matters of morality and religion, and
would attempt, in a plain way, to set before them the duties and privileges of
man. I appealed to every man's experience, observation and reason, to confirm
the Bible doctrine of wretchedness in vice and happiness in virtue. We cannot
violate the laws of God with impunity, and He will not keep back the wages of
well-doing. The outside show of things is of very small account. We must look
to realities and not to appearances. " Diamonds may glitter on a vicious breast,"
but "the soul's calm sunshine and the heart-felt joy is virtue's prize." The
rogue, the passionate man, the drunkard, are not to be envied even at the best, and
a conscience hardened by sin is the most sorrowful possession we can think of. I
went on in this way, with some scriptural quotations and familiar illustrations,
for three-quarters of an hour. At the close of my address several persons took
me by the hand, expressing themselves as greatly pleased and desiring to know
my name; and I went away with the feeling that possibly I might have done
some good in the beautiful grove on that charming Sunday morning.
When we were at Camden, South Carolina, Sandford suddenly left me, and as
1 had advertised negro songs and none of my company was competent to fill
Sandf ord's place, not to disappoint my audience, I blacked myself and sung the
advertised songs "Zip Coon," etc., and to my surprise was much applauded,
while two of the songs were encored. One evening, after singing my songs, I
heard a disturbance outside the tent, and going to the spot found a person disput-
ing with my men. I took part on the side of the men, when the person who was
quarreling with them drew a pistol and exclaiming, " You black scoundrel ! how
dare you use such language to a white man," he proceeded to cock it. I saw that
he thought I was a negro and meant to blow my brains out. Quick as thought 1
rolled my sleeve up, showed my skin, and said, " I am as white as you are, sir."
He dropped his pistol in positive fright and begged my pardon. My presence of
mind saved me.
MY FIRST TRAVELING COMPANY. 45
On four different occasions in my life I nave had a loaded pistol pointed at my
head and each time I have escaped death by what seemed a miracle. I have also
often been in deadly peril by accidents, and when I think of these things I realize
my indebtedness to an all-protecting Providence. Reviewing my career, too,
and considering the kind of company I kept for years and the associations with
which I was surrounded and connected, 1 am surprised as well as grateful that 1
was not ruined. I honestly believe that I owe my preservation from the degra-
dation of living and dying a loafer and a vagabond, to the single fact that I was
never addicted to strong drink. To be sure, I have in times past drank liquor,
'nit I have generally wholly abstained from intoxicating beverages, and for more
than twenty years past, I am glad to say, I have been a strict "teetotaller."
At Camden I lost one of my musicians, a Scotchman named Cochran, who was
arrested for advising the negro barber who was shaving him to run away to the
Free States or to Canada. I made every effort to effect Cochran's release, but he
was imprisoned more than six months.
I bought four horses and two wagons and hired Jbe Pentland and Robert
White to join my company. White, as a negro singer, would relieve me from
that roll, and Pentland, besides being a capital clown, was celebrated as a ven-
triloquist, comic singer, balancer, and legerdemain performer. My re-enforced
exhibition was called " Barnum's Grand Scientific and Musical Theatre."
Some time previously, in Raleigh, North Carolina, I had sold one-half of my
establishment to a man, whom I will call Henry, who now acted as treasurer and
ticket-taker. At Augusta, Georgia, the sheriff served a writ upon this Henry
for a debt of $500. As Henry had $GOO of the company's money in his possession,
t immediately procured a bill of sale of all his property in the exhibition and
returned to the theatre where Henry's creditor and the creditor's lawyer were
waiting for me. They demanded the key of the stable so as to levy on the
horses and wagons. I begged delay till I could see Henry, and they consented.
Henry was anxious to cheat his creditor and he at once signed the bill of sale. 1
returned and informed the creditor that Henry refused to pay or compromise
the( claim. The sheriff then demanded the keys of the stable door to attach
Henry's interest in the property. "Not yet," said I, showing a bill of sale,
" you see I am in full possession of the property as entire owner. You confess
that you have not yet levied on it, and if you touch my property, you do it at
your peril."
They were very much taken aback, and the sheriff immediately conveyed
Henry to prison. The next day I learned that Henry owed his creditors thirteen
hundred dollars, and that he had agreed when the Saturday evening performance
was ended to hand over five hundred dollars (company money) and a bill of sale
of his interest, in consideration of which one of the horses was to be ready for
him to run away with, leaving me in the lurch! Learning this, I had very little
sympathy for Henry, and my next step was to secure the five hundred dollars he
bad secreted. Vi valla had obtained it from him to keep it from the sheriff; I|
received it from Vivalla, on Henry's order, as a supposed means of procuring
bail for him on Monday morning. I then paid the creditor the full amount
obtained from Henry as the price of his half interest in the exhibition and
received in return an assignment of five hundred dollars of the creditor's claims
and a guaranty that I should not be troubled by my late partner on that score.
Thus, promptness of action and good luck relieved me from one of the most
unpleasant positions in which 1 had ever been placed.
46 MY FIRST TRAVELING COMPANTY.
While traveling with our teams and show through a desolate part of Georgia,
our advertiser, who was in advance of the party, finding the route, on one occa-
sion, too long for us to reach a town at night, arranged with a poor widow
woman named Hayes, to furnish us with meals and let us lodge in her hut and
out-houses. It was a beggarly place, belonging to one of the poorest of " poor
whites." Our horses were to stand out all night, and a farmer, six miles distant,
was to bring a load of provender on the day of our arrival Bills were then
posted announcing a performance under a canvas tent near Widow Hayes's,
for, as a show was a rarity in that region, it was conjectured that a hundred or
more small farmers and "poor whites" might be assembled and that the receipts
would cover the expenses.
Meanwhile, our advertiser, who was quite a wag, "wrote back informing us of
the difficulties of reaching a town on that part of our route, and stating that he
had made arrangements for us to stay over night on the plantation of " Lady
Hayes," and that although the country was sparsely settled, we could doubtless
give a profitable performance to a fair audience.
Anticipating a fine time on this noble "plantation," we started at four o'clock
in the morning so as to arrive at one o'clock, thus avoiding the heat of the after-
noon. Towards noon we came to a small river where some men, whom we
afterwards discovered to be down-east Yankees, from Maine, were repairing a
l>ridge. Every flooring plank had been taken up, and it was impossible for our
teams to cross. " Could the bridge be fixed so that we could go over? " I inquired.
" No ; it would take half a day, and meantime, if we must cross, there was a place
about sixteen miles down the river where we could get over. "But we can't
go so far as that; we are under engagement to perform on Lady Hayes's
place to-night, and we must cross here. Fix the bridge and we will pay you
handsomely."
They wanted no money, but if we would give them some tickets to our show
they thought they might do something for us. I gladly consented, and in fifteen
minutes we crossed that bridge. The cunning rascals had seen our posters and
knew we were coming; so they had taken up the planks of the bridge and had
I ridden them till they had levied upon us for tickets, when the floor was re-laid
in a quarter of an hour.
Towards dinner-time we began to lookout for the grand mansion of "lady
Hayes," and seeing nothing but little huts we quietly pursued our journey. At
one o'clock — the time when we should have arrived at our destination — I became
impatient, and riding up to a poverty-stricken hovel and seeing a ragged, bare-
footed old woman, with her sleeves rolled up to her shoulders, who was washing
clothes in front of the door, I inquired —
"Hallo I can you tell me where Lady Hayes lives?"
The old woman raised her head, which was covered with tangled locks and
matted hair, and exclaimed —
"Hey?"
"No, Hayes, Lady Hayes; where is her plantation?"
"This is the place," she answered; " I'm Widder Hayes, and you are all to stay
here to-night."
We could not believe our ears or eyes; but after putting the dirty old woman
through a severe cross-examination she finally produced a contract, signed by
our advertiser, agreeing for board and lodging for the company, and we found
ourselves booked for the night. It appeared that our advertiser could find 110
totter quarters in that forlorn section, and he had indulged in a joke at our
M-y FIRST TRAVELING OOMPANY. 47
expense by exciting our appetites and imaginations in anticipation of the luxu-
ries we should find in the magnificent mansion of " Lady Hayes."
Joe Pentland grumbled, Bob White indulged in some very strong language, and
Signer Vivalla laughed.* He had traveled with his monkey and organ in Italy
and could put up with any fare that offered. I took the disappointment philo-
sophically, simply remarkiug that we must make the best of it and compensate
ourselves when we reached a town next day.
The next forenoon we arrived at Macon, and congratulated ourselves that we
had again reached the regions of civilization.
In going from Columbus, Georgia, to Montgomery, Alabama, we were obliged
to cross a thinly-settled, desolate tract, known as the " Indian Nation," and a*
several persons had been murdered by hostile Indians in that region, it was
deemed dangerous to travel the road without an escort. Only the day before we
started, the mail stage had been stopped and the passengers murdered, the driver
alone escaping. We were well armed, however, and trusted that our numbers
would present too formidable a force to be attacked, though we dreaded to incur
the risk. Vivalla alone was fearless and was ready to encounter fifty Indians
and drive them into the swamp.
Accordingly, when we had safely passed over the entire route to within four-
teen miles of Montgomery, and were beyond the reach of danger, Joe Pentland
determined to test Vivalla's bravery. He had secretly purchased at Mount Megs,
on the way, an old Indian dress with a fringed hunting shirt and moccasins and
these he put on, after coloring his face with Spanish brown. Then, shouldering
his musket he followed Vivalla and the party and, approaching stealthily, leaped
into their midst with a tremendous whoop.
Vivalla's companions were in the secret, and they instantly fled in all direc-
tions. Vivalla himself ran like a deer and Pentland after him, gun in hand and
yelling horribly. After running a full mile the poor little Italian, out of breath
and frightened nearly to death, dropped on his knees and begged for his life.
The "Indian" leveled his gun at his victim, but soon seemed to relent, and
signified that Vivalla should turn his pockets inside out — which he did, produc-
ing and handing over a purse containing eleven dollars. The savage then
inarched Vivalla to an oak, and with a handkerchief tied him in the most
approved Indian manner to the tree, leaving him half dead with fright.*
Pentland then joined us, and washing his face and changing his dress, we all
went to the relief of Vivalla. He was overjoyed to see us, and when he was
released his courage returned; he swore that after his companions left him, the
Indian had been re-enforced by six more, to whom, in default of a gun or other
means to defend himself, Vivalla had been compelled to surrender. We pre-
tended to believe his story for a week, and then told him the joke, which he
refused to credit, and also declined to take the money which Pentland offered
to return, as it could not possibly be his since seven Indians had taken his money.
We had a great deal of fun over Vivalla's courage, but the matter made him so
cross and surly that we were finally obliged to drop it altogether. From that
time forward, however, Vivalla never boasted of his prowess.
We arrived at Montgomery, February 27th, 1837. Here I met Henry Hawley,
a legerdemain performer, and I sold him one-half of my exhibition. He had a
ready wit, a happy way of localizing his tricks, was very popular in that part of
the country, where he had been performing for several years, and I never saw
him nonplussed but once. This was when he was performing on one occasion the
well-known egg and bag trick, which he did with his usual success, producing egg
• See Illustration, page 40.
48 MT FIRST TRAVELING COMPANY.
after egg from the bag, and finally breaking one to show that they were genuine.
"Now," said Hawley, "I will show you the old hen that laid them." It hap-
pened, however, that the negro boy to whom had been intrusted the duty of
supplying the bag had made a slight mistake, which was manifest when Hawley
triumphantly produced, not "the old hen that laid the eggs," but a rooster! The
whole audience was convulsed with laughter, and the abashed Hawley retreated
to the dressing-room, cursing the stupidity of the black boy who had been paid
to put a hen in the bag.
After performing in different places in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee,
\ve disbanded at Nashville in May, 1837, Vivalla going to New York, where he
i>erfonned on his own account for a while previous to sailing for Cuba, Hawley
staying in Tennessee to look after our horses which had been turned out to grass,
and I returning home to spend a few weeks with my family.
Early in July, returning west with a new company of performers, I rejoined
Hawley, and we began our campaign in Kentucky. We were not successful;
one of our small company was incompetent; another was intemperate — both
were dismissed; and our negro-singer was drowned in the river at Frank-
fort. Funds were low, and I was obliged to leave pledges here and there, in
payment for bills, which I afterwards i-edeemed. Hawley and I dissolved in
August, and making a new partnership with Z. Graves, I left him in charge of
the establishment and went to Tiffin, Ohio, where I re-engaged Joe Pentland,
buying his horses and wagons, and taking him, with several musicians, to
Kentucky.
During my short stay at Tiffin, a religious conversation at the hotel introduced
me to several gentlemen who requested me to lecture on the subjects we had
discussed, and I did so to a crowded audience in the school-house Sunday after-
noon and evening. At the solicitation of a gentleman from Republic, I also
delivered two lectures in that town, on the evenings of September 4th and 5th.
On our way to Kentucky, just before we reached Cincinnati, we met a drove
of hogs, and one of the drivers making an insolent remark because our wagons
interfered with his swine, I replied in the same vein, when he dismounted and,
pointing a pistol at my breast, swore he would shoot me if I did not apologise. 1
begged him to permit me to consult a friend in the next wagon, and the misun
derstanding should be satisfactorily settled. My friend was a loaded double
l>arreled gun, which I pointed at him and said:
" Now, sir, you must apologize, for your brains are in danger. You drew a
weapon upon me for a trivial remark. You seem to hold human life at a cheap
price; and now, sir, you have the choice between a load of shot and an apology."
This led to an apology and a friendly conversation, in which we both agi-eed
that many a life is sacrificed in sudden anger, because one or both of the con •
tending parties carry deadly weapons.
In our subsequent southern tour we exhibited at Nashville (where I visitor
General Jackson, at the Hermitage), Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Vicksburg and inter-
mediate places, doing tolerably well. At Vicksburg we sold all our land convey-
mces, excepting the band wagon and four horses, bought the steamboat "Ceres,"
[or six thousand dollars, hired the captain and crew, and started down the river
to exhibit at places on the way. At Natchez our cook left us, and in the search for
another I found a white widow who would go, only she expected to marry a
painter. I called on the painter who had not made up his mind whether to marry
*;he widow or not, but I told him if he would many her the next morning 1
would hire her at twenty-five dollars a month as cook, employ him at the same
MY FIEST TRAVELING COMPANY.
wages as painter, with board for both, and a cash bonus of fifty dollars. There
was a wedding on board the next day, and we had a good cook and a good dinner.
During one of our evening performances at Francisville, Louisiana, a man
tried to pass me at the door of the tent, claiming that he had paid for admit-
tance. I refused him entrance; and as he was slightly intoxicated, he struck me
with a slung shot, mashing my hat and gracing what phrenologists call "the
organ of caution." He went away and soon returned with a gang of armed and
half-drunken companions, who ordered us to pack up our "traps and plunder"
and to get on board our steamboat within an hour. The big tent speedily came
down. No one was permitted to help us, but the company worked with a will,
and within five minutes of the expiration of the hour we were on board and
ready to leave. The scamps who had caused our departure escorted us and our
last load, waving pine torches, and saluted us with a hurrah as we swung into
the stream.
The New Orleans papers of March 19, 1838, announced the arrival of the
"Steamer Ceres, Captain Barnum, with a theatrical company." After a week's
performances, we started for the Attakapas country. At Opelousas we ex-
changed the steamer for sugar and molasses; our company was disbanded, and
I started for home, arriving in New York, June 4, 183&
I
CHAPTEK VII .
AT THE FOOT OF THE LADDER.
LONGING now for some permanent, respectable business, I advertised for a part
ner, stating that I had $2,500 to invest, and would add my unremitting personal
attention to the capital and the business. This advertisement gave me an alto-
gether new insight into human nature. Whoever wishes to know how some people
live, or want to live, let him advertise for a partner, at the same time stating that
he has a large or small capital to invest. I was flooded with answers to my adver-
tisements and received no less than ninety-three different propositions for the use
of my capital. Of these, at least one-third were from porter-house keepers. Bro-
kers, pawnbrokers, lottery-policy dealers, patent medicine men, inventors, and
others also made application. Some of my correspondents declined to specifically
state the nature of their business, but they promised to open the door to untold
wealth.
I had interviews with some of these mysterious million-makers. One of them
was a counterfeiter, who, after much hesitation and pledges of secrecy, showed
me some counterfeit coin and bank notes; he wanted $2,500 to purchase paper and
ink and to prepare new dies, and he actually proposed that I should join him in
the business which promised, he declared, a safe and rich harvest Another sedate
individual, dressed in Quaker costume, wanted me to join him in an oat specula-
tion. By buying a horse and wagon, and by selling oats, bought at wholesale, in
bags, he thought a good business could be done, especially as people would not be
particular to measure after a Quaker.
" Do you mean to cheat in measuring your oats ?" I asked.
" O, I should probably make them hold out," he answered, with a leer.
One application came from a Pearl street wool merchant, who failed a month
afterwards. Then came a " perpetual motion " man who had a fortune-making
machine, in which I discovered a main-spring slyly hid in a hollow post, the
spring making perpetual motion — till it ran down. Finally, I went into partner-
ship with a German, named Proler, who was a manufacturer of paste-blacking,
water-proof paste for leather, Cologne water and bear's grease. "We took the
store No. 101 >£ Bowery, at a rent (including the dwelling) of $600 per ajinnrp,
and opened a large manufactory of the above articles. Proler manufactured and
sold the goods at wholesale in Boston, Charleston, Cleveland, and various other
parts of the country. I kept the accounts, and attended to sales in the store,
wholesale and retail. For a while the business seemed to prosper — at least till my
capital was absorbed and notes for stock began to fall due, with nothing to meet
them, since we had sold our goods on long credits. In January, 1840, I dissolved
partnership with Proler, he buying the entire interest for $2,600 on credit, and
then running away to Rotterdam without paying his note, and leaving me noth-
ing but a few receipts. Proler was a good-looking, plausible, promising — scamp.
During my connection with Proler, I became acquainted with a remarkable
young dancer named John Diamond, one of the first and best of the numerous
negro and " break -down " dancers who have since surprised and amused the public,
50
AT THE FOOT OF THE LADDER. 51
and I entered into an engagement with his father for his services, putting Dia-
mond in the hands of an agent, as I did not wish to appear in the transaction. In
the spring of 1840, 1 hired and opened the Vauxhall Garden saloon, in New York,
and gave a variety of performances, including singing, dancing, Yankee stories,
etc. In this saloon Miss Mary Taylor, afterwards so celebrated as an actress and
singer, made her first appearance on the stage. The enterprise, however, did not
meet my expectation, and I relinquished it in August.
What was to be done next? I dreaded resuming the Me of an itinerant show-
man, but funds were low, I had a family to care for, and as nothing bettor pre-
sented, I made up my mind to endure the vexations and uncertainties of a tour in
the West and South. 1 collected a company, consisting of Mr. C. D. Jenkins, an
excellent singer and delineator of Yankee and other characters; Master John
Diamond, the dancer; Francis Lynch, an orphan vagabond, fourteen years old,
whom I picked up at Troy, and a fiddler. My brother-in-law, Mr. John Hallett,
preceded us as agent and advertiser, and our route passed through Buffalo,
Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Ottawa, Springfield, the intermediate places, and St.
Louis, where I took the steamboat for New Orleans with a company reduced by
desertions to Master Diamond and the fiddler.
Arriving in New Orleans, January 3d, 1841, I had but $100 in my purse, and I
had started from New York four months before with quite as much in my pocket.
Excepting some small remittances to my family I had made nothing more than
current expenses; and, when I had been in New Orleans a fortnight, funds were
so low that I was obliged to pledge my watch as security for my board bilL But
on the 16th, I received from the St. Charles Theatre $500 as my half share of
Diamond's benefit; the next night I had $50; and the third night $479 was my
share of the proceeds of a grand dancing match at the theatre between Diamond
and a negro dancer from Kentucky. Subsequent engagements at Vicksburg and
Jackson were not so successful, but returning to New Orleans we again succeeded
admirably, and afterwards at Mobile. Diamond, however, after extorting con-
siderable sums of money from me, finally ran away, and, March 12th, I started
homeward by way of the Mississippi and the Ohio.
At Pittsburg, where I arrived March 30th, I learned that Jenkins, who had
enticed Francis Lynch away from me at St. Louis, was exhibiting him at the
Museum under the name of "Master Diamond," and visiting the performance,
the next day I wrote Jenkins an ironical review, for which he threatened suit, and
he actually instigated R. W. Lindsay, from whom I hired Joice Heth in Phila-
delphia in 1835, and whom I had not seen since, though he was then residing in
Pittsburg, to sue me for a pipe of brandy which, it was pretended, was promised
in addition to the money paid him. I was required to give bonds of $500, which,
as I was among strangers, I could not immediately procure, and I was accord-
ingly thrown into jail till four o'clock in the afternoon, when I was liberated.
The next day I caused the arrest of Jenkins for trespass in assuming Master
Diamond's name and reputation for Master Lynch, and he was sent to jail till
four o'clock in the afternoon. Each having had his turn at this amusement, we
adjourned our controversy to New York where I beat him. As for Lindsay, I
heard nothing more of his claim or him till twelve years afterwards, when he
called on me in Boston with an apology. He was very poor and I was highly
prosperous, and I may add that Lindsay did not lack a friend.
I arrived in New York, April 23d, 1841, after an absence of eight months,
resolved once more that I would never again be an itinerant showman. Three
days afterwards I contracted with .Robert Sears, the publisher, for five hundred
52 AT THE FOOT OF THE LADDER.
copies of "Sears' Pictorial Illustrations of the Bible," at $500, and accepting the
United States agency, I opened an office, May 10th, at the corner of Beekman
and Nassau streets, the site of the present Nassau Bank. I had had a limited
experience with that book in this way : When I was in Pittsburg, an acquaintance,
Mr. C. D. Harker, was complaining that he had nothing to do, when I picked up
a New York paper and saw the advertisement of " Sears' Pictorial Illustrations
of the Bible, price $3 a copy." Mr. Harker thought he could get subscribers, and
I bought him a specimen copy, agreeing to furnish him with as many as he wanted
at $1.37}£ a copy, though I had never before seen the work, and did not know the
wholesale price. The result was that he obtained eighty subscribers in two days,
and made $50. My own venture in the work was not so successful; I advertised
largely, had plenty of agents, and in six months, sold thousands of copies; but
irresponsible agents used up all my profits and my capital
While engaged in this business I once more leased Vauxhall saloon, opening it
June 14th, 1841, employing Mr. John Hallett, my brother-in-law, as manager
under my direction, and at the close of the season, September 25th, we had cleared
about two hundred dollars. This sum was soon exhausted, and, with my family
on my hands and no employment, I was glad to do anything that would keep the
wolf from the door. I wrote advertisements and notices for the Bowery Amphi-
theatre, receiving for the service four dollars a week, which I was very glad to
get, and I also wrote articles for the Sunday papers, deriving a fair remuneration
and managing to get a li ving. But I was at the bottom round of f ortune's ladder,
and it was necessary to make an effort which would raise me above want.
I was specially stimulated to this effort by a letter which I received, about this
time, from my esteemed friend, Hon. Thomas T. Whittlesey, of Danbury. He
held a mortgage of five hundred dollars on a piece of property I owned in that
place, and, as he was convinced that I would never lay up anything, he wrote me
that I might as well pay him then as ever. This letter made me resolve to live no
longer from hand to mouth, but to concentrate my energies upon laying up
something for the future.
While I was forming this practical determination, I was much nearer to its '
realization than my most sanguine hopes could have predicted. The road to
fortune was close by.
As outside clerk for the Bowery Amphitheatre I had casually learned that the
collection of curiosities comprising Scudder's American Museum, at the corner of
Broadway and Ann streets, was for sale. It belonged to the daughters of Mr.
Scudder, and was conducted for their benefit by John Purzman, under the
authority of Mr. John Heath, administrator. The price asked for the entire
collection was fifteen thousand dollars. It had cost its founder, Mr. Scudder,
probably fifty thousand dollars, and from the profits of the establishment he had
been able to leave a large competency to his children. The Museum, however,
had been for several years a losing concern, and the heirs were anxious to sell it.
Looking at this property, I thought I saw that energy, tact and liberality, were
only needed to make it a paving institution, and I determined to purchase it if
possible.
"You buy the American Museum!" said a friend, who knew the state of my
funds, "what do you intend buying it with? "
"Brass," I replied, "for silver and gold have I none."
The Museum building belonged to Mr. Francis W. Olmsted, a retired merchant,
to whom I wrote stating my desire to buy the collection, and that although I
had no means, if it could be purchased upon reasonable credit, I was confident
AT THE FOOT OF THE LADDER. 53
•
that my tact and experience, added to a determined devotion to business, would
enable me to make the payments when due. I therefore asked him to purchase
the collection in his own name; to give me a writing securing it to me, provided I
made the payments punctually, including the rent of his building; to allow me
twelve dollars and a half a week on which to support my family; and if at any
time I failed to meet the installment due, I would vacate the premises, and forfeit
all that might have been paid to that date. "In fact, Mr. Olmsted," I continued
in my earnestness, " you may bind me in any way, and as tightly as you please —
only give me a chance to dig out, or scratch out, and I will do so or forfeit all the
labor and trouble I may have incurred."
In reply to this letter, which I took to his house myself, he named an hour when
I could call on him, and as I was there at the exact moment, he expressed himself
pleased with my punctuality. He inquired closely as to my habits and antece-
dents, and I frankly narrated my experiences as a caterer for the public, mention-
ing my amusement ventures in Vauxhall Garden, the circus, and in the exhibitions
I had managed at the South and West.
"Who are your references?" he inquired.
"Any man in my line," I replied, "from Edmund Simpson, manager of the
Park Theatre, or William Niblo, to Messrs. Welch, June, Titus, Turner, Angevine,
or other circus or menagerie proprietors; also Moses Y. Beach, of the New York
Sun.
" Can you get any of them to call on me?" he continued.
I told him that I could, and the next day my friend Niblo rode down and had
an interview with Mr. Olmsted, while Mr. Beach and several other gentlemen
also called, and the following morning I waited upon him for his decision.
"I don't Like your references, Mr. Bamum," said Mr. Olmsted, abruptly, as
soon as I entered the room.
I was confused, and said " I regretted to hear it."
" They aU speak too well of you," he added, laughing; " in fact they all talk as
if they were partners of yours, and intended to share the profits."
Nothing could have pleased me better. He then asked me what security I
could offer in case he concluded to make the purchase for me, and it was finally
agreed that, if he should do so, he should retain the property till it was entirely
paid for, and should also appoint a ticket-taker and accountant (at my expense),
who should render him a weekly statement. I was further to take an apartment
hitherto used as a billiard room in his adjoining building, allowing therefor $500
a year, making a total rental of $3,000 per annum, on a lease of ten years. He
then told me to see the administrator and heirs of the estate, to get their best
terms, and to meet him on his return to town a week from that time.
I at once saw Mr. John Heath, the administrator,, and his price was $15,000. 1
offered $10,000, payable in seven annual installments, with good security. After
several interviews, it was finally agreed that I should have it for §12,000, pay-
able as above — possession to be given on the 15th of November. Mr. Olmsted
assented to this, and a morning was appointed to draw and sign the writings.
Mr. Heath appeared, but said he must decline proceeding any further in my case,
as he had sold the collection to the directors of Peale's Museum (an incorporated
institution) for $15,000, and had received $1,000 in advance.
I was shocked, and appealed to Mr. Heath's honor. He said that he had signed
no writing with me; was in no way legally bound, and that it was his duty to do
the best he could for the heirs. Mr. Olmsted was sorry, but could not help me;
the new tenants would not require him to incur any risk, and my matter was at
an end.
54 AT THE FOOT OF THE LADDER.
Of course, I immediately informed myself an to the character of Peale s Mus-
eum company. It proved to be a band of speculators who had bought Peale's
collection for a few thousand dollars, expecting to unite the American Museum
with it, issue and sell stock to the amount of $50,000, pocket $30,000 profits, and
permit the stockholders to look out for themselves.
I went immediately to several of the editors, including Major M. M. Noah, M.
Y. Beach, my good friends West, Herrick and Ropes, of the Atlas, and others,
and stated my grievances. "Now," said I, "if you will grant me the use of
your columns, I'll blow that speculation sky-high." They all consented, and I
wrote a large number of squibs, cautioning the public against buying the Museum
stock, ridiculing the idea of a board of broken-down bank directors engaging in
the exhibition of stuffed monkeys and gander-skins; appealing to the case of the
Zoological Institute, which had failed by adopting such a plan as the one now
proposed; and finally, I told the public that such a speculation would be infinitely
more ridiculous than Dickens' "Grand United Metropolitan Hot Muffin and
Crumpet-baking and Punctual Delivery Company."
The stock was as "dead as a herring! " I then went to Mr. Heath and asked
him when the directors were to pay the other $14,000. " On the 26th day of
December, or forfeit the $1,000 already paid," was the reply. I assured him that
they would never pay it, that they could not raise it, and that he would ulti-
mately find himself with the Museum collection on his hands, and if once I
started off with an exhibition for the South, I would not touch the Museum at
any price. "Now," said I, "if you will agree with me confidentially, that in
case these gentlemen do not pay you on the 26th of December, I may have it on
the 27th for $12,000, 1 will run the risk, and wait in this city until that date." He
readily agreed to the proposition, but said he was sure they would not forfeit
their $1,000.
"Very well," said I; "all I ask of you is, that this arrangement shall not be
mentioned." He assented. "On the 27th day of December, at ten o'clock A.
M., I wish you to meet me in Mr. Olmsted's apartments, prepared to sign the
writings, provided this incorporated company do not pay you $14 000 on the
26th." He agreed to this, and by my request put it in writing.
From that moment I felt that the Museum was mine. I saw Mr. Olmsted,
and told him so. He promised secrecy, and agreed to sign the document if the
other parties did not meet their engagement.
This was about November 15th, and I continued my shower of newspaper
squibs at the new company, which could not sell a dollar's worth of its stock.
Meanwhile, if any one spoke to me about the Museum, I simply replied that J
had lost it.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.
MY newspaper squib war against the Peale combination was vigorously kept
up; when one morning, about the first of December, I received a letter from
the secretary of that company (now calling itself the "New York Museum
Company"), requesting me to meet the directors at the Museum on the following
Monday morning. I went, and found the directors in session. The venerable
president of the board, who was also the ex-president of a broken bank, blandly
proposed to hire me to manage the united museums, and though I saw that he
merely meant to buy my silence, I professed to entertain the proposition, and in
reply to an inquiry as to what salary I should expect, I specified the sum of $3,000
a year. This was at once acceded to, the salary to begin January 1, 1842, and
after complimenting me on my ability, the president remarked: " Of course, Mr.
Barnuni, we shall have no more of your squibs through the newspapers" — to
which I replied that I should "ever try to serve the interests of my employers,"
and I took my leave.
It was as clear to me as noonday, that after buying my silence so as to appre-
ciate their stock, these directors meant to sell out to whom they could, leaving
me to look to future stockholders for my salary. They thought, no doubt, that
they had nicely entrapped me, but I knew I had caught them.
For, supposing me to be out of the way, and having no other rival purchaser,
these directors postponed the advertisement of their stock to give people time to
forget the attacks I had made on it, and they also took their own time for pay-
ing the money promised to Mr. Heath, December 26th — indeed, they did not even
call on him at the appointed time. But on the following morning, as agreed, I
was promptly and hopefully at Mr. Olmsted's apartments with my legal adviser,
at half -past nine o'clock; Mr. Heath came with his lawyer at ten, and before two
o'clock that day I was in formal possession of the American Museum. My first
managerial act was to write and dispatch the following compKmentary note :
AMERICAN MITSBUM, NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 1841.
To the Preskl •> and Directors of the New York Museum:
GENTLEMEN : It gives me great pleasure to inform you that you are placed upon the
Free List of this establishment until further notice.
P. T. BARNTJM, Proprietor.
It is unnecessary to say that the "President of the New York Museum " was
astounded, and when he Qalled upon Mr. Heath, and learned that I had bought
and was really in possession of the American Museum, he was indignant. He
talked of prosecution, and demanded the $1,000 paid on his agreement, but he did
not prosecute, and he justly forfeited his deposit money.
And now that I was proprietor and manager of the American Museum, I had
reached a new epoch in my career, which I felt was the beginning of better days,
though the full significance of this important step I did not see. I was still in
the show business, but in a settled, substantial phase of it, that invited industry
55
50 THE AMEKICAN MUSEUM.
and enterprise, and palled for ever earnast and ever heroic endeavor. Whether 1
should sink or swim, depended wholly upon my own energy. I must pay for the
establishment within a stipulated time, or forfeit it with whatever I had paid
on account. I meant to make it my own, and brains, hands and every effort
• were devoted to the interests of the Museum.
The nucleus of this establishment, Scudder's Museum, was formed in 1810, tt
year in which I was born. It was begun in Chatham street, and was afterwards
transferred to the old City Hall, and from small beginnings, by purchases, and to
a considerable degree by presents, it had grown to be a large and valuable collec-
tion. People, in all parts of the country, had sent in relics and rare curiosities:
sea captains, for years, had brought and deposited strange things from foreign
lands; and besides all these gifts, I have no doubt that the previous proprietor
had actually expended, as was stated, $50,000, in making the collection. No one
could go through the halls, as they were when they came under my proprietor-
ship, and see one-half there was worth seeing, in a single day; and then, as I
always justly boasted afterwards, no one could visit my Museum and go away
without feeling that he had received the full worth of his money. In looking
over the immense collection, the accumulation of so many years, I saw that it
was only necessary to properly present its merits to the public, to make it the
most attractive and popular place of resort and entertainment in the United
States.
Valuable as the collection was when I bought it, it was only the beginning of
the American Museum as I made it. In my long proprietorship,. I considerably
more than doubled the permanent attractions and curiosities of the establish-
ment. In 1843, 1 bought and added to my collection the entire contents of Peale's
Museum; in 1850, 1 purchased the large Peale collection in Philadelphia; and year
after year, I bought genuine curiosities, regardless of cost, wherever I could find
them, in Europe or America,
At the very outset, I was determined to deserve success. My plan of economy
included the intention to support my family in New York on $600 a year, and
my treasure of a wife, not only gladly assented, but was willing to reduce the
sum to $400, if necessary. Some six months after I had bought the Museum,
Mr. Olmsted happened in at my ticket-office at noon, and found me eating a
frugal dinner of cold corned beef and bread, which I had brought from home.
" Is this the way you eat your dinner?" he asked.
"I have not eaten a warm dinner, except on Sundays," I replied, "since 1
bought the Museum, and I never intend to, on a week day, till I am out of debt."
"Ah!" said he, clapping me on the shoulder, "you are safe, and will pay for
the Museum before the year is out."
And he was right, for within twelve months I was in full possession of the
property as my own, and it was entirely paid for from the profits of the business.
In 1865, the space occupied for my Museum purposes was more than double
what it was in 1843. The Lecture Room, originally narrow, ill-contrived and
inconvenient, was so enlarged and improved that it became one of the most com-
modious and beautiful amusement halls in the city of New York. At first, my
attractions and inducements were merely the collection of curiosities by day,
and an evening entertainment, consisting of such variety performances as were
current in ordinary shows. Then Saturday afternoons, and, soon afterwards,
Wednesday afternoons were devoted to entertainments, and the popularity of the
Museum grew so rapidly that I presently found it expedient and profitable tc
open the great Lecture Room every afternoon, as well as every evening, on every
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. 57
week-day In the year. The first experiments In this direction, more than justi-
fied my expectations, for the day exhibitions were always more thronged than
those of the evening. Of course I made the most of the holidays, advertising
extensively and presenting extra inducements; nor did attractions elsewhere
seem to keep the crowd from coming to the Museum. On great holidays, I gave
as many as twelve performances to as many different audiences.
By degrees the character of the stage performances was changed. The tran-
sient attractions of the Museum were constantly diversified, and educated dogs,
industrious fleas, automatons, jugglers, ventriloquists, living statuary, tableaux,
gipsies, Albinoes, fat boys, giants, dwarfs, rope-dancers, live "Yankees," panto-
mime, instrumental music, singing and dancing in great variety, dioramas,
panoramas, models of Niagara, Dublin, Paris, and Jerusalem; Hannington's
dioramas of the Creation, the Deluge, Fairy Grotto, Storm at Sea; the first
English Punch and Judy in this country, Italian Fantoc«ini, mechanical figures,
fancy glass-blowing, knitting machines and other triumphs in the mechair
ical arts; dissolving views, American Indians, who enacted their warlike and
religious ceremonies on the stage, — these, among others, were all exceedingly
successful.
I thoroughly understood the art of advertising, not merely by means of print-
er's ink, which I have always used freely, and to which I confess myself so much
indebted for my success, but by turning every possible circumstance to my
account. It was my monomania to make the Museum the town wonder and town
talk. I often seized upon an opportunity by instinct, even before I had a very
definite conception as to how it should be used, and it seemed, somehow, to ma-
ture itself and serve my purpose. As an illustration, one morning a stout,
hearty-looking man came into my ticket-office and begged some mone.y. I asked
him why he did not work and earn his living ? He replied that he could get
nothing to do, and that he would be glad of any job at a dollar a day. I handed
hun a quarter of a dollar, told him to go and get his breakfast and return, and I
would employ him, at light labor, at a dollar and a half a day. When he returned
I gave him five common bricks.
"Now," said I, "go and lay a brick on the sidewalk, at the corner of Broadway
and Ann street ; another close by the Museum ; a third diagonally across the
way, at the corner of Broadway and Vesey street, by the Astor House ; put
down the fourth on the sidewalk, in front of St. Paul's Church, opposite ; then,
with the fifth brick in hand, take up a rapid march from one point to the other,
making the circuit, exchanging your brick at every point, and say nothing to
any one.
" What is the object of this ?" inquired the man.
"No matter," I replied ; "all you need to know is that it brings you fifteen
cents wages per hour. It is a bit of my fun, and to assist me properly you must
seem to be as deaf as a post ; wear a serious countenance ; answer no questions ;
pay no attention to any one ; but attend faithfully to the work, and at the end of
every hour, by St. Paul's clock, show this ticket at the Museum door ; enter,
walking solemnly through every hall in the building ; pass out, and resume your
work."
With the remark that it was "all one to him, so long as he could earn his
living," the man placed his bricks, and began his round. Half an hour after-
wards, at least five hundred people were watching his mysterious movements. He
had assumed a military step and bearing, and, looking as sober as a judge, he
made no response whatever to the constant inquiries as to the object of his sin-
58 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.
gular conduce. At the end of the first hour, the sidewalks in the vicinity were
packed with people, all anxious to solve the mystery. The man, as directed, then
went into the Museum, devoting fifteen minutes to a solemn survey of the halls,
and afterwards returning to his round. This was repeated every hour till sun-
down, and whenever the man went into the Museum a dozen or more persons
would buy tickets and follow him, hoping to gratify their curiosity in regard to
the purpose of his movements. This was continued for several days —the curious
people who followed the man into the Museum considerably more than paying
his wages — till finally the policeman, to whom I had imparted my object, com-
plained that the obstruction of the sidewalk by crowds, had become so serious
that I must call in my "brick man." This trivial incident excited considerable
talk and amusement ; it advertised me ; and it materially advanced my purpose
of making a lively corner near the Museum.
The stories illustrating merely my introduction of novelties would more than
Oil this book, but I must make room for a few of them.
An actor, named La Rue, presented himself as an imitator of celebrated his-
trionic personages, including Macready, Forrest, Kemble, the elder Booth, Kean,
Hamblin and others. Taking him into the green-room for a private rehearsal, and
finding his imitations excellent, I engaged him. For three nights he gave great
satisfaction, but early in the fourth evening he staggered into the Museum so
drunk that he could hardly stand, and in half an hour he must be on the stage !
Calling an assistant, we took La Rue between us, and marched him up Broadway
as far as Chambers street, and back to the lower end of the Park, hoping to
sober him, At this point we put his head under a pump, and gave him a good
ducking, with visible beneficial effect — then a walk around the Park, and another
ducking, — when he assured me that he should be able to give his imitations " to a
charm."
"You drunken brute," said I, "if you fail, and disappoint my audience, I will
throw you out of the window."
He declared that he was " all right," and I led him behind the scenes, where I
waited with considerable trepidation to watch his movements on the stage. He
began by saying :
" Ladies and gentlemen : I will now give you an imitation of Mr. Booth, the
eminent tragedian."
His tongue was thick, his language somewhat incoherent, and I had great mis-
givings as he proceeded ; but as no token of disapprobation came from the
audience, I began to hope he would go through with his parts without exciting
suspicion of his condition. But before he had half finished his representation of
Booth, in the soliloquy in the opening act of Richard III., the house discovered
that he was very drunk, and began to hiss. This only seemed to stimulate him to
make an effort to appear sober, which, as is usual in such cases, only made matters
worse, and the hissing increased. I lost all patience, and going on the stage and
taking the drunken fellow by the collar, I apologized to the audienca, assuring
them that he should not appear before them again. I was about to march him
off, when he stepped to the front, and said:
" Ladies and gentlemen : Mr. Booth often appeared on the stage in a state of
inebriety, and I was simply giving you a truthful representation of him on such
occasions. I beg to be permitted to proceed with my imitations."
The audience at once supposed it was all right, and cried out, ' go on, go on " ;
which he did, and at every imitation of Booth, whether as Richard, Shylock, or
Sir Giles Overreach, he received a hearty round of applause. [ was quite
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. 59
delighted with his success ; but when he came to imitate Forrest and Hamblin,
necessarily representing them as drunk also, the audience could be no longer
deluded; the hissing was almost deafening, and I was forced to lead the actor off.
It was his last appearance on my stage.
I determined to make people talk about my Museum; to exclaim over its won-
ders; to have men and women all over the country say: "There is not another
place in the United States where so much can be seen for twenty-five cents as in
Barnum's American Museum." It was the best advertisement I could possibly
have, and one for which I could afford to pay. I knew, too, that it was an
honorable advertisement, because it was as deserved as it was spontaneous. And
so, in addition to the permanent collection and the ordinary attractions of the
stage, I labored to keep the Museum well supplied with transient novelties ; I
exhibited such living curiosities as a rhinoceros, giraffes, grizzly bears, ourang-
outaugs, great serpents, and whatever else of the kind money would buy or
enterprise secure.
It was the world's way then, as it is now, to excite the community with naming
pdsters, promising almost everything for next to nothing. I confess that I took
no pains to set my enterprising fellow-citizens a better example. I fell in with
the world's way; and if my " puffing " was more persistent, my advertising more
audacious, my posters more glaring, my pictures more exaggerated, my flags
more patriotic and my transparencies more brilliant than they would have been
under the management of my neighbors, it was not because I had less scruple
than they, but more energy, far more ingenuity, and a better foundation for
such promises. In all this, if I cannot be justified, I at least find palliation in the
fact that I presented a wilderness of wonderful, instructive and amusing realities
of such evident and marked merit that I have yet to learn of a single instance
where a visitor went away from the Museum complaining that he had been de-
frauded of his money. Surely this is an offset to any eccentricities to which I
may have resorted to make my establishment widely known.
Very soon after introducing my extra exhibitions, I purchased for $200, a
curiosity which had much merit and some absurdity. It was a model of Niagara
Falls, in which the merit was that the proportions of the great cataract, the
trees, rocks, and buildings in the vicinity were mathematically given, while the
absurdity was in introducing "real water " to represent the falls. Yet the model
served a purpose in making " a good line in the bill " — an end in view which was
never neglected — and it helped to give the Museum notoriety. One day I was
summoned to appeal- before the Board of Croton Water Commissioners, and was
informed that as I paid only $25 per annum for water at the Museum, I must pay
a large extra compensation for the supply for my Niagara Falls. I begged the
board not to believe all that appeared in the papers, nor to interpret my show-
bills too literally, and assured them that a single barrel of water, if my pump
was in good order, would furnish my falls for a month.
It was even so, for the water flowed into a reservoir behind the scenes, and was
forced back with a pump over the falls. On one occasion, Mr. Louis Gaylord
Clark, the editor of the Knickerbocker, came to view my Museum, and intro-
duced himself to me. As I was quite anxious that my establishment should
receive a first-rate notice at his hands, I took pains to show him everything of
interest, except the Niagara Falls, which I feared would prejudice him against
my entire show. But as we passed the room, the pump was at work, warning
me that the great cataract was in full operation, and Clark, to my dismay,
insisted upon seeing it.
60 THE AMEKICAN MUSEUM.
"Well, Baruum, I declare, this is quite a new idea; I never saw the like before."
" No ? " I faintly inquired, with something like reviving hope.
"No," said Clark, "and I hope, with all my heart, I never shall again."
But the Knickerbocker spoke kindly of me, and refrained from all allusions to
" the Cataract of Niagara, with real water." Some months after, Clark came in
breathless one day, and asked me if I had the club with which Captain Cook was
killed i As I had a lot of Indian war clubs in the collection of aboriginal curiosi
ties, and owing Clark something on the old Niagara Falls account, I told him I
had the veritable club, with documents which placed its identity beyond question,
and I showed him the warlike weapon.
"Poor Cook ! Poor Cook !" said Clark, musingly. "Well, Mr. Barnum," he
continued, with great gravity, at the same time extending his hand and giving
mine a hearty shake, " I am really very much obliged to you for your kindness.
I had an irrepressible desire to see the club that killed Captain Cook, and I felt
quite confident you could accommodate me. I have been in half a dozen smaller
museums, and as they all had it, I was sure a large establishment like yours
would not be without it."
A few weeks afterwards, I wrote to Clark that if he would come to my office I
was anxious to consult him on a matter of great importance. He came, and 1
said:
" Now, I don't want any of your nonsense, but I want your sober advice."
He assured me that he would serve me in any way in his power, and I pro-
ceeded to tell him about a wonderful fish from the Nile, offered to me for exhibi
tion at $100 a week, the owner of which was willing to forfeit $5,000, if, within
six weeks, this fish did not pass through a transformation in which the tail would
disappear and the fish would then have legs.
" Is it possible ! " asked the astonished Clark.
1 assured him that there was no doubt of it.
Thereupon he advised me to engage the wonder at any price ; that it would
startle the naturalists, wake up the whole scientific world, draw in the masses,
and make $20,000 for the Museum. I told him that I thought well of the specu-
lation, only I did not like the name of the fish.
"That makes no difference whatever," said Clark; "what is the name of the
fish?"
"Tadpole," I replied, with becoming gravity, "but it is vulgarly called
'pollywog.' "
" Sold, by thunder 1 " exclaimed Clark, and he left.
A curiosity, which in an extraordinary degree served my ever-present object
of extending the notoriety of the Museum, was the so-called "Feejee Mermaid."
It has been supposed that this mermaid was manufactured by my order, but such
is not the fact. I was known as a successful showman, and strange things of
every sort were brought to me from all quarters, for sale or exhibition. In the
summer of 1842, Mr. Moses Kimball, of the Boston Museum, came to New York
and showed me what purported to be a mermaid. He bad bought it from a
sailor, whose father, a sea captain, had purchased it in Calcutta, in 1822, from
some Japanese sailors. I may mention here that this identical preserved speci-
men was exhibited in London in 1822, as I fully verified in my visit to that city
in 1 sr>\ for I found an advertisement of it in an old file of the London Times,
and a. friend gave me a copy of the Mirror, published by J. Limbird, 335 Strand,
November 9, 1822, containing a cut of tin's same creature and two pages of letter-
press describing it, together with an account of other mermaids said to have been
THE AMEBKJAN MUSEUM. 61
captured in different parts of the world. The Mirror stated that this specimen
was "the great source of attraction in the British metropolis, and three to four
hundred people every day paid their shilling to see it."
This was the curiosity which had fallen into Mr. Kimball's hands. I requested
my naturalist's opinion of the genuineness of the animal, and he said he could
not conceive how it could have been manufactured, for he never saw a monkey
with such peculiar teeth, arms, hands, etc., and he never saw a fish with such
peculiar fins; but he did not believe in mermaids. Nevertheless, I concluded to
hire this curiosity and to modify the general incredulity as to the possibility of
the existence of mermaids, and to awaken curiosity to see and examine the
specimen, I invoked the potent power of printer's ink.
Since Japan has been opened to the outer world, it has been discovered that
certain "artists" in that country manufacture a great variety of fabulous
animals, with an ingenuity and mechanical perfection well calculated to deceive.
No doubt my mermaid was a specimen of this curious manufacture. I used it
mainly to advertise the regular business of the Museum, and this effective
indirect advertising is the only feature I can commend, in a special show of which,
I confess, I am not proud. Newspapers throughout the country copied the
mermaid notices, for they were novel and caught the attention of readers. Thus
was the fame of the Museum, as well as the mermaid, wafted from one end of
the land to the other. I was careful to keep up the excitement, for I knew that
every dollar sown in advertising would return in tens, and perhaps hundreds, in
a future harvest, and after obtaining all the notoriety possible by advertising
and by exhibiting the mermaid at the Museum, I sent the curiosity throughout
the country, directing my agent to everywhere advertise it as " From Barnmn's
Great American Museum, New York." The effect was immediately felt; money
flowed in rapidly, and was readily expended in more advertising.
When I became proprietor of the establishment, there were only the words:
"American Museum," to indicate the character of the concern; there was no
bustle or activity about the place; no posters to announce what was to be seen; —
the whole exterior was as dead as the skeletons and stuffed skins within. My
experiences had taught me the advantages of advertising. I printed whole columns
in the papers, setting forth the wonders of my establishment. Old "fogies"
opened their eyes in amazement at a man who could expend hundreds of dollars
in announcing a show of " stuffed monkey skins ; " but these same old fogies paid
their quarters, nevertheless, and when they saw the curiosities and novelties in
the Museum halls, they, like all other visitors, were astonished as well as pleased,
and went home and told their friends and neighbors, and thus assisted in adver-
tising my business.
Other and not less effective advertising, — flags and banners, — began to adorn
the exterior of the building. I kept a band of music on the front balcony and
announced " Free Music for the Million." People said, "Well, that Barnum is a
liberal fellow to give us music for nothing," and they flocked down to hear my
outdoor free concerts. But I took pains to select and maintain the poorest band
I could find — one whose discordant notes would drive the crowd into the Museum,
out of earshot of my outside orchestra. * Of course, the music was poor. When
people expect to get "something for nothing " they are sure to be cheated. Pow-
erful Drummond lights were placed at the top of the Museum, which, in the
darkest night, threw a flood of light up and down Broadway, from the Battery
to Niblo's, that won!.! enable one to read a newspaper in the street. These were
the first Drummond lights ever seen in New York, and they made people talk,
and so advertised my Museum.
CHAPTER IX.
THE BQAD TO RICHES.
THE American Museum was the ladder by which I rose to fortune. Whenever
1 cross Broadway at the head of Vesey street, and see the Herald building and
that gorgeous pile, the Park Bank, my mind's eye recalls that less solid, more showy
edifice which once occupied the site, and was covered with pictures of all manner
of beasts, birds and creeping things, and in which were treasures that brought
treasures and notoriety and pleasant hours to me. The Jenny Lind enterprise
was more audacious, more immediately remunerative, and I remember it with a
pride which I do not attempt to conceal; but instinctively I often go back and
h've over again the old days of my struggles and triumphs in the American
Museum.
The Museum was always open at sunrise, and this was so well known throughout
the country that strangers coming to the city would often take a tour through
my halls before going to breakfast or to their hotels. I do not believe there was
ever a more truly popular place of amusement. I frequently compared the annual
number of visitors with the number officially reported as visiting (free of charge)
the British Museum in London, and my list was invariably the larger. Nor do I
believe that any man or manager ever labored more industriously to please his
patrons. I furnished the most attractive exhibitions which money could procure ;
I abolished all vulgarity and profanity from the stage, and I prided myself upon
the fact, that parents and children could attend the dramatic performances in the
so-called Lecture Room, and not be shocked or offended by anything they might
see or hear; I introduced the "Moral Drama," producing such plays as "The
Drunkard," " Uncle Tom's Cabin," " Moses in Egypt," " Joseph and his Brethren,"
and occasional spectacular melodramas produced with great care at considerable
outlay.
Mr. Sothern, who has since attained such wide-spread celebrity at home and
abroad as a character actor, was a member of my dramatic company for one or
two seasons. Mr. Barney Williams also began his theatrical career at the Museum,
occupying, at first, quite a subordinate position, at a salary of ten dollars a week.
During his last twelve or fifteen years, I presume his weekly receipts, when lie
acted, must have been nearly $3,000. The late Miss Mary Gannon also commenced
at the Museum, and many more actors and actresses of celebrity have been, from
time to time, engaged there. What was once the small Lecture Room was con-
verted into a spacious and beautiful theater, extending over the lots adjoining the
Museum, and capable of holding about three thousand persons. The saloons were
greatly multiplied and enlarged, and the "egress" having been made to work to
perfection, on holidays I advertised Lecture Room performances every hour
through the afternoon and evening, and consequently the actors and actresses
were dressed for the stage as early as eleven o'clock in the morning, and did not
resume their ordinary clothes till ten o'clock at night. In these busy days the
meals for the company were brought in and served in the dressing-rooms and
green-rooms, and the company always received extra pay.
62
THE ROAD TO RICHES. 63
I confess that I liked the Museum mainly for the opportunities it afforded for
rapidly making money. Before I bought it, I weighed the matter well in my
mind, and was convinced that I could present to the American public such a
variety, quantity and quality of amusement, blended with instruction, "all for
twenty-five cents, children half price," that my attractions would be irresistible,
and my fortune certain. I myself relished a higher grade of amusement, and I
was a frequent attendant at the opera, first-class concerts, lectures, and the like;
but I worked for the milling and I knew the only way to make a million from
my patrons was to give them abundant and wholesome attractions for a small
sum of money.
About the first of July, 1842, 1 began to make arrangements for extra novelties,
additional performances, a large amount of extra advertising, and an out-door
display for the " Glorious Fourth." Large parti-colored bills were ordered, trans-
parencies were prepared, the free band of music was augmented by a trumpeter,
and columns of advertisements, headed with large capitals, were written and put
on file.
I wanted to run out a string of American flags across the street on that day,
for I knew there would be thousands of people passing the Museum with leisure
and pocket-money, and I felt confident that an unusual display of national flags
would arrest their patriotic attention, and bring many of them within my walls.
Unfortunately for my purpose, St. Paul's Church stood directly opposite, and
there was nothing to which I could attach my flag-rope, unless it might be one of
the trees in the church-yard. I went to the vestrymen for permission to so
attach my flag -rope on the Fourth of July, and they were indignant at what they
called my "insulting proposition;" such a concession would be "sacrilege." I
plied them with arguments, and appealed to their patriotism, but in vain.
Returning to the Museum, I gave orders to have the string of flags made ready,
with directions at daylight on the Fourth of July to attach one end of the rope
to one of the third-story windows of the Museum, and the other end to a tree in
St. Paul's churchyard. The great day arrived, and my orders were strictly
followed. The flags attracted great attention. By half-past nine Broadway was
thronged, and about that time two gentlemen, in a high state of excitement, rushed
into my office, announcing themselves as injured and insulted vestrymen of St.
Paul's Church.
" Keep cool, gentlemen," said I; "I guess it is all right."
"Right!" indignantly exclaimed one of them, "do you think it is right to
attach your Museum to our Church? We will show you what is ' right ' and what
is law, if we live till to-morrow; those flags must come down instantly."
"Thank you," I said, "but let us not be in a hurry. I will go out with you
and look at them, and I guess we can make it all right. "
Going into the street, I remarked: "Really, gentlemen, these flags look very
beautiful; they do not injure your tree; I always stop my balcony music for your
accommodation whenever you hold week-day services, and it is but fair that you
should return the favor."
"We could indict your 'music,' as you call it, as a nuisance, if we chose,"
answered one vestryman, "and now I tell you that if these flags are not taken
down in ten minutes, / will cut them down. "
His indignation was at boiling point. The crowd in the street was dense, and
the angry gesticulation of the vestryman attracted their attention. I saw there
was no use in trying to parley with him or coax him, and so, assuming an angry
air. I rolled up my sleeve^ arid exclaimed, in a loud tone,
64 THE BO AD TO RICHES.
" Well, Mister, I should just like to see you dare to cut down the American flag
on the Fourth of July; you must be a ' Britisher ' to make such a threat as that:
but I'll show you a thousand pairs of Yankee hands in two minutes, if you dare
to attempt to take down the stars and stripes on this great birth-day of American
freedom!"*
" What's that John Bull a-saying? " asked a brawny fellow, placing himself in
front of the irate vestryman. "Look here, old fellow," he continued, "if you
want to save a whole bone in your body, you had better slope, and never dare to
talk again about hauling down the American flag hi the city of New York."
Throngs of excited, exasperated men crowded around, and the vestryman,
seeing the effect of my ruse, smiled faintly and said, " Oh, of course it is all right,"
and he and his companion quietly edged out of the crowd.
On that Fourth of July, at one o'clock p. M., my Museum was so densely
crowded that we could admit no more visitors, and we were compelled to stop the
sale of tickets. Looking down into the street it was a sad sight to see the thousands
of people who stood ready with their money to enter the Museum, but who were
actually turned away. It was exceedingly harrowing to my feelings. Rushing
down stairs, I told my carpenter and his assistants to cut through the partition
and floor in the rear and to put in a temporary flight of stairs so as to let out
people by that egress into Ann street. By three o'clock the egress was opened,
and a few people were passed down the new stairs, while a corresponding number
came in at the front. But I lost a large amount of money that day by not having
sufficiently estimated the value of my own advertising, and consequently not
having provided for the thousands who had read my announcements and seen my
outside show, and had taken the first leisure day to visit the Museum. I had
learned one lesson, however, and that was to have the egress ready on future
holidays.
Early in the following March I received notice from some of the Irish popula-
tion that they meant to visit me in great numbers on " St. Patrick's day in the
morning." "All right," said I to my carpenter, "get your egress ready for
March 17 ;" and I added, to my assistant manager : "If there is much of a
crt>wd, dont let a single person pass out at the front, even if it were St. Patrick
himself ; put every man out through the egress in the rear." The day came, and
before noon we were caught in the same dilemma as we were on the Fourth of
July ; the Museum was jammed, and the sale of tickets was stopped. I went to
the egress and asked the sentinel how many hundreds had passed out ?
"Hundreds," he replied, "why only three persons have gone out by this
way and they came back, saying that it was a mistake and begging to be let in
again."
"What does this mean ?" I inquired ; "surely thousands of people have been
all over the Museum since they came in."
" Certainly," was the reply, " but after they have gone from one saloon to an-
other, and have been on every floor, even to the roof, they come down and travel
the same route over again,"
At this time I espied a tall Irish woman with two good-sized children whom 1
had happened to notice when they came early in the morning."
"Step this way, madam," said I, politely, "you will never be able to get into
the street by the front door without crushing these dear children. We have
opened a large egress here, and you can pass by these rear stairs into Ann
street and thus avoid all danger. "
* See Illustration, page 48.
THE ROAD TO RICHES. 65
" Sure," replied the woman, indignantly, " an' I'm not going out at all, at all,
nor the children aither, for we've brought our dinners and we are going to stay
all day."
Further investigation showed that pretty much all of my visitors had brought
their dinners with the evident intention of literally "making a day of it." No
one expected to go home till night ; the building was overcrowded, and mean-
while hundreds were waiting at the front entrance to get in when they could.
In despair I sauntered upon the stage behind the scenes, biting my lips with vex-
ation, wheii I happened to see the scene-painter at work and a happy thought
struck me : " Here," 1 exclaimed, " take a piece of canvas four feet square, and
paint on it, as soon as you can, in large letters,
tSfTO THE EGRESS."
Seizing his brush, he finished the sign in fifteen minutes, and I directed the car
penter to nail it over the door leading to the back stairs. He did so, and as the
crowd, after making the entire tour of the establishment, came pouring down
the main stairs from the third story, they stopped and looked at the new sign,
while some of them read audibly : "To the Aigress."
"The Aigress," said others, "sure that's an animal we haven't seen," and the
throng began to pour down the back stairs only to find that the "Aigress" was
the elephant, and that the elephant was all out o'doors, or so much of it as began
with Ann street. Meanwhile, I began to accommodate those who had long been
waiting with their money at the Broadway entrance.
Money poured in upon me so rapidly that I was sometimes actually embar-
rassed to devise means to carry out my original plan for laying out the entire
profits of the first year in advertising. I meant to sow first and reap afterwards.
I finally hit upon a plan which cost a large sum, and that was to prepare large
oval oil paintings to be placed between the windows of the entire building, repre-
senting nearly every important animal known in zoology. These paintings were
put on the building in a single night, and so complete a transformation in the ap-
pearance of an edifice is seldom witnessed. When the living stream rolled down
Broadway the next morning and reached the Astor House corner, opposite the
Museum, it seemed to meet with a sudden check. I never before saw so many
open mouths and astonished eyes. Some people were puzzled to know what it all
meant ; some looked as if they thought it was an enchanted palace that had sud-
denly sprung up ; others exclaimed, "Well, the animals all seem to have 'broken
out ' last night," and hundreds came in to see how the establishment survived the
sudden eruption.
From that morning the Museum receipts took a jump forward of nearly a hun-
dred dollars a day, and they never fell back again.
The Museum had become an established institution in the laud. Now and then
some one would cry out "humbug " and " charlatan," but so much the better for
me ; it helped to advertise me, and I was willing to bear the reputation.
On several occasions I got up " Baby shows," at which I paid liberal prizes for
the finest baby, the fattest baby, the handsomest twins, for triplets, and so on.
These shows were as popular as they were unique, and while they paid, in a finan-
cial point of view, my chief object in getting them up was to set the newspapers
to talking about me, thus giving another blast on the trumpet which I always
tried to keep blowing for the Museum. Flower shows, dog shows, poultry shows
and bird shows, were held at intervals in my establishment and in each instance
the same end was attained as by the baby shows. I gave prizes in the shape of
66 THE ROAD TO RICHES.
medals, money and diplomas, and the whole came back to me four-fold in the
shape of advertising.
There was great difficulty, however, in awarding the principal prize of $100 at
the baby shows. Every mother thought her own baby the brightest and best, and
confidently expected the capital prize.
For where was ever seen the mother
Would give her baby for another ?
Not foreseeing this when I first stepped into the expectant circle and announsed
in a matter of fact way that a committee of ladies had decided upon the baby of
Mrs. So and So as entitled to the leading prize, I was ill-prepared for the storm
of indignation that arose on every side. Ninety-nine disappointed and, as they
thought, deeply injured mothers made common cause and pronounced the suc-
cessful little one the meanest, homeliest baby in the lot, and roundly abused me
and my committee for our stupidity and partiality. " Very well, ladies," said I
in the first instance, "select a committee of your own and I will give another
$100 prize to the baby you shall pronounce to be the best specimen." This was
only throwing oil upon flame ; the ninety-nine confederates were deadly enemies
from the moment, and no new babies were presented in competition for the sec-
ond prize. Thereafter, I took good care to send in a written report and did not
attempt to announce the prize in person.*
In June, 1843, a herd of yearling buffaloes was on exhibition in Boston. 1
bought the lot, brought them to New Jersey, hired the race-course at Hoboken,
chartered the ferry-boats for one day, and advertised that a hunter had arrived
with a herd of buffaloes — I was careful not to state their age — and that August
31st there would be a "Grand Buffalo Hunt" on the Hoboken race-course — all
persons to be admitted free of charge.
The appointed day was warm and delightful, and no less than twenty-four
thousand people crossed the North River in the ferry-boats to enjoy the cooling
breeze and to see the " Grand Buffalo Hunt." The hunter was dressed as an In-
dian, and mounted on horseback ; he proceeded to show how the wild buffalo is
captured with a lasso, but unfortunately the yearlings would not run till the
crowd gave a great shout, expressive at once of derision and delight at the harm-
less humbug. This shout started the young animals into a weak gallop and the
lasso was duly thrown over the head of the largest calf. The crowd roared with
laughter, listened to my balcony band, which I also furnished "free," and then
started for New York, little dreaming who was the author of this sensation, or
what was its object.
Mr. N. P. Willis, then editor of the Home Journal, wrote an article illustrating
the perfect good nature with which the American public submit to a clever hum
bug. He said that he went to Hoboken to witness the buffalo hunt. It was
nearly four o'clock when the boat left the foot of Barclay street, and it was so
densely crowded that many persons were obliged to stand on the railings and
hold on to the awning-posts. When they reached the Hoboken side a boat
equally crowded was coming out of the slip. The passengers just arriving cried
out to those who were coming away, "Is the buffalo hunt over?" To which
came the reply, " Yes, and it was the biggest humbug you ever heard of ! " "Wil-
lis added that passengers on the boat with him instantly gave three cheers for the
author of the humbug, whoever he might be.
* See Illustration, page 56
THE ROAD TO RICHES. 67
After the public had enjoyed a laugh for several days over the Hoboken "Free
Grand Buffalo Hunt," I permitted it to be announced that the proprietor of the
American Museum was responsible for the joke, thus using the buffalo hunt as a
sky-rocket to attract public attention to my Museum. The object was accom-
plished, and although some people cried out "humbug," I had added to the noto-
riety which I so much wanted, and I was satisfied. As for the cry of "humbug,"
it never harmed me, and I was in the position of the actor who had much rather
be roundly abused than not to be noticed at all. I ought to add, that the forty
eight thousand sixpences — the usual fare — received for ferry fares, less what 1
paid for the charter of the boats on that one day, more than remunerated me for
the cost of the buffaloes and the expenses of the "hunt;" and the enormous
gratuitous advertising of the Museum must also be placed to my credit.
With the same object — that is, advertising my Museum, I purchased f«r $500,
in Cincinnati, Ohio, a "Woolly Horse" I found on exhibition in that city. It
was a well-formed, small-sized horse, with no mane, and not a particle of hair on
his tail, while his entire body and legs were covered with thick, fine hair or wool,
which curled tight to his skin. This horse was foaled in Indiana, and was a re-
markable freak of nature, and certainly a very curious-looking animal.
I had not the remotest idea, when I bought this horse, what I should do with
him ; but when the news came that Colonel John C. Fremont (who was supposed
to have been lost in the snows of the Rocky Mountains) was in safety, the
"Woolly Horse" was exhibited in New York and was widely advertised as a
most remarkable animal that had been captured by the great explorer's party in
the passes of the Rocky Mountains. The exhibition met with only moderate suc-
cess in New York, and in several Northern provincial towns, and the show would
have fallen flat in Washington, had it not been for the over-zeal of Colonel
Thomas H. Benton, then a United States Senator from Missouri. He went to the
show, and then caused the arrest of my agent for obtaining twenty-five cents
from him under "false pretences." No mention had been made of this curious
animal in any letter he had received from his son-in-law, Colonel John C. Fre-
mont, and therefore the Woolly Horse had not been captured by any of Fremont's
party. The reasoning was hardly as sound as were most of the arguments of
" Old Bullion," and the case was dismissed. After a few days of merriment, pub-
lic curiosity no longer turned in that direction, and the old horse was permitted
to retire to private life. My object in the exhibition, however, was fully at-
tained. When it was generally known that the proprietor of the American
Museum was also the owner of the famous "Woolly Horse," it caused yet more
talk about me and my establishment, and visitors began to say that they would
give more to see the proprietor of the Museum than to view the entire collection
of curiosities. As for my ruse in advertising the "Woolly Horse" as having
been captured by Fremont's exploring party, of course the announcement neither
added to nor took from the interest of the exhibition; but it arrested public at-
tention, and it was the only feature of the show that I now care to forget.
It will be seen that very much of the success which attended my many years
proprietorship of the American Museum was due to advertising, and especially
to my odd methods of advertising. Always determined to have curiosities worth
showing and worth seeing, at "twenty-five cents admission, children half price,"
I studied ways to arrest public attention; to startle, to make people talk and
wonder; in short, to let the world know that I had a Museum.
About this tune, I engaged a band of Indians from Iowa. They had never
seen a railroad or steamboat until they saw them on the route from Iowa to New '
68 THE ROAD TO RICHES.
York. The party comprised large and noble specimens of the untutored savage, as
well as several very beautiful squaws, with two or three interesting "papooses."
They lived and lodged in a large room on the top floor of the Museum, and
cooked their own victuals in their own way. They gave their war-dances on the
stage in the Lecture Room with great vigor and enthusiasm, much to the satisfac-
tion of the audiences. But these wild Indians seemed to consider their dances as
realities. Hence, when they gave a real war dance, it was dangerous for any
parties, except their manager and interpreter, to be on the stage, for the moment
they had finished their war dance, they began to leap and peer about behind the
scenes in search of victims for their tomahawks and scalping knives I Indeed,
lest in these frenzied moments they might make a dash at the orchestra or the
audience, we had a high rope barrier placed between them and the savages on
the front of the stage.
After they had been a week in the Museum, I proposed a change of perform-
ance for the week following, by introducing new dances. Among these was the
Indian wedding dance. At that time I printed but one set of posters (large
bills) per week, so that whatever was announced for Monday, was repeated every
day and evening during that week. Before the wedding dance came off on
Monday afternoon, I was informed that I was to provide a large new red woollen
blanket, at a cost of ten dollars, for the bridegroom to present to the father of
the bride. I ordered the purchase to be made ; but was considerably taken aback,
when I was informed that I must have another new blanket for the evening,
inasmuch as the savage old Indian Chief, father-in-law to the bridegroom, would
not consent to his daughter's being approached with the wedding dance unless
he had his blanket present.
I undertook to explain to the chief, through the interpreter, that this was onlT
a "make believe" wedding; but the old savage shrugged his shoulders, and gave
such a terrific " Ugh 1 " that I was glad to make my peace by ordering another
blanket. As we gave two performances per day, I was out of pocket $120 for
twelve "wedding blankets," that week.
One of the beautiful squaws named Do-humme died in the Museum. She had
been a great favorite with many ladies, among whom I can especially name Mrs.
C. M. Sawyer, wife of the Rev. Dr. T. J. Sawyer. Do-humme was buried on
the border of Sylvan Water, at Greenwood Cemetery, where a small monument
erected by her friends, designates her last resting-place.
The poor Indians were very sorrowful for many days, and desired to get back
again to their western wilds. The father and the betrothed of Do-humme cooked
various dishes of food and placed them upon the roof of the Museum, where they
believed the spirit of their departed friend came daily for its supply; and these
dishes were renewed every morning during the stay of the Indians at the
Museum.
It was sometimes very amusing to hear the remarks of strangers who came to
visit my Museum. One afternoon a prim maiden lady from Portland, Maine,
walked into my private office, where I was busily engaged in writing, and, tak
ing a seat on the sofa, she asked:
' Is this Mr. Barnum ?"
'It is," I replied.
' Is this Mr. P. T. Barnum, the proprietor of the Museum ? " she asked.
"The same," was my answer.
'Why, really, Mr. Barnum," she continued, " vou look much like other com
mon folks, after all."
THE BOAD TO EICHBS. 69
" Dear me 1 Mr. Barnum," said she, " I never went to any Museum before, nor
to any place of amusement or public entertainment, excepting our school exhibi-
tions ; and I have sometimes felt that they even may be wicked, for some parts
of the dialogues seemed frivolous; but I have heard so much of your 'moral
drama,' and the great good you are doing for the rising generation that I thought
1 must come here and see for myself."
At this moment the gong sounded to announce the opening of the Lecture
Room, and the crowd passed on in haste to secure seats. My spinster visitor
sprang to her feet and anxiously inquired:
"Are the services about to commence ? "
" Yes," I replied, "the congregation is now going up."
CHAPTER X.
A.NOTHER SUCCESSFUL SPECULATION".
BY some arrangement, the particulars of which I do not remember, if, indeed,
1 ever cared to know them, Mr. Peale was conducting Peale's Museum, which he
claimed was a more "scientific" establishment than mine, and he pretended to
appeal to a higher class of patrons. Mesmerism was one of his scientific attrac-
tions, and he had a subject upon whom he operated at times with the greatest
seeming success, and fairly astonished his audiences. But there were times when
the subject was wholly unimpressible and then those who had paid their money
to see the woman put into the mesmeric state cried out "humbug," and the repu-
tation of the establishment .seriously suffered.
It devolved upon me to open a rival mesmeric performance, and accordingly 1
engaged a bright little girl who was exceedingly susceptible to such mesmeric
influences as I could induce. That is, she learned her lesson thoroughly, and
when I had apparently put her to sleep with a few passes and stood behind hei,
she seemed to be duly "impressed" as I desired; raised her hands as I willed,
fell from her chair to the floor; and if I put candy or tobacco into my mouth,
she was duly delighted or disgusted. She never failed in these routine perform-
ances. Strange to say, believers in mesmerism used to witness her performances
with the greatest pleasure and adduce them as positive proofs that there was
something in mesmerism, and they applauded tremendously — up to a certain
point.
That point was reached when, leaving the girl "asleep," I called up some one
in the audience, promising to put him "in the same state" within five minutes,
or forfeit fifty dollars. Of course, all my "passes" would not put a man in the
mesmeric state ; at the end of three minutes he was as wide awake as ever.
" Never mind," I would say, looking at my watch; " I have two minutes more,
and meantime, to show that a person in this state is utterly insensible to pain, 1
propose to cut off one of the fingers of the little girl who is still asleep." I would
then take out my knife and feel of the edge, and when I turned around to the
girl whom I left on the chair, she had fled behind the scenes, to the intense
amusement of the greater part of the audience, and to the amazement of the
mesmerists who were present.
"Why! where's my little girl?" I asked with feigned astonishment.
"Oh! she ran away when you began to talk about cutting off fingers."
" Then she was wide awake, was she?"
" Of course she was, all the time."
"I suppose so; and, my dear sir, I promised that you should be 'in the same
state ' at the end of five minutes, and as I believe you are so, I do not forfeit
fifty dollars."
I kept up this performance for several weeks, till I quite killed Peale's "gen-
uine " mesmerism in the rival establishment. At the end of six months I bought
Peale's Museum, and the whole, including the splendid gallery of American
portraits, was removed to the American Museum, and I immediately advertised
70
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SPECULATION. 71
the great card of a "Double attraction" and "Two Museums in One," without
extra charge.
The Museum became a mania with me, and I made everything possible subser-
vient to it. On the eve of elections, rival politicians would ask me for whom I
was going to vote, and my answer invariably was, "I vote for the American
Museum." In fact, at that time, I cared very little about politics, and a great
deal about my business. Meanwhile the Museum prospered wonderfully, and
everything I attempted or engaged in, seemed at the outset an assured success.
The giants whom I exhibited from time to time, were always literally great
features in my establishment, and they oftentimes afforded me, as well as my
patrons, food for much amusement as well as wonder. The Quaker giant, Hales,
was quite a wag in his way. He went once to see the new house of an acquaint-
ance who had suddenly become rich, but who was a very ignorant man. When
he came back he described the wonders of the mansion, and said that the proud
proprietor showed him everything from basement to attic : parlors, bed-rooms,
dining-room, and," said Hales, "what he calls his 'study' — meaning, I suppose,
the place where he intends to study his spelling-book ! "
I had at one time two famous men, the French giant, M. Bihin, a very slim
man, and the Arabian giant, Colonel Groshen. These men generally got on
together very well, though, of course, each was jealous of the other, and of the
attention the rival received, or the notice he attracted. One day they quarreled,
and a lively interchange of compliments ensued, the Arabian calling the French-
man a "Shanghai," and received in return the epithet of "Nigger." From
words both were eager to proceed to blows, and both ran to my collection of
arms, one seizing the club with which Captain Cook, or any ether man, might
have been killed, if it were judiciously wielded, and the other laying hands on a
sword of the terrific size, which is supposed to have been conventional in the days
of the Crusades. The preparations for a deadly encounter, and the high words of
the contending parties, brought a dozen of the Museum attaches to the spot, and
these men threw themselves between the gigantic combatants. Hearing the
disturbance, I ran from my private office to the dueling ground, and said :
"Look here! This is all right; if you want to fight each other, maiming and
perhaps killing one or both of you, that is your affair; but my interest lies here:
you are both under engagement to me, and if this duel is to come off, I and the
public have a right to participate. It must be duly advertised, and must take
place on the stage of the Lecture. Room. No performance of yours would be a
greater attraction, and if you kill each other, our engagement can end with your
duel."
This proposition, made in apparent earnest, so delighted the giants that they at
once burst into a laugh, shook hands, and quarreled no more.
In November, 1842, I was at Bridgeport, Connecticut, where I heard of a
remarkably small child, and, at my request, my brother, Philo F. Barnuin,
brought him to the hotel. He was not two feet high; he weighed less than six-
teen pounds, and was the smallest child I ever saw that could walk alone; he
was a perfectly formed, bright-eyed little fellow, with light hair and ruddy
cheeks, and he enjoyed the best of health. He was exceedingly bashful, but
after some coaxing, he was induced to talk with me, and he told me that he was
the son of Sherwood E. Stratton, and that his own name was Charles S. Stratton.
After seeing him and talking with him, I at once determined to secure his ser-
vices from his parents and to exhibit him in public.
72 ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SPECULATION.
I engaged him for four weeks, at three dollars a week, with all traveling and
boarding charges for himself and his mother at my expense. They came to
New York Thanksgiving day, December 8, 1842, and I announced the dwarf on
my Museum bills as " General Tom Thumb."
I took the greatest pains to educate and train my diminutive prodigy, devoting
many hours to the task by day and by night, and I was very successful, for he
was an apt pupil, with a great deal of native talent, and a keen sense of the
ludicrous.*
I afterwards re-engaged him for one year, at seven dollars a week, with a
gratuity of fifty dollars at the end of the engagement, and the privilege of exhib-
iting him anywhere in the United States, in which event his parents were to
accompany him and I was to pay all traveling expenses. He speedily became a
public favorite, and long before the year was out, I voluntarily increased his
weekly salary to twenty-five dollars, and he fairly earned it.
Two years had now elapsed since I bought the Museum, and I had long since
paid for the entire establishment from the profits; I had bought out my only
rival; I was free from debt, and had a handsome surplus in the treasury. The
business had long ceased to be an experiment; it was an established success, and
was in such perfect running order, that it could safely be committed to the man-
agement of trustworthy and tried agents.
Accordingly, looking for a new field for my individual efforts, I entered into
an agreement for General Tom Thumb's services for another year, at fifty dollars
a week and all expenses, with the privilege of exhibiting him in Europe. I pro-
posed to test the curiosity of men and women on the other side of the Atlantic.
After arranging my business affairs for a long absence, and making every
preparation for an extended foreign tour, on Thursday, January 18, 1844, I went
on board the new and fine sailing ship "Yorkshire," Captain D. G. Bailey, bound
for Liverpool. Our party included General Tom Thumb, his parents, his tutor,
and Professor Guillaudeu, the French naturalist. We were accompanied by
several personal friends, and the City Brass Band kindly volunteered to escort us
to Sandy Hook.
A voyage to Liverpool is now an old, familiar story, and I abstain from enter-
ing into details, though I have abundant material respecting my own experiences
of my first sea- voyage in the first two of a series of one hundred letters which I
wrote in Europe, as correspondent of the New York Atlas.
On our arrival at Liverpool, quite a crowd had assembled at the dock to see
Pom Thumb, for it had been previously announced that he would arrive in the
" Yorkshire," but his mother managed to smuggle him ashore unnoticed, for she
carried him, as if he was an infant, in her arms.
My letters of introduction speedily brought me into friendly relations with
many excellent families, and I was induced to hire a hall and present the General
to the public, for a short season in Liverpool I had intended to proceed directly
to London, and begin operations at "headquarters," that is, in Buckingham
Palace, if possible; but I had been advised that the royal family was in mourn
ing for the death of Prince Albert's father, and would not permit the approacl
of any entertainments.
Meanwhile, confidential lettei's from London, informed me that Mr. Maddox,
Manager of Princess's Theater, was coming down to witness my exlu'bition, with
a view to making an engagement. He came privately, but I was fully informed
*Se« Illustration, opposite.
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SPECULATION. 73
as to his presence and object. A friend pointed him out to me in the hall, and
when I stepped up to him, and called him by name, he was "taken all aback,"
and avowed his purpose in visiting Liverpool. An interview resulted in an
engagement of the General for three nights at Princess's Theater. I was unwill-
ing to contract for a longer period, and even this short engagement, though on
liberal terms, was acceded to only as a means of advertisement. So soon, there-
fore, as I could bring my short, but highly successful tOMon in Liverpool to a
close, wij went to London.
4
CHAPTER XI.
GENERAL TOM THUMB IN ENGLAND.
IMMEDIATELY after our arrival in London, the General came oMt at the Prin-
cess's Theater, and made so decided a " hit " that it was difficult to decide[who was
best pleased, the spectators, the manager, or myself. I was offered far higher
terms for a re-engagement, but my purpose had been already answered; the
news was spread everywhere that General Tom Thumb, an unparalleled curiosity,
was in the city; and i$ only remained for me to bring him before the public, on
my own account, and in my own time and way.
I took a furnished mansion in Grafton street, Bond street, West End, in the
very center of the most fashionable locality. The house had previously beei
occupied for several years by Lord Talbot, and Lord Brougham and half a dozen
families of the aristocracy and many of the gentry were my neighbors. From
this magnificent mansion, I sent letters of invitation to the editors and several of
the nobility, to visit the General Most of them called, and were highly gratified.
The word of approval was indeed so passed around in high circles, that uninvited
parties drove to my door in crested carriages, and were not admitted.
This procedure, though in some measure a stroke of policy, was neither singular
nor hazardous, under the circumstances. I had not yet announced a public exhi-
bition, and as a private American gentleman, it became me to maintain the dignity
of my position. I therefore instructed my liveried servant to deny admission to
see my "ward," excepting to persons who brought cards of invitation. He did
it in a proper manner, and no offence could be taxen, though I was always partic-
ular to send an invitation immediately to such as had not been admitted.
During our first week in London, the Hon. Edward Everett, the American
Minister, to whom I had letters of introduction, called and was highly pleased
with his diminutive though renowned countryman. We dined with him the next
day, by invitation, and his family loaded the young American with presents.
Mr. Everett kindly promised to use influence at the Palace in person, with a
view to having Tom Thumb introduced to Her Majesty Queen Victoria,
A few evenings afterwards the Baroness Rothschild sent her carriage for us.
We were received by a half a dozen servants, and were ushered up a broad flight
of marble stairs to the drawing-room, where we met the Baroness and a party of
twenty or more ladies and gentlemen. In this sumptous mansion of the richest
banker in the world, we spent about two hours, and when we took our leave a
well-filled purse was quietly slipped into my hand. The golden shower had begun
to fall.
I now engaged the "Egyptian Hall," in Piccadilly, and the announcement of
my unique exhibition was promptly answered by a rush of visitors, in which the
wealth and fashion of London were liberally represented. I made these arrange-
ments because I had little hope of being soon brought to the Queen's presence
(for the reason before mentioned), but Mr. Everett's generous influence secured
ray object. I breakfasted at his house one morning, by invitation, in company
with Mr. Charles Murray, an author of creditable repute, who held the office of
74
GENERAL TOM THUMB IN ENGLAND. 75
Master of the Queen's Household. In the course of conversation, Mr. Murray
inquired as to my plans, and I informed him that I intended going to the Conti-
nent shortly, though I should be glad to remain if the General could have an
interview with the Queen, adding that such an event would be of great consequence
to me.
Mr. Murray kindly offered his good offices in the case, and the next day one of
the Life Guards, a tall, noble-looking fellow, bedecked as became his station,
brought me a note, conveying the Queen's invitation to General Tom Thumb and
his guardian, Mr. Barnum, to appear at Buckingham Palace on an evening speci-
fied. Special instructions were the same day orally given me by Mr. Murray, by
Her Majesty's command, to suffer the General to appear before her, as he would
appear anywhere else, without any training in the use of the titles of royalty, as
the Queen desired to see him act naturally and without restraint.
Determined to make the most of the occasion, I put a placard on the door of
the Egyptian Hall: " Closed this evening, General Tom Thumb being at Bucking-
ham Palace by command of Her Majesty."
On arriving at the Palace, the Lord in Waiting put me " under drill " as to the
manner and form in which I should conduct myself in the presence of royalty.
I was to answer all questions by Her Majesty through him, and, in no event, to
speak directly to the Queen. In leaving the royal presence I was to "back out,"
keeping my face always towards Her Majesty, and the illustrious lord, kindly
gave me a specimen of that sort of backward locomotion. How far I profited by
his instructions and example, will presently appear.
We were conducted through a long corridor to a broad flight of marble steps,
which led to the Queen's magnificent picture gallery, where Her Majesty and
Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent, \ '. ;;jul others were
awaiting our arrival They were standing at the farther end of the room when
the doors were thrown open, and the General walked in, looking like a wax doll
gifted with the power of locomotion. Surprise and pleasure were depicted on
the countenances of the royal circle at beholding this remarkable specimen of
humanity so much smaller than they had evidently expected to find him.
The General advanced with a firm step, and, as he came within hailing dis-
tance, made a very graceful bow, and exclaimed, "Good evening, ladies and
gentlemen!"
A burst of laughter followed this salutation. The Queen then took him by the
hand, led him about the gallery, and asked him many questions, the answers to
which kept the party in an uninterrupted strain of merriment. The General
familiarly informed the Queen that her picture gallery was "first-rate," and told
her he should like to see the Prince of Wales. The Queen replied that the Prince
had retired to rest, but that he should see him on soAe future occasion. The
General then gave his songs, dances, and imitations, and, after a conversation
with Prince Albert and all present, which continued for more than an hour, we
were permitted to depart.
Before describing the process and incidents of " backing out," I must acknowl-
edge how sadly I broke through the counsel of the Lord in Waiting. While
Prince Albert and others were engaged with the General, the Queen was gather-
ing inf ormation from me in regard to his history, etc. Two or three questions
were put and answered through the process indicated in my drill. It was a
round-about way of doing business, not at all to my liking and I suppose the
Lord in waiting was seriously shocked, if not outraged, when I entered directly
into conversation with Her Majesty. She, however, seemed not disposed to check
76 GENEBAL TOM THUMB IN ENGLAND.
my boldness, f Of she immediately spoke directly to me in obtaining the informa-
tion which she sought. I felt entirely at ease in her presence, and could not avoid
contrasting her sensible and amiable manners with the stiffness and formality of
upstart gentility at home or abroad.
The Queen was modestly attired in plain black, and wore no ornaments. Indeed,
surrounded as she was by ladies arrayed in the highest style of magnificence,
their dresses sparkling with diamonds, she was the last person whom a stranger
would have pointed out in that circle as the Queen of England
The Lord in waiting was perhaps mollified toward me when he saw me f oUow-
ing his illustrious example in retiring from the royal presence. He was accustomed
to the process, and therefore was able to keep somewhat ahead (or rather aback)
of me, but even / stepped rather fast for the other member of the retiring party.
We had a considerable distance to travel in that long gallery before reaching the
door, and whenever the General found he was losing ground, he turned around
and ran a few steps, then resumed the position of "backing out," then turned
around and ran, and so continued to alternate his methods of getting to the door,
until the gallery fairly rang with the merriment of the royal spectators. It was
really one of the richest scenes I ever saw; running, under the circumstances, was
an offence sufficiently heinous to excite the indignation of the Queen's favorite
poodle dog, and he vented his displeasure by barking so sharply as to startle the
General from his propriety. He, however, recovered immediately, and, with his
little cane, commenced an attack on the poodle, and a funny fight ensued, which
renewed and increased the merriment of the royal party.*
This was near the door of exit. We had scarcely passed into the ante-room,
when one of the Queen's attendants came to us with the expressed hope of Her
Majesty that the General had sustained no damage; to which the Lord in Wait-
ing playfully added, that in case of injury to so renowned a personage, he should
fear a declaration of war by the United States!
The courtesies of the Palace were not yet exhausted, for we were escorted to
an apartment in which refreshments had been provided for us. I was anxious
that the "Court Journal" of the ensuing day should contain more than a
mere line in relation to the General's interview with the Queen, and, on
inquiry, I learned that the gentleman who had charge of that feature in the daily
papers was then in the Palace. He was sent for by my solicitation, and promptly
acceded to my request for such a notice as would attract attention. He even
generously desired me to give him an outline of what I sought, and I was pleased
to see afterwards, that he had inserted my notice verbatim.
This notice of my visit to the Queen wonderfully increased the attraction of
" Gen. Tom Thumb.." and compelled me to obtain a more commodious hall for my
exhibition. I accordingly removed to the larger room in the same building.
On our second visit to the Queen, we were received in what is called the
"Yellow Drawing-Room," a magnificent apartment, surpassing in splendor and
gorgeousness anything of the kind I had ever seen. It is on the north side of the
gallery, and is entered from that apartment. It was hung with drapery of rich
yellow satin damask, the couches, sofas and chairs being covered with the same
material. The vases, urns and ornaments were all of modern patterns, and the
most exquisite workmanship. The room was panelled in gold, and the heavy
cornices beautifully carved and gilt. The tables, pianos, etc., were mounted
mth gold, inlaid with pearl of various hues, and of the most elegant designs.
* See Illustration, opposite.
GENERAL TOM THUMB IN ENGLAND. 77
W« were ushered into this gorgeous drawing-room before the Queen and royal
circle had left the dining-room, and, as they approached, the General bowed
respectfully, and remarked to Her Majesty " that he had seen her before," adding,
" I think this is a prettier room than the picture gallery; that chandelier is very
fine."
The Queen smilingly took him by the hand, and said she hoped he was very
well.
" Yes, ma'am," he replied, " I am first rate."
"General," continued the Queen, "this is the Prince of Wales."
" How are you, Prince? " said the General, shaking him by the hand; and then
standing beside the Prince, he remarked, "the Prince is taller than I am, but I
feel as big as anybody," upon which he strutted up and down the room as proud
as a peacock, amid shouts of laughter from all present.
The Queen then introduced the Princess Royal, and the General immediately
led her to his elegant little sofa, which we took with us, and with much politeness
sat himself down beside her. Then, rising from his seat, he went through his
various performances, and the Queen handed Tnim an elegant and costly souvenir,
which had been expressly made for him by her order, for which, he told her,
" he was very much obliged, and would keep it as long as he lived." The Queen
of the Belgians (daughter of Louis Philippe) was present on this occasion. She
asked the General where he was going when he left London?
" To Paris," he replied.
" Whom do you expect to see there ? " she continued.
Of course all expected he would answer, "the King of the French," but the
little fellow replied,
" Monsieur Guillaudeu."
The two Queens looked inquiringly to me, and when I informed them that M.
Gillaudeu was my French naturalist, who had preceded me to Paris, they laughed
most heartily.
On our third visit to Buckingham Palace, Leopold, King of the Belgians, was
also present. He was highly pleased, and asked a multitude of questions. Queen
Victoria desired the General to sing a song, and asked him what song he preferred
to sing.
"Yankee Doodle," was the prompt reply.
This answer was as unexpected to me as it was to the royal party. When the
merriment it occasioned had somewhat subsided, the Queen gopd-humoredly
remarked, ' ' That is a very pretty song, General, sing it, if you please. " The General
complied, and soon afterwards we retired. I ought to add, that after each of our
three visits to Buckingham Palace, a very handsome sum was sent to me, of
course by the Queen's command. This, however, was the smallest part of the
advantage derived from these interviews, as will be at once apparent to all who
consider the force of Court example in England.
The British public were now fairly excited. Not to have seen General Tom
Thumb was decidedly unfashionable, and from March 20th until July 20th, the
levees of the little General, at Egyptian Hall, were continually crowded, the
receipts averaging during the whole period about five hundred dollars per day,
and sometimes going considerably beyond that sum. At the fashionable hour,
sixty carriages of the nobility have been counted at one time standing in front
of our exhibition rooms in Piccadilly.
Portraits of the little General were published in all the pictorial papers of the
time. Polkas and quadrilles were named after him, and songs were sung in his
78 GENERAL TOM THUMB IN ENGLAND.
praise. He was an almost constant theme for the London Punch, which served
up the General and myself so daintily that it no doubt added vastly to our
receipts.
Besides his three public performances per day, the little General attended three
or four private parties per week, for which we were paid eight to ten guineas each.
Frequently we would visit two parties in the same evening, and the demand in
that line was much greater than the supply. The Queen Dowager Adelaide
requested the General's attendance at Marlborough House one afternoon. He
went in his court dress, consisting of a richly embroidered brown silk-velvet coat
and short breeches, white satin vest with fancy colored embroidery, white silk
stockings and pumps, wig, bagwig, cocked hat, and a dress sword.
" Why, General," said the Queen Dowager, " I think you look very smart
to-day."
" I guess I do," said the General complacently.
A large party of the nobility were present. The old DuKe of Cambridge
offered the little General a pinch of snuff, which he declined. The General sang
his songs, performed his dances, and cracked his jokes, to the great amusement
and delight of the distinguished circle of visitors.
"Dear little General," said the kind-hearted Queen, taking him upon her lap,
" I see you have got no watch. Will you permit me to present you with a watch
and chain* "
"I would like them very much," replied the General, bis eyes glistening with
joy as he spoke.
"I will have them made expressly for you," responded the Queen Dowager;
and at the same moment she called a friend and desired him to see that the
proper order was executed. A few weeks thereafter we were called again to
Marlborough House. A number of the children of the nobility were present, as
well as some of their parents. After passing a few compliments with the
General, Queen Adelaide presented him with a beautiful little gold watch, placing
the chain around his neck with her own Via"d,s,
After giving his performances, we withdrew from the royal presence, and the
elegant little watch presented by the hands of Her Majesty the Queen Dowager
was not only duly heralded, but was also placed upon a pedestal in the hall of
exhibition, together with the presents from Queen Victoria, and covered with a
glass vase. These presents, to which were soon added an elegant gold snuff-box
mounted with turquois, presented by his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and
many other costly gifts of the nobility and gentry, added to the attractions of
the exhibition. The Duke of Wellington called frequently to see the little General
at his public levees. The first time he called, the General was personating Napo-
leon Bonaparte, marching up and down the platform, and apparently taking
snuff in deep meditation. He was dressed in the well-known uniform of the
Emperor. I introduced him to the " Iron Duke," who inquired the subject of his
meditations. "I was thinking of the loss of the battle of Waterloo," was the
little General's immediate reply. This display of wit was chronicled throughout
the country, and was of itself worth thousands of pounds to the exhibition.*
General Tom Thumb had visited the King of Saxony and also Ibrahim Pacha
who was then in London. At the different parties we attended, we met, in the
course of the season, nearly all of the nobility. Scarcely a nobleman in England
failed to see General Tom Thumb at his own house, at the house of a friend, or at
* See niostration page 168.
GENERAL TOM THUMB IN ENGLAND. 79
the public levees at Egyptian Hall The General was a decided pet with some of
the first personages in the land, among whom may be mentioned Sir Robert and
Lady Peel, the Duke and Duchess of Buckingham, Duke of Bedford, Duke of
Devonshire, Count d'Orsay, Lady Blessington, Daniel O'Connell, Lord Adolphus
Fitzclarence, Lord Chesterfield, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Bates, of the firm of Baring
Brothers & Co., and many other persons of distinction. We had the free entree to
all the theaters, public gardens, and places of entertainment, and frequently met
the principal artists, editors, poets, and authors of the country. Albert Smith
wrote a play for the General entitled " Hop o' my Thumb," which was presented
with great success at the Lyceum Theater, London, and in several of the provin-
cial theaters. Our visit in London and tour through the provinces were enor-
mously successful, and after a brilliant season in Great Britain I made preparations
to take the General to Paris.
CHAPTER XII.
IN FKAKCE.
BEFORE taking the little General and party to Paris, 1 went over alone to
arrange the preliminaries for our campaign in that city.
I was very fortunate in making the acquaintance of Mr. Dion Boucicault, who
was then temporarily sojourning in that city, and who at once kindly volunteered
to advise and assist me in regard to numerous matters of importance relating to
the approaching visit of the General. He spent a day with me in the search for
suitable accommodations for my company, and by giving me the benefit of his
experience, he saved me much trouble and expense. I have never forgotten the
courtesy extended to me by this gentleman.
I hired, at a large rent, the Salle Musard, Rue Vivienne. I made the most
complete arrangements, even to starting the preliminary paragraphs in the Paris
papers; and after calling on the Honorable William Rufus King, the United
States Minister at the Court of France, who assured me that, after my success
in London, there would be no difficulty whatever in my presentation to King
Louis Philippe, I returned to England.
I went back to Paris with General Tom Thumb and party some time before 1
intended to begin my exhibitions, and on the very day after my arrival I received
a special command to appear at the Tuileries on the following Sunday evening.
At the appointed hour the General and I, arrayed in the conventional court
costume, were ushered into a grand saloon of the palace, where we were intro-
duced to the King, the Queen, Princess Adelaide, the Duchess d'Orleans and her
son, the Count de Paris, Prince de Joinville, Duke and Duchess de Nemours, the
Duchess d'Aumale, and a dozen or more distinguished persons, among whom was
the editor of the official Journal des Debate. General Tom Thumb went through
his various performances to the manifest pleasure of all who were present, and at
the close the King presented to him a large emerald brooch set with diamonds.
The General expressed his gratitude, and the King, turning to me, said: "You
may put it on the General, if you please," which I did, to the evident gratifica-
tion of the King as well as the General.
King Louis Philippe was so condescending and courteous, that I felt quite at
home in the royal presence, and ventured upon a bit of diplomacy. The Long-
champs celebration was coming — a day once devoted to religious ceremony, but
now conspicuous for the display of court and fashionable equipages in the Champs
Elysees and the Bois des Boulogne, and, as the King was familiarly conversing
with me, I ventured to say that I had hurried over to Paris to take part in the
Longchamps display, and I asked him if the General's carriage could not be per-
mitted to appear in the avenue reserved for the court and the diplomatic corps,
representing that the General's small, but elegant establishment, with ite poniee
and little coachman and footman, would be in danger of damage in the general
throng, unless the special privilege I asked was accorded.
The King smilingly turned to one of the officers of his household, and, after
conversing with him for a few moments, he said to me :
80
IK FBANCB. 81
" Call on the Prefect of Police to-morrow afternoon, and you will find a permit
ready for you."
Our visit occupied two hours, and when we went away the General was loaded
with fine presents. The next morning all the newspapers noticed the visit, and
the Journal des Debats, gave a minute account of the interview and of the Gen-
eral's performances, taking occasion to say, in speaking of the character parts,
that "there was one costume which the General wisely kept at the bottom of
his box" That costume, however — the uniform of Bonaparte — was once exhib-
ited, by particular request, as will be seen anon.
Longchamps day arrived, and among the many splendid equipages on the grand
avenue, none attracted more attention than the superb little carriage with four
ponies and liveried and powdered coachman and footman, belonging to the Gen-
eral, and conspicuous in the line of carriages containing the Ambassadors to
the Court of France. Thousands upon thousands rent the air with cheers for
"General Tom Pouce."*
Thus, before I opened the exhibition, all Paris knew that General Tom Thumb
was in the city. The elite of the city came to the exhibition; the first day's
receipts were 5,500 francs, which would have been doubled if I could have made
room for more patrons. There were afternoon and evening performances, and
from that day secured seats, at an extra price, were engaged in advance for the
entire two months. The season was more than a success; it was a triumph.
It seemed, too, as if the whole city was advertising me. The papers were
profuse in their praises of the General and his performances. Figaro, the Punch
of Paris, gave a picture of an immense mastiff running away with the General's
carriage and horses in his mouth. Statuettes of "Tom Pouce" appeared in all
the windows, in plaster, Parian, sugar and chocolate; songs were written about
Him, and his lithograph was seen everywhere. A fine cafe on one of the boule-
vards, took the name of "Tom Pouce, " and displayed over the door a life-size
statue of the General. In Paris, as in London, several eminent painters expressed
their desire to paint his portrait, but the General's engagements were so pressing
that he found little time to sit to artists. All the leading actors and actresses
came to the General's levees, and petted him and made him many presents.
Meanwhile, the daily receipts continued to swell, and I was compelled to take a
cab to carry my bag of silver home at night.
We were commanded to appear twice more at the Tuileries, and we were also
invited to the palace on the King's birthday, to witness the display of fireworks
in honor of the anniversary. Our fourth and last visit to the royal family was, by
special invitation, at St. Cloud. On this one occasion, and by the special request
of the King, the General personated Napoleon Bonaparte in full costume. Louis
Philippe had heard of the General in this character, and particularly desired to
see him; but the affair was quite "on the sly," and no mention was made of it in
the papers. We remained an hour, and, at parting, each of the royal company
gave the General a splendid present, almost smothered him with kisses, wished
him a safe journey through France, and a long and happy life. After bidding
them adieu, we retired to another portion of the palace to make a change of the
General's costume, and to partake of some refreshments which were prepared for
us. Half an hour afterwards, as we were about leaving the palace, we went
through a hall leading to the front door, and in doing so, passed the sitting-room
in which the royal family were spending the evening. The door was open, and
* See Illustration, opposite.
82 IN FBANOB.
some of them happening to espy the General, called out for him to come in
and shake hands with them once more. We entered the apartment, and there
found the ladies sitting around a square table, each provided with two candles, and
every one of them, including the Queen, was engaged in working at embroidery,
while a young lady was reading aloud for their edification. I am sorry to say, I
believe this is a sight seldom seen in families of the aristocracy on either side of
the water. At the church fairs in Paris, I had frequently seen pieces of embroi
dery for sale, which were labelled as having been presented and worked by th«
Duchess d'Orleans, Princess Adelaide, Duchess de Nemours, and other titled
ladies.
During my stay in Paris, a Russian Prince, who had been living in great
splendor in that city, suddenly died, and his household and personal effects were
sold at auction. I attended the sale for several days in succession, buying many
articles of vertu, and, among others, a magnificent gold tea-set, and a silver din-
ing-service, and many rare specimens of Sevres china. These articles bore the
initials of the family name of the Prince, and his own, "P. T." thus damaging
the articles, so that the silver and gold were sold for their weight value only. I
bought them, and adding " B." to the "P. T.," had a very fine table service, still
in my possession, and bearing my own initials, "P. T. B."
After a protracted and most profitable season we started on a tour through
France. We went first to Rouen, and from thence to Toulon, visiting all the
intermediate towns, including Orleans, Nantes, Brest, Bordeaux, where I wit-
nessed a review by the Dukes de Nemours and d'Aumale, of 20,000 soldiers who
were encamped near the city. From Bordeaux we went to Toulouse, Montpellier,
Nismes, Marseilles, and many other less important places, holding levees for a
longer or shorter time. While at Nantes, Bordeaux and Marseilles, tho General
also appeared in the theaters in his French part of " Petit Poucet," a French play
written expressly for him in Paris, and performed with great eclat in the theater
Vaudeville in that city.
OHAPTEK XIIL
IN BELGIUM.
In crossing the border from France into Belgium, Professor Piute, our inter-
preter and General Tom Thumb's preceptor, discovered that he had left his pass-
port behind Him — at Lille, at Marseilles, or elsewhere in France, he could not tell
where, for it was a long time since he had been called upon to present it.
When we came to Courtrai on the Belgian frontier, I managed to procure a
permit for him which enabled him to proceed with the party.
Brussels is Paris in miniature and is one of the most charming cities I ever
visited. We found elegant quarters, and the day after our arrival by command
we visited King Leopold and the Queen at their palace. The King and Queen
had already seen the General in London, but they wished to present him to their
children and to the distinguished persons whom we found assembled. After a
most agreeable hour we came away, the General, as usual, receiving many fine
presents.
The following day I opened the exhibition in a beautiful hall, which on that
day and on every afternoon and evening while we remained there, was crowded
by throngs of the first people in the city. On the second or third day, in the
midst of the exhibition, I suddenly missed the case containing the valuable pres-
ents the General had received from kings, queens, noblemen and gentlemen, and
instantly gave the alarm; some thief had intruded for the express purpose of
stealing these jewels, and, in the crowd, had been entirely successful in his
object.
The police were notified, and I offered 2,000 francs reward for the recovery of
the property. A day or two afterwards a man went into a jeweller's shop and
offered for sale, among other things, a gold snuff-box, mounted with turquoises,
and presented by the Duke of Devonshire to the General The jeweller, seeing
the General's initials on the box, sharply questioned the man, who became
alarmed and ran out of the shop. An alarm was raised, and the man was caught.
He made a clean breast of it, and in the course of a few hours the entire property
was returned, to the great delight of the General and myself. Wherever we ex-
hibited afterwards, no matter how respectable the audience, the case of presents
was always carefully watched.
While I was in Brussels I could do no less than visit the battle-field of Waterloo,
and I proposed that our party should be composed of Professor Pinte, Mr, Strat-
ton, father of General Tom Thumb, Mr. II. G. Sherman and myself.
We engaged a coach and horses the night previous, and started punctually at
the hour appointed. We stopped at the neat little church in the village of Wa-
terloo, for the purpose of examining the tablets erected to the memory of some
of the English who fell in the contest. Thence we passed to the house in which
the leg of Lord Uxbridge (Marquis of Anglesey) was amputated. A neat little
monument in the garden designates the spot where the shattered member had
been interred. In the house is shown a part of the boot which is said to have
once covered the unlucky lep T expressed a derire to have a small piece of the
S3
84 IN BELGIUM.
boot to exhibit in my Museum; the lady cut off, without hesitation, a slip three
inches long by one in width. I could not help thinking that if the lady was thus
liberal in dispensing pieces of the " identical boot " to all visitors, this must have
been about the ninety-nine thousandth boot that had been cut as the "Simon
pure " since 1815.
Arriving at Mont Saint Jean, a quarter of a mile from the ground, we were
beset by some eighteen or twenty persons, who offered their services as guides,
to indicate the most important localities. Each applicant professed to know the
exact spot where every man had been placed who had taken part in the battle,
and each, of course, claimed to have been engaged in that sanguinary contest,
although it had occurred thirty years before, and some of these fellows were
only, it seemed, from twenty-five to twenty-eight years of age ! We accepted
an old man, who, at first declared that he was killed in the battle, but, perceiving
our looks of incredulity, consented to modify his statement so far as to assert
that he was horribly wounded, and lay upon the ground three days before receiv-
ing assistance.
Once upon the ground, our guide, with much gravity, pointed out the place
where the Duke of Wellington took his station during a great part of the action;
the locality where the reserve of the British army was stationed; the spot where
Napoleon placed his favorite guard; the little mound on which was erected a tem-
porary observatory for his use during the battle ; the portion of the field at which
Blucher entered with the Prussian army; the precise location of the Scotch
Greys; the spot where fell Sir Alexander Gordon, Lieut. CoL Canning, and many
others of celebrity. I asked him if he could tell me where Captain Tippitiwichet,
of the Connecticut Fusileers, was killed. "Oui, Monsieur," he replied, with per-
fect confidence, for he felt bound to know, or to pretend to know, every particu-
lar. He then proceeded to point out exactly the spot where my unfortunate
Connecticut friend had breathed his last. After indicating the locations where
some twenty more fictitious friends from Coney Island, New Jersey, Cape Cod and
Saratoga Springs, had given up the ghost, we handed him his commission and
declined to give him further trouble.
Upon quitting the battle-field we were accosted by a dozen persons of both sexes
with baskets on their arms or bags in their hands, containing relics of the battle
for sale. These consisted of a great variety of implements of war, pistols, bul-
lets, etc., besides brass French eagles, buttons, etc. I purchased a number of them
for the Museum, and Stratton was equally liberal in obtaining a supply for his
friends in " Old Bridgeport." We also purchased maps of the battle-ground, pic
tures of the triumphal mound surmounted by the colossal Belgic Lion in bronze,
etc., etc. These frequent and renewed taxations annoyed Stratton very much,
and, as he handed out a five franc piece -for a ' ' complete guide-book, " he remarked,
that " he guessed the battle of Waterloo had cost a darned sight more since it
was fought than it did before ! "
But his misfortunes did not terminate here. When we had proceeded four or
rtve miles upon our road home, crash went the carriage. We alighted, and found
that the axle-tree was broken. It was now a quarter past one o'clock. The little
General's exhibition was advertised to commence in Brussels at two o'clock, and
could not take place without us. We were unable to walk the distance in double
the time at our disposal, and, as no carriage was to be got in that part of the
country, I concluded to take the matter easy, and forego all idea of exhibiting
before evening. Stratton, however, could not bear tLv thought of losing the
chance of taking in six or eight hundred francs, and he determined to take mat-
IK BELGIUM. 85
ters in band, in order, if possible, to get our party into Brussels in time to save
the afternoon exhibition. He hastened to a farm-house, accompanied by the in-
terpreter, Professor Pinte, Sherman and myself leisurely .bringing up the rear.
Stratton asked the old farmer if he had a carriage. He had not. " Have you no
vehicle ? " he inquired.
' 'Yes, I have that vehicle, " he replied, pointing to an old cart filled with manure,
and standing in his barnyard.*
" Thunder ! is that all the conveyance you have got ?" asked Stratton, Being
assured that it was, Stratton concluded that it was better to ride in a manure-cart
than not to get to Brussels in time.
" What will you ask to drive us to Brussels in three-quarters of an hour ? " de-
manded Stratton.
" It is impossible," replied the farmer; " I should want two hours for my horse
to do it in."
" But ours is a very pressing case, and if we are not there in time we lose more
than five hundred francs," said Stratton.
The old farmer pricked up his ears at this, and agreed to get us to Brussels in an
hour, for eighty francs. Stratton tried to beat him down, but it was of no use.
" Oh, go it, Stratton," said Sherman; "eighty francs you know is only sixteen
dollars, and you will probably save a hundred by it, for I expect a full house at
our afternoon exhibition to-day."
" But I have already spent about ten dollars for nonsense," said Stratton, " and
we shall have to pay for the broken carriage besides."
"But what can you do better?" chimed in Professor Pinte.
"It is an outrageous extortion to charge sixteen dollars for an old horse and
cart to go ten miles. Why, in old Bridgeport I could get it done for three dollars, "
replied Stratton, in a tone of vexation.
" It is the custom of the country," said Professor Pinbe, " and we must submit
to it."
"Well, it's a thundering mean custom, any how," said Stratton, "and I won't
stand such imposition."
"But what shall we do?" earnestly inquired Mr. Pinte. "It may be a high
price, but it is better to pay that than to lose our afternoon performance and five
or six hundred francs."
This appeal to the pocket touched Stratton's feelings; so, submitting to the extor-
tion, he replied to our interpreter, " Well, tell the old robber to dump his dung-
cart as soon as possible, or we shall lose half an hour in starting."
The cart was " dumped" and a large, lazy-looking Flemish horse was attached
to it with a rope harness. Some boards were laid across the cart for seats, the
party tumbled into the rustic vehicle, a red-haired boy, son of the old farmer,
mounted the horse, and Stratton gave orders to " get along." " Wait a moment,'
said the farmer, " you have not paid me yet." " I'll pay your boy when we get to
Brussels, provided he gets there within the hour," replied Stratton.
" Oh, he is sure to get there in an hour," said the farmer, " but I can't let him
go unless you pay in advance." The minutes were flying rapidly, the anticipated
loss of the day exhibition of General Tom Thumb flitted before his eyes, and
Stratton, in very desperation, thrust his hand into his pocket and drew forth
sixteen five-franc pieces, which he dropped, one at a time, into the hand of the
farmer, and then called out to the boy, "There now, do try to see if you can go
ahead."
* See Illustration, opposite.
86 TX BELGIUM.
The boy did go ahead, but it was with each a snail's pace that it would have
puzzled a man of tolerable eyesight to have determined whether the horse was
moving or standing stilL To make it still more interesting, it commenced raining
furiously. As we had left Brussels in a coach, and the morning bad promised us
a pleasant day, we had omitted our umbrellas. We were soon soaked to the skin.
We "grinned and bore it" awhile without grumbling. At length Stratton, who
was almost too angry to speak, desired Mr. Pinte to ask the red-haired boy if he
expected to walk his horse all the way to Brussels.
"Certainly," replied the boy; "he is too big and fat to do anything but walk.
We never trot him."
Stratton was terrified as he thought of the loss of the day exhibition; and he
cursed the boy, the cart, the rain, the luck, and even the battle of Waterloo itself.
But it was all of no use, the horse would not run, but the rain did — down our
backs.
At two o'clock, the time appointed for our exhibition, we were yet some seven
miles from Brussels. The horse walked slowly and philosophically through the
pitiless storm, the steam majestically rising from the old manure-cart, to the no
small disturbance of our unfortunate olfactories. " It will take two hours to get
to Brussels at this rate," growled Stratton. " Oh, no," replied the boy, " it will
Duly take about two hours from the time we started "
" But your father agreed to g«t us there in an hour," answered Stratton.
" I know it," responded the boy, " but he knew it would take more than two."
" I'll sue him for damage, by thunder! " said Stratton.
"Oh, there would be no use in that," chimed in Mr. Pinte, "for you could get
no satisfaction in this country."
"But I shall lose more than a hundred dollars by being two hours instead of
one," said Stratton.
"They care nothing about that; all they care for is your eighty francs,"
remarked Pinte.
"But they have lied and swindled me," replied Stratton.
"Oh, you must not mind that, it is the custom of the country."
All things will finally have an end, and our party did at length actually arrive
in Brussels, cart and all, in precisely two hours and a half from the time we left
the farmer's house. Of course we were too late to exhibit the little General.
Hundreds of visitors had gone away disappointed.
Several months subsequent to our visit to Waterloo, I was in Birmingham, and
there made the acquaintance of a firm who manufactured to order, and sent to
Waterloo, barrels of "relics" every year. At Waterloo these "relics" are
planted, and in due time dug up, and sold at large prices as precious remem-
brances of the great battle. Our Waterloo pin-chases looked rather cheap after
this discovery.
CHAPTER XIV.
IN ENGLAND AGAIN.
IN London the General again opened his levees in Egytian Hall with increased
success. His unbounded popularity on the Continent, and his receptions by King
Louis Philippe, of France, and King Leopold, of Belgium, had added greatly to
his prestige and fame. Those who had seen him when he was in London months
before, came to see him again, and new visitors crowded by thousands to the
General's levees.
Besides giving these daily entertainments, the General appeared occasionally
for an hour, during the intermissions, at some place in the suburbs; and for a
long time he appeared every day at the Surrey Zoological Gardens, under the
direction of the proprietor, my particular friend, Mr. W. Tyler. This place
subsequently became celebrated for its great music hall, in which Spurgeon, the
sensational preacher, first attained his notoriety. The place was always crowded,
and when the General had gone through with his performances on the little stage,
in order that all might see him, he was put into a balloon, which, secured by
ropes, was then passed around the ground, just above the people's heads. Some
forty men managed the ropes and prevented the balloon from rising ; but, ' one
day, a sudden gust of wind took the balloon fairly out of the hands of half the
men who had hold of the ropes, while others were lifted from the ground, and
had not an alarm been instantly given, which called at least two hundred to the
rescue, the little General would have been lost.
In October, 1844, I made my first return visit to the United States, leaving
General Tom Thumb in England, in the hands of an accomplished and faithful
agent. One of the principal reasons for my return at this time, was my anxiety
to renew the Museum building lease, although my first lease of five years had
still three years longer to run.
Having completed my business arrangements in New York, I returned to Eng-
land with my wife and daughters, and hired a house in London. My house was
the scene of constant hospitality, which I extended to my numerous friends in
return for the many attentions shown to me. It seemed then as if I had more and
stronger friends in London than in New York. I had met and had been introduced
to "almost everybody who was anybody," and among them all, some of the
best soon became to me much more than mere acquaintances.
Among the distinguished people whom I met, I was introduced to the poet-
banker, Samuel Rogers. I saw him at a dinner party at the residence of the
American Minister, the Honorable Edward Everett. As we were going in to
dinner, I stepped aside, so that Mr. Rogers who was tottering along leaning on
the arm of a friend, could go in before me, when Mr. Rogers said:
"Pass in, Mr. Barnum, pass in; I always consider it an honor to follow au
American."
When our three months' engagement at Egytian Hall had expired, I arranged
for a protracted provincial tour through Great Britain. I had made a flying
•digit to Scotland before we went to Paris — mainly to procure the beautiful Scotch
87
88 IN ENGLAND AGAIN.
costumes, daggers, etc., which \rere carefully made for the General at Edinburgh,
and to teach the General the Scotch dances, with a bit of the Scotch dialect,
which added so much to the interest of his exhibitions in Paris and elsewhere.
My second visit to Scotland, for the purpose of giving exhibitions, extended as
far as Aberdeen.
In England we went to Manchester, Birmingham, and to almost every city, town
and even village of importance. We traveled by post much of the time — that is, I
had a suitable carriage made for my party, and a van which conveyed the Gen-
eral's carriage, ponies, and such other "property" as was needed for our levees.
This mode of traveling was not only very comfortable and independent, but it
enabled us to visit many out of the way places, off from the great lines of travel,
and in such places we gave some of our most successful exhibitions. We also
used the railway lines freely, leaving our carriages at any station, and taking
them up again when we returned.
I remember once making an extraordinary effort to reach a branch-line station,
where I meant to leave my teams and take the rail for Rugby. I had a time-
table, and knew at what hour exactly I could hit the train; but unfortunately the
axle to my carriage broke, and, as an hour was lost in repairing it, I lost exactly
an hour in reaching the station. The train had long been gone, and I must be in
Rugby, where we had advertised a performance. I stormed around till I found
the superintendent, and told him "I must instantly have an extra train to
Rugby."
"Extra train?" said he, with surprise and a hall sneer, "extra train?" why
you can't have an extra train to Rugby for less than sixty pounds."
"Is that all?" I asked; "well, get up your train immediately and here are
your sixty pounds. What in the world are sixty pounds to me, when I wish to
go to Rugby, or elsewhere, in a hurry 1 "
The astonished superintendent took the money, bustled about, and the train
was soon ready. He was greatly puzzled to know what distinguished person —
he thought he must be dealing with some prince, or, at least, a duke — was willing
to give so much money to save a few hours of time, and he hesitatingly asked
whom he had the honor of serving.
"General Tom Thumb."
We reached Rugby in time to give our performance, as announced, and our
receipts were £160, which quite covered the expense of our extra train and left a
handsome margin for profit.
When we were in Oxford, a dozen or more of the students came to the conclu-
sion that, as the General was a little fellow, the admission fee to his entertainments
should be paid in the smallest kind of money. They accordingly provided them-
selves with farthings, and as each man entered, instead of handing in a shilling
for his ticket, he laid down forty-eight farthings. The counting of these small
coins was a great annoyance to Mr. Stratton, the General's father, who was
ticket-seller, and after counting two or three handfuls, vexed at the delay which
was preventing a crowd of ladies and gentlemen from buying tickets, Mr. Strat-
ton lost his temper and cried out:
"Blast your quarter-pennies! I am not going to count them! you chaps who
haven't bigger money can chuck your copper into my hat and walk in,"
Mr. Stratton was a genuine Yankee, and thoroughly conversant with the
Yankee vernacular, which he used freely. In exhibiting the General, I often
said to visitors, that Tom Thumb's parents, and the rest of the family, were
persons of the ordinary size, and that the gentleman who presided in the ticket-
PUT ME IN IRONS.
See page 93.
IN ENGLAND AGAIN.
office was the General's father. This made poor Stratton an object of no little
curiosity, and he was pestered with all sorts of questions; on one occasion an old
dowager said to him:
"Are you really the father of General Tom Thumb?"
" Wa'al," replied Stratton, " I have to support him! "
This evasive answer is common enough in New England, but the literal dowa-
ger had her doubts, and promptly rejoined:
" I rather think he supports youl "
It must not be supposed that during my protracted stay abroad I confined
myself wholly to business, or limited my circle of observation with a golden rim.
To bo sure, I ever had " an eye to business," but I had also two eyes for observa-
tion, and these were busily employed in leisure hours. I made the most of my
opportunities and saw, hurriedly, it is true, nearly everything worth seeing in
the various places which I visited. All Europe was a great curiosity shop to me,
and I willingly paid my money for the show.
While in London, my friend Albert Smith, a jolly companion, as well as a
witty and sensible author, promised that when I reached Birmingham he would
come and spend a day with me in "sight-seeing," including a visit to the house
in which Shakespeare was born.
Early one morning in the autumn of 1844, my friend Smith and myself took
the box-seat of an English mail-coach, and were soon whirling at the rate of
twelve miles an hour over the magnificent road leading from Birmingham to
Stratford. The distance is thirty miles. At a little village four miles from
Stratford, we found that the fame of the bard of Avon, had traveled thus far,
for we noticed a sign over a miserable barber's shop, " Shakespeare hair-dressing
— a good shave for a penny." In twenty minutes more we were set down at the
door of the Red Horse Hotel, in Stratford. The coachman and guard were each
paid half a crown as their perquisites.
While breakfast was preparing, we called for a guide-book to the town, and the
waiter brought in a book, saying that we should find in it the best description
extant of the birth and burial place of Shakespeare. I was not a little proud to find
this volume to be no other than the "Sketch-Book" of our illustrious country-
man, Washington Irving; and, in glancing over his humorous description of the
place, I discovered that he had stopped at the same hotel where we were then
awaiting breakfast.
After examining the Shakespeare House, as well as the tomb and the church in
which all that is mortal of the great poet rests, we ordered a post-chaise for
Warwick Castle. While the horses were harnessing, a stage-coach stopped at the
hotel, and two gentlemen alighted. One was a sedate, sensible-looking man; the
other an addle-headed fop. The former was mild and unassuming in his man-
ners; the latter was all talk, without sense or meaning — in fact, a regular Charles
Chatterbox. He evidently had a high opinion of himself, and was determined
that all within hearing should understand that he was — somebody. Presently the
sedate gentleman said:
"Edward, this is Stratford. Let us go and see the house where Shakespeare
was born."
"Who the devil is Shakespeare?" asked the sensible young gentleman.
Our post-chaise was at the door; we leaped into it, and were off, leaving the
" nice young man " to enjoy a visit to the birth-place of an individual of whom
he had never before heard. The distance to Warwick Is fourteen miles. We
went to the Castle, and, approaching the door of the Great Hall, were informed
90 US' ENGLAND AGAIN.
by a well-dressed porter that the Earl of Warwick and family were absent, and
that he was permitted to show the apartments to visitors. He introduced us suc-
cessively into "The Bed Drawing-Room," "The Cedar Drawing-Room," "The
Gilt Room," "The State Bed-Room" " Lady Warwick's Boudoir," "The Com-
pass Room," "The Chapel," and " The Great Dining-Room." As we passed out
of the Castle, the polite porter touched his head (he of course had no hat on it)
in a style which spoke plainer than words, " Half a crown each, if you please,
gentlemen." We responded to the call, and were then placed in charge of
another guide, who took us to the top of "Guy's Tower," at the bottom of which
he touched his hat a shilling's worth; and placing ourselves in charge of a third
conductor, an old man of seventy, we proceeded to the Greenhouse to see the
Warwick Vase — each guide announcing at the end of his short tour : ' ' Gentlemen, I
go no farther," and indicating that the bill for his services was to be paid. The
old gentleman mounted a rostrum at the side of the vase, and commenced a set
speech, which we began to fear was interminable; so, tossing him the usual fee,
we left him in the middle of his oration.
Passing through the porter's lodge on our way out, under the impression that
we had seen all that was interesting, the old porter informed us that the most
curious things connected with the Castle were to be seen in his lodge. Feeling
for our coin, we bade him produce his relics, and he showed us a lot of trumpery,
which he gravely informed us, belonged to that hero of antiquity, Guy, Earl of
Warwick. Among these were his sword, shield, helmet, breast-piate, walking-
staff, and tilting-pole, each of enormous size — the horse armor, neariy large
enough for an elephant, a large pot which would hold seventy gallons, called
"Guy's Porridge Pot," his flesh-fork, the size of a farmer's hay-fork, his lady's
stirrups, the rib of a mastodon, which the porter pretended belonged to the great
"Dun Cow," which, according to tradition, haunted a ditch near Coventry, and,
after doing injury to many persons, was slain by the valiant Guy. The sword
weighed nearly 100 pounds, and the armor 200 pounds.
I told the old porter he was entitled to great credit for having concentrated
more lies than I had ever before heard in so small a compass. He smiled, and
evidently felt gratified by the compliment.
" I suppose," I continued, " that you have told these marvelous stories so often
that you believe them yourself? "
"Almost!" replied the porter, with a grin of satisfaction that showed he was
" up to snuff," and had really earned two shillings.
" Come now, old fellow," said I, " what will you take for the entire lot of those
traps? I want them for my Museum in America."
" No money would buy these valuable historical mementoes of a by-gone age,"
replied the old porter, with a leer.
"Never mind," I exclaimed, 'Til have them duplicated for my Museum, so
that Americans can see them and avoid the necessity of coming here, and in that
way I'll burst up your show."
Albert Smith laughed immoderately at the astonishment of the porter when
1 made this threat, and I was greatly amused some years afterwards, when
Albert Smith became a successful showman and was exhibiting his ' ' Mont Blanc "
to delighted audiences in London, to discover that he had introduced this very
incident into bis lecture, of course, changing the names and locality. He often
confessed that he derived his very first idea of becoming a showman from my
talk about the business and my doings, on this charming day when we visited
Warwick.
IN ENGLAND AGAIN. 91
We returned to the hotel, took a post-chaise, and drove through decidedly the
most lovely country I ever beheld. Since taking that tour, I have heard that
two gentlemen once made a bet, each that he could name the most delightful drive
in England. Many persons were present, and each gentleman wrote on a separate
slip of paper the scene which he most admired. One gentleman wrote, "The
road from Warwick to Coventry;" the other had written, "The road from
Coventry to Warwick."
In less than an hour we were set down at the outer walls of Kenilworth Castle.
This once noble and magnificent castle is now a stupendous ruin, which has been
so often described that I think it unnecessary to say anything about it here. We
spent half an hour in examining the interesting ruins, and then proceeded by
post-chaise to Coventry, a distance of six or eight miles. Here we visited St.
Mary's Hall, which has attracted the notice of many antiquaries. We also took
our own "peep " at the effigy of the celebrated " Peeping Tom," after which we
visited an exhibition called the " Happy Family," consisting of about two hun-
dred birds and animals of opposite natures and propensities, all li ving in harmony
together in one cage. This exhibition was so remarkable that I bought it and
hired the proprietor to accompany it to New York, and it became an attractive
feature in my Museum.
We took the cars the same evening for Birmingham, where we arrived at ten
o'clock, Albert Smith remarking, that never before in his life had he accomplished
a day's journey on the Yankee go-ahead principle. He afterwards published a
chapter in Bentleifx M.,<juzine entitled " A Day with Bamum," in which he said
we accomplished business with such rapidity that, \vheu he attempted to write out
the accounts of the day, he found the whole thing so confused in his brain that he
came near locating "Peeping Tom" in the house of Shakespeare, while Guy of
Warwick would stick his head above the ruins of Kenilworth, and the Warwick
Vase appeared in Coventry.
CHAPTEE XV.
RETURN TO AMERICA.
WHILE I was at Aberdeen, in Scotland, I met Anderson, the " Wizard of the
North." I had known him for a long time, and we were on familiar terms. He
came to our exhibition, and, at the close, we went to the hotel together to get a
little supper. After supper we were having some fun and jokes together, when
it occurred to Anderson to introduce me to several persons who were sitting in
the room, as the " Wizard of the North," at the same time asking me about my
tricks and my forthcoming exhibition. He kept this up so persistently that some
of our friends who were present declared that Anderson was "too much for me,"
and, meanwhile, fresh introductions to strangers who came in, had made me
pretty generally known in that circle as the " Wizard of the North," who was to
astonish the town in the following week. I accepted the situation at last, and
said:
" Well, gentlemen, as I perform here for the first time, on Monday evening, 1
like to be liberal, and I should be very happy to give orders of admission to those
of you who will attend my exhibition."
The applications for orders were quite general, and I had written thirty or
forty, when Anderson, who saw that I was in a fair way of filling his house with
" deadheads," cried out:
"Hold on! I am the 'Wizard of the North.' Pll stand the orders already
given, but not another one."
Our friends, including the " Wizard " himself, began to think that I had rather
the best of the joke.
During our three years' stay abroad, I made a second hasty visit to America,
leaving the General in England in the hands of my agents. I took passage from
Liverpool on board a Cunard steamer, commanded by Captain Judkins. One of
my fellow passengers was the celebrated divine, Robert Baird, who had been for
some time a missionary in Sweden, and was now paying a visit to his native land.
On Sunday divine service was held as usual in the large after-cabin. Of course
it was the Episcopal form of worship.
Those who have witnessed this service, as conducted by Captain Judkins, need
not be reminded that he does it much as he performs his duties on deck. He
speaks as one having authority ; and a listener could hardly help f eeling that there
would be some danger of a "row" if the petitions (made as a sort of command)
were not speedily answered.
After dinner I asked Dr. Baird if he would be willing to preach to the passengers
in the forward cabin. He said he would cheerfully do so if it was desired. I
mentioned it to the passengers, and there was a generally expressed wish among
them that he should preach. I went into the forward cabin, and requested the
steward to arrange the chairs and tables properly for religious service. He
replied that I must first get the captain's consent. Of course, I thought this was
a mere matter of form; so I went to the captain's oflice, and said:
" Captain, the passengers desire to have Dr. Baird conduct a religious service in
the forward cabin. I suppose there is no objection."
92
RETURN TO AMERICA. 93
' Decidedly there is," replied the captain, gruffly; " and it will not be permitted."
' Why not? " I asked, in astonishment.
' It is against the rules of the ship."
' What! to have religious services on board?"
"There have been religious services once to-day, and that is enough. If the
passengers do not think that is good enough, let them go without," was the
captain's hasty and austere reply.
" Captain," I replied, " do you pretend to say you will not allow a respectable
and well-known clergyman to offer a prayer and hold religious services on board
your ship at the request of your passengers?"
" That, sir, is exactly what I say. So, now, let me hear no more about it."
By this time a dozen passengers were crowding around his door, and expressing f
their surprise at his conduct. I was indignant, and used sharp language.
" Well," said I, " this is the most contemptible thing I ever heard of on the part
of the owners of a public passenger ship. Their meanness ought to be published
far and wide."
"You had better 'shut up,' " said Captain Judkins, with great sternness.
"I will not 'shut up,' " I replied; "for this thing is perfectly outrageous. In
that out-of-the-way forward cabin, you allow, on week days, gambling, swearing,
smoking and singing, till late at night; and yet on Sunday you have the impu-
dence to deny the privilege of a prayer-meeting, conducted by a gray-haired and
respected minister of the gospel. It is simply infamous 1"
Captain Judkins turned red in the face; and, no doubt feeling that he was
"monarch of all he surveyed," exclaimed, in a loud voice:
" If you repeat such language, I will put you in irons." *
"Do it, if you dare," said I, feeling my indignation rising rapidly. "I dar«
and defy you to put your finger on me. I would like to sail into New York Har-
bor in handcuffs, on board a British ship, for the terrible crime of asking that
religious worship may be permitted on board. So you may try it as soon as you
please ; and, when we get to New York, I'll show you a touch of Yankee ideas
of religious intolerance."
The captain made no reply ; and, at the request of friends, I walked to another
part of the ship. I told the doctor how the matter stood, and then, laughingly,
said to him :
"Doctor, it may be dangerous for you to tell of this incident when you get on
shore ; for it would be a pretty strong draught upon the credulity of many of
my countrymen if they were told that my zeal to hear an Orthodox minister
preach was so great that it came near getting me into solitary confinement. But
I am not prejudiced, and I like fair play."
The old Doctor replied: "Well, you have not lost much; and, if the rules -of
this ship are so stringent, I suppose we must submit."
The captain and myself had no further intercourse for five or six days ; not
until a few hours before our arrival in New York. Being at dinner, he sent his
champagne bottle to me, and asked to "drink my health," at the same time stat-
ing that he noped no ill feeling would be carried ashore. I was not then, as I am
now, a teetotaler; so I accepted the proffered truce, and I regret that I must add
I "washed down" my wrath in a bottle of Heidsick — a poor example, which I
hope never to repeat. We have frequently met since, and always with friendly
greetings; but I have ever felt that his manners were unnecessarily coarse and
* See Illustration, page 88.
94 RETURN TO AMERICA.
offensive in carrying out an arbitrary and bigoted rule of the steamship company.
With the exception of the brief time passed in making two short visits to
America, I had now passed three years with General Tom Thumb in Great Britain
and on the Continent. The entire period had been a season of unbroken pleasure
and profit. 1 had immensely enlarged my business experiences and had made
money and many friends. Among those to whom I am indebted for special
courtesies while I was abroad are Dr. C. S. Brewster, whose prosperous profes-
sional career in Russia and France is well known, and Henry Sumner, Esq.,
who occupied a high position in the social and literary circles of Paris, and who
introduced me to George Sand and to many other distinguished persons. To both
these gentlemen, as well as to Mr. John Nimmo, an English gentleman connected
with Galignani's Messenger, Mr. Lorenzo Draper, the American Consul, and Mr.
Dion Boucicault, I was largely indebted for attention. In London, two gentle-
men especially merit my warm acknowledgments for many valuable favors. I
refer to the late Thomas Brettell, publisher, Haymarket; and Mr. R. Fillingham,
Jr., Fenchurch street. 1 was also indebted to Mr. G. P. Putnam, at that time a
London publisher, for much useful information.
We had visited nearly every city and town in France and Belgium, all the
principal places in England and Scotland, besides going to Belfast and Dublin, in
Ireland. I had several times met Daniel O'Connell in private life, and in the
Irish capital I heard him make an eloquent and powerful public Repeal speech
in Conciliation HalL In Dublin, after exhibiting a week in Rotunda Hall,
our receipts on the last day were £261, or $1,305, and the General also received
£50, or $250, for playing the same evening at the Theater Royal Thus closing a
truly triumphant tour, we set sail for New York, arriving in February, 1847
NOTE. — This Autobiography was originally written fifteen years ago (1869).
On now revising it in 18$4, 1 am forcibly struck with the brevity and uncertainty
of human life. Every person mentioned on this page, with the exception of Mr.
Boucicault, has passed away. My assistant museum manager, John Greenwood,
Jr. , became a consul to Brunswick, Germany, and died there about 1872. An-
other valuable assistant manager, Fordyce Hitchcock, died the present year.
General Tom Thumb died at Middleboro, Mass., July 15, 1883, aged 45>£ years.
His parents are also both deceased. Minnie Warren died July 23, 1878, aged 2V>
years. Commodore Nutt died May 25, 1881, aged 33 years.
CHAPTER XVI.
AT HOME.
ONE of my main objects in returning home at this time, was to obtain a longer
lease of the premises occupied by the American Museum. My lease had stiL
three years to run, but Mr. Olmsted, the proprietor of the building, was dead, and
I was anxious to make provision in time for the perpetuity of my establishment,
for I meant to make the Museum a permanent institution in the city, and if I could
not renew my lease, I intended to build an appropriate edifice op Broadway. I
finally succeeded, however, in getting the lease of the entire building, covering
fifty-six feet by one hundred, for twenty-five years, at an annual rent of $10,000
and the ordinary taxes and assessments. I had already hired in addition the
upper stories of three adjoining buildings. My Museum receipts were more in
one day, than they formerly were in an entire week, and the establishment had
become so popular that it was thronged at all hours, from early morning to
closing time at night.
On my return, I promptly made use of General Tom Thumb's European reputa-
tion. He immediately appeared in the American Museum, and for four weeks drew
such crowds of visitors as had never been seen there before. He afterwards spent
a month in Bridgeport, with his kindred. To prevent being annoyed by the curi-
ous, who would be sure to throng the houses of his relatives, he exhibited two
days at Bridgeport, and the receipts, amounting to several hundred dollars, were
presented to the Bridgeport Charitable Society.
On January 1, 1845, while in England, my engagement with the General at a
salary ceased, and we made a new arrangement by which we were equal partners,
the General, or his father for him, taking one-half of the profits. A reservation,
however, was made of the first four weeks after our arrival in New York, during
which he was to exhibit at my Museum for two hundred dollars. When we
returned to America, the General's father had acquired a handsome fortune, and
settling a large sum upon the little General personally, he placed the balance at
interest, secured by bond and mortgage, excepting thirty thousand dollars, with
which he purchased land near the city limits of Bridgeport, and erected a large
and substantial mansion, where he resided till the day of his death.
After spending a month in visiting his friends, it was determined that the
General and his parents should travel through the United States. I agreed to
accompany them, with occasional intervals of rest at home, for one year, sharing
the profits equally. We proceeded to Washington city, where the General held
his levees in April, 1847, visiting President Polk and lady at the White House —
thence to Richmond, returning to Baltimore and Philadelphia. Our receipts in
Philadelphia in twelve days were $5,594.91. The tour for the entire year realized
about the same average. The expenses were from twenty-five dollars to thirty
dollars per day. From Philadelphia we went to Boston, Lowell, and Providence.
Our receipts on one day in the latter city were $976.97. We then visited New
Bedford, Fall River, Salem, Worcester, Springfield, Albany, Troy, Niagara
Falls, Buffalo, and intermediate places, and in returning to New York we stopped
95
96 A.T HOME.
at the principal towns on the Hudson River. After this we visited New Haven,
Hartford, Portland, Me., and intermediate towns.
I was surprised to find that, during my long absence abroad, I had become very
much of a curiosity to my patrons. If I showed myself about the Museum 01
wherever else I was known, 1 found eyes peering and fingers pointing at me, and
could frequently overhear the remark, "There's Barnum." On one occasion soon
after my return, I was sitting in the ticket-office reading a newspaper. A man
came and purchased a ticket of admission. " Is Mr. Barnum in the Museum »'*
he asked. The ticket-seller, pointing to me, answered, "This is Mr. Barnum "
Supposing the gentleman had business with me, I looked up from the paper. '• Is
this Mr. Barnum ?" he asked. " It is," I replied. He stared at me for a moment,
and then, throwing down his ticket, exclaimed, "It's all right; I have got the
worth of my money;" and away he went, without going into the Museum at all:
In November, 1847, we started for Havana taking the steamer from New York
to Charleston, where the General exhibited, as well as at Columbia, Augusta,
Savannah, Milledgeville, Macon, Columbus, Montgomery, Mobile and New Or-
leans. At this latter city we remained three weeks, including Christmas and
New Year's. We arrived in Havana by the schooner Adams Gray, in January,
1848, and were introduced to the Captain-General and the Spanish nobility. We
remained a month in Havana and Ma.tan7.as, the General proving an immense
favorite. In Havana he was the especial pet of Count Santovania. In Matanzas
we were very much indebted to the kindness of a princely American merchant,
Mr. Brinckerhoff. Mr. J. S. Thrasher, the American patriot and gentleman, was
also of great assistance to us, and placed me under deep obligations.
The hotels in Havana are not good. An American who is accustomed to
substantial living finds it difficult to get enough to eat. We stopped at the
Washington House, which at that time was "first-rate bad."
From Havana we went to New Orleans, where we remained several days, and
from New Orleans we proceeded to St. Louis, stopping at the principal towns on
the Mississippi river, and returning via Louisville, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.
We reached the latter city early in May, 1848. From this point it was agreed
between Mr. Stratton and myself, that I should go home and henceforth travel
no more with the little General. I had competent agents who could exhibit him
without my personal assistance, and I preferred to relinquish a portion of the
profits, rather than continue to be a traveling showman. I had now been a
straggler from home most of the time for thirteen years, and I cannot describe
the feelings of gratitude with which I reflected, that having by the most arduous
toil and deprivations succeeded in securing a satisfactory competence, I should
henceforth spend my days in the bosom of my family.
My new home, at Bridgeport, Connecticut, which was then nearly ready for
occupancy, was the well-known Iranistan. More than two years had been
employed in building this beautiful residence.
I wished to reside within a few hours of New York. I had never seen more
delightful locations than there are upon the borders of Long Island Sound,
between New Rochelle, New York, and New Haven, Connecticut ; and my atten-
tion was therefore turned in that direction. Bridgeport seemed to be about the
proper distance from the great metropolis. It is pleasantly situated at the ter-
minus of two railroads, which traverse the fertile valleys of the Naugatuck and
Housatonic rivers. The New York and New Haven Railroad runs through the
city, and there is also daily steamboat communication with New York. The
enterprise which characterized the city, seemed to mark it as destined to become
AT HOME. 9?
the first in the State in size and opulence ; and I was not long in deciding, with
the concurrence of my wife, to fix our future residence in that vicinity.
I accordingly purchased seventeen acres of land, less than a mile west of the
city, and fronting with a good view upon the Sound.
In visiting Brighton, in England, I had been greatly pleased with the Pavilion
erected by George IV. It was the only specimen of Oriental architecture in
England, and the style had not been introduced into America, I concluded to
adopt it, and engaged a London architect to furnish me a set of dra wings after
the general plan of the Pavilion, differing sufficiently to be adapted to the spot
of ground selected for my homestead. On my second return visit to the United
States, I brought these drawings with me and engaged a competent architect and
builder, giving him instructions to proceed with the work, not " by the job " but
"by the day," and to spare neither tune nor expense in erecting a comfortable,
convenient, and tasteful residence. The work was thus begun and continued
while I was still abroad, and during the time when I was making my tour with
General Tom Thumb through the United States and Cuba. Elegant and appro-
priate furniture was made expressly for every room in the house. I erected
expensive water works to supply the premises. The stables, conservatories and
out-buildings were perfect in their kind. There was a profusion of trees set out
on the grounds. The whole was built and established literally "regardless of
expense," for I had no desire even to ascertain the entire cost.
The whole was finally completed to my satisfaction. My family removed into
the premises and, on the foui-teenth of November, 1848, nearly one thousand
invited guests, including the poor and the rich, helped us in the old-fashioned
custom of "house-warming."
When the name " Iranistan " was announced, a waggish New York editor sylla-
bled it, I-ran-i-stan, and gave as the interpretation, that " I ran a long time before
I could stan' ! " Literally, however, the name signifies, "Eastern Country Place,"
or, more poetically, " Oriental Villa." *
The years 1848 and 1849 were mainly spent with my family, though I went
every week to New York to look after the interests of the American Museum.
While I was in Europe, in 1845, my agent, Mr. Fordyce Hitchcock, had bought
out for me the Baltimore Museum, a fully-supplied establishment, in full opera-
tion, and I placed it under the charge of my uncle, Alanson Taylor. He died in
1846, and I then sold the Baltimore Museum to the " Orphean Family," by whom
it was subsequently transferred to Mr. John E. Owens, the celebrated comedian.
After my return from Europe, I opened, in 1849, a Museum in Dr. Swain's fine
building, at the corner of Chestnut and Seventh streets, in Philadelphia.
I stayed in Philadelphia long enough to identify myself with this Museum and
to successfully start the enterprise, and then left it in the hands of different mana-
gers who profitably conducted it till 1851, when, finding that it occupied too much
of my time and attention, I sold it to Mr. Clapp Spooner for $40,000. At the
end of that year, the building and contents were destroyed by fire.
While my Philadelphia Museum was in full operation, Peale's Philadelphia
Museum ran me a strong opposition at the Masonic Hall. Peale's enterprise proved
disastrous, and I purchased the collection at sheriff 's sale, for five or six thousand
dollars, on joint account of my friend Moses Kimball and myself. The curiosi-t
ties were equally divided, one-half going to his Boston Mr.soinn and the other
half to my American Museum in New York.
* See Illustration, opposite.
98 AT HOME.
Ill 1848 1 was elected President of the Fail-field County Agricultural Society in
Connecticut Although not practically a farmer, I had purchased about one
hundred acres of land in the vicinity of my residence and felt and still feel a
deep interest in the cause of agriculture. I had begun by importing some blood
stock for Iranistan, and, as I was at one time attacked by the "hen fever, " J
erected several splendid poultry-houses on my grounds.
In 1849 it was determined by the Society that 1 should deliver the annual address.
I begged to be excused on the ground of incompetency, but my excuses were of
no avail, and, as I could not instruct my auditors in farming, I gave them the
benefit of several mistakes which I had committed. Among other things, I told
them that in the fall of 1848 my head-gardener reported that I had fifty bushels
of potatoes to spare. I thereupon directed him to barrel them up and ship them
to New York for sale. He did so, and received two dollars per barrel, or about
sixty-seven cents per busheL But, unfortunately, after the potatoes had been
shipped, I found that my gardener had selected all the largest for market, and
left my family nothing but " small potatoes " to live on during the winter. But
the worst is still to come. My potatoes were all gone before March, and I was
obliged to buy, during the spring, over fifty bushels of potatoes, at $1.25 per
bushel! I also related my first experiment in the arboricultural line, when I cut
from two thrifty rows of young cherry-trees any quantity of what I supposed to
be "suckers," or "sprouts," and was thereafter informed by my gardener that I
had cut off all his grafts!
A friend of mine, Mr. James D. Johnson, lived in a fine house a quarter of a
mile west of Iranistan, and, as I owned several acres of land at the corner of two
streets, directly adjoining his homestead, I surrounded the ground with high
pickets, and, introducing a number of Rocky Mountain elk, reindeer, and Ameri-
can deer, I converted it into a deer park. Strangers passing by would naturally
suppose that it belonged to Johnson's estate, and to render the illusion more
complete, his son-in-law, Mr. S. H. Wales, of the Scientific American, placed a
sign in the park, fronting on the street, and reading:
" ALL PERSONS ABE FORBID TRESPASSING ON THESE GROUNDS, OR DISTURBING
THE DEER. J. D. JOHNSON."
I " acknowledged the corn," and was much pleased with the joke. Johnson
was delighted, and bragged considerably of having got ahead of Barnum, and
the sign remained undisturbed for several days. It happened at length that a
party of friends came to visit him from New York, arriving in the evening.
Johnson told them he had got a capital joke on Barnum; he would not explain,
but said they should see it for themselves the next morning. Bright and early
he led them into the street, and, after conducting them a proper distance,
wheeled them around in front of the sign. To his dismay he discovered that I
had added directly under his name the words " Game-keeper to P. T. Barnum."
Thereafter, Mr. Johnson was known among his friends and acquaintances as
"Barnum's game-keeper." Sometime afterwards, when I was President of the
Pequonnock Bank, it was my custom every year to give a grand dinner at Iran-
istan, to the directors, and in making preparations I used to send to certain
friends in the West for prairie chickens and other game. On one occasion, a
large box, marked "P. T. Barnum, Bridgeport; Game," was lying in the express
office, when Johnson, seeing it and espying the word "game," said:
" Look here! 1 am ' Barnum's game-keeper,' and I'll take charge of this box."
AT HOME. 99
And "take charge" of it he did, carrying it home and notifying me that it
was in his possession, and that, as he was my game-keeper, he would "keep"
this, unless I sent him an order for a new hat. He knew very well, that I would
give fifty dollars rather than be deprived of the box, and as he also threatened to
give a game dinner at his own house, I speedily sent the order for the hat,
acknowledged the good joke, and my own guests enjoyed the double "game."
During the year 1848, Mr. Frank Leslie, since so widely known as the publisher
of several illustrated journals, came to me with letters of introduction from
London, and I employed him to get up for me an illustrated catalogue of my
Museum. This he did in a splendid manner, and hundreds of thousands of
copies were sold and distributed far and near, thus adding greatly to the renown
of the establishment.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE JENXT LIND ENTERPRISE.
AND now I come to speak of an undertaking which all will admit was bol«i
in its conception, complete in its development, and astounding in its success.
That I am proud of it, I freely confess. It placed me before the world in a new
light; it gained me many warm friends in new circles; it was in itself a fortune
to me — I risked much, but I made more.
It was in October, 1849, that I conceived the idea of bringing Jenny Lind to
this country. I had never heard her sing, inasmuch as she arrived in London a
few weeks after I left that city with General Tom Thumb. Her reputation,
however, was sufficient for me.
I found in Mr. John Hall Wilton, an Englishman who had visited this country
with the Sax-Horn Players, the best man whom I knew for that purpose. A
few minutes sufficed to make the arrangement with him, by which I was to pay
but little more than his expenses if he failed in his mission, but by which, also, he
was to be paid a large sum if he succeeded in bringing Jenny Lind to our shores
on any terms within a liberal schedule which I set forth to him in writing.
The sum of all my instructions, public and private, to Wilton, amounted to
this: He was to engage her on shares, if possible. I, however, authorized him to
engage her at any rate, not exceeding one thousand dollars a night, for any
number of nights up to one hundred and fifty, with all her expenses, including
servants, carriages, secretary, etc., besides also engaging such musical assistants,
not exceeding three in number, as she should select, let the terms be what they
might. If necessary, I should place the entire amount of money named in the
engagement, in the hands of London bankers before she sailed. Wilton's com-
pensation was arranged on a kind of sliding scale, to be governed by the terms
which he made for me. He proceeded to London, and opened a correspondence
with Miss Lind, who was then on the Continent. He learned from the tenor of
her letters, that if she could be induced to visit America at all, she must be
accompanied by * Mr. Julius Benedict, the accomplished composer, pianist, and
musical director, and also she was impressed with the belief that Signer Belletti,
the fine baritone, would be of essential service. Wilton, therefore, at once called
upon Mr. Benedict and also Signor Belletti, who were both then in London, and in
numerous interviews, was enabled to leam the terms on which they would con-
sent to engage to visit this country with Miss Lind. Having obtained the
information desired, he proceeded to Lubeck, in Germany, to seek an interview
with Miss Lind herself.
In the course of the fii'st conversation, she frankly told him that during the
time occupied by their correspondence, she had written to friends in London,
including my friend Mr. Joshua Bates, of the house of Baring Brothers, and had
informed herself respecting my character, capacity, and responsibility, which
she assured him were quite satisfactory. She informed him, however, that at
that time there were four persons anxious to negotiate with her for an American
* ICow Sir Julius.
THE JENNY LIND ENTERPRISE. 101
tour. One of these gentlemen was a well-known opera manager in London;
another, a theatrical manager in Manchester; a third, a musical composer and
conductor of the orchestra of Her Majesty's Opera in London; and the fourth,
Chevalier Wyckoff, a person who had conducted a successful speculation some
years previously, by visiting America in charge of the celebrated danseuse,
Fanny Elisler.
Several interviews ensued, during which she learned from Wilton that he had
settled with Messrs. Benedict and Belletti, in regard to the amount of their
salaries, provided the engagement was concluded, and in the course of a week,
Mr. Wilton and Miss Lind had arranged the terms and conditions on which she
was ready to conclude the negotiations. As these terms were within the limits
fixed in my private letter of instructions, the following agreement was duly
drawn in triplicate, and signed by herself and Wilton^ at Lubeck, January 9,
1850; and the signatures of Messrs. Benedict and BellettT were affixed in London
a few days afterwards:
MEMORANDUM of an agreement entered into this ninth day of January, in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty, between John Hall Wiltou, as ag«nt for PIIIN-
EAS T. I^AHNUM, o( New York, in the United States of North America, of the one part, and
Mademoiselle JENNY LIND, Vocalist, of Stockholm, in Sweden, of the other part wherein
the said Jenny Lind doth agree:
First. To sing for the said Phineas T. Barnum in one hundred and fifty concert?, inclui-
ing oratorios, within (if possible; one year or eighteen months from the date of hc< rrival
in the city of New York — the said concerts to be given in the United States ci North
America and Havana. She, the said Jenny Lind, having fall control as to the number of
nights or concerts in each week, and the number of pieces in which she will sing in eacJ1
concert, to be regulated conditionally with her health and safety of voice, but the forme/
never less than one or two, nor the latter less than four; but hi no case to appear ii
operas.
Second. In consideration of said services, the said John Hall Wilton, as agent 'or the
said Phineas T. Barnum, of New York, agrees to furnish the said Jenny Lind wrL» a ser-
vant as waiting-maid, and a male servant to and for the sole service of her and her party;
to pay the traveling and hotel expenses of a friend to accompany her as a companion; to
pay also a secretary to superintend her finances; to pay all her and her party's traveling
expenses from Europe, iwd during the tour in the United States of North America and
Havana ; to pay all hotel expenses for board and lodging during the same period ; to place
at her disposal in each city, a carriage and horses with their necessary attendants, and to
give her in addition, the sum o.f two hundred pounds sterling, or one thousand dollars, for
each concert or oratorio in which the said Jenny Lind shall sing.
Third. And the saiJ John Hall Wilton, as agent for the said Phineas T. Barnum, doth
further agree to give the said Jenny Lind the most satisfactory security and assurance for
the full amount of her engagement, which will be placed in the hands of Messrs. Baring
Brothers, of London, previous to the departure, and subject to the order of the said Jenny
Lind, with its interest due on its current reduction, by her services in the concerts or
oratorios.
Fourth. And the said John Hall Wilton, on the part ol the said Phineas T. Barnum,
further agrees, that should the said Phineas T. Barnum, after seventy-live concerts, have
realized so much as shall, after paying all current expenses, have returned to him all the
sums disbursed, either as deposits at interest, for securities of salaries, preliminary outlay,
or moneys in any way expended consequent on this engagement, and in addition, have
§ lined a clear profit of at least fifteen thousand pounds sterling, then the said Phineas T.
arnuni will give the said Jenny Lind, in addition to the former sum of one thousand dol-
lars current money of the United States of North America, nightly, one-fifth part of the
profits arising from the remaining seventy-five concerts or oratorios, after deducting every
expense current :md appertaining thereto; or the said Jenny Lind agrees to try, with the
said Phineas T. Baruum, fifty concerts or oratorios on the aforesaid and first-named terms,
and if then found to fall short of the expectations of the said Phineas T. Barnum, then the
said Jenny Lind agrees to re-organize this agreement, on terms quoted in his first proposal,
as set forth in the annexed copy of his letter ; but should such be found unnecessary, then
the engagement continues up to seventy-five concerts or oratorios, at the end of which,
should the aforesaid profit of fifteen thousand pounds sterling have not been realized, then
the engagement shall continue as at first— the sums herein, after expenses for Julius Bene-
dict and Giovanni Belletti, to remain unaltered, except for advancement.
Fifth. And the said John Hall Wilton, agent for the said Phineas T. Barnum, at the
request of the said Jenny Lind, .agrees to pay to Julius Benedict, of London, to accompany
the said Jenny Lind as musical director, pianist, and superintendent of the HI u>.ical depart-
103 THE JENNY LIND ENTERPRISE.
ment, also to assist the said Jenny Lind in one hundred and fifty concerts or oratorios, to
be given in the United States of North America and Havana, the sum of five thousand
pounds (£5,000) sterling, to be satisfactorily secured to him with Messrs. Baring Brothers.
of London, previous to his departure from Europe; and the Baid John Hall Wilton agrees
further, for the said Phiueas T. Barnum to pay all his traveling expenses from Europe,
together with his hotel and traveling expenses during the time occupied in giving the afore-
said one hundred and fifty concerts or oratorios— he, the said Julius Benedict to superin-
tend the organization of oratorios, if required.
Sixth. And the said John. Hall Wilton, at the request, selection, and for the aid of the
said Jenny Lind, agrees to pay to Giovanni Belletti, baritone vocalist, to accompany the
said Jenny Lind during her tour and in one hundred and fifty concerts or oratorios in the
United States of North America and Havana, and in conjunction with the aforesaid Julius
Benedict, the sum of two thousand five hundred pounds (£2,500) sterline, to be satisfac-
torily secured to him previous to his departure from Europe, in addition to all his hotel and
traveling expenses.
Seventh. And it is further agreed that the said Jenny Lind shall be at full liberty to sing
at any time she may think fit tor charitable institutions, or purposes independent of the
engagement with the said Phineas T. Barnum, she, the said Jenny Lind, consulting with
the said Phineas T. Barnum with a view to mutually agreeing as to the time and its pro-
priety, it being understood that in no case shall the first or second concert in any city
selected for the tour be for such purpose, or wherever it shall appear against the interests
of the said Phineas T. Barnum.
Eighth. It is further agreed that should the said Jenny Lind by any act of God, be
Incapacitated to fulfil the entire engagement before mentioned, that an equal proportion ol
the terms agreed upon shall be given to the said Jenny Lind, Julius Benedict, and Giovanni
Belletti, for services rendered to that time.
Ninth. It is further agreed and understood, that the said Phineas T. Barnum shall pay
every expense appertaining to the concerts or oratorios before mentioned, excepting those
for charitable purposes, and that all accounts shall be settled and rendered by all parties
weekly.
Tenth. And the said Jenny Lind furthers agrees that she will not engage to Ring for
any other person during the progress of this said engagement with the said Phineas T.
Barnum, of New York, for one hundred and fifty concerts or oratorios, excepting for
charitable purposes as before mentioned ; and all traveling to be first and best class.
In witness hereof to the within written memorandum of agreement we set hereunto om
hand and seal.
IL. s.
L.S.
I.. 8.
L.8.
JOHN HALL WILTON, Agent for Phineas T. Barnum, of New York. U. 8.
JENNY LIND.
JULIUS BENEDICT.
GIOVANNI BELLETTI.
In the presence of C. ACHILLINQ, Consul of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway.
extract from a Utter addressed to John Hall WiUan by PHINEAS T. BARNUM, and referred
to in paragraph. No 4 of the annexed agreement:
NEW YORK, November fr, 1849.
MB. J. HALL WILTON :
Sir: In reply to your proposal to attempt a negotiation with Mile. Jenny Lind to visit
tb« United States professionally, I propose to enter into an arrangement with her to the
following effect : I will engage to pay all her expenses from Europe, provide for and pay for
Ou« principal tenor, and one pianist, their salaries not exceeding together, one hundred aud
flfly dollars per night ; to support for her a carriage, two servants, and a friend to accom-
pany her and superintend her finances. I will furthermore pay all and every expense apper-
taining to her appearance before the public, and give her half of the gross receipts arising
from concerts or operas. I -will engage to travel with her personally, and attend to the
arrangements, provided she will undertake to give not less than eighty, nor more than one
hundred and fifty concerts, or nights' performances.
PHINEAS T. BARNUM.
I certify the above to be a true extract from the letter. J. H. WILTON.
I was at my Museum in Philadelphia when Wilton arrived in New York, Feb-
ruary 19. 1850. He immediately telegraphed to me, in the cipher we had agreed
upon, taat he had signed an engagement with Jenny Land, by which she was to
commence her concerts in America in the following September. I was somewhat
startled by this sudden announcement; and feeling that the time to elapse before
her arrival was so long that it would be policy to keep the engagement private
for a rew months, I immediately telegraphed him not to mention it to any
person, and that I would meet him the next day in New York.
THE JENNY LIND ENTERPRISE. 103
When we reflect how thoroughly Jenny Lind, her musical powers, her char-
acter, and wonderful successes, were subsequently known by all classes in thi«
country as well as throughout the civilized world, it is difficult to realize that, at
the time this engagement was made, she was comparatively unknown on this side
the water. We can hardly credit the fact, that millions of persons in America
had never heard of her, that other millions had merely read her name, but had
no distinct idea of who or what she was. Only a small portion of the public were
really aware of her great musical triumphs in the Old World, and this portion
was confined almost entirely to musical people, travelers who had visited the
Old World, and the conductors of the press.
The next morning I started for New York. On arriving at Princeton we met
the New York cars, and, purchasing the morning papers, I was surprised to find
in them a full account of my engagement with Jenny Lind. This premature
announcement could not be recalled, and I put the best face on the matter.
Anxious to learn how this communication would strike the public mind, I
informed the conductor, whom I well knew, that I had made an engagement with
Jenny Lind, and that she would surely visit this country in the following August.
" Jenny Lind! Is she a dancer ?" asked the conductor.
I informed him who and what she was, but his question had chilled me as if his
words were ice. Really, thought I, if this is all that a man in the capacity of a
railroad conductor between Philadelphia and New York knows of the greatest
songstress in the world, I am not sure that six months will be too long a time for
me to occupy in enlightening the public in regard to her merits.
I had an interview with Wilton, and learned from him that, in accordance
with the agreement, it would be requisite for me to place the entire amount stipu
lated, $187,500, in the hands of the London bankers. I at once resolved to ratify
the agreement, and immediately sent the necessary documents to Miss Lind and
Messrs. Benedict and BellettL
I then began to prepare the public mind, through the newspapers, for th.>
reception of the great songstress. How effectually this was done, is still within
the remembrance of the American public. As a sample of the manner in which
I accomplished my purpose, I present the following extract from my first letter,
which appeared in the New York papers of February 23, 1850:
"Perhaps I may not make any money by this enterprise; but I assure you that
if I knew I should not make a farthing profit, I would ratify the engagement, so
anxious am I that the United States should be visited by a lady whose vocal
powers have never been approached by any other human being, and whose
character is charity, simplicity, and goodness personified.
" Miss Lind has great anxiety to visit America. She speaks of this country
and its institutions in the highest terms of praise. In her engagement with me
(which includes Havana), she expressly reserves the right to give charitable con-
certs whenever she thinks proper.
" Since her debut in England, she has given to the poor from her own private
purse more than the whole amount which I have engaged to pay her, and the
proceeds of concerts for charitable purposes in Great Britain, where she has sung
gratuitously, have realized more than ten times that amount."
After getting together all my available funds for the purpose of transmitting
them to London in the shape of United States bonds, I found a considerable sum
still lacking to make up the amount. I had some second mortgages which were
perfectly good, but I could not negotiate them hi Wall street. Nothing would
answer there short of first mortgages on New York or Brooklyn city property.
104 THE JENNY L1ND ENTERPRISE.
1 went to the president of the bank where I had done all my business for eight,
years. I offered him, as security for a loan, my second mortgages, and as an
additional inducement, I proposed to make over to him my contract with Jenny
Liiid, with a written guaranty that he should appoint a receiver, who, at my
expense, should take charge of all the receipts over and above three thousand
dollars per night, and appropriate them towards the payment of my loan. He
laughed in my face, and said: " Mr. Barnum, it is generally believed in Wall
street, that your engagement with Jenny Liud will ruin you. I do not think
you will ever receive so much as three thousand dollars at a single concert." I
was indignant at his want of appreciation, and answered him that I would not at
that moment take $150,000 for my contract; nor would I. I found, upon further
inquiry, that it was useless in Wall street to offer the " Nightingale " in exchange
for Goldfinches. I finally was introdured to Mr. John L. Aspinwall, of the firm
of Messrs. Howland & Aspinwall, and he gave me a letter of credit from his
firm on Baring Brothers, for a large sum on collateral securities, which a spirit
of genuine respect for my enterprise induced him to accept.
After disposing of several pieces of property for cash, I footed up the various
amounts, and still discovered myself five thousand dollars short. I felt that it
was indeed " the last feather that breaks the camel's back." Happening casually
to state my desperate case to the Rev. Abel C. Thomas, of Philadelphia, for many
years a friend of mine, he promptly placed the requisite amount at my disposal
I gladly accepted Ms proffered friendship, and felt that he had removed a moun-
tain-weight from my shoulders.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE NIGHTINGALE IN NEW YORK.
ON Wednesday morning, August 21, 1S50, Jenny Lind and Messrs. Benedict
and Belletti, set sail from Liverpool in the steamship Atlantic, in which I had
long before engaged the necessary accommodations, and on board of which I had
shipped a piano for their use. They were accompanied by my agent, Mr. Wilton,
and also by Miss Ahmansen and Mr. Max Hjortzberg, cousins of Miss Lind, tht>
latter being her secretary; also by her two servants, and the valet of Messra.
Benedict and Belletti.
It was expected that the steamer would arrive on Sunday, September 1. but;
determined to meet the songstress on her arrival whenever it might be, I \vt-nt to
Staten Island on Saturday, and slept at the hospitable residence of my friend.
Dr. A. Sidney Doane, who was at that time the Health Officer of the Port of
New York. A few minutes before twelve o'clock, on Sunday morning, tht.
Atlantic hove in sight, and immediately afterwards, through the kindness of my
friend Doane, I was on board the ship, and had taken Jenny Lind by the hand.
After a few moments' conversation, she asked me when and where I had heard
her sing.
" I never had the pleasure of seeing you before hi my life," I replied.
"How is it poasible that you dared risk so much money on a person whom you
never heard sing ?" she asked in surprise.
" I risked it on your reputation, which in musical matters I woi ' ~»>nch rathw
trust than my own judgment," I replied.
I may as well state, that although I relied prominently upon Jenny Lind's
reputation as a great musical artiste, I also took largely into my estimate of her
success with all classes of the American pubh'c, her character for extraordinary
benevolence and generosity. Without this peculiarity in her disposition, I never
would have dared make the engagement which I did, as I felt sure that there
were multitudes of individuals in America who would be prompted to attend her
concerts by this feeling alone.
Thousands of persons covered the shipping and piers, and other thousands had
congregated on the wharf at Canal street, to see her. The wildest enthusiasm
prevailed as the steamer approached the dock. So great was the rush on a sloop
near the steamer's berth, that one man, in his zeal to obtain a good view, acci-
dentally tumbled overboard, amid the shouts of those near him, Miss Lind
witnessed this incident, and was much alarmed. He was, however, soon rescued,
after taking to himself a cold duck instead of securing a view of the Nightingale.
A bower of green trees, decorated with beautiful flags, was discovered on the
wharf, together with two triumphal arches, on one of which was inscribed,
" Welcome, Jenny Lind ! " * The second was surmounted by the American eagle,
and bore the inscription, "Welcome to America!" These decorations were not
produced by magic, and I do not know that I can reasonably find fault with those
* See Illustration, opposite.
105
106 THE NIGHTINGALE IN NEW YORK.
who suspected I had a hand in their erection. My private carriage was In wait-
ing, and Jenny Lind was escorted to it by Captain West. The rest of the musical
party entered the carriage, and, mounting the box at the driver's side, I directed
him to the Irving House. I took that seat as a legitimate advertisement, and my
presence on the outside of the carriage aided those who filled the windows and
sidewalks along the whole route, in coming to the conclusion that Jenny Lind
had arrived,
A reference to the journals of that day will show that never before had there
been such enthusiasm in the city of New York, or indeed hi America. Within
ten minutes after our arrival at the Irving House, not less than twenty thousand
persons had congregated around the entrance in Broadway, nor was the number
diminished before nine o'clock in the evening. At her request, I dined with her
that afternoon, and when, according to European custom, she prepared to pledge
me in a glass of wine, she was somewhat surprised at my saying, "Miss Lind, I
do not think you can ask any other favor on earth which I would not gladly
grant; but I am a teetotaler, and must beg to be permitted to drink your health
•Mid happiness in a glass of cold water."
At twelve o'clock that night, she was serenaded by the New York Musical Fund
Society, numbering, on that occasion, two hundred musicians. They were
escorted to the Irving House by about three hundred firemen, in their red shirts,
bearing torches. There was a far greater throng in the streets than there was
even during the day. The calls for Jenny Lind were so vehement that I led her
through a window to the balcony. The loud cheers from the crowds lasted for
several minutes, before the serenade was permitted to proceed again.
I have given the merest sketch of but a portion of the incidents of Jenny Land's
first day in America. For weeks afterwards the excitement was unabated. Her
rooms were thronged by visitors, including the magnates of the land in both
Church and State. The carriages of the wealthiest citizens could be seen in front
of her hotel, at nearly all hours of the day, and it was with some difficulty that I
prevented the "fashionables" from monopolizing her altogether, and thus, as I
believed, sadly marring my interests by cutting her off from the warm sympa-
thies she had awakened among the masses. Presents of all sorts were showered
upon her. Milliners, mantua-makers, and shopkeepers vied with each other in
calling her attention to their wares, of which they sent her many valuable speci-
mens, delighted if, in return, they could receive her autograph acknowledgment.
Songs, quadrilles and polkas were dedicated to her, and poets sung in her praise.
We had Jenny Lind gloves, Jenny Lind bonnets, Jenny Lind riding hats, Jenny
Lind shawls, mantillas, robes, chairs, sofas, pianos — in fact, everything was
Jenny Lind. Her movements were constantly watched, and the moment her
carriage appeared at the door, it was surrounded by multitudes, eager to catch a
glimpse of the Swedish Nightingale.
In looking over my "scrap-books" of extracts from the New York papers of
that day, in which all accessible details concerning her were duly chronicled, it
seems almost incredible that such a degree of enthusiasm should have existed.
An abstract of the "sayings and doings " in regard to the Jenny Lind mania for the
first ten days after her arrival, appeared in the London Times of Sept. 23, 1850,
and, although it was an ironical "showing up" of the American enthusiasm,
filling several columns, it was nevertheless a faithful condensation of facts which
at this late day seem, even to myself, more like a dream than reality.
Before her arrival I had offered $200 for a prize ode, " Greeting to America,"
to be sung by Jenny Lind at her first concert. Several hundred "poems" were
THE NIGHTINGALE IN NEW YORK. 10?
sent in from all parts of the United States and the Canadas. The duties of the
Prize Committee, in reading these effusions and making choice of the one most
worthy the prize, were truly arduous. The "offerings," with perhaps a dozen
exceptions, were the merest doggerel trash. The prize was awarded to Bayard
Taylor for the following ode:
GREETING TO AMERICA.
WOHD8 BY BAYARD TAYLOB — MUSIC BY JULIUS BENEDICT.
I GREET with a full heart the Land of the West,
Whose Banner of Stars o'er a world is unrolled ;
Whose empire o'ershadows Atlantic's wide breast,
And opens to sunset its gateway of gold 1
The land of the mountain, the land of the lake,
And rivers that roll in magnificent tide —
Where the souls of the mighty from slumber awake,
And hallow the soil for whose freedom they died !
Thou Cradle of empire 1 though wide be the foam
That severs the land of my fathers and thee,
I hear, from thy bosom, the welcome of home.
For song has a home in the hearts of the Free I
And long as thy waters shall gleam in the sun,
And long as thy heroes remember their scars,
Be the hands of thy children united as one,
And Peace shed her light 011 thy Banner of Stars I
This award, although it gave general satisfaction, yet was met with disfavor
by several disappointed poets, who, notwithstanding the decision of the com-
mittee, persisted in believing and declaring their own productions to be the best.
This state of feeling was doubtless, in part, the cause which led to the publication,
about this time, of a witty pamphlet entitled "Barnum's Parnassus; being Cou
fidential Disclosures of the Prize Committee on the Jenny Land song."
It gave some capital hits in which the committee, the enthusiastic public, the
Nightingale, and myself, were roundly ridiculed. The following is a fair speci-
men from the work in question:
BARNUMOPSIS.
A. RECITATIVE.
WHEN to the common rest that crowns his days.
Dusty and worn the tired pedestrian goes,
What light is that whose wide o'erlooking bla/,e
A sudden glory on his pathway throws?
'Tis not the setting sun, whose drooping lid
Closed on the weary world at half-past six;
'Tis not the rising moon, whose rays are hid
Behind the city's sombre piles of bricks.
It is the Drummond Light, that from the top
Of Barnum's massive pile, sky-mingling there,
Darts its quick gleam o'er every shadowed shop.
And gilds Broadway with unaccustomed glare.
There o'er the sordid gloom, whose deep'niug track*
Furrow the city's brow, the front of ages,
Thy loltier light descends on cabs and hacks,
And on two dozen different lines of stages!
O twilight Sun, with thy far darting ray,
Thou art a type of him whose tireless hands
Hung thee on high to guide the stranger's way.
Where, in its pride, his vast Museum stands.
108 THE NIGHTINGALE IN NEW YORK.
Him, who in search of wonders new and strange,
Grasps the wide skirts of Nature's mystic robe
Explores the circles of eternal change,
And the dark chambers of the central globe.
He, from the reedy shores ol fabled Nile,
Has brought, thick-ribbed anil undent afl old iron.
That venerable beast, the crocodile,
And many a skin of many a famous lion.
Go lose thyself in those continuous halls,
Where strays the lond papa with son and daughter:
And all that cliarms or startles or appals,
Thou shalt behold, and fora single quarter.
Far from the Barcan deserts now withdrawn,
There huge constrictors coil their scaly backs ;
There, cased in glass, malignant and unshorn,
Old murderers glare in sullenness and wax.
There many a varied form the sight beguiles,
In rusty broadcloth decked and shocking hat.
And there the unwieldy Lambert sits and smiles,
In the majestic plenitude ol fat.
Or for thy gayer hours, the orang-outang
Or ape salutes thee with his strange grimace.
And in their shapes. stuO'ed as on earth they sprang,
Thine individual being thou canst trace!
And joys the youth in life's green spring, who goes
With the sweet babe and the gray-hea'ded nurse,
To see those Cosmoramicorbs disclose
The varied beauties of the universe.
And last, not least, the marvelous Ethiope,
Changing his skin by preternatural skill,
Whom «?vory setting sun's diurnal slope
Leaves whiter than the last, and whitening still
All that of monstrous, scaly, strange and queer.
Has come from out the womb of earliest time,
Thou hast, O Biirniim, in thy keeping here,
Nor is this all— for triumphs more 'sublime
Await thee yet! I, Jenny Lind, who reigned
Sublimely throned, the imperial queen of song,
Wooed by thy gohlen harmonies, have deigned
Captive to join the heterogeneous throng.
Sustained by an unfaltering trust in coin.
Dealt from thy hand, O thou illustrious man,
Gladly I heard the summons come to join
Myself the innumerable caravan.
Besides the foregoing, this pamphlet contained eleven poems, most of \vlik-h
abounded in wit. 1 have room but for a single stanza. The poet speaks of the
various curiosities in the Museum, and, representing me as still searching for
further novelties, makes me address the Swedish Nightingale as follows:
•' So Jeuny. come along! you're just the card for me.
And quit these kings and queens, for the country of the free :
They'll welcome you with speeches, and serenades, and rockets,
And you will touch their hearts, and I will tap their pockets ;
And if between us both the public isn't skinned,
Why, my name isn't Baruum, nor your name Jenny Lind 1"
THE NIGHTINGALE IN NEW YORK. 109
Among the many complimentary poems sent in, was the following, by Mrs. L.
H. SIGOURNEY, which that distinguished writer enclosed in a letter to me, with
the request that I should hand it to Miss Lind:
THE SWEDISH SONGSTRESS AND HER CHARITIES.
BY MRS. L. H. SIGOUBNEY.
BLEST must their vocation be
Who, with tones of melody,
Charm the discord and the strife
And the railroad rush of life,
And ^yith Orphean magic move
Souls inert to life and love.
But there's one who doth inherit
Angel gift and angel spirit,
Bidding tides of gladness flow
Through the realms of want and woe;
'Mid lone age and misery's lot,
Kindling pleasures long forgot,
Seeking minds oppressed with night,
And on darkness shedding light,
She the seraph's speech doth know,
She hath done their deeds below;
So, when o'er this misty strand
She shall clasp their waiting hand.
They will fold her to their breast,
More a sister than a guest.
Jenny Liiid's first concert was fixed to come off at Castle Garden, on Wednes-
day evening, September llth, and most of the tickets were sold at auction on the
Saturday and Monday previous to the concert. John N. Genin, the hatter, laid
the foundation of his fortune by purchasing the first ticket at $225. It has been
extensively reported that Mr. Genin and I are brothers-in-law, but our only rela-
tions are those of business and friendship. The proprietors of the Garden saw
fit to make the usual charge of one shilling to all persons who entered the premises,
yet three thousand people were present at the auction. One thousand tickets
were sold at auction on the first morning for an aggregate sum of $10,141.
On the Tuesday after her arrival, I informed Miss Lind that I wished to make
a slight alteration in our agreement. " What is it? " she asked in surprise.
"I am convinced," I replied, "that our enterprise will be much more success-
ful than either of us anticipated. I wish, therefore, to stipulate that you shall
receive not only $1,000 for each concert, besides all the expenses, as heretofore
agreed on, but after taking §5,500 per night for expenses and my services, the
balance shall be equally divided between us.
Jenny looked at me with astonishment. She could not comprehend my propo-
sition. After I had repeated it, and she fully understood its import, she cordially
grasped me by the hand, and exclaimed, " Mr. Barnum, you are a gentleman of
honor; you are generous; it is just as Mr. Bates told mo'; I will sing for you as
long as you please ; I •will sing for you in America — in Europe — anywhere 1 "
On Tuesday, September 10th, I informed Miss Lind that, judging by present
appearances, her portion of the proceeds of the first concert would amount to
$10,000. She immediately resolved to devote every dollar of it to charity; and,
sending for Mayor Woodhull, she acted under his and my advice in selecting the
various institutions among which she wished the amount to be distributed.
My arrangements of the concert-room were very complete. The great
parterre and gallery of Castle Garden were divided by imaginary lines into
four compartments, each of which was designated by a lamp of a different coloi
The tickets were printed in colors corresponding with the location which the
110 THE 2TIGHTIHGALE IN NEW YOBK.
holders were to occugy, and one hundred ushers, with rosettes and bearing
wands ripped with ribBbns of the several hues, enabled every individual to find
his or her seat without the slightest difficulty. Every seat was of course num-
bered in color to correspond with the check, which each person retained after
giving up an entrance ticket at the door. Thus, tickets, checks, lamps, rosettes,
wands, and even the seat numbers were all in the appropriate colors to designate
the different departments. These arrangements were duly advertised, and every
particular was also printed upon each ticket. In order to prevent confusion, the
doors were opened at five o'clock, while the concert did not commence until eight.
The consequence was, that although about five thousand persons were present at
the first concert, their entrance was marked with as much order and quiet as was
ever witnessed in the assembling of a congregation at church. These precautions
were observed at all the concerts given throughout the country under my admin-
istration, and the good order which always prevailed was the subject of number-
less encomiums from the public and the press.
The reception of Jenny Lind on her first appearance, in point of enthusiasm,
was probably never before equalled. As Mr. Benedict led her towards the foot-
lights, the entire audience rose to their feet and welcomed her with three cheers,
accompanied by the waving of thousands of hats and handkerchiefs. This was
pciuu^ Lue largest audience to which Jenny Lind had ever sung. She was
evidently much agitated, but the orchestra commenced, and before she had sung
a dozen notes of " Casta Diva," she began to recover her self-possession, and long
before the scena was concluded, she was as calm as if she was in her own draw-
ing-room. Towards the last portion of the caratina, the audience were so
completely carried away by their feelings, that the remainder of the air was
drowned in a perfect tempest of acclamation. Enthusiasm had been wrought to
its highest pitch, but the musical powers of Jenny Lind exceeded all the brilliant
inticipations which had been formed, and her triumph was complete. At the
conclusion of the concert Jenny Lind was loudly called for, and was obliged to
appear three times before the audience could be satisfied. Then they called
vociferously for " Barnum," and I reluctantly responded to their demand.
On this first night, Mr. Julius Benedict firmly established with the American
people his European reputation, as a most accomplished conductor and musical
composer; while Signor Belletti inspired an admiration which grew warmer and
deeper in the minds of the public, to the end of his career in this country.
The Rubicon was passed. The successful issue of the Jenny Lind enterprise
was established. I think there were a hundred men in New York, the day after
her first concert, who would have willingly paid me $200,000 for my contract. I
received repeated offers for an eighth, a tenth, or a sixteenth, equivalent to that
price. But mine had been the risk, and I was determined mine should be the
triumph.
The amount of money received for tickets to the first concert was $17,864.05,
As this made Miss Land's portion too small to realize the $10,000 which had been
announced as devoted to charity, I proposed to divide equally with her the
proceeds of the first two concerts, and not count them at all in our regular
engagement. Accordingly, the second concert was given September 13th, and
the receipts, amounting to $14,203.03, were, like those of the first concert, equally
divided. Our third concert, but which, as between ourselves, we called the "first
regular concert," was given Tuesday, September 17, 1850.
CHAP TEE XI X.
SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT.
THE first great assembly at Castle Garden was not gathered by Jenny Lind's
musical genius and powers alone. She was effectually introduced to the public
before they had seen or heard her. She appeared in the presence of a jury
already excited to enthusiasm in her behalf. She more than met their expecta-
tions, and all the means I had adopted to prepare the way were thus abundantly
justified.
As a manager, I worked by setting others to work. Biographies of the
Swedish Nightingale were largely circulated; "Foreign Correspondence " glori-
fied her talents and triumphs by narratives of her benevolence; and "printer's
ink " was invoked in every possible form, to put and keep Jenny Lind before the
people. I am happy to say that the press generally echoed the voice of her
praise from first to last. I could fill many volumes with the printed extracts
which are nearly all of a similar tenor to the following unbought, unsolicited
editorial article, which appeared in the New York Herald of Sept. 10, 1850 (the
day before the first concert given by Miss Lind in the United States) :
"JENNY LIND AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.— What ancient monarch was he, either in
history or in fable, who offered half his kingdom (the price of box-tickets and choice
seats in those days) for the invention of an original sensation, or the discovery of a fresh
pleasure? That sensation — that pleasure which royal power in the Old World failed to dis-
cover— has been called into existence at a less price, by Mr. Barnum, a plain republican,
and is now about to be enjoyed by the sovereigns of the N*w World.
"Jenny Lind, the most remarkable phenomenon in the musical art which has for the .ast
century flashed across the horizon of the Old World, is now among us, and will make her
debut to-morrow night to a house of nearly ten thousand listeners, yielding in proceeds by
auction, a sum of forty or fifty thousand dollars. For the last ten clays our musical report-
ers have furnished our readers with every matter connected with her arrival in this
metropolis, and the steps adopted by Mr. Barnum in preparation for her first appearance.
The proceedings of yesterday, consisting of the sale of the remainder of the tickets, and
the astonishing, the wonderful sensation produced at her first rehearsal on the few persons,
critics in musical art, who were admitted on the occasion, will be found elsewhere in our
columns.
"We concur in everything that has been said by our musical reporter, describing her
extraordinary genius — her unrivalled combination of power and art. Nothing has been
exaggerated, not an iota. Three years ago, more or less, we heard Jenny Lind on many
occasions, when she made the first great sensation in Europe, by her debut at the London
Opera House. Then she was great in power— in art— in genius ; now she is greater in all.
We speak from experience and conviction. Then she astonished, and pleased, and fascin-
ated the thousands of the British aristocracy; now she will fascinate, and please, and
delight, and almost make mad with musical excitement, the mill ons of the American
democracy. To-morrow night, this new sensation— this fresh movement— this excitement
excelling all former excitements — will be called into existence, when she pours out the
notes of Casta Diva, and exhibits her astonishing powers— her wonderful peculiarities,
that seem more of heaven than of earth— more of a voice from eternity, than from the
lips of a human being.
" We speak soberly — seriously — calmly. The public expectation has run very high for
the last week— higher than at any former period of our past musical annals. But high as it
has risen, the reality— the fact— the concert — the voice and power of Jenny Lind — will far
surpass all past expectations. Jenny Lind is a wonder, and a prodigy in song— and no
mistake."
After the first month the business became thoroughly systematized, and by the
help of such agents as my faithful treasurer, L. C. Stewart, and the indefatiga-
ble Le Grand Smith, my personal labors were materially relieved; but from the
111
112 SUCCESSFUL MAXAGEMENT.
first concert on the llth of September, 1850, until the ninety-third concert on the
9th of June 1851, a space of nine months, I did not know a waking moment that
was entirely free from anxiety.
I could not hope to be exempted from trouble and perplexity in managing an
enterprise •which depended altogether on popular favor, and which involved great
consequences to myself. Miss Lind did not dream, nor did any one else, of the
unparalleled enthusiasm that would greet her; and the first immense assembly at
Castle Garden somewhat prepared her, I suspect, to listen to evil advisers. It
would seem that the terms of our revised contract were sufficiently liberal to her
and sufficiently hazardous to myself, to justify the expectation of perfectly hon-
orable treatment; but certain envious intermeddlers appeared to think differently.
"Do you not see, Miss Lind, that Mr. Barnum is coining money out of your
genius? " said they; of course she saw it, but the high-minded Swede despised
and spurned the advisers who recommended her to repudiate her contract with
me at all hazards, and take the enterprise into her own hands — possibly to put it
into theirs. I, however, suffered much from the unreasonable interference of her
lawyer, Mr. John Jay. Benedict and Belletti behaved like men, and Jenny
afterwards expressed to me her regret that she had for a moment listened to the
vexatious exactions of her legal counselor.
To show the difficulties with which I had to contend thus early in my enter-
prise, I copy a letter which I wrote, a little more than one month after Miss Lind
commenced her engagement with me, to my Mend Mr. Joshua Bates, of Messrs.
Baring, Brothers & Co., London:
NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 1850.
JOSHUA BATES, ESQ. :
Dear Sir : I take the liberty to write you a few lines, merely to say that we are getting
along as well as could reasonably be expected. In this country you are aware that the
rapid accumulation of wealth always creates much envy, and envy soon augments to
malice. Such are the elements at work to a limited degree asrainst myself, and although
Miss Lind, Benedict and myself have never, as yet. had the slightest feelings between us,
to my knowledge, except those of friendship, yet I cannot weil see how this can long con-
tinue in the face of the facf that, nearly every day they allow persons (some moving in the
first classes of society) to approach them, and spend hours in traducing me : even her
attoni'-y, Mr. John Jay. has been so blind to her interests, as to aid in poisoning her mind
against me, by pouring into her ears the most silly twaddle, all of which amounts to noth-
ing and less than nothing — such as the regret thai 1 was a showman, exhibitor of Tom
Thumb, etc.. etc.
Without the elements which I possess for business, as well as my knowledge of human
nature, acquired in catering for the public, the result of her concerts here would not have
been pecuniarily one-half as much as the present — and such men as the Hon. Edward
Everett. G. G. Rowland, and others, will tell you that there is no charlatanism or lack ol
dignity in my management of these concerts. I know as well as any person, that the
merits of Jenny Lind f.re the best capital to depend upon to secure public favor, and I have
thus far acted on this knowledge. Everything which money and attention can procure for
their comfort, they have, and I am srlad to know that they are satisfied on this score. All
I fear is. that these continual backbitings. if listened to by her. will, by and by, produce a
feeling of distrust or regret, which will lead to unpleasant results.
% The fact is. her mind ought to be as free as air, and she herself as free as a bird, and
being satisfied of my probity and ability, she should turn a deaf ear to all envious and
malevolent attacks on me. I have hoped that by thus briefly stating to you the facts in the
case, you mi«rht be induced for her interests as well as mine to drop a One of advice to Mr.
Benedict and another to Mr. Jay on thi< subject. If I am asking or expecting too much. I
pray you to not give it a thought, for I feel myself fully able to carry through my rights alone,
although I should deplore nothing so much as to be obliged to do so in a feelin"!; of unfriend-
liness. I have risked much money on the issue of this speculation— it has proved -
ful. lam full of perplexity and anxiety, and labor continually for success, and I cannot
allow ignorance or envy to rob me of the fruits of my enterprise.
Sincerely and gratefully, yours, P. T. BARNUM.
Jenny Land's character for benevolence became so generally known, that her
door was beset by persons asking charity, and she was in the receipt, while in the
SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT. 113
principal cities, of numerous letters, all oil the same subject. I knew of many
instances in which she gave sums of money to applicants, varying in amount
from $20, $50, $500, to $1,000, and in one instance she gave $5,000 to a Swedish
friend.
The night after Jenny's arrival in Boston, a display of fireworks was given in
her honor, in front of the Revere House, after which followed a beautiful torch-
light procession by the Germans of that city.
On her return from Boston to New York, Jenny, her companion, and Messrs
Benedict and Belletti, stopped at Iranistan, my residence in Bridgeport, where they
remained until the following day. The morning after her arrival, she took my arm
and proposed a promenade through the grounds. She seemed much pleased, and
said, " I am astonished that you should have left such a beautiful place for the
sake of traveling through the country with me."
The same day she told me in a playful mood, that she had heard a most extra-
ordinary report. "I have heard that you and I are about to be married," said
she; "now how could such an absurd report ever have originated? "
"Probably from the fact that we are 'engaged,'" I replied. She enjoyed a
joke, and laughed heartily.
"Do you know, Mr. Barmun," said she, " that if you had not built Iranistan, I
should never have come to America for you?"
I expressed my surprise, and asked her to explain.
" I had received several applications to visit the United States," she continued,
"but I did not much like the appearance of the applicants, nor did I relish the
idea of crossing 3,000 miles of ocean; so I declined them all. But the first letter
which Mr. Wilton, your agent, addressed me, was written upon a sheet headed
with a beautiful engraving of Iranistan. It attracted my attention. I said to
myself, a gentleman who has been so successful in his business as to be able to build
and reside in such a palace cannot be a mere ' adventurer.' So I wrote to your
agent, and consented to an interview, which I should have declined, if I had not
seen the picture of Iranistan!"
"That, then, fully pays me for building it," I replied.
Jenny Lind always desired to reach a place in which she was to sing, without
having the time of her arrival known, thus avoiding the excitement of promiscu-
ous crowds. As a manager, however, I knew that the interests of the enterprise
depended in a great degree upon these excitements.
On reaching Philadelphia, a large concourse of persons awaited the approach of
the steamer which conveyed her. With difficulty we pressed through the crowd,
and were followed by many thousands to Jones's Hotel. The street in front of
the building was densely packed by the populace, and poor Jenny, who was suf-
fering from a severe headache, retired to her apartments. I tried to induce the
crowd to disperse, but they declared they would not do so until Jenny Lind should
appear on the balcony. I would not disturb her, and, knowing that the tumult
might prove an annoyance to her, I placed her bonnet and shawl upon her com-
panion, Miss Ahmansen, and led her out on the balcony. She bowed gracefully
to the multitude, who gave her three hearty cheers and quietly dispersed. Miss
Land was so utterly averse to anything like deception, that we never ventured to
tell her the part which her bonnet and shawl had played in the absence of then-
owner.
Jenny was in the habit of attending church whenever she could do so without
attracting notice. She always preserved her nationality, also, by inquiring out
114 SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT.
aiid attending Swedish churches wherever they could be found. She gave
$1,000 to a Swedish church in Chicago.
My eldest daughter, Caroline, and her Mend, Mrs. Lyman, of Bridgeport,
accompanied me on the tour from New York to Havana, and thence home, via
New Orleans and the Mississippi.
We were at Baltimore on the Sabbath, and my daughter, accompanying a
friend, who resided in the city, to church, took a seat with her in the choir, and
joined in the singing. A number of the congregation, who had seen Caroline
with me the day previous, and supposed her to be Jenny Land, were yet laboring
under the same mistake, and it was soon whispered through the church that
Jenny Land was in the choir! The excitement was worked to its highest pitch
when my daughter rose as one of the musical group. Every ear was on the alert
to catch the first notes of her voice, and when she sang, glances of satisfaction
passed through the assembly. Caroline, quite unconscious of the attention she
attracted, continued to sing to the end of the hymn. Not a note was lost upon
the ears of the attentive congregation. " What an exquisite singer ! " " Heavenly
sounds!" "I never heard the like!" and similar expressions were whispered
through the church.
At the conclusion of the services, my daughter and her friend found the passage-
way to their carriage blocked by a crowd who were anxious to obtain a nearer
view of the " Swedish Nightingale." The pith of the joke is that we have never
discovered that my daughter has any extraordinary claims as a vocalist.
Our orchestra in New York consisted of sixty. When we started on our south-
ner tour, we took with us permanently as the orchestra, twelve of the best
musicians we could select, and in New Orleans augmented the force to sixteen.
We increased the number to thirty-five, forty or fifty, as the case might be, by
choice of musicians residing where the concerts were given. On our return to
New York from Havana, we enlarged the orchestra to one hundred performers.
The morning after our arrival in Washington, President Fillmore called, and
left his card, Jenny being out. When she returned and found the token of his
attention, she was in something of a flurry. " Come," said she, "we must call
on the President immediately."
" Why so ?" I inquired.
" Because he has called on me, and of course that is equivalent to a command
for me to go to his house."
I assured her that she might make her mind at ease, for whatever might be the
custom with crowned heads, our Presidents were not wont to " command " the
movements of strangers, and that she would be quite in time if she returned his
call the next day. She was accompanied to the " White House " by Messrs. Bene-
dict, Belletti and myself, and several happy hours were spent in the private circle
of the President's family.
Both concerts in Washington were attended by the President and his family,
and every member of the Cabinet. I noticed, also, among the audience, Henry
Clay, Benton, Foote, Cass and General Scott, and nearly every member of Con-
gress. On the following morning, Miss Land was called upon by Mr, Webster,
Mr. Clay, General Cass, and Colonel Benton, and all parties were evidently
gratified. I had introduced Mr. Webster to her in Boston. Upon hearing one of
her wild mountain songs in New York, and also in Washington, Mr. Webster
signified his approval by rising, drawing himself up to his full height, and making
a profound bow. Jenny was delighted by this expression of praise from the great
statesman. When I first introduced Miss Land to Mr. Webster, at the Revera
SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT. 115
House, in Boston she was greatly impressed with his manners and conversation,
and after his departure, walked up and down the room in great excitement,
exclaiming: " Ahi Mr. Bamum, that is a man; I have never before seen such a
man!"
We visited the Capitol while both Houses were in session. Miss Lind took the
arm of Hon. C. P. Cleveland, representative from Connecticut, and was by him
escorted into various pans of the Capitol and the grounds, with all of which she
was much pleased.
During the week I was invited with Miss Lind and her immediate friends, to
visit Mount Vernon, with Colonel Washington, the then proprietor, and Mr.
Seaton, ex-Mayor of Washington, and editor of the Intelligencer. Colonel
Washington chartered a steamboat for the purpose. We were landed a short
distance from the tomb, which we first visited. Proceeding to the house, we were
introduced to Mrs. Washington, and several other ladies. Much interest was
manifested by Miss Lind in examining the mementoes of the great man whose
home it had been. A beautiful collation was spread out and arranged in fine
taste. Before leaving, Mrs. Washington presented Jenny with a book from the
library, with the name of Washington written by his own hand. She was much
overcome at receiving this present, called me aside, and expressed her desire to
give something in return. " I have nothing with me," she said, " excepting this
watch and chain, and I will give that if you think it will be acceptable." I knew
the watch was very valuable, and told her that so costly a present would not be
expected, nor would it be proper. " The expense is nothing, compared to the
value of that book," she replied, with deep emotion; "but as the watch was a
present from a near friend, perhaps I should not give it away." Jenny Lind, I
am sure, never forgot the pleasurable emotions of that day.
The voyage from Wilmington to Charleston was an exceedingly rough and
perilous one. We were about thirty-six hours in making the passage, the usual
time being seventeen. We arrived safely at last, and I was grieved to learn that
for twelve hours the loss of the steamer had been considered certain, and had
even been announced by telegraph in the Northern cities.
We remained at Charleston about ten days, to take the steamer " Isabella " on
her regular trip to Havana. Jenny had been through so much excitement at the
North, that she determined to have quiet here, and therefore declined receiving
any calls. One young lady, the daughter of a wealthy planter near Augusta,
was so determined upon seeing her in private, that she paid one of the servants
to allow her to put on a cap and white apron, and carry in the tray for Jenny's
tea, I afterwards told Miss Lind of the joke, and suggested that after such an
evidence of admiration, she should receive a call from the young lady.
"It is not admiration — it is only curiosity," replied Jenny, "and I will not
encourage such folly."
Christmas was at hand, and Jenny Lind determined to honor it in the way she
had often done in Sweden. She had a beautiful Christmas tree privately pre-
pared, and from its boughs depended a variety of presents for members of the
company. These gifts were encased in paper, with the names of the recipients
written on each.
After spending a pleasant evening in her drawing-room, she invited us into the
parlor, where the "surprise" awaited us. Each person commenced opening the
packages bearing his or her address, and although every individual had one or
more pretty presents, she had prepared a joke for each. Mr. Benedict, for instance,
took off wrapper after wrapper from one of his packages, which at first was as
116 SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT.
large as his head, but after having removed some forty coverings of paper, it was
reef need to a size smaller than his hand, and the removal of the last envelope
exposed to view a piece of cavendish tobacco. One of my presents, choicely
wrapped in a dozen coverings, was a jolly young Bacchus in Parian marble,
inter iled as a pleasant hit at my temperance principles!
Thvi night before New Year's day was spent in her apartment with great hilarity.
Enlivened by music, singing, dancing and story-telling, the hours glided swiftly
awaj . Miss Lind asked me if I would dance with her. I told her my education
had been neglected in that line, and that I had never danced in my life. " That
is all the better," said she; "now dance with me in a cotillion. I am sure you
can do it." She was a beautiful dancer, and I never saw her laugh more heartily
than she did at my awkwardness. She said she would give me the credit of being
the poorest dancer she ever sawl
I had arranged with a man in New York to transport furniture to Havana,
provide a house, and board Jenny Lind and our immediate party during our stay.
When we arrived, we found the building converted into a semi-hotel, and the
apartments were anything but comfortable. Jenny was vexed. Soon after din-
ner, she took a volante and an interpreter, and drove into the suburbs. She was
absent four hours. Whither or why she had gone, none of us knew. At length
she returned and informed us that she had hired a commodious furnished house
in a delightful location outside the walls of the city, and invited us all to go and
live with her during our stay in Havana, and we accepted the invitation. She
was now freed from all annoyances; her time was her own, she received no calls,
went and came when she pleased, had no meddlesome advisers about her, legal or
otherwise, and was as merry as a cricket. We had a large court-yard in the rear
of the house, and here she would come and romp and run, sing and laugh, like a
young school-girL " Now, Mr. Barnum, for another game of ball," she would
say half a dozen times a day; whereupon, she would take an india-rubber ball,
(of which she had two or three), and commence a game of throwing and catching,
which would be kept up until, being completely tired out, I would say, " I give it
up." Then her rich, musical laugh would be heard ringing through the house, as
she exclaimed, " Oh, Mr. Barnum, you are too-fat and too lazy; you cannot stand
it to play ball with me! "
Her celebrated countrywoman, Miss Frederika Bremer, spent a few days with
us very pleasantly, and it is difficult to conceive of a more delightful month than
was passed by the entire party at Jenny Land's house in the outskirts of Havana.
CHAPTER XX.
INCIDENTS OF THE TOUK.
SOON after arriving in Havana, 1 discovered that a strong prejudice existed
against our musical enterprise. I might rather say that the Habaneros, not
accustomed to the high figure which tickets had commanded in the States,
were determined on forcing me to adopt their opera prices; whereas I paid one
thousand dollars per night for the Tacon Opera House, and other expenses being
in proportion, I was determined to receive remunerating prices or give no con-
certs. They attended the concert, but were determined to show the great song-
stress no favor. I perfectly understood this feeling in advance, but studiously
kept all knowledge of it from Miss Land. I went to the first concert, therefore,
with some misgivings in regard to her reception. The following, which I copy
from the Havana correspondence of the New York Tribune, gives a correct
account of it:
*********
" Jenny Lind soon appeared, led on by Signer Belletti. Some three or four hundred per
sons clapped their hands at her appearance, but this token of approbation was instantly
silenced by at least two thousand live hundred decided hisses. Thus having settled the
matter that there should be no forestalling of public opinion, and that if applause was
given to Jenny Lind in that house it should first be incontestably earned, the most solemn
silence prevailed. I have heard the Swedish Nightingale often in Europe as well as in
America, and have ever noticed a distinct tremulousness attending her first appearance in
any city. Indeed this feeling was plainly manifested in her countenance as she neared the
foot-lights; but when she witnessed the kind of reception in store for her — so different
from anything she had reason to expect — her countenance changed in an instant to a
haughty self-possession, her eyes flashed defiance, and, becoming immovable us a statue,
she stood there perfectly calm and beautilul. She was satisfied that she now had an ordea!
to pass and a victory to gain worthy of her powers. In a moment her eye scanned the
immense audience, the music began alid then followed — how can I describe it ? — such
heavenly strains as I verily believe mortal never breathed except Jenny Lind, and mortal
never heard except from her lips. Some of the oldest Castilians kept a frown upon their
brow and a curling sneer upon their lips ; their ladies, however, and most of the audience
began to look surprised. The gushing melody flowed on, increasing in beauty and glory.
Tlie caballerot, the svnoras •An<\'se/iorit<ts began to look at each other; nearly all. however,
kept tln'ir teeth clenched and their lips closed, evidently determined to resist to the last.
The torrent flowed deeper and faster, the lark flew higher and higher, the melody grew
richer and grander ; still every lip was compressed. By and by, as the rich notes came
dashing in rivers upon our enraptured ears, one poor critic involuntarily whispered a ' brava.'
This outburst in;; of the soul was instantly hissed down. The stream of harmony rolled on
till, at the close, it made a clean sweep of every obstacle, and carried all before it. Not a
vestige of opposition remained, but such a tremendous shout of applause aa went up I
never before heard.
•' The triumph was most complete. And how was Jenny Lind affected? She who stood
a few moments previous like adamant, now trembled like a reed in the wind before the
storm of enthusiasm which her own simple notes had produced. Tremblingly, slowly, and
almost bowing her face to the ground, she withdrew. The roar and applause of victory
increased. ''Encore! encore! encore!'' came from every lip. She asain appeared, and
courtesying low, again withdrew; but again, again and again did they call her out and at
every appearance the thunders of applause rang louder and louder. Thus five times was
Jenny Lind called out to receive their unanimous and deafening plaudits."
I cannot express what my feelings were as I watched this scene from the dress
circle. Poor Jenny! I deeply sympathized with her when I heard that first
hiss. I indeed observed the resolute bearing which she assumed, but was appre-
hensive of the result. When I witnessed her triumph, I could not restrain the
117
118 INCIDENTS OF THE TOUR.
tears of joy that rolled down my cheeks; and rushing through a private box, I
reached the stage just as she was withdrawing after the fifth encore. "God
bless you, Jenny, you have settled them!" I exclaimed.
"Are you satisfied?" said she, throwing her arms around my neck. She, too,
was crying with joy, and never before did she look so beautiful in my eyes as on
that evening.
One of the Havana papers, notwithstanding the great triumph, continued to
cry out for low prices. This induced many to absent themselves, expecting
soon to see a reduction. It had been understood that we would give twelve
concerts in Havana; but when they saw after the fourth concert, which was
devoted to charity, that no more were announced, they became uneasy. Com-
mittees waited upon us requesting more concerts, but we peremptorily declined.
Some of the leading Dons, among whom was Count Penalver, then offered to
guarantee us $25,000 for three concerts. My reply was, that there was not money
enough on the island of Cuba to induce me to consent to it.
I found my little Italian plate-dancer, Vivalla, in Havana. He called on me
frequently. He was in great distress, having lost the use of las limbs on the left
side of his body by paralysis. He was thus unable to earn a livelihood, although
he still kept a performing dog, which turned a spinning-wheel and performed some
curious tricks. One day as I was passing him out of the front gate, Miss Lind
inquired who he was. I briefly recounted to her his history. She expressed deep
interest in his case, and said something should be set apart for him in the benefit
which she was about to give for charity. Accordingly, when the benefit came
off, Miss Lind appropriated $500 to him, and I made the necessary arrangements
for his return to his friends in Italy. At the same benefit $4,000 were distributed
between two hospitals and a convent.
A few mornings after the benefit our bell was rung, and the servant announced
that I was wanted. I went to the door and found a large procession of children,
neatly dressed and bearing banners, attended by ten or twelve priests, arrayed
in their rich and flowing robes. I inquired their business, and was informed that
they had come to see Miss Lind, to thank her in person for her benevolence. I
took their message, and informed Miss Lind that the leading priests of the con-
vent had come in great state to see and thank her. " I will not see them," she
replied; " they have nothing to thank me for. If I have done good, it is no more
than my duty, and it is my pleasure. I do not deserve their thanks, and I will
not see them." I returned her answer, and the leaders of the grand procession
went away in disappointment.
The same day Vivalla called, and brought her a basket of the most luscious
fruit that he could procure. The little fellow was very happy and extremely
grateful. Miss Liud had gone out for a ride.
" God bless her ! I am so happy ; she is such a good lady. I sViqll see my broth-
ers and sisters again. Oh, she is a very good lady," said poor Vivalla, overcome
by his feelings. He begged me to thank her for him, and give her the fruit. As
he was passing out of the door, he hesitated_ a moment, and then said, "Mr.
Barnum I should like so much to have the good lady see my dog turn a wheel;
it is very nice; he can spin very good. Shall I bring the dog and wheel for her?
She is such a good lady, I wish to please her very much." I smiled, and told
him she would not care for the dog; that he was quite welcome to the money,
and that she refused to see the priests from the convent that morning, because she
never received thanks for favors.
INCIDENTS OF THE TOUR. 119
When Jenny came in I gave her the fruit, and laughingly told her that Vivalla
wished to show her how his performing dog could turn a spinning-wheeL
" Poor man, poor man, do let him come; it is all the good creature can do for
me," exclaimed Jenny, and the tears flowed thick and fast down her cheeks. " I
like that, I like that," she continued, "do let the poor creature come and bring
his dog. It will make him so happy."
I confess it made me happy, and I exclaimed, for my heart was full, " God
bless you, it will make him cry for joy; he shall come to-morrow."
I saw Vivalla the same evening, and delighted him with the intelligence that
Jenny would see his dog" perform the next day, at four o'clock precisely.*
"I will be punctual," said Vivalla, in a voice trembling with emotion; but I
was sure she would like to see my dog perform."
For full half an hour before the time appointed did Jenny Lind sit in her win-
dow on the second floor and watch for Vivalla and his dog. A few minutes
before the appointed hour, she saw him coming. "Ah, here he comes! here he
comes! " she exclaimed in delight, as she ran down stairs and opened the door to
admit him, A negro boy was bringing the small spinning-wheel, while Vivalla
led the dog. Handing the boy a silver coin, she motioned him away, and taking
the wheel in her arms, she said, "This is very kind of you to come with your
dog. Follow me. I will carry the wheel up stairs." Her servant offered to take
the wheel, but no, she would let no one carry it but herself. She called us all up
to her parlor, and for one full hour did she devote herself to the happy Italian.
She went down on her knees to pet the dog and to ask Vivalla all sorts of questions
about his performances, his former course of lif e, his friends in Italy, and his
present hopes and determinations. Then she sang and played for him, gave him
some refreshments, finally insisted on carrying his wheel to the door, and her
servant accompanied Vivalla to his boarding-house.
Poor Vivalla! He was probably never so happy before, but his enjoyment did
not exceed that of Miss Lind. That scene alone would have paid me for all my
labors during the entire musical campaign. A few months later, however, the
Havana correspondent of the New York Herald announced the death of Vivalla
and stated that the poor Italian's last words were about Jenny Lind and Mr.
Barnum.
In the party which accompanied me to Havana, was Mr. Henry Bennett, who
formerly kept Peale's Museum in New York, afterwards managing the same
establishment for me when I purchased it, and he was now with me in the
capacity of a ticket-taker. He was as honest a man as ever lived, and a good
deal of a wag. I remember his going through the market once and running
across a decayed actor who was reduced to tending a market stand; Bennett
hailed him with "Hallo! what are you doing here; what are you keeping that
old turkey for?"
" O ! for a profit," replied the actor.
" Prophet, prophet I " exclaimed Bennett, "patriarch, you mean! "
With all his waggery he was subject at times to moods of the deepest despond-
ency, bordering on insanity. Madness ran in his family. His brother, in a fit of
frenzy, had blown his brains out. Henry himself had twice attempted his own
life while in my employ in New York. Some time after our present journey to
Havana, I sent him to London. He conducted my business precisely as I
directed, writing up his account with me correctly to a penny. Then handing it
* See Illustration, page 120.
120 INCIDENTS OF THE TOUR.
to a mutual friend with directions to give it to me when I arrived in London the
following week, he went to bis lodgings and committed suicide.
"While we were in Havana, Bennett was so despondent at times that we were
obliged to watch him carefully, lest he should do some damage to himself or
others. When we left Havana for New Orleans, on board the steamer "Falcon,"
Mr. James Gordon Bennett, editor of the New York Herald, and his wife, were
also passengers. After permitting one favorable notice in his paper, Bennett
had turned around, as usual, and had abused Jenny Lind and bitterly attacked
me. I was always glad to get such notices, for they served as inexpensive adver-
tisements to my Museum. •>
Ticket-taker Bennett, however, took much to heart the attacks of Editor Ben-
nett upon Jenny Lind. When Editor Bennett came on board the " Falcon," his
violent name-sake said to a by-stander:
"I would willingly be drowned if I could see that old scoundrel goto the
bottom of the sea."
Several of our party overheard the remark and 1 turned laughingly to Bennett
and said: " Nonsense; he can't harm any one. and there is an old proverb about
the impossibility of drowning those who are born to another fate."
That very night, however, as I stood near the cabin door, conversing with my
treasurer and other members of my company, Henry Bennett came up to me
with a wild air, and hoarsely whispered:
"Old Bennett has gone forward alone in the dark — and I am going to throw
him overboard!"
We were all startled, for we knew the man and he seemed terribly in earnest.
Knowing how most effectively to address him at such times, I exclaimed :
" Ridiculous! you would not do such a thing."
" I swear I will," was his savage reply. I expostulated with him, and several
of our party joined me.
" Nobody will know it," muttered the maniac, " and I shall be doing the world
a favor."
I endeavored to awaken him to a sense of the crime he contemplated, assuring
him that it could not possibly benefit any one, and that from the fact of the
relations existing between the editor and myself, I should be the first to be
accused of his murder. I implored him to go to his state-room, and he finally
did so, accompanied by some of the gentlemen of our party. I took pains to see
that he was carefully watched that night, and, indeed, for several days, till he
became calm again. He was a large, athletic man, quite able to pick up his name-
sake and drop him overboard. The matter was too serious for a joke, and we
made little mention of it; but more than one of our party said then, and has
said since, what I really believe to be true, that "James Gordon Bennett would
have been drowned that night had it uofTbeen for P. T. Baruum."
In New Orleans the wharf was crowded by a great concourse of persons, as the
steamer "Falcon" approached. Jenny Lind had enjoyed a month of quiet, and
dreaded the excitement which she must now again encounter.
"Mr. Barnum, I am sure I can never get through that crowd," said she, in
despair.
" Leave that to me. Remain quiet for ten minutes, and there shall be no crowd
here," I replied.
Taking my daughter on my arm, she threw her veil over her face, and we
descended the gangway to the dock. The crowd pressed around. Ihadbeckoiu-.J
for a carriage before leaving the ship.
INCIDENTS OF THE TOUR. 121
" That's Barnum, I know him," called out several persons at the top of their
voices.
" Open the way, if you please, for Mr. Barnum and Miss Lind ! " cried Le Grand
Smith over the railing of the ship, the deck of which he had just reached from
the wharf.
"Don't crowd her, if you please, gentlemen," I exclaimed, and by dint of push-
ing, squeezing and coaxing, we reached the carriage, and drove for the Montalba
buildings, where Miss Land's apartments had been prepared, and the whole crowd
came following at our heels. In a few minutes afterwards, Jenny and her com-
panion came quietly in a carriage, and were in the house before the ruse was
discovered. In answer to incessant calls, she appeared a moment upon the
balcony, waved her handkerchief, received three hearty cheers, and the crowd
dispersed.
A funny incident occurred at New Orleans. Our concerts were given in the
St. Charles Theater, then managed by my good friend, the late SoL Smith. In
the open lots near the theater were exhibitions of mammoth hogs, five-footed
horses, grizzly bears, and other animals.
A gentleman had a son about twelve years old, who had a wonderful ear for
music. He could whistle or sing any tune after hearing it once. His father did
not know nor care for a single note, but so anxious was he to please his son, that
he paid thirty dollars for two tickets to the concert.
"I liked the music better than I expected," said he to me the next day, "but
my son was in raptures. He was so perfectly enchanted that he scarcely spoke
the whole evening, and I would on no account disturb his delightful reveries.
When the concert was finished we came out of the theater. Not a word was
spoken. I knew that my musical prodigy was happy among the clouds, and I
said nothing. I could not help envying him his love of music, and considered my
thirty dollars as nothing, compared to the buss which it secured to him. Indeed,
I was seriously thinking of taking him to the next concert, when he spoke. We
were just passing the numerous shows upon the vacant lots. One of the signs
attracted him, and he said, ' Father, let us go in and see the big hog ! ' The little
scamp! I could have horsewhipped him!" said the father, who, loving a joke,
could not help laughing at the ludicrous incident.
Some months afterwards, I was relating this story at my own table to several
guests, among whom was a very matter-of-fact man who had not the faintest
conception of humor. After the whole party had laughed heartily at the anecdote,
my matter-of-fact friend gravely asked:
" And was it a very large hog, Mr. Barnum ?"
I made arrangements with the captain of the splendid steamer " Magnolia,"
of Louisville, to take our party as far as Cairo, the junction of the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers, stipulating for sufficient delay in Natchez, Mississippi, and in
Memphis, Tennessee, to give a concert in each place. It was no unusual thing for
me to charter a steamboat or a special train of cars for our party. With such an
enterprise as that, time and comfort were paramount to money.
The time on board the steamer was whiled away in reading, viewing the scenery
of the Mississippi, and other diversions. One day we had a pleasant musical
festival in the ladies' saloon for the gratification of the passengers, at which Jenny
volunteered to sing without ceremony. It seemed to us she never sang so sweetly
before. I also did my best to amuse my fellow passengers with anecdotes and
the exhibition of sundry legerdemain tricks which I had been obliged to learn
and use in the South years before, and under far different circumstances than
6
122 INCIDENTS OF THE TOUR.
those which attended the performance now. Among other tricks, I caused a
quarter of a dollar to disappear so mysteriously from beneath a card, that the
mulatto barber on board came to the conclusion that I was in league with the
deviL
The next morning I seated myself for the operation of shaving, and the colored
gentleman ventured to dip into the mystery. " Beg pardon, Mr. Barnum, but 1
have heard a great deal about you, and I saw more than I wanted to see last
night. Is it true that you have sold yourself to the devil, so that you can do
what you've a mind to? "
"Oh, yes," was my reply, "that is the bargain between us."
" How long did you agree for? " was the question next in order.
"Only nine years," said L "I have had three of them already. Before the
other six are out, I shall find a way to nonplus the old gentleman, and I have told
him so to his face."
At this avowal, a larger space of white than usual was seen in the darkey's
eyes, and he inquired, "Is it by this bargain that you get so much money?"
"Certainly, No matter who has money, nor where he keeps it, in his box or
till, or anywhere about him, I have only to speak the words, and it comes."
The shaving was completed in silence, but thought had been busy in the bar-
ber's mind, and he embraced the speediest opportunity to transfer Ms bag of coin
to the iron safe in charge of the clerk.
The movement did not escape me, and immediately a joke was afoot. I had
barely time to make two or three details of arrangement with the clerk, and
resume my seat in the cabin, ere the barbt.T sought a second interview, bent on
testing the alleged powers of Beelzebub's colleague.
"Beg pardon, Mr. Barnum, but where is my money? Can you get it?"
" I do not want your money," was the quiet answer. " It is safe."
" Yes, I know it is safe — ha! ha! — it is in the iron safe in the clerk's office — safe
enough from you!"
"It is not in the iron safe !" said I. This was said so quietly, yet positively,
that the colored gentleman ran to the office, and inquired if all was safe. "All
right," said the clerk. " Open, and let me see," replied the barber. The safe was
unlocked and lo! the money was gone!
In mystified terror the loser applied to me for relief. "You will find the bag
in your drawer," said I, and there it was found!
His curiosity was still great. " Please do another trick," said he.
"Very well," I replied, "stand perfectly still"
He did so, and I commenced muttering some mysterious words, as if performing
an incantation.
" What are you doing ?" asked the barber.
" I am changing you into a black cat," I replied, "but don't be afraid; I will
change you back again, if I don't forget the words to do it with."
This was too much for the terrified darkey; with an awful screech he rushed to
the side of the boat resolved to drown rather than undergo such a transf ormation.
He was captured and brought back to me, when I dispelled his fright by explan-
ing the way in which I had tricked him. Relieved and reassured, he clapped his
nands and executed an impromptu jig, exclaiming, " Ha! ha! when I get back to
New Orleans won't I come de Barnum ober dem niggers! "
CHAPTEE XXI.
JENNY LIND.
ACCORDING to agreement, the " Magnolia " waited for us at Natchez and Mem-
phis, and we gave profitable concerts at both places. The concert at Memphis
was the sixtieth in the list since Miss land's arrival in America, and the first
concert in St. Louis would be the sixty-first. When we reached that city, on the
morning of the day when our first concert was to be given, Miss Land's secretary
came to me, commissioned, he said, by her, and announced that as sixty concerts
had already taken place, she proposed to avail herself of one of the conditions of
our contract, and cancel the engagement next morning. As this was the first
intimation of the kind I had received, I was somewhat startled, though I assumed
an entirely placid demeanor, and asked:
" Does Miss land authorize you to give me this notice?"
" I so understand it," was the reply.
I immediately reflected that if our contract was thus suddenly canceled, Miss
Land was bound to repay to me all I had paid her over the stipulated $1,000 for
each concert, and a little calculation showed that the sum thus to be paid back
was $77,000, since she had already received from me $137,000 for sixty concerts.
In this view, I could not but think that this was a ruse of some of her advisers,
and, possibly, that she might know nothing of the matter. So I told her secre-
tary that I would see him again in an hour, and meanwhile I went to my old
friend Mr. SoL Smith for his legal and friendly advice.
I showed him my contract and told him how much I had been annoyed by the
selfish and greedy hangers-on and advisers, legal and otherwise, of Jenny Land.
I talked to him about the " wheels within wheels " which moved this great musical
enterprise, and asked and gladly accepted his advice, which mainly coincided
with my own views of the situation. I then went back to the secretary and
quietly told him that I was ready to settle with Miss Land and to close the
engagement.
"But," said he, manifestly "taken aback," "you have already advertised
concerts in Louisville and Cincinnati, I believe."
"Yes," i replied; "but you may take my contracts for halls and printing off
my hands at cost." I further said that he was welcome to the assistance of my
agent who had made these arrangements, and, moreover, that I would cheerfully
give my own services to help them through with these concerts, thus giving them
a good start " on their own hook."
My liberality, which he acknowledged, emboldened him to make an extraordi-
nary proposition:
" Now suppose," he asked, " Miss Land should wish to give some fifty concerts
in this country, what would you charge as manager, per concert?"
"A million dollars each, not one cent less," I replied. I was now thoroughly
aroused; the whole thing was as clear as daylight, and I continued:
" Now we might as well understand each other; I don't believe Miss Lind has
authorized you to propose to me to cancel our contract; but if she has, just bring
123
124 JENNY LIND.
me a line to that effect over her signature and her check for the amount due me
by the terms of that contract, some $77,000, and we will close our business
connections at once."
"But why not make a new arrangement," persisted the secretary, "for fifty
concerts more, by which Miss Land shall pay you liberally, say $1,000 per
concert? "
" Simply because I hired Miss land, and not she me," I replied, " and because I
never ought to take a farthing less for my risk and trouble than tho contract
gives me. I have voluntarily paid Miss Lind more than twice as much as I
originally contracted to pay her, or as she expected to receive when she first
engaged with me. Now, if she is not satisfied, I wish to settle instantly and
finally. If you do not bring me her decision to-day, I shall go to her for it to-
morrow morning."
I met the secretary soon after breakfast next morning and asked him if he had
a written communication for me from Miss Lind? He said he had not, and that
the whole thing was a "joke." He merely wanted, he added, to see what I would
say to the proposition. I asked him if Miss Lind was in the "joke," as he called
it? He hoped I would not inquire, but would let the matter drop. I went on, as
usual, and gave four more concerts in St. Louis, and followed out my programme
as arranged in other cities for many weeks following; nor at that time, nor at
any time afterwards, did Miss Lind give me the slightest intimation that she had
any knowledge of the proposition of her secretary to cancel our agreement or to
employ me as her manager.
During our stay at St. Louis, I delivered a temperance lecture in the theater,
and, at the close, among other signers of the pledge, was my friend and adviser,
Sol. Smith. "Uncle SoL" as every one called him, was a famous character in
his time. He was an excellent comedian, an author, a manager and a lawyer.
In 1854, he published an autobiographical work, preceded by a dedication which
I venture to copy:
"TO PHINEAS T. BARNUM, PROPRIETOR OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM, ETC.
" Great Impressario : Whilst you were engaged in your grand Jenny Lind
speculation, the following conundrum went the rounds of the American news-
papers:
"'Why is it that Jenny Lind and Barnum will never fall out?' Answer:
' Because he is always for-getting, and she is always for-giving.'
"I have never asked you the question directly, whether you, Mr. Barnum,
started that conundrum, or not; but I strongly suspect that you did. At all
events, I noticed that your whole policy was concentrated into one idea — to make
an angel of Jenny, and depreciate yourself in contrast.
"You may remember that in this city (St. Louis), I acted in one instance as
your 'legal adviser,' and, as such, necessarily became acquainted with all the
particulars of your contract with the so-called Swedish Nightingale, as well as
the various modifications claimed by that charitable lady, and submitted to by
you after her arrival in this country; which modifications (I suppose it need no
longer be a secret) secured to her — besides the original stipulation of one thousand
dollars for every concert, attendants, carriages, assistant artists, and a pompous
and extravagant retinue, fit (only) for a European princess— one half of the profits
of each performance. You may also remember the legal advice I gave you on
the occasion referred to, and the salutary efTor-f; of yoiir following it. You must
remember the extravagant joy you felt afterwards, in Philadelphia, when the
JENNY LIND. 125
• Angel ' made up her mind to avail herself of one of the stipulations in her con-
tract, to break off at the end of a hundred nights, and even bought out seven
of that hundred — supposing that she could go on without your aid as well as
with it. And you cannot but remember, how, like a rocket-stick she dropped,
when your business connection with her ended, and how she ' fizzed out ' the
remainder of her concert nights in this part of the world, and soon afterwards
retired to her domestic blissitude in Sweden.
" You know, Mr. Barnum, if you would only tell, which of the two it was that
was 'for-getting,' and which 'for-giving;' and you also know who actually gave
the larger portion of those sums which you heralded to the world as the sole gifts
of the ' divine Jenny.'
" Of all your speculations — from the negro centenarina, who didn't nurse Gen-
eral Washington, down to the Bearded Woman of Genoa — there was not one
which required the exercise of so much humbuggery as the Jenny Lind concerts;
and I verily believe there is no man living, other than yourself, who could, or
would, have risked the enormous expenditure of money necessary to carry them
through successfully — traveling, with sixty artists, four thousand miles, and
giving ninety-three concerts, at an actual cost of forty-five hundred dollars each,
is what no other rna^ would have undertaken — you accomplished this, and
pocketed by the operation but Little less than two hundred thousand dollars!
Mr. Barnum, you are yourself, alone !
"I honor you, ohl Great Impressario, as the most successful manager in
America or any other country. Democrat, as you are, you can give a practical
lesson to the aristocrats of Europe how to live. At your beautiful and tasteful
residence, ' Irauistan ' (I don't like the name, though), you can and do entertain your
Mends with a warmth of hospitality, only equalled by that of the great landed
proprietors of the old country, or of our own ' sunny South.' Whilst riches are
pouring into your coffers from your various ' ventures ' in all parts of the world,
you do not hoard your immense means, but continually ' cast them forth upon
the waters,' rewarding labor, encouraging the arts, and lending a helping hand to
industry in all its branches. Not content with doing all this, you deal telling blows,
whenever opportunity offers, upon the monster Intemperance. Your labors in
this great cause alone should entitle you to the thanks of all good men, women and
children in the land. Mr. Barnum, you deserve all your good fortune, and I
hope you may long live to enjoy your wealth and honor.
"As a small installment towards the debt, I, as one of the community, owe
you, and with the hope of affording you an hour's amusement (if you can spare
that amount of time from your numerous avocations to read it), I present you
with this Little volume, containing a very brief account of some of my ' journey-
work' in the south and west; and remain, very respectfully,
" Your friend, and affectionate uncle,
" SOL. SMITH.
" CHOUTEAU AVENUE, ST. Louis,
" Nov. 1, 1854."
" Uncle " Sol. Smith must be held solely responsible for his extravagant estimate
of P. T. Barnum, and for his somewhat deprecatory view of the attributes of
the "divine Jenny."
Whenever Miss Lind sang for a public or private charity, she gave her voice,
which was worth a thousand dollars to her every evening. At such times, I
always insisted upon paying for the hall, orchestra, printing, and other expenses,
126 JENXY LIND.
because I felt able and willing to contribute my full share towards the worthy
objects which prompted these benefits.
We were in Havana when I showed to Miss Lind a paper containing the co-
nundrum on " f or-getting " and "for-giving," at which she laughed heartily, but
immediately checked herself and said:
" O! Mr. Barnuin, this is not fair; you know that you really give more than I
do from the proceeds of every one of these charity concerts."
And it is but just to her to say that she frequently remonstrated with me, and
declared that the actual expenses should be deducted, and the thus lessened sum
devoted to the charity for which the concert might be given; but I always laugh-
ingly told her that I must do my part, give my share, and that if it was purely
a business operation, "bread cast upon the waters," it would return, perhaps,
buttered; for the larger her reputation for liberality, the more liberal the public
would surely be to us and to our enterprise.
I have no wish to conceal these facts, and I certainly have no desire to receive
a larger meed of praise than my qualified generosity merits. Justice to myself
and to my management, as well as to Miss Lind, seems to permit, if not to de-
mand, this explanation.
CHAPTEK XXII.
•
CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN.
AFTER five concerts in St. Louis, we went to Nashville, Tennessee, where we
gave our sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh concerts in this country. While there,
Jenny Lind, accompanied by my daughter, Mrs. Lyman, and myself, visited the
" Hermitage," the late residence of General Jackson. On that occasion, for the
first time that season, we heard the wild mocking-birds singing in the trees. This
gave Jenny Lind great delight, as she had never before heard them sing except
in their wire-bound cages.
The first of April occurred while we were in Nashville. I was considerably
annoyed during the forenoon by the calls of members of the company, who came
to me under the belief that I had sent for them. After dinner, I concluded to
give them all a touch of " April fool." The following article, which appeared the
next morning in the Nashville Daily American, my amanuensis having imparted
the secret to the editor, will show how it was done:
" A series of laughable jokes came off yesterday at the Veranda In honor of All Fools'
Day. Mr. Barnum was at the bottom of the mischief. He managed, In some mysterious
manner, to obtain a lot of blank telegraphic despatches and envelopes from one of the offices
in this city, and then went to work and manufactured ' astounding intelligence ' for most of
the parties composing the Jenny Lind suite. Almost every person in the company received
a telegraphic despatch, written under the direction of Barnum. Mr. Barnum's daughter
was informed that her mother, her cousin, and several other relatives, were waiting for her
in Louisville, and various other important and extraordinary items of domestic intelligence
were communicated to her. Mr. Le Grand Smith was told by a despatch from his father
.hat his native village, in Connecticut, was in ashes, including his own homestead, etc.
Several of Barnum's employees had most liberal offers of engagements from banks and
ither institutions at the North. Burke, and others of the musical professors, were offered
princely salaries by opera managers, and many of them received most tempting inducements
;o proceed immediately to the World's Fair in London.
" One married gentleman in Mr. Barnnm's suit received the gratifying Intelligence that
he had for two days been the father of a pair of bouncing boys (mother and children doing
well), an event which he had been anxiously looking for during the week, though on a
somewhat more limited scale. In fact, nearly every person in the party engaged by Bar-
num received some extraordinary telegraphic intelligence ; and, as the great impressario
managed to have the despatches delivered simultaneously, each recipient was for some time
busily occupied with his own personal news.
" By and by each began to tell his neighbor his good or bad tidings ; and each wa», of
course, rejoiced or grieved, according to circumstances. Several gave Mr. Barnum notice
of their intention to leave him, in consequence of better offers ; and a number of them sent
off telegraphic despatches and letters by mail, in answer to those received.
" The man who had so suddenly become the father of twins, telegraphed to his wife to
* be of good cheer,' and that he would ' start for home to-morrow. At a late hour last
night the secret had not got out, and we presume that many of the victims will first learn
from our columns that they have been taken in by Barnum and All Fools' Day 1 "
From Nashville, Jenny Land and a few friends went by way of the Mammoth
Cave to Louisville, while the rest of the party proceeded by steamboat.
While in Havana, I engaged Signor Salvi for a few months, to begin about the
tenth of April. He joined us at Louisville, and sang in the three concerts there
with great satisfaction to the public. Mr. George D. Prentice, of the Louisville
Journal, and his beautiful and accomplished lady, who had contributed much to
the pleasure of Miss Lind and our party, accompanied us to Cincinnati.
As the steamer from Louisville to Cincinnati would arrive at Madison about
sundown, and would wait long enough for us to give a concert, we did so, and at
127
128 CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN.
ten o'clock we were again on board the fine steamer " Ben Franklin " bound for
Cincinnati.
The next morning the crowd upon the wharf was immense. I was fearful that
an attempt to repeat the New Orleans ruse with my daughter would be of no
avail, as the joke had been published in the Cincinnati papers. So I gave my arm
to Miss Lind, and begged her to have no fears for I had hit upon an expedient
which would save her from annoyance. "We then descended the plank to the
shore, and as soon as we had touched it Le Grand Smith called out from the boat,
as if he had been one of the passengers, "That's no go, Mr. Barnum; you can't
pass your daughter off for Jenny Lind this time."
The remark elicited a peal of merriment from the crowd, several persons call-
ing out, "That wont do, Barnum! You may fool the New Orleans folks, but
you can't come it over the 'Buckeyes.' We intend to stay here until you bring
out Jenny Lind I" They readily allowed me to pass with the lady whom they
supposed to be my daughter, and in five minutes afterwards the Nightingale was
complimenting Mr. Coleman upon the beautiful and commodious apartments
which were devoted to her in the Burnett House.
In passing up the river to Pittsburg, the boat waited four hours to enable us to
give a concert at Wheeling.
At Pittsburg we gave one concert.
We reached New York early in May, 1851, and gave fourteen concerts in Castle
Garden and Metropolitan HalL The last of these made the ninety-second regular
concert under our engagement. Jenny Lind had now again reached the atmos-
phere of her legal and other "advisers," and I soon discovered the effects of their
influence. I, however, cared little what course they advised her to pursue. I, in-
deed, wished they would prevail upon her to close with her hundredth concert, for I
had become weary with constant excitement and unremitting exertions. I felt it
would be well for her to try some concerts on her own account, if she saw fit to
credit her advisers' assurance that I had not managed the enterprise as success-
fully as it might have been done.
At about the eighty-fifth concert, therefore, I was most happy to learn from
her lips that she had concluded to pay the forfeiture of twenty-five thousand dol-
lars, and terminate the concerts with the one hundredth.
We went 10 Philadelphia, where I had advertised the ninety-third and
ninety-fourth concerts. Not caring enough for the profits of the remaining
seven concerts to continue the engagement at the risk of disturbing the
friendly feelings which had hitherto uninterruptedly existed between that lady
and myself, I wrote her a letter offering to relinquish the engagement, if she
desired it, at the termination of the concert which was to take place that evening,
upon her simply allowing me a thousand dollars per concert for the seven which
would yet remain to make up the hundred, besides paying me the sum stipulated
as a forfeiture for closing the engagement at the one hundredth concert. This
offer she accepted, and our engagement terminated.
Jenny Lind gave several concerts, with varied success, and then retired to
Niagara Falls, and afterwards to Northampton, Massachusetts. While sojourn-
ing at the latter place, she visited Boston and was married to Mr. Otto Gold-
Bchmidt, a German composer and pianist, to whom she was much attached, and
who had studied music with her in Germany. He played several times in our
concerts. He was a very quiet, inoffensive gentleman, and an accomplished
musician.
CLOSE OP THE CAMPAIGN.
1 met her several times after our engagement terminated. She was alwayi
affable. On one occasion, while passing through Bridgeport, she told me that she
had been sadly harassed in giving her concerts. " People cheat me and swindle
me very much," said she, "and I find it very annoying to give concerts on my
own account."
I was always supplied with complimentary tickets when she gave concerts in
New York, and on the occasion of her last appearance in America I visited her
in her room back of the stage, and bade her and her husband adieu, with my best
wishes. She expressed the same feeling to me in return. She told me she should
never sing much, if any more, in public; but I reminded her that a good Provi
dence had endowed her with a voice which enabled her to contribute in an emi
nent degree to the enjoyment of her fellow beings, and if she no longer needed
the large sums of money which they were willing to pay for this elevating and
delightful entertainment, she knew by experience what a genuine pleasure she
would receive by devoting the money to the alleviation of the wants and sorrows
of those who needed it.
"Ah! Mr. Barnum," she replied, " that is very true; and it would be ungrate-
ful in me to not continue to use, for the benefit of the poor and lowly, that gift
which our kind Heavenly Father has so graciously bestowed upon me. Yes, I
will continue to sing so long as my voice lasts, but it will be mostly for charitable
objects, for I am thankful to say that I have all the money which I shall ever
need." Pursuant to this resolution, the larger portion of the concerts which
this noble lady has given since her return to Europe have been for objects of
benevolence.
If she consents to sing for a charitable object in London, for instance, the fact
is not advertised at all, but the tickets are readily disposed of in a private, quiet
way, at a guinea and half a guinea each.
After so many months of anxiety, labor and excitement, in the Jenny Lind
enterprise, it will readily be believed that I desired tranquillity. I spent a week
at Cape May, and then came home to Iranistan, where I remained during the
entire summer.
JENNY LIND CONCERTS.
TOTAL RECEIPTS, EXCEPTING OF CONCERTS DEVOTED TO CHARITY.
New York -$5,773 40
4,993.50
6,670.15
9,840. as
7,097.15
8,263.30
10,570.25
10 g4g 45
Philadelphia '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. '. 5,'480>5
" 5,728.65
3,709.88
4,815.48
B;ilt more 7,117.00
8,S>7.05
8,406.50
8,121.33
Washington City 6,878.55
" 8,507.05
Richmond 12,385.21
Charleston 6,775 00
" 3,653.75
Havana 4,666.17
" 2,837.92
Havana 2,931 95
New Orleans 12,59985
New York
$17,864.05
No. 23.
"
14,203.03
24.
No. 1.
«•
. 12,519.59
26.
2.
" ....
14,266.09
27.
3.
"
12,174.74
28.
4.
"
16,028.39
29.
5.
Boston
16,479.50
30.
6.
"
11 848.62
31.
7.
"
8,639.92
32.
8.
"
10,169.25
33.
9.
Providence
6.525.54
34.
10.
Boston
10.524.87
35.
11.
"
5,240.00
36.
12.
"
7,586.00
37.
13.
Philadelphia
9,291.25
38.
14.
41 . .
7,547.00
39.
15.
"
8,458.65
40.
16.
New York
6,415.90
41.
17.
"
4.009.70
42.
18.
"
5,982.00
43.
19.
"
8,007.10
44.
20.
•* ,
6.334.20
45.
21.
•'
9,429.15
46.
22.
9,912.17
47.
130
CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN".
No. 48.
New Orleans
$10,210.42 1
*o. 71.
Madison
$3,693.25
49.
8,131.15
72.
9,339.75
50.
*
6,019.85
73.
11,001.50
51.
••
6,644.00
74
"
8,446.30
52.
««
9,720.80
75.
"
8,954.18
53.
"
7,545.50
76.
"
6,500.40
54.
«*
6,053.50
77.
Wheeling
5,000.00
65.
i
4,850.25
78.
Pittsburg
7,210.58
56.
«
4,495.85
79.
New York
6,858.42
57.
"
6.630.35
80.
"
5,453.00
58.
"
4,745.10
81.
'
5,403.70
59.
Natchez
5,000.00
82.
7,378.35
60.
Memphis
4,539.56
83.
'
7,179.27
61.
St. Louis
7.811.85
84.
'
6,641.00
62.
«
7,961.92
85.
'
6.917.13
63.
*«
7,708.70
86.
"
6.642.04
64.
"
4,086.50
87.
"
3.738.75
65.
"
3,044.70
88.
"
4,3:55.28
66.
Nashville
7,786.30
89.
"
5.339.23
67.
"
4,248.00
90.
"
4,087.03
68.
Louisville
7,833.90
91.
"
5.717.00
69.
*
6.595.60
92.
" ...
9.525.80
70.
"
5,000.00
93.
Philadelphia..
3,852.75
(• SARITT CONCERTS. — Of Miss Lind's half receipts of the first two Concerts she devoted
fll XX) to charity in New York. She afterwards gave Charity Concerts in Boston, Balti-
more. Charleston, Havana, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia, and donated large
suma for the like purposes in Richmond, Cincinnati and elsewhere. There were also several
Benefit Concerts, for the Orchestra, Le Grand Smith, and other persons and objects.
RECAPITULATION.
NEW YORK 35 CONCERTS.
PHILADELPHIA 8 "
BOSTON 7
PROVIDENCE 1
BALTIMORE 4
WASHINGTON 2
RICHMOND 1
CHARLESTON 2
HAVANA 3
NEW ORLEANS 12
NATCHEZ 1
MEMPHIS 1
ST. Louis 5
NASHVILLE 2
LOUISVILLE 3
MADISON 1
CINCINNATI 5
WHEELING 1
PITT8BUR8 1
RECEIPTS, $286,216.64
48,aS4.41
70,388.16
6.535.54
32U01.88
15,385.60
12,385.21
10,428.75
10,436.04
87,646.12
5.000.00
4,539.56
30,613.67
12,034.30
19,429.50
3,693.25
44,242.13
5,000.00
7,210.58
AVERAGE, $8.177.50
' 6,110.55
10.055.45
' 6,525.54
' 8,000.47
7,692.80
12,385.21
5,214.37
" 3,478.68
" 7.303.84
" 5,000.00
4,539.56
" 6,122.73
" 6,017.15
" 6.476.50
" 3.693.25
" 8,848.43
5,000.00
7.210.58
TOTAL 96 CONGESTS. RECEIPTS, $712,161.34 AVERAGE, $7,496.43
JENNY LIXD'S RECEIPTS.
From the Total Receipts of Ninety-five Concerts $712,161.34
Deduct the receipts of the first two, which, as between P. T. Bar-
nnm and Jenny Lind, were aside from the contract, and are
not numbered in the Table 32,067.08
Total Receipts of Concerts from No. 1 to No. 93 $680,094.26
Deduct the Receipts of the 28 Concerts, each of
which fell short of $5,500 $123,311.15
Also deduct $5,500 for each of the remaining 65 Con-
certs 357.500.00 480,811.15
Leaving the total excess, as above
Being equally divided, Miss Lind's portion was
I paid her $1,000 for each of the 93 Concerts
Also one-half the receipts of the first two Concerts
Amount paid to Jenny Lind
$199,283.11
$99,641.55
93,000.00
16,033.54
$208,675.08
CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN. 131
She refunded to me as forfeiture, per contract, in case she with-
drew after the 100th Concert $26,000
She also paid me $1,000 each for the seven concerts relinquished, 7,000 $32,000.00
JENNY LIND'S net avails of 95 concerts $176,6*5.09
P. T. BABNUM'S gross receipts, alter paying Miss Lind 535,486 .25
TOTAI RECEIPTS of 95 Concerts $712,161.34
PRICE OF TICKETS. — The highest prices paid for tickets were at auction, 'as follows: —
John N. Genin, in New York, $225; Ossian E. Dodge, in Boston, $625; Col. William C. Ross,
in Providence, #650; M. A. Root, in Philadelphia, $625; Mr. D'Arcy, in New Orleans, $240;
a keeper of a refreshment saloon in St. Louis, $150; a Daguerreotypist, in Baltimore. $100.
1 ciinnot now recall the names of the last two. After the sale of the first ticket the pre-
•nium usually fell to $20, an:! «o downward in the scale of figures. The fixed price of tick-
eta ranged from $7 to $3. Promenade tickets were from $2 to $1 each.
CHAPTER XXIII.
OTHER ENTERPRISES.
IN 1849 I had projected a great traveling museum and menagerie, and, as I
had neither time nor inclination to manage such a concern, I induced Mr. Seth
B. Howes, justly celebrated as a "showman," to join me, and take the sole
charge. Mr. Sherwood E. Stratton, father of General Tom Thumb, was also
admitted to partnership, the interest being in thirds.
In carrying out a portion of the plan, we chartered the ship "Regatta," Cap-
tain Pratt, and despatched her, together with our agents, Messrs. June and
Nutter, to Ceylon. The ship left New York in May, 1850, and was absent one
year. Their mission was to procure, either by capture or purchase, twelve or
more living elephants, besides such other wild animals as they could secure. In
order to provide sufficient drink and provender for a cargo of these huge animals,
we purchased a large quantity of hay in New York. Five hundred tons were
left at the Island of St. Helena, to be taken on the return trip of the ship, and
staves and hoops of water-casks were also left at the same place.
They arrived in New York in 1851, with ten elephants, and these harnessed ia
pairs to a chariot, paraded up Broadway past the Irving House, while Jenny
Land was staying at that hotel, on the occasion of her second visit to New York.
We added a caravan of wild animals and many museum curiosities, the entire
outfit, including horses, vans, carriages, tent, etc., costing $109,000, and com-
menced operations, with the presence and under the "patronage" of General
Tom Thumb, who traveled nearly four years as one of the attractions of " Bar-
num's Great Asiatic Caravan, Museum and Menagerie," returning us immense
profits.
At the end of that time, after exhibiting in all sections of the country, we
sold out the entire establishment — animals, cages, chariots and paraphernalia,
excepting one elephant, which I retained in my own possession two months for
agricultural purposes. It occurred to me that if I could put an elephant to
plowing for a while on my farm at Bridgeport, it would be a capital advertise-
ment for the American Museum, which was then, and always during my
proprietorship of that establishment, foremost in my thoughts.
So I sent him to Connecticut in charge of his keeper, whom I dressed in Oriental
costume, and keeper and elephant were stationed on a six-acre lot which lay close
beside the track of the New York and New Haven railroad. The keeper was
furnished with a time-table of the road, with special instructions to be busily
engaged in his work whenever passenger trains from either way were passing
through. Of course, the matter soon appeared in the papers and went the entire
rounds of the press in this country and even in Europe. Hundreds of people
came many miles to witness the novel spectacle.* Letters poured in upon me
from the secretaries of hundreds of State and county agricultural societies
throughout the Union, stating that the presidents and directors of such societies
had requested them to propound to me a series of questions in regard to the new
* See Illustration, opposite.
132
OtHEB EHTERPRISE8-. 133
power I had put in operation on my farm. These questions were greatly diver-
sified, but the "general run" of them were something like the follo~.ving:
1. "Is the elephant a profitable agricultural animal? "
2. " How much can an elephant plow in a day? "
3. " How much can he draw? "
4. "How much does he eat?" — this question was invariably asked, and was si
very important one.
5. " Will elephants make themselves generally useful on a farm? "
6. " What is the price of an elephant? "
7. "Where can elephants be purchased?"
Then would follow a score of other inquiries, such as, whether elephants were
easily managed; if they would quarrel with cattle; if it was possible to breed
them; how old calf elephants must be before they would earn their own living:
<nd so on indefinitely. I began to be alarmed lest some one should buy an
elephant, and so share the fate of the man who drew one in a lottery, and did
not know what to do with him. I accordingly had a general letter printed,
which I mailed to all my anxious inquirers. It was headed "strictly confiden-
tial," and I then stated, begging my correspondents "not to mention it," that to
me the elephant was a valuable agricultural animal, because he was an excellent
advertisement to my Museum; but that to other farmers he would prove very
unprofitable for many reasons. In the first place, such an animal would cost from
$3,000 to $10,000; in cold weather he could not work at all; in any weather he
could not earn even half his living ; he would eat up the value of his own head,
trunk, and body every year; and I begged my correspondents not to do so fool-
ish a thing as to undertake elephant farming.
Newspaper reporters came from far and near, and wrote glowing accounts of
the elephantine performances. Pictures of Barnum's plowing elephant appeared
in illustrated papers at home and abroad.
The six acres were plowed over at least sixty times before I thought the adver-
tisement sufficiently circulated, and I then sold the elephant to Van Amburgh's
Menagerie.
In 1851 I became a part owner of the steamship "North America." Our
intention in buying it was to run it to Ireland as a passenger and freight ship.
The project was, however, abandoned, and Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt
bought one-half of the steamer, while the other half was owned by three persons,
of whom I was one. The steamer was sent around Cape Horn to San Francisco,
and was put into the Vanderbilt line.
After she had made several trips I called upon Mr. Vanderbilt, at his office, and
introduced myself, as this was the first time we had met.
"Is it possible you are Barnurn?" exclaimed the Commodore, in surprise,
"why, I expected to see a monster, part lion, part elephant, and a mixture of
rhinoceros and tiger! Is it possible," he continued, "that you are the showman
who has made so much noise in the world? "
I laughingly replied that I was, and added that if I too had been governed in
my anticipation of his personal appearance by the fame he had achieved in his
line, I should have expected to have been saluted by a steam whistle, and to have
seen him dressed in a pea jacket, blowing off steam, and crying out "all aboard
that's going."
" Instead of which," replied Mr. Vanderbilt, " I suppose you have come to ask
me ' to walk up to the Captain's office and settle.' "
134 OTHER ENTERPRISES.
After this interchange of civilities, we talked about the success of tne " North
America" in having got safely around the Horn, and of the acceptable manner
in which she was doing her duty on the Pacific side.
" We have received no statement of her earnings yet," said the Commodore,
"but if you want money, give your receipt to our treasurer, and take some."
A few months subsequent to this, I sold out my share in the steamship to Mr.
Daniel Drew.
Some references to the various enterprises and "side shows" connected with
and disconnected from my Museum, is necessary to show how industriously I
have catered for the public's amusement, not only in America but abroad. When
I was in Paris in 1&44, in addition to the purchase of Robert Houdin's ingenious
automaton writer, and many other costly curiosities for the Museum, 1 ordered,
at an expense of $3,000, a panoramic diorama of the obsequies of Napoleon.
Every event of that grand pageant, from the embarkation of the body at St.
Helena, to its entombment at the Hotel des Invalides, amid the most gorgeous
parade ever witnessed in France, was wonderfully depicted. This exhibition,
after having had its day at the American Museum, was sold, and extensively aud
profitably exhibited elsewhere. While I was in London, during the same year, I
engaged a company of " Campanalogians, or Lancashire Bell Ringers," then
performing in Ireland, to make an American tour. They were really admirable
performers, and by means of their numerous bells, of various sizes, they produced
the most delightful music. They attracted much attention in various parts of
the United States, in Canada, and in Cuba.
As a compensation to England for the loss of the Bell Ringers, I despatched an
agent to America for a party of Indians, including squaws. He proceeded to
Iowa, and returned to London with a company of sixteen. They were exhibited
by Mr. Catlin on our joint account, and were finally left in his sole charge.
On my first return visit to America from Europe, I engaged Mr. Faber, an
elderly and ingenious German, who had constructed an automaton speaker. It
was of life-size, and when worked with keys similar to those of a piano, it really
articulated words and sentences with surprising distinctness. My agent exhibited
it for several months in Egyptian Hall, London, and also in the provinces. This
was a marvelous piece of mechanism, though for some unaccountable reason
it did not prove a success. The Duke of Wellington visited it several times, and
at first he thought that the "voice" proceeded from the exhibitor, whom he
assumed to be a skillful ventriloquist. He was asked to touch the keys with his
own fingers, and, after some instruction in the method of operating, he was able
to make the machine speak, not only in English but also in German, with which
language the Duke seemed familiar. Thereafter, he entered his name on the
exhibitor's autograph book, and certified that the "Automaton Speaker" was an
extraordinary production of mechanical genius.
The models of machinery exhibited in the Royal Polytechnic Institution in
London, pleased me so well that I procured a duplicate; also duplicates of the
" Dissolving Views," the Chromatrope and Physioscope, including many Ameri-
can scenes painted expressly to my order, at an aggregate cost of $7,000. After
they had been exhibited in my Museum, they were sold to itinerant showmen,
and some of them were afterwards on exhibition in various parts of the United
States.
In June, 1850, I added the celebrated Chinese Collection to the attractions of
the American Museum. I also engaged the Chinese Family, consisting of two
men, two "small-footed" women and two children.
OTHER ENTERPRISES. 135
The giants whom I sent to America were not the greatest of my curiosities,
though the dwarfs might have been the least. The " Scotch Boys" were inter-
esting, not so much on account of their weight, as for the mysterious method by
which one of them, though blindfolded, answered questions put by the other
respecting objects presented by persons who attended the surprising exhibition.
The mystery, which was merely the result of patient practice, consisted wholly
in the manner in which the question was propounded; in fact, the question
invariably carried its own answer; for instance:
"What is this?" meant gold; "Now what is this?" silver; "Say what is this?"
copper; "Tell me what this is?" iron; "What is the shape?" long; "Now what
shape?" round; "Say what shape," square; "Please say what this is," a watch;
" Can you tell what is in this lady's hand?" a purse; " Now please say what this
is?" a key; "Come now, what is this?" money; "How much?" a penny "Now
how much?" sixpence; " Say how much," a quarter of a dollar; " What color is
this? "black; "Now what color is this?" red; "Say what color," green; and so
on, ad infinitum. To such perfection was this brought that it was almost impos-
sible to present any object that could not be quite closely described by the blind-
folded boy. This is the key to all exhibitions of what is called "second sight."
In 1850, the celebrated Bateman children acted for several weeks at the Ameri-
can Museum, and in June of that year I sent them to London with their father
and Mr. Le Grand Smith, where they played in the St. James Theater, and
afterwards in the principal provincial theaters. The elder of these children,
Miss Kate Bateman, subsequently attained the highest histronic distinction in
America and abroad, and reached the very head of her profession.
In October, 1852, having stipulated with Mr. George A. Wells and Mr. Bush-
nell that they should share in the enterprise and take the entire charge, I engaged
Miss Catherine Hayes and Herr Begnis, to give a series of sixty concerts in
California, and the engagement was fulfilled to our entire satisfaction. Mr.
Bushnell afterwards went to Australia with Miss Hayes, and they were subse-
quently married. Both of them are dead.
Before setting out for California, Miss Catherine Hayes, her mother and sister,
spent several days at Iranistan and were present at the marriage of my eldest
daughter, Caroline, to Mr. DaMd W. Thompson. The wedding was to take place
in the evening, and in the afternoon I was getting shaved in a barber-shop in
Bridgeport, when Mr. Thompson drove up to the door in great haste and
exclaimed:
"Mr. Barnum, Iranistan is in flames!"
I ran out half -shaved, with the lather on my face, jumped into his wagon and
bade him drive home with all speed. I was greatly alarmed, for the house was
full of visitors who had come from a distance to attend the wedding, and all the
costly presents, dresses, refreshments, and everything prepared for a marriage
celebration to which nearly a thousand guests had been invited, were already in
my bouse. Mr. Thompson told me that he had seen the flames bursting from the
roof, and it seemed to me that there was little hope of saving the building.
My mind was distressed, not so much at the great pecuniary loss which the de-
struction of Iranistan would involve, as at the possibility that some of my family
or visitors would be killed or seriously injured in attempting to save something
from the fire. Then I thought of the sore disappointment this calamity would
cause to the young couple, as well as to those who were invited to the wedding.
I saw that Mr. Thompson looked pale and anxious.
136 OTHEK ENTERPSISES.
"Never mind!" said I; "we can't help these things; the house will probably
be burned; but if no one is killed or injured, you shall be married to-night, if we
are obliged to perform the ceremony in the coach-house."
On our way, we overtook a fire-company, and I implored them to "hurry up
their machine." Arriving in sight of Iranistan, we saw huge volumes of smoke
rolling out from the roof and many men on the top of the house were passing
buckets of water to pour upon the fire. Fortunately, several men had been
engaged during the day in repairing the roof, and their ladders were against the
house. By these means and with the assistance of the men employed upon my
grounds, water was passed very rapidly, and the flames were soon subdued with-
out serious damage. The inmates of Iranistan were thoroughly frightened;
Catherine Hayes and other visitors, packed their trunks and had them carried
out on the lawn; and the house came as near destruction as it well could, and
escape.
While Miss Hayes was in Bridgeport, I induced her to give a concert for the
benefit of the "Mountain Grove Cemetery," and the large proceeds were devoted
to the erection of the beautiful stone tower and gateway at the entrance of that
charming ground. The land for this cemetery, about eighty acres, had been
bought by me, years before, from several farmers. I had often shot over the
ground while hunting a year or two before, and had then seen its admirable
capabilities for the purpose to which it was eventually devoted. After deeds for
the property were secured, it was offered for a cemetery, and at a meeting of
citizens several lots were subscribed for, enough, indeed, to cover the amount
of the purchase money. Thus was begun the "Mountain Grove Cemetery,"
which is now beautifully laid out and adorned with many tasteful and costly
monuments.* Among these are my own substantial granite monument, the
family monuments of Harral, Bishop, Hubbell, Lyon, Wood, Loomis, Wordin,
Hyde, and others, and General Torn Thumb has erected a tall marble shaft which
is surmounted by a life-size statue of himself. There is no more Charming burial-
ground in the whole country; yet when the project was suggested, many persons
preferred an intermural cemetry to this rural resting-place for their departed
friends; though now all concur in considering it fortunate that this adjunct was
secured to Bridgeport before the land could be permanently devoted to other
purposes.
Some time afterwards, when Mr. Dion Boucicault visited me at Bridgeport,
at my solicitation, he gave a lecture for the benefit of this cemetery. I may add
that on several occasions I have secured the services of General Tom Thumb, and
others, for this and equally worthy objects in Bridgeport. When the General
first returned with me from England, he gave exhibitions for the benefit of the
Bridgeport Charitable Society. September 28, 1867, I induced him and his wife,
with Commodore Nutt and Minnie Warren, to give their entertainment for the
benefit of the Bridgeport Library, thus adding $475 to the funds of that institu-
tion; and on one occasion, I lectured to a full house in the Methodist Church, and
the entire receipts were given to the library, of which I was already a life
member, on account of previous subscriptions and contributions.
* See Illustration, page 144.
CHAPTER XXIV.
WORK A*ND PLAY.
IN the summer, I think, of 1853, 1 saw it announced in the uewspapei-s that Mr.
Alfred Bunn, the great ex-manager of Drury Lane Theater, in London, had
arrived in Boston. I knew Mr. Bunn by reputation, not only from his mana-
gerial career, but from the fact that he made the first engagement with Jenny
Lind bo appear in London. This engagement, however, Mr. Lumley, of Her
Majesty's Theater, induced her to break, he standing a lawsuit with Mr. Bunn,
and paying heavy damages. I had never met Mr. Bunn, but he took it for
granted that I had seen him, for one day after his arrival in this country, a burly
Englishman abruptly stepped into my private office in the Museum, and, assuming
a theatrical attitude, addressed me:
"Barnum, do you remember me?"
I was confident I had never seen the man before, but it struck me at once that
no Englishman 1 ever heard of would be likely to exhibit more presumption or
assumption than the ex-manager of Drury Lane, and I jumped at the conclusion :
" Is not this Mr. Bunn?"
"Ah! Ah! my boy!" he exclaimed, slapping me familiarly on the back, "I
thought you would remember me. Well, Barnum, how have you been since I
last saw you!"
I replied in a manner that would humor his impression that we were old
acquaintances, and during his two hours' visit we had much gossip about men
and things in London. He called upon me several times, and it probably never
entered into his mind that I could possibly have been in London two or three
years without having made the personal acquaintance of so great a lion as Alfred
Bunn.
I met Mr. Bunn again in 1858, in London, at a dinner party of a mutual friend,
Mr. Levy, proprietor of the London Daily Telegraph. Of course, Bunn and I
were great chums and very old and intimate acquaintances. At the same dinner,
I met several literary and dramatic gentlemen.
In 1851, 1852, and 1853, I spent much of my time at my beautiful home in
Bridgeport, going very frequently to New York, to attend to matters in the
Museum, but remaining in the city only a day or two at a time. I resigned the
office of President of the Fairfield County Agricultural Society in 1853, but the
members accepted my resignation, only on condition that it should not go into
effect until after the fair of 1854. During my administration, the society held
six fairs and cattle-shows — four in Bridgeport and two in Stamford — and the
interest in these gatherings increased from year to year.
Pickpockets are always present at these country fairs, and every year there
were loud complaints of the depredations of these operators. In 1853 a man was
caught in the act of taking a pocket-book from a country farmer, nor was this
farmer the only one who had suffered in the same way. The scamp was arrested,
and proved to be a celebrated English pickpocket. As the fair would close the
next day, and as most persons had already visited it, we expected our receipts
would be light.
137
138 WORK AND PLAY.
Early in the morning the detected party was legally examined, plead guilty,
and was bound over for trial I obtained consent from the sheriff that the cul-
prit should be put in the fair room for the purpose of giving those who had been
robbed an opportunity to identify him. For this purpose he was handcuffed, and
placed in a conspicuous position, where, of course, he was "the observed of all
observers." I then issued handbills, stating that as it was the last day of the
Fair, the managers were happy to announce that they had secured extra attrac-
tions for the occasion, and would accordingly exhibit, safely handcuffed, and
without extra charge, a live pickpocket, who had been caught in the act of
robbing an honest farmer the day previous. Crowds of people rushed in " to see
the show." Some good mothers brought their children ten miles for that
purpose, and our treasury was materially benefited by the operation.
At the close of my presidency in 1854, I was requested to deliver the opening
speech at our county fair, which was held at Stamford. As I was not able to
give agricultural advice, I delivered a portion of my lecture on the " Philosophy
of Humbug." The next morning, as I was being shaved in the village barber's
shop, which was at the time crowded with customers, the ticket-seller to the
fair came in.
" What kind of a house did you have last night?" asked one of the gentlemen
in waiting.
" Oh, first-rate, of course. Barnum always draws a crowd," was the reply of
the ticket-seller, to whom I was not known.
Most of the gentlemen present, however, knew me, and they found much diffi-
culty in restraining their laughter.
" Did Barnum make a good speech?" I asked.
" I did not hear it. I was out in the ticket-office. I guess it was pretty good,
for I never heard so much laughing as there was all through his speech. But it
makes no difference whether it was good or not," continued the ticket-seller,
" the people will go to see Barnum."
"Barnum must be a curious chap," I remarked.
" Well, I guess he is up to all the dodges."
" Do you know him?" I asked.
"Not personally," he replied; " but I always get into the Museum for nothing.
1 know the doorkeeper, and he slips me in free."
"Barnum would not like that, probably, if he knew it," I remarked
" But it happens he don't know it," replied the ticket-seller, in great glee.
" Barnum was on the cars the other day, on his way to Bridgeport," said I,
" and I heard one of the passengers blowing him up terribly as a humbug. He
was addressing Barnum at the time, but did not know him. Barnum joined in
lustily, and indorsed everything the man said. When the passenger learned
whom he had been addressing, I should think he must have felt rather flat."
" I should think so, too," said the ticket-seller.
This was too much, and we all indulged in a burst of laughter; still the ticket-
seller suspected nothing. After I had left the shop, the barber told him who I
was. I called into the ticket-office on business several tunes during the day, but
the poor ticket-seller kept his face turned from me, and appeared so chap-fallen
that I did not pretend to recognize him as the hero of the joke in the barber's
shop.
This incident reminds me of numerous similar ones which have occurred at
various times. On one occasion — it was in 1847 — I was on board the steamboat
from New York to Bridgeport. As we approached the harbor of the latter city
WORK AND PLAY. 139
a stranger desired me to point out " Baraum's bouse " from the upper deck. 1
did so, whereupon a bystander remarked, "I know all about that house, for 1
was engaged in painting there for several months while Barnum was in Europe."
He then proceeded to say that it was the meanest and most ill-contrived house he
ever saw. "It will cost old Barnum a mint of money and not be worth two
cents after it is finished," he added.
"I suppose old Barnum don't pay very punctually," I remarked.
Oh, yes, he pays punctually every Saturday night — thnre's no trouble about
that; he has made half a million by exhibiting a little boy whom he took from
Bridgeport, and whom we never considered any great shakes till Barnum took
him and trained him."
Soon afterwards one of the passengers told him who I was, whereupon he
secreted himself, and was not seen again while I remained on the boat.
On another occasion, I went to Boston by the Fall River route. Arriving
before sunrise, I found but one carriage at the depot. I immediately engaged it,
and, giving the driver the check for my baggage, told him to take me directly to
the Revere House, as I was in great haste, and enjoined him to take in no other
passengers, and I would pay his demands. He promised compliance with my
wishes, but soon afterwards appeared with a gentleman, two ladies, and several
children, whom he crowded into the carriage with me, and, placing their trunks
on the baggage rack, started off. I thought there was no use in grumbling, and
consoled myself with the reflection that the Revere House was not far away.
He drove up one street and down another, for what seemed to me a very long
time, but I was wedged in so closely that I could not see what route he was
taking.
After half an hour's drive he halted, and I found we were at the Lowell Rail-
way depot. Here my fellow-passengers alighted, and, after a long delay, the
driver delivered their baggage, received his fare, and was about closing the car-
riage door preparatory to starting again. I was so thoroughly vexed at the
shameful manner in which he had treated me, that I remarked:
"Perhaps you had better wait till the Lowell train arrives; you may possibly
get another load of passengers. Of course my convenience is of no consequence.
I suppose if you land me at the Revere House any time this week, it will be as
much as I have a right to expect."
"I beg your pardon," he replied, "but that was Barnum and his family. He
was very anxious to get here in time for the first train, so I stuck him for $2, and
now I'll carry you to the Revere House free."
" What Barnum is it?'' I asked.
" The Museum and Jenny Lind man," he replied.
The compliment and the shave both having been intended for me, I was of
course mollified, and replied, "You are mistaken, my friend, Jam Barnum."
"Coachee" was thunderstruck, and offered all sorts of apologies.
"A friend at the other depot told me that I had Mr. Barnum on board," said
he, " and I really supposed he meant the other man. When I come to notice you,
I perceive my mistake, but I hope you will forgive me. I have carried you
frequently before, and hope you will 'give me your custom while you are in
Boston. I never will make such a mistake again."
In the spring of 1851, the Connecticut legislature chartered the Pequonnock
Bank of Bridgeport, with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars. I had no
interest whatever in the charter, and did not even know that an application was
to be made for it. More banking capital was needed in Bridgeport in consequence
140 WOKK AND PLAY.
of the great increase of trade and manufactures in that growing and prosperous
city, and this fact appearing in evidence, the charter was granted as a public
benefit. The stock-books were opened under the direction of State commissioners,
according to the laws of the Commonwealth, and nearly double the amount of
capital was subscribed on the first day. The stock was distributed by the
commissioners among several hundred applicants. Circumstances unexpectedly
occurred which induced me to accept the presidency of the bank, in compliance
with the unanimous vote of its directors. Feeling that I could not, from my
many avocations, devote the requisite personal attention to the duties of the
office, C. B. HubbeU, Esq., then mayor of Bridgeport, was at my request appointed
vice-president of the institution.
In the fall of 1852 a proposition was made by certain parties to commence the
publication of an illustrated weekly newspaper in the city of New York. The
field seemed to be open for such an enterprise, and I invested twenty thousand
dollars in the concern, as special partner, in connection with two other gentlemen
who each contributed twenty thousand dollars, as general partners. Within a
month after the publication of the first number of the Illustrated News, which
was issued on the first day of January, 1853, our weekly circulation had reached
seventy thousand. Numerous and almost insurmountable difficulties, for novices
in the business, continued however to arise, and my partners, becoming weary
and disheartened with constant over-exertion, were anxious to wind up the
enterprise at the end of the first year. The good-will and the engravings were
sold to Gleascm's Factorial, in Boston, and the concern was closed without loss.
In February, 1854, numerous stockholders applied to me to accept the presi-
dency of the Crystal Palace, or, as it was termed, "The Association for the
Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations." I utterly declined listening to such
a project, as I felt confident that the novelty had passed away, and that it would
be difficult to revive public interest in the affair.
Shortly afterwards, however, I was waited upon by numerous influential gen-
tlemen, and strongly urged to allow my name to be used. I repeatedly objected
to this, and at last consented, much against my own judgment Having been
elected one of the directors, I was by that body chosen president. I accepted
the office conditionally, reserving the right to decline if I thought, upon investi-
gation, that there was no vitality left in the institution. Upon examining the
accounts said to exist against the association, many were pronounced indefensible
by those who I supposed knew the facts in the case, while various debts existing
against the concern were not exhibited when called for, and I knew nothing of
their existence until after I accepted the office of president. I finally accepted
it, only because no suitable person could be found who was willing to devote his
entire time and services to the enterprise, and because I was frequently urged by
Erectors and stockholders to take hold of it for the benefit of the city at large,
inasmuch as it was well settled that the Palace would be permanently closed early
in April, 1854, if I did not take the helm.
These considerations moved me, and I entered upon my duties with all the
vigor which I could command. To save it from bankruptcy, I advanced large
sums of money for the payment of debts, and tried by every legitimate means to
create an excitement and bring it into life. By extraneous efforts, such as the
Re-inauguration, the Monster Concerts of Jullien, the Celebration of Independ-
ence, etc., it was temporarily revived, but it was up-hill work, and I resigned
the presidency.
WORK AND PLAT. 141
The following trifling incident, which occurred at Iranistan in the winter of
1852, has been called to my mind by a lady friend from Philadelphia, who was
visiting us at the time. The poem was sent to me soon after the occurrence, but
was lost and the subject forgotten until my Philadelphia friend recently sent it
to me with the wish that I should insert it in the present volume:
WINTER BOUQUETS.
AN INCIDENT IN THE UFE OJ1 AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.
THE poor man's garden lifeless lay
Beneath a fall of snow ;
But Art in costly greenhouses,
Keeps Summer in full glow.
And Taste paid gold for bright bouquets.
The parlor vase that drest,
That scented Fashion's gray boudoir,
Or bloomed on Beauty's breast.
A rich man sat beside the flre,
Within his sculptured halls ;
Brave heart, clear head, and busy hand
Had reared those stately walls.
He to his gardener spake, and said
In tone of quiet glee—
" 1 want a hundred fine bouquets —
Canst make them, John, for me ?"
John's eyes became exceeding round,
This question when he heard;
He gazed upon his master,
And he answered not a word.
" Well, John," the rich man laughing said,
" If these too many be,
What sayest to half the number, man ?
Canst fifty make for me ? "
Now John prized every flower, as 'twere
A daughter or a son ;
And thought, like Regan — " what the need
Of fifty, or of one?v'
But, keeping back the thought, he said,
" I think, sir, that I might;
But it would leave my lady's flowers
In very ragged plight."
" Well, John, thy vegetable pets
Must needs respected be ;
We'll halve the number once again—
Make twenty-five for me.
And hark ye, John, when they are made
Come up and let me know ;
And I'll give thee a list of those
To whom the flowers must go."
The twenty-five bouquets were made,
And round the village sent ;
And to whom thinkest thou, my friend,
These floral jewels went?
Not to the beautiful and proud —
Not to the rich and gay—
\\'ho, Dives-like, at Luxury's feast
Are seated every day.
An aged Pastor, on his desk
Saw those fair preachers stand;
A Widow wept upon the gift,
And blessed the giver's hand.
Where Poverty bent o'er her task,
They cheered the lonely room;
Anil round the bed where sickness lay,
They breathed Health's Iresli perfume.
142 WORK AND PLAY.
Oh! kindly heart and open hand —
Those flowers in dust are trod,
Bat they bloom to weave a wreath for thee,
In the Paradise of God.
Sweet is the Minstrel's task, whose song
Of deeds like these may tell ;
And long may he have power to give,
Who wields that power so well I
MBS. ANNA BAC
Pim.ATMtI.PP A,
UHAPTEK XXV.
THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY ENTANGLEMENT.
I NOW come to a series of events which, all things considered, constitute one of
the most remarkable experiences of my life — an experience which brought me
much pain and many trials; which humbled my pride and threatened me with
hopeless financial ruin; and yet, nevertheless, put new blood in my veins, fresh
vigor in my action, warding off all temptation to rust in the repose which afflu-
ence induces, and developed, I trust, new and better elements of manliness in
my character.
When the blow fell upon me, I thought I could never recover; the event has
shown, however, that I have gained both in character and fortune, and what
threatened, for years, to be my ruin, has proved one of the most fortunate hap-
penings of my career. The "Bull Run" of my life's battle was a crushing
defeat, which, unknown to me at the time, only presaged the victories which
were to follow.
It is vital to the narrative that I should give some account of the new city,
East Bridgeport, and my interests therein, which led directly to my subsequent
complications with the Jerome Clock Company.
In 1851, I purchased from Mr. William H. Noble, of Bridgeport, the undivided
half of his late father's homestead, consisting of fifty acres of land, lying on the
eastside of the river, opposite the city of Bridgeport. We intended this as the
nucleus of a new city, which we concluded could soon be built up, in consequence
of many natural advantages that it possesses.
Before giving publicity to our plans, however, we purchased one hundred and
seventy-four acres contiguous to that which we already owned, and laid out the
entire property in regular streets, and lined them with trees, reserving a beauti-
ful grove of six or eight acres, which we enclosed, and converted into a public
park.* We then commenced selling alternate lots, at about the same price which
Hie land cost us by the acre, always on condition that a suitable dwelling-house,
. store, or manufactory should be erected upon the land, within one year from the
date of purchase: that every building should be placed at a certain distance from
the street, in a style of architecture approved by us; that the grounds should be
enclosed with acceptable fences, and kept clean and neat, with other conditions
which would render the locality a desirable one for respectable residents, and
operate for the mutual benefit of all persons who should become settlers in the
new city.
This entire property consists of a beautiful plateau of ground, lying within
less than half a mile of the center of Bridgeport city. Considering the supe-
riority of the situation, it is a wonder that the city of Bridgeport was not
originally founded upon that side of the river. The late Dr. Timothy Dwight,
for a long time President of Yale College, in his " Travels in New England in
1815," says of the locality:
"There is not in the State a prettier village than the borough of Bridgeport.
In the year 1783, there were scarcely half a dozen houses in this place. It now
contains probably more than one hundred, built on both sides of Pughqiiomnu-k
* We iruned this " Washington Park " iiiul subsequently presented it to the city.
143
144 THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY ENTANGLEMENT.
(Pequonnock) river, a beautiful mill-stream, forming at its mouth the harbor of
Bridgeport. The situation of this village is very handsome, particularly on the
eastern side of the river. A more cheerful and elegant piece of ground can
scarcely be imagined than the point which stretches between the Pughquonnuck
and the old mill-brook; and the prospects presented by the harbors at the mouths
of these streams, the Sound, and the surrounding country, are, in a fine season,
gay and brilliant,, perhaps without a parallel."
This "cheerful and elegant piece of ground," as Dr. D wight so truly describes
it, had only been kept from market by the want of means of access. A new foot-
bridge was built, connecting this place with the city of Bridgeport, and a public
toll-bridge which belonged to us, was thrown open to the public free. We also
obtained from the State Legislature a charter for erecting a toll-bridge between
the two bridges already existing, and under that charter we put up a fine covered
draw-bridge at a cost of $16,000, which also we made free to the public for
several years. We built and leased to a union company of young coach-makers
a large and elegant coach manufactory, which was one of the first building^
erected there, and which went into operation on the first of January, 1852, and
was the beginning of the extensive manufactories which were subsequently built
in East Bridgeport.
Besides the inducement which we held out to purchasers to obtain their lots at
a merely nominal price, we advanced one-half, two-thirds, and frequently all the
funds necessary to erect their buildings, permitting them to repay us in sums as
small as five dollars, at their own convenience. This arrangement enabled many
persons to secure and ultimately pay for homes which they could not otherwise
have obtained. We looked for our profits solely to the rise in the value of the
reserved lots, which we were confident must ensue. These extraordinary inductr
ments led many persons to build in the new city, and it began to develop and
increase with a rapidity rarely witnessed in this section of the country.
It will thus be seen that, in 1851, my pet scheme was to build up a city in East
Bridgeport.
I can truly say that mere money-making was a secondary consideration in my
scheme. I wanted to build a city on the beautiful plateau across the river; in
the expressive phrase of the day, I "had East Bridgeport on the brain." Who-
ever approached me with a project which looked to the advancement of my new
city, touched my weak side and found me an eager listener, and it was in this
way that the coming city connected me with that source of so many annoyances
and woes, the Jerome Clock Company.
There was a small clock manufactory in the town of Litchfield, Connecticut, in
which I became a stockholder to the amount of six or seven thousand dollars,
and my duties as a director in the company called me occasionally to Litchfield
and made me somewhat acquainted with the clock business. Thinking of plans
to forward my pet East Bridgeport enterprise, it occurred to me that if the
Ljtchfield clock concern could be transferred to my prospective new city, it
would necessarily bring many families, thus increasing the growth of the place
and the value of the property. Negotiations were at once commenced and the
desired transfer of the business was the result. A new stock company was
formed under the name of the " Terry & Barnum Manufacturing Company
and in 1852 a factory was built in East Bridgeport.
In 1855, I received a suggestion from a citizen of New Haven, that the Jerome
Clock Company, then reputed to be a wealthy concern, should be remo\ ed to
East Bridgeport, and shortly afterwards I was visited at Iranistan by Mr. Chaiui-
MOUNTAIN GROVE CEMETERY.
THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY ENTANGLEMENT. 145
cey Jerome, the President of that company. The result of this visit was a
proposition from the agent of the company, who also held power of attorney for
the president, that I should lend my name as security for $110,000 in aid of the
Jerome Clock Company, and the proffered compensation was the transfer of this
great manufacturing concern, with its seven hundred to one thousand operatives,
to my beloved East Bridgeport. It was just the bait for the fish; I was all
attention; yet I must do my judgment the justice to say that I called for proofs,
strong and ample, that the great company deserved its reputation as a substantial
enterprise that might safely be trusted.
Accordingly, I was shown an official report of the directors of the company :
exhibiting a capital of $400,000, and a surplus of $187,000, in all, $587,000. The
need for $110,000 more, was on account of a dull season, and the market glutted
with the goods, and immediate money demands which must be met. I was also
impressed with the pathetic tale that the company was exceedingly loth to
dismiss any of the operatives, who would suffer greatly if their only dependence
for their daily food was taken away.
The official statement seemed satisfactory, and I cordially sympathized with
the philanthropic purpose of keeping the workmen employed, even in the dull
season. The company was reputed to be rich; the President, Mr. Chauncey
Jerome, had built a church in New Haven, at a cost of $40,000, and proposed to
present it to a congregation; he had given a clock to a church in Bridgeport, and
these things showed that he, at least, thought he was wealthy. The Jerome
clocks were for sale all over the world, even in China, where the Celestials were
said to take out the "movements," and use the cases for little temples for their
idols, thus proving that faith was possible without " works." So wealthy and so
widely-known a company would surely be a grand acquisition to my city.
Further testimony came in the form of a letter from the cashier of one of the
New Haven banks, expressing the highest confidence in the financial strength of
the concern, and much satisfaction that I contemplated giving temporary aid
which would keep so many workmen and their families from suffering, and per-
haps starvation. I had not, at the time, the slightest suspicion that my voluntary
correspondent had any interest in the transfer of the Jerome Company from Ne-w
Haven to East Bridgeport, though I was subsequently informed that the bank, of
which my correspondent was the cashier, was almost the largest, if not the
largest, creditor of the clock company.
Under all the circumstances, and influenced by the rose-colored representations
made to me, not less than by my mania to push the growth of my new city, I
finally accepted the proposition and consented to an agreement that I would lend
the clock company my notes for a sum not to exceed $50,000, and accept drafts
to an amount not to exceed $60,000. It was thoroughly understood that I was in
no case to be responsible for one cent in excess of $110,000. I also received the
written guaranty of Chauncey Jerome that in no event should I lose by the loan,
as he would become personally responsible for the repayment. I was willing
that my notes, when taken up, should be renewed, I cared not how often, pro-
vided the stipulated maximum of $110,000 should never be exceeded. I was
weak enough, however, un-ler the representation that it was impossible to say
exactly when it would be necessary to use the notes, to put my name to several
notes for $3,000, $5,000, and $10,000, leaving the date of payment blank, but it
was agreed that the blanks should be filled to make the notes payable in five,
ten, or even sixty days from date, according to the exigencies of the case, and
1 was careful to keep a memorandum of the several amounts of the notes.
7
146 THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY ENTANGLEMENT.
On the other side it was agreed that the Jerome Company should exchange its
stock with the Terry & Barnum stockholders and thus absorb that company and
unite the entire business in East Bridgeport. It was scarcely a month, before the
secretary wrote me that the company would soon be in a condition to "snap its
fingers at the banks."
Nevertheless, three months after the consolidation of the companies, a refer-
ence to my memoranda showed that I had already become responsible for the
stipulated sum of $110, 000. I was then called upon in New York by the agent, who
wanted five notes of $5,000 each, and I declined to furnish them, unless I should
receive in return an equal amount of my own canceled notes, since he assured
me they were canceling these "every week." The canceled notes were brought
to me next day, and I renewed them. This I did frequently, always receiving
canceled notes, till finally my confidence in the company became so established,
that I did not ask to see the notes that had been taken up, but furnished new
accommodation paper as it was called for.
By and by I heard that the banks began to hesitate about discounting my
paper, and knowing that I was good for $110,000 several times over, I wondered
what was the matter, till the discovery came at last that my notes had not been
taken up as was represented, and that some of the blank date notes had been
made payable in twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four months. Further investiga-
tion revealed the frightful fact that I had indorsed for the clock company to the
extent of more than half a million dollars, and most of the notes had been
exchanged for old Jerome Company notes due to the banks and other creditors.
My agent who made these startling discoveries came back to me with the refresh-
ing intelligence that I was a ruined man!
Not quite; I had the mountain of Jerome debts on my back, but I found means
to pay every claim against me at my bank, all my store and shop debts, notes to
the amount of $40,000, which banks in my neighborhood, relying upon my per-
sonal integrity, had discounted for the clock company, and then I — failed !
What a dupe had I been! Here was a great company pretending to be worth
$587,000, asking temporary assistance to the amount of $110,000, coming down
with a crash, so soon as my helping hand was removed, and sweeping me down
with it. It failed; and, even after absorbing my fortune, it paid but from twelve
to fifteen per cent, of its obligations, while, to cap the climax, it never removed
to East Bridgeport at all, notwithstanding this was the only condition which ever
prompted me to advance one dollar to the rotten concern I
If at any time my vanity had been chilled by the fear that after my retirement
from the Jenny Lind enterprise the world would forget me, this affair speedily
re-assured me; I had notice enough to satisfy the most inordinate craving for
notoriety. All over the country, and even across the ocean, " Barnum and the
Jerome Clock Bubble," was the great newspaper theme. I was taken to pieces,
analyzed, put together again, kicked, "pitched into," tumbled about, preached
to, preached about, and made to serve every purpose to which a sensation-loving
world could put me. Well! I was now in training, in a new school, and was
learning new and strange lessons.
Yet these new lessons conveyed the old, old story. There were those who had
fawned upon me in my prosperity, who now jeered at my adversity; people
whom I had specially favored, made special efforts to show their ingratitude;
papers, which, when I had the means to make it an object for them to be on good
terms with me, overloaded me with adulation, now attempted to overwhelm me
with abuse: and then the immense amount of moralizing over the " instability of
THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY ENTANGLEMENT. 14?
human fortunes," and especially the retributive justice that is sure to follow " ill-
gotten gains," which my censors assumed to be the sum and substance of my
honorably acquired and industriously worked for property. I have no doubt
that much of this kind of twaddle was believed by the twaddlers to be sincere;
and thus my case was actual capital to certain preachers and religious editors
who were in want of fresh illustrations wherewith to point their morals.
I was in the depths, but did not despond. I was confident that with energetic
purpose and divine assistance, I should, if my health and life were spared, get
on my feet again; and events have since fully justified and verified the expecta-
tion and the effort.
OHAPTEK XXVI.
CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE.
HAPPILY, there is always more wheat than there is chaff. While my enemies
and a few envious persons and misguided moralists were abusing and traducing
me, my very misfortunes revealed to me hosts of hitherto unknown friends who
tendered to me something more than mere sympathy. Funds were offered to me
in unbounded quantity for the support of my family and to re-establish me in
business. I declined these tenders because, on principle, I never accepted a money
favor, unless I except the single receipt of a small sum which came to me by mail
at this time, and anonymously so that I could not return it. Even this small sum
I at once devoted to charity towards one who needed the money far more than I
did.
The generosity of my friends urged me to accept "benefits" by the score, the
returns of which would have made me quite independent. There was a propo-
sition among leading citizens in New York to give a series of benefits which I felt
obliged to decline, though the movement in my favor deeply touched me. To
show the class of men who sympathized with me in my misfortunes, and also the
ground which I took in the matter, I venture to copy the following correspondence
which appeared in the New York papers of the day:
NEW YORK, June 2, 1856.
MB. P. T. BARNUM :
Dear Sir : The financial ruin of a man of acknowledged energy and enterprise is a public
calamity. The sudden blow, therefore, that has swept away, from a man like yourself, the
accumulated wealth of years, justifies, we think, the public sympathy. The better to mani-
fest our sincere respect for your liberal example in prosperity, as well as exhibit our honest
admiration of your fortitude under overwhelming reverses, we propose to give that sym-
pathy a tangible expression by soliciting your acceptance of a series of benefits for your
family, the result of which may possibly secure for your wife and children a future home, or
at least rescue them from the more immediate consequences of your misfortune.
Freeman Hunt, E. K. Collins, Isaac V. Fowler, James Phalen, Cornelius Vanderbilt, F.
B. Cutting, James W. Gerard, Simeon Draper, Thomas McElrath, Park Godwin, R. F.
Carman, Gen. C. W. Sanford, Philo Kurd, President H. R. R.; Win. Ellsworth, President
Brooklyn Ins. Co.; George 8. Doughty, President Excelsior Ins. Co.; Chas. T. Cromwell,
Robert Stnyvesant, E. L. Livingston, R. Busteed, Wm. P. Fettridge. E. N. Haughwout,
Geo. F. Nesbitt, Osborne, Boardman & Townsend, Charles H. Delavan, I. & C. Berrien,
Fisher & Bird, Solomon & Hart, B. Young, M. D., Treadwell, Acker & Co., St. Nicholas
Hotel, John Wheeler, Union Square Hotel, S. Leland & Co., Metropolitan Hotel, Albert
Clark, Brevoort House, H. D. Clapp, Everett House. John Taylor, International Hotel.
Sydney Hopman, Smithsonian Hotel, Messrs. Delmonico, Delmonico's, Geo. W. Sherman,
Florence's Hotel, Kingsley & Ainslee, Howard Hotel, Libby <fe Whitney, Lovejoy's Hoti-1,
Howard & Buown, Tammany Hall, Jonas Bartlett, Washington Hotel, Patten & Lynde,
Pacific Hotel, J. Johnson, Johnson's Hotel, and over 1,000 others.
To this gratifying communication I replied as follows:
LONG ISLAND, Tuesday, June 3, 1856.
GENTLEMEN : I can hardly find words to express my gratitude for your very kind propo-
sition. The popular sympathy is to me far more precious than gold, and that sympathy
seems In my case to extend from my immediate neighbors, in Bridgeport, to all parts of our
Union.
Proffers of pecuniary assistance have reached me from every quarter, not only from
friends, but from entire strangers. Mr. Wm. E. Burton, Miss Laura Keene and Mr. Wm.
Niblo have in the kindest manner tendered me the receipts of their theaters fur one evening.
148
CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE. 149
Mr. Gough volunteered the proceeds of one of his attractive lectures ; Mr. James Phalon
generously offered me the free use of the Academy of Music; many professional ladies and
gentlemen have urged me to accept their gratuitous services. I have, on principle, respect-
fully declined them all, as I beg, with the most grateful acknowledgments (at least for the
present), to decline yours— not because a benefit, in itself, is an objectionable thing, but
because I have ever made it a point to ask nothing of the public on personal grounds, and
should prefer, while I can possibly avoid that contingency, to accept nothing from it without
the honest conviction that I had individually given it in return a full equivalent.
While favored with health, I feel competent to earn an honest livelihood for myself and
family. More than this I shall certainly never attempt with such a load of debt suspended
in terrorem over me. While I earnestly thank you, therefore, for your generous considera-
tion, gentlemen I trust you will appreciate my desire to live unhumilitated by a sense of
dependence, and believe me, sincerely yours,
P. T. BARNUM.
To Messrs. FKEEMAN HUNT, £. K. COLLINS, and others.
And with other offers of assistance from far and near, came the following from
a little gentleman who did not forget his old friend and benefactor in the time of
trial:
JONES' HOTEL, PHILADELPHIA, May 12, 1856.
MY DEAR MB. BARNUM: I understand your friends, and that means "all creation,"
intend to get up some benefits for your family. Now, my dear sir, just be good enough to
remember that I belong to that mighty crowd, and I must have a finger (or at least a
"thumb") in that pie. I am bound to appear on all such occasions in some shape, from
"Jack the Giant Killer," up stairs, to the door-keeper down, whichever may serve you best;
and there are some feats that I can perform as well as any other man of my inches. I have
just started out on my western tour, and have my carriage, ponies and assistants all here,
but I am ready to go on to New York, bag and baggage, and remain at Mrs. Barnum's
service as long as I, in my small way, can be useful. Put me into any " heavy " work, if
you like. Perhaps I cannot lift as much as some other folks, but just take your pencil in
hand and you will sue I can draw a tremendous load. I drew two hundred tons at a single
pull to-day, embracing two thousand persons, whom I hauled up safely and satisfactorily to
all parties, at one exhibition. Hoping that you will be able to fix up a lot of magnets that
will attract all New York, and volunteering to sit on any part of the loadstone, I am, as
ever, your little but sympathizing friend,
GEN. TOM THUMB
Even this generous offer from my little friend I felt compelled to refuse. But
kind words were written and spoken which I could not prevent, nor did I desire
to do so, and which were worth more to me than money. I should fail to find
space, if I wished it, to copy one-tenth part of the cordial and kind articles and
paragraphs that appeared about me in newspapers throughout the country. The
following sentence from an editorial article in a prominent New York journal
was the key-note to many similar kind notices in all parts of the Union: " It is a
fact beyond dispute that Mr. Barnum's financial difficulties have accumulated
from the goodness of his nature; kind-hearted and generous to a fault, it has
ever been his custom to lend a helping hand to the struggling; and honest industry
and enterprise have found his friendship prompt and faithful." The Boston Jour-
nal dwelt especially upon the use I had made of my money in my days of pros
perity in assisting deserving laboring men and in giving an impulse to business
in the town where I resided. It seems only just that I should make this very
brief allusion to these things, if only as an offset to the unbounded abuse of those
who believed in kicking me merely because I was down; nor can I refrain from
copying the following from the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette, of May 3,
1856:
BARNUM REDIVIVUS.
A WORD FOR BARNUM.
BARNUM, your hand! Though you are " down,"
And see full many a frigid shoulder,
Be brave, my brick, and though they frown,
Prove that misfortune makes you bolder.
There's many a man that sneers, my hero,
And former praise converts to scorning,
Would worship — when he fears — a Nero,
And bend "where thrift may follow fawning "
150 CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE.
You humbugged us— that we have seen,
We got our money's worth, old fellow,
And though you thought our minds were yreen,
We never thought your heart was yellow.
We knew you liberal, generous, warm,
Quick to assist a falling brother,
And. with such virtues, what's the harm
All memories of your faults to smother?
We had not heard the peerless Lind,
But for your spirit enterprising,
You were the man to raise the wind,
And make a coup confessed sarprising.
You're reckoned in your native town
A friend in need, a friend in danger,
You ever keep the latchstring down,
And greet with open hand the stranger.
Stiffen your upper lip. You know
Who are your friends and who your foes now;
We pay for knowledge as we go ;
And though you get some sturdy blows now,
You've a fair field — no favors crave —
The storm ouce passed will find you braver —
In virtue's cause long may you wave,
And on the right side, never waver.
Desirous of knowing who was the author of this kindly effusion, I wrote,
while preparing this autobiography, to Mr. B. P. Shillaber, one of the editors of
the journal, and well known to the public as "Mrs. Partington." In reply, I
received the following letter in which it will be seen that he makes sympathetic
allusion to the burning of my last Museum, only a few weeks before the date of
his letter:
CHETLSBA, April 25, 1868.
MY DK AR MB. BARNTTM : The poem in question was written by A. Wallace Thaxter,
associate editor with Mr. Clapp and myself, on the Gazette — since deceased, a glorious
fellow — who wrote the poem from a sincere feeling of admiration for yourself. Mr. Clapp,
(Hon. W. W. Clapp,) published it with his full approbati< >n. I heard of your new trouble, iu
my sick chamber, where I have been all winter, with regret, and wish you as ready a release
from attending difficulty as your genius has hitherto achieved under like circumstances.
Yours, very truly,
B. P. SHILI^ABBR.
But the manifestations of sympathy which came to me from Bridgeport, where
my home had been for more than ten years, were the most gratifying of all,
because they showed unmistakably that my best friends, those who were most
constant in their friendship and most emphatic in their esteem, were my neighbors
and associates who, of all people, knew me best. With such support I could
easily endure the attacks of traducers elsewhere. The New York Times, April
25, 1856, under the head of "Sympathy for Barnum," published a full report of
the meeting of my fellow-citizens of Bridgeport, the previous evening, to take
my case into consideration.
In response to a call headed by the mayor of the city, and signed by several
hundred citizens, this meeting was held in Washington Hall " for the purpose of
sympathizing with P. T. Barnum, Esq., in his recent pecuniary embarrassments,
and of giving some public expression to their views in reference to his financial
misfortunes." It was the largest public meeting which, up to that time, had ever
been held in Bridgeport. Several prominent citizens made addresses, and reso-
lutions were adopted, declaring "that respect and sympathy were due to P. T.
Barnum in return for his many acts of liberality, philanthropy and public spirit,"
expressing unshaken confidence in his integrity, admiration for the "fortitude
and composure with which he has met reverses into which he has been dragged
CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE. 151
through no fault of his own except a too generous confidence in pretended friends, "
and hoping that he would "yet return to that wealth which he has so nobly
employed, and to the community he has so signally benefited. " During the evening
the following letter was read:
NEW YORK, Thursday, April 24, 1856.
WM. H. NOBLE, Esq.,
Dear Sir: I have just received a Blip containing a call for a public meeting of the citizens
of Bridgeport to sympathize with me in my troubles. It is headed by His Honorthe Mayor
and is signed by most of your prominent citizens, as well as by many men who by hard
labor earn their daily bread, and who appreciate a calamity which at a single blow strips a
man of his fortune, his dear home, and all the worldly comforts which years of diligent
labor had acquired. It is due to truth to say that I knew nothing of this movement until
your letter informed me of it.
In misfortune the true sympathy of neighbors is more consoling and precious than any-
thing which money can purchase. This voluntary offering of my fellow-citizens, though it
thrills me with painful emotions and causes tears of gratitude, yet imparts to me renewed
strength, and fills my heart with thankfulness to Providence for raising up to my sight,
above all this wreck, kind hearts which soar above the sordid atmosphere of " dirty dollars.''
I can never forget this unexpected kindness from my old friends and neighbors.
I trust I am not blind to my many laults and shortcomings. I, however, do feel great
consolation in believing that I never used money or position to oppress the poor or wrong
my fellow-men, and that I never turned empty away those whom I had the power to assist.
My poor sick wife, who needs the bracing air which our own dear home (made beauti-
ful by her willing hands) would now have afforded her, is driven by the orders of her
physician to a seclnded spot on Long Island where the sea-wind lends its healthful influence,
and where I have also retired for the double purpose of consoling her and of recruiting my
own constitution, which, through the excitements of the last few months, has most seriously
failed me.
In our quiet and humble retreat, that which I most sincerely pray for is tranquillity and
contentment. I am sure that the remembrance of the kindness of my Bridgeport neighbors
will aid me in securing these cherished blessings. No man who has not passed through
similar scenes can fully comprehend the misery which has been crowded into the last few
months of my life ; but I have endeavored to preserve my integrity, and I humbly hope and
believe that I am being taught humility and reliance upon Providence, which will yet afford
a thousand times more peace and true happiness than can be acquired in the din, strife and
turmoil, excitements and struggles of this money-worshipping age. The man who coins his
brains and blood into gold, who wastes all of his time and thought upon the almighty
dollar, who looks no higher than blocks of houses, and tracts of land, and whose iron
chest is crammed with stocks and mortgages tied up with his own heart-strings, may con-
sole himself with the idea of safe investments, but he misses a pleasure which I firmly
believe this lesson was intended to secure to me, and which it will secure if I can fully brin;
my mind to realize its wisdom. I think I hear you say —
" When the devil was sick,
The devil a sain^ would be,
But when the devil got well.
The devil a saint was he."
Granted, but, after all, the man who looks npon the loss of money as anything compared
to the loss of honor, or health, or self-respect, or friends — a man who can find no source of
happiness except in riches — is to be pitied for his blindness. I certainly feel that the loss
of money, of home and my home comforts, is dreadful— that to be driven again to find a
resting-place away from those I love, and from where I had fondly supposed I was to end
my days, and where I had lavished time, money, everything, to make my descent to the
grave placid and pleasant— is, indeed, a severe lesson ; but, after all, I firmly believe it is
for the best, and though my heart may break, I will not repine.
I regret, beyond expression, that any man should be a loser for having trusted to my
name ; it would not have been so, if I had not myself been deceived. As it is, I am grati-
fied in knowing that all my individual obligations will be met. It would have been much
better if clock creditors had accepted the best offer that it was in my power to make them;
but it was not so to be. It is now too late, and, as I willingly give up all I possess, I can do
no more.
Wherever my future lot may be cast, I shall ever fondly cherish the kindness which I have
always received from the citizens of Bridgeport.
I am, my dear sir, truly yours,
P. T. BARNUM.
Shortly after this sympathetic meeting, a number of gentlemen in Bridgeport
offered me a loan of $50,000 if that sum would be instrumental in extricating me
from my entanglement. I could not say that this amount would meet the
exigency; I could only say, "wait, wait, and hope."
152 CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE.
Meanwhile, my eyes were fully open to the entire magnitude of tne deception
that had been practiced upon my too confiding nature. I not only discovered
that my notes had been used to five times the amount I stipulated or expected,
but that they had been applied, not to relieving the company from temporary
embarrassment after my connection with it, but almost wholly to the redemption
of old and rotten claims of years and months gone by. To show the extent to
which the fresh victim was deliberately bled, it may be stated that I was induced
to become surety to one of the New Haven banks in the sum of $30,000 to idem-
nify the bank against future losses it might incur from the Jerome Company after
my connection with it, and by some legerdemain this bond was made to cover
past obligations which were older even than my knowledge of the existence of
the company. In every way it seemed as if I had been cruelly swindled and
deliberately defrauded.
As the clock company had gone to pieces and was paying but from twelve to
fifteen per cent, for its paper, I sent two of my friends to New Haven to ask for
a meeting of the creditors, and I instructed them to say in substance for me as
follows:
" Gentlemen: This is a capital, practical joke! Before I negotiated with your
clock company at all, I was assured by several of you, and particularly by a
representative of the bank which was the largest creditor of the concern, that
the Jerome Company was eminently responsible, and that the head of the same
was uncommonly pious. On the strength of such representations solely, I was
induced to agree to indorse and accept paper for that company to the extent of
$110,000 — no more. That sum I am now willing to pay for my own verdancy,
with an additional sum of $40,000 for your 'cuteness, making a total of $150,000,
which you can have if you cry 'quits' with the fleeced showman and let him
off."
Many of the old creditors favored this proposition; but it was found that the
indebtedness was so scattered it would be impracticable to attempt a settlement
by an unanimous compromise of the creditors. It was necessary to liquidation
that my property should go into the hands of assignees; I therefore at once
turned over my Bridgeport property to Connecticut assignees, and I removed
my family to New York, where I also made an assignment of all my real and
personal estate, excepting what had already been transferred in Connecticut.
A-bout this time I received a letter from Philadelphia proffering $500 in case
my circumstances were such that I really stood in need of help. The very
wording of the letter awakened the suspicion in my mind, that it was a trick
to ascertain whether I really had any property, for I knew that banks and
brokers in that city held some of my Jerome paper which they refused to com-
pound or compromise. So I at once wrote that I did need $500, and, as I expected,
the money did not come, nor was my letter answered ; but, as a natural conse-
quence, the Philadelphia bankers who were holding the Jerome paper for a higher
percentage, at once acceded to the terms which I had announced myself able and
willing to pay.
Every dollar which I honestly owed on my own account, I had already paid
in full or had satisfactorily arranged. For the liabilities incurred by the delib-
erate deception which had involved me, I offered such a percentage as I thought
my estate, when sold, would eventually pay; and my wife, from her own
property, advanced from time to time money to take up such notes as could be
secured upon these terms. It was. however, a slow process.
CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE. 153
We were now living in a very frugal manner in a hired furnished house in
Eighth street, near Sixth avenue, in New York, and our landlady and her family
boarded with us. At the age of forty-six, after the acquisition and the loss of a
handsome fortune, I was once more nearly at the bottom of the ladder, and was
about to begin the world again. The situation was disheartening, but I had
energy, experience, health and liope.
CHAPTER XXVTl.
BEST, BUT KOT RUST.
IN the summer of 1855, previous to my financial troubles, feeling that I was
independent and could retire from active business, I sold the American Museum
collection and good-will to Messrs. John Greenwood, Junior, and Henry D. But-
ler. They paid me double the amount the collection had originally cost, giving me
notes for nearly the entire amount, secured by a chattel mortgage, and hired the
premises from my wife, who owned the Museum property lease, and on which,
by the agreement of Messrs. Greenwood and Butler, she realized a profit of
$19,000 a year. The chattel mortgage of Messrs. Greenwood and Butler, was, of
course, turned over to the New York assignee with the other property.
And now there came to me a new sensation, which was, at times, terribly
depressing and annoying. My wide-spread reputation for shrewdness as a show-
man, had induced the general belief that my means were still ample, and certain
outside creditors who had bought my clock notes at a tremendous discount, and
entirely on speculation, made up their minds that they must be paid at once
without waiting for the slow process of the sale of my property by the assignees.
They therefore took what are termed "supplementary proceedings," which
enabled them to haul me any day before a judge, for the purpose, as they
phrased it, of " putting Barnum through a course of sprouts," and which meant
an examination of the debtor under oath, compelling him to disclose everything
with regard to his property, his present means of living, and so on.
I repeatedly answered all questions on these points; and reports of the daily
examinations were published. Still another and another, and yet another cred-
itor would haul me up; and his attorney would ask me the same questions which
had already been answered and published half a dozen times. This persistent
and unnecessary annoyance, created considerable sympathy for me, which was
not only expressed by letters I received daily from various parts of the country,
but the public press, with now and then an exception, took my part, and even the
judges, before whom I appeared, said to me on more than one occasion, that as
men they sincerely pitied me, but as judges, of course they must administer the
law. After a while, however, the judges ruled that I need not answer any
questions propounded to me by an attorney, if I had already answered the same
question to some other attorney in a previous examination in behalf of other
creditors. In fact, one of the judges, on one occasion, said pretty sharply to an
examining attorney;
"This, sir, has become simply a case of persecution. Mr. Barnum has many
times answered every question that can properly be put to him, to elicit the
desired information; and I think it is time to stop these examinations. I advise
him to not answer one interrogatory which he has replied to under any previous
inquiries."
These things gave me some heart, so that at last, I went up to the "sprouts"
with less reluctance, and began to try to pay off my persecutors in their own
coin.
154
BEST, BUT NOT BUST. 155
On one occasion, a dwarfish little lawyer, who reminded me of "Quilp," com-
menced his examination in behalf of a note-shaver, who held a thousand-dollar
note, which it seemed he had bought for seven hundred dollars. After the oath
had been administered, the " limb of the law" arranged his pen, ink and paper,
and in a loud voice, and with a most peremptory and supercilious air, asked:
" What is you name, sir? "
I answered him; and his next question, given in a louder and more peremptory
tone, was:
" What is your business? "
" Attending bar," I meekly replied.
"Attending bar I" he echoed, with an appearance of much surprise; "attend-
ing bar ! Why, don't you profess to be a temperance man— a teetotaler? "
"I do," I replied.
" And yet, sir, do you have the audacity to assert that you peddle rum all day,
and drink none yourself? "
" I doubt whether that is a relevant question," I said in a low tone of voice.
"I will appeal to his honor, the judge, if you don't answer it instantly," said
Quilp in great glee.
"I attend bar, and yet never drink intoxicating liquors," I replied.
"Where do you attend bar, and for whom?" was the next question.
"I attend the bar of this court, nearly every day, for the benefit of two-penny,
would-be lawyers and their greedy clients," I answered.
A loud tittering in the vicinity only added to the vexation which was already
visible on the countenance of my interrogator, and he soon brought his examina-
tion to a close.
On another occasion, a young lawyer was pushing his inquiries to a great length,
when, in a half laughing, apologetic tone, he said :
" You see, Mr. Barnum, I am searching after the small things; I am willing to
take even the crumbs which fall from the rich man's table! "
" Which are you, Lazarus, or one of his dogs? " I asked. ^
" I guess a blood-hound would not smell out much on this trail," he said good
naturedly, adding that he had no more questions to ask.
Just after my failure, and on account of the ill-health of my wife, I spent a
portion of the summer with my family in the farmhouse of Mr. Charles Howell,
at W esthampton, on Long Island. The place is a mile west of Quogue, and
was then called " Ketchebonneck." The thrifty and intelligent farmers of the
neighborhood were in the habit of taking summer boarders, and the place
had become a favorite resort. Mr. Howell's farm lay close upon the ocean,
and I found the residence a cool and delightful one. Surf bathing, fishing,
shooting and fine roads for driving made the season pass pleasantly, and the
respite from active life and immediate annoyance from my financial troubles
was a very great benefit to me.
One morning we discovered that the waves had thrown upon the beach a young
black whale some twelve feet long. It was dead, but the fish was hard and fresh
and I bought it for a few dollars from the men who had taken possession of it. I
sent it at once to the Museum, where it was exhibited in a huge refrigerator for a
few days, creating considerable excitement, the general public considering it "a
big thing on ice," and the managers gave me a share of the profits, which
amounted to a sufficient sum to pay the entire board bill of my family for the
Reason.
156 REST, BUT NOT RUST.
This incident both amused and amazed my Long Island landlord. " Well, 1
declare, " said he, ' ' that beats all ; you are the luckiest man I ever heard of. Here
you come and board for four months, with your family, and when your time is
nearly up, and you are getting ready to leave, out rolls a black whale on our
beach, a thing never heard of before in this vicinity, and you take that whale
and pay your whole bill with it."
Soon after my return to New York, something occurred which I foresaw at the
time, was likely indirectly to lead me out of the wilderness into a clear field again.
Strange to say, my new city, which had been my ruin was to be my redemption.
The now gigantic Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Company was then doing
a comparatively small, yet rapidly growing business at Watertown, Connecticut.
The Terry & Barnum clock factory was standing idle, almost worthless, in East
Bridgeport, and Wheeler & Wilson saw in the empty building, the situation, the
ease of communication with New York, and other advantages, precisely what they
wanted, provided they could procure the premises at a rate which would compen-
sate them for the expense and trouble of removing their establishment from
Watertown. The clock factory was sold for a trifle and the Wheeler & Wilson
Company moved into it and speedily enlarged it. It was afresh impulse towards
the building up of a new city and the consequent increase of the value of the
land belonging to my estate.
This important movement of the Wheeler & Wilson Company gave me the
greatest hope, and, moreover, Mr. Wheeler kindly offered me a loan of $5,000,
without security, and, as I was anxious to have it used in purchasing the East
Bridgeport property, when sold at public auction by my assignees, and also in taking
up such clock notes as could be bought at a reasonable percentage, I accepted the
offer and borrowed the $5,000. This sum, with many thousand dollars more
belonging to my wife, was devoted to these purposes.
Though the new plan promised relief, and actually did succeed, even beyond
my most sanguine expectations, eventually putting more money into my pocket
than the Jerome complication had taken out — yet I also foresaw that the process
would necessarily be very slow. In fact, two years afterwards I had made very
little progress. But I concluded to let the new venture work out itself and it
would go on as well without my personal presence and attention, perhaps even
better. Growing trees, money at interest, and rapidly rising real estate, work
for their owners all night as well as all day, Sundays included, and when the pro-
prietors are asleep or away, and with the design of co-operating in the new accu-
mulation and of saving something to add to the amount, I made up my mind to
go to Europe again. I was anxious for a change of scene and for active employ-
ment, and equally desirous of getting away from the immediate pressure of
troubles which no effort on my part could then remove. While my affaire were
working out themselves in their own way and in the speediest manner possible, I
might be doing something for myself and for my family.
Accordingly, leaving all my business affairs at home in the hands of my friends,
early in 1857 I set sail once more for England, taking with me General Tom
Thumb, and also little Cordelia Howard and her parents. This young girl had
attained an extended reputation for her artistic personation of "Little Eva," in
the play of " Uncle Tom," and she displayed a precocious talent in her rendering
of other juvenile characters. With these attractions, and with what else I might
be able to do myself, I determined to make as much money as I could, intending
to remit the same to my wife's friends, for the purpose of re-purchasing a portion
of my estate, when it was offered at auction, and of redeeming such of the clock
notes as could be obtained at reasonable rates.
CHAPTEK XXVIII.
ABROAD AGAIN.
WHEN I reached London, I found Mr. Albert Smith, who, when I first knew
him, was a dentist, a literary hack, a contributor to Punch, and a writer for the
magazines, now transformed to a first-class showman in the full tide of success,
in my own old exhibition quarters in Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly. He was exhib-
iting a panorama of bis ascent of Mont Blanc. His lecture was full of amusing
and interesting incidents, illustrative of his remarkable experiences in accom-
plishing the difficult feat.
Calling upon Albert Smith, I found him the same kind, cordial friend as ever,
and .he at once put me on the free list at his entertainment, and insisted upon my
dining frequently with him at his favorite club, the Garrick.
The first time I witnessed his exhibition, he gave me a sly wink from the stage
at the moment of his describing a scene in the golden chamber of St. Ursula's
church in Cologne, where the old sexton was narrating the story of the ashes and
bones of the eleven thousand innocent virgins, who, according to tradition, were
sacrificed on a certain occasion. One of the characters whom he pretended to
have met several times on his trip to Mont Blanc, was a Yankee, whom he
named " Phineas Cutecraft." The wink came at the time he introduced Phineas
in the Cologne Church, and made him say at the end of the sexton's story about
the Virgins' bones :
" Old fellow, what will you take for that hull lot of bones? I want them for
my Museum in America! "
When the question had been interpreted to the old German, he exclaimed in
horror, according to Albert Smith:
" Mine Gott ! it is impossible ! We will never sell the Virgins' bones ! "
"Never mind," replied Phineas Cutecraft, "I'll send another lot of bones to
my Museum, swear mine are the real bones of the Virgins of Cologne, and burst
up your showl"
This always excited the heartiest laughter; but Mr. Smith knew very well that
I would at once recognize it as a pharaphrase of the scene wherein he had figured
with me, in 1844, at the porter's lodge of Warwick Castle. In the course of the
entertainment, I found he had woven in numerous anecdotes I had told him at
that tune, and many incidents of our excursion were also travestied and made to
contribute to the interest of his description of the ascent of Mont Blanc.
When we went to the Garrick club that day, Albert Smith introduced me to
several of his acquaintances as his "teacher in the show business." As we were
quietly dining together, he remarked that I must have recognized several old
acquaintances hi the anecdotes at his entertainment. Upon my answering that I
did, "indeed," he remarked, " you are too old a showman not to know that in
order to be popular, we must snap up and localize all the good things which we
come across." By thus engrafting his various experiences upon this Mont Blanc
entertainment, Albert Smith succeeded in serving up a salmagundi feast wlu'ch
was relished alike by royal and less distinguished palates.
157
158 ABROAD AGAIN.
When the late William M. Thackeray made his first visit to the United States,
I think in 1853, he called on me at the Museum with a letter of introduction from
our mutual friend, Albert Smith. He spent an hour with me, mainly for the
purpose of asking advice in regard to the management of the course of lectures
on "The English Humorists of the Eighteenth Century," which he proposed to
deliver, as he did afterwards, with very great success, in the principal cities of the
Union. I gave him the best advice I could as to management, and the cities he
ought to visit, for which he was very grateful and he called on me whenever he
was in New York. I also saw him repeatedly when he came to America the
second time with his admirable lectures on " The Four Georges," which, it will be
remembered, he delivered in the United States in the season of 1855-56, before he
read them to audiences in Great Britain. My relations with this great novelist, I
am proud to say, were cordial and intimate ; and now, when I called upon him,
in 1857, at his own house, he grasped me heartily by the hand and said:
" Mr. Barnum, I admire you more than ever. I have read the accounts in the
papers of the examinations you underwent in the New York courts; and the
positive pluck you exhibit under your pecuniary embarrassments is worthy of all
praise. You would never have received credit for the philosophy you manifest, if
these financial misfortunes had not overtaken you."
1 thanked him for his compliment, and he continued:
"But tell me, Barnum, are you really in need of present assistance? for if you
are you must be helped."
"Not in the least," I replied, laughing; "I need more money in order to get
out of bankruptcy, and I intend to earn it; but so far as daily bread is concerned,
I am quite at ease, for my wife is worth £30,000 or £40,000."
"Is it possible?" he exclaimed, with evident delight; "well, now, you have
lost all my sympathy; why, that is more than I ever expect to be worth; I shall
be sorry for you no more."
During my stay in London, I met Thackeray several times, and 011 one occasion
I dined with him. He repeatedly expressed his obligations to me for the advice
and assistance I had given him on the occasion of his first lecturing visit to the
United States.
Otto Goldschmidt, the husband of Jenny Lind, also called on me in London.
He and his wife were then living in Dresden, and he said the first thing his wife
desired him to ask me was, whether I was in want. I assured him that I was not,
although I was managing to live in an economical way, and my family would
soon come over to reside in London. He then advised me to take them to Dres-
den, saying that living was very cheap there; and, he added, "my wife will
gladly look up a proper house for you to live in." I thankfully declined his
proffered kindness, as Dresden was too far away from my business.
My old friends, Julius Benedict and Giovanni Belletti, called on me and we had
some very pleasant dinners together, when we talked over incidents of their
travels in America. Among the gentlemen whom I met in London, some of them
quite frequently at dinners, were Mr. George Augustus Sala, Mr. Edmund Yates,
Mr. Horace Mayhew, Mr. Alfred Bunn, Mr. Lumley, of Her Majesty's Theater,
Mr. Buckstone, of the Haymarket, Mr. Charles Kean, our princely countrymen
Mr. George Peabody, Mr. J. M. Morris, the manager, Mr. Bates, of Baring,
Brothers & Co., Mr. Oxenford, dramatic critic of the London Times, Dr. Ballard,
the American dentist, and many other eminent persons.
I had numerous offers from professional friends, on both sides of the Atlantic,
who supposed me to be in need of employment. Mr. Barney Williams, who had
ABROAD AGAIN. 159
not then acted in England, proposed, in the kindest manner, to make me his agent
for a tour through Great Britain, and to give me one-third of the profits which he
and Mrs. Williams might make by their acting. Mr. S. M. Pettengill, of New York^
the newspaper advertising agent, offered me the fine salary of $10,000 a year to
transact business for hi™ in Great Britain. He wrote to me : " When you failed in
consequence of the Jerome clock notes, I felt that your creditors were dealing
hard with you; that they should have let you up and give you a chance, and they
would have fared better, and I wish I was a creditor so as to show what I would
do." These offers, both from Mr. Williams and Mr. Pettengill, I felt obliged to
decline.
Mr. Lumley, manager of Her Majesty's Theater, used to send me an order for
a private box for every opera night, and I frequently availed myself of his
courtesy.
Meanwhile, I was by no means idle. Cordelia Howard as "Little Eva," with
her mother as the inimitable "Topsy," were highly successful in London and
other large cities, while General Tom Thumb, returning after so long an absence,
drew crowded houses wherever he went. These were strong spokes in the wheel
that was moving slowly but surely in the effort to get me out of debt, and, if
possible, to save some portion of my real estate. Of course, it was not generally
known that I had any interest whatever in either of these exhibitions; if it had
been, possibly some of the clock creditors would have annoyed me; but I busied
myself in these and in other ways, working industriously and making much
money, which I constantly remitted to my trusty agent at home.
CHAPTER XXIX.
IN GERMANY.
AFTER a pleasant and successful season of several weeks in London and in the
provinces, I took the little General into Germany, going from London to Paris,
and from thence to Strasbourg and Baden-Baden.
I dreaded to pass the custom-house at Kehl, nearly opposite Strasbourg, and
the first town on the German border at that point. I knew that I had no bag-
gage which was rightfully subject to duty, as I had nothing but my necessary
clothing, and the package of placards and lithographs, illustrating the General's
exhibitions. As the official was examining my trunks, I assured him in French,
that I had nothing subject to duty; but he made no reply and deliberately hand-
led every article in my luggage. He then cut the strings to the large packages of
show-bills. I asked him in French, whether he understood that language. He
gave a grunt, which was the only audible sound I could get out of him, and then
laid my show-bills and lithographs on his scales as if to weigh them. I was much
excited. An English gentleman, who spoke German, kindly offered to act as my
interpreter.
" Please to tell him," said 1, "that those bills and lithographs are not articles
of commerce; that they are simply advertisements."
My English friend did as I requested; but it was of no use; the custom-house
officer kept piling them upon his scales. I grew more excited.
" Please tell him I give them away," I said. The translation of my assertion
into German did not help me; a double grunt from the functionary, was the only
response. Tom Thumb, meanwhile, jumped about like a little monkey, for he
was fairly delighted at my worry and perplexity. Finally, I said to my new
found English friend: "Be good enough to tell the officer to keep the bills if he
wants them, and that I will not pay duty on them, any how." *
He was duly informed of my determination, but he was immovable. He
lighted his huge Dutch pipe, got the exact weight, and, marking it down, handed
it to a clerk, who copied it on his book, and solemnly passed it over to another
clerk, who copied it on still another book; a third clerk then took it, and copied it
on to a printed bill, the size of a half letter sheet, which was duly stamped in red
ink with several official devices. By this time, I was in a profuse perspiration ;
and, as the document passed from clerk to clerk, I told them they need not trouble
themselves to make out a bill, for I would not pay it; they would get no duty and
they might keep the property.
To be sure, I could not spare the placards for any length of time, for they were
exceedingly valuable to me as advertisements, and I could not easily have dupli-
cated them in Germany; but I was determined that I would not pay duties on
articles which were not merchandise. Every transfer, therefore, of the bill to a
new clerk, gave me a fresh twinge, for I imagined that every clerk added more
charges, and that every charge was a tighter turn to the vise which held my
fingers. Finally, the last clerk defiantly thrust in my face the terrible official
* See Illustration, page 156.
160
IN GERMANY. 161
document, on which were scrawled certain cabalistic characters, signifying the
amount of money I should be forced to pay to the German government before I
could have my property. I would not touch it; but resolved I would really leave
my packages until I could communicate with one of our consuls in Germany, and
I said as much to the English gentleman who had kindly interpreted for me.
He took the bill, and, examining it, burst into a loud laugh. " Why, it is but
fifteen kreutzers! " he said.
"How much is that?" I asked, feeling for the golden sovereigns in my pocket
" Sixpence ! " was the reply.
I was astonished and delighted, and, as I handed out the money, I begged him
to tell the officials that the custom-house charge would not pay the cost of the
paper on which it was written. But this was a very fair illustration of sundry
red-tape dealings in other countries as well as in Germany.
I found Baden a delightful little town, cleaner and neater than any city I had
ever visited.
When our preliminary arrangements were completed, the General's attendants,
carriage, ponies and liveried coachmen and footmen arrived at Baden-Baden, and
were soon seen in the streets. The excitement was intense and increased from
day to day. Several crowned heads, princes, lords and ladies, who were spend-
ing the season at Baden-Baden, with a vast number of wealthy pleasure-seekers
and travelers, crowded the saloon in which the General exhibited, during the
entire time we remained in the place. The charges for admission were much
higher than had been demanded in any other city.
From Baden-Baden we went to other celebrated German Spas, including
Ems, Homburg and Weisbaden. These were all fashionable gambling as well as
watering places, and during our visits they were crowded with visitors from all
parts of Europe. Our exhibitions were attended by thousands who paid the
same high prices that were charged for admission at Baden-Baden, and at Wies-
baden, among many distinguished persons, the King of Holland came to see the
little General. These exhibitions were among the most profitable that had ever
been given, and I was able to remit thousands of dollars to my agents in the
United States, to aid in re-purchasing my real estate, and to assist in taking up
such clock notes as were offered for sale. A short but very remunerative season
at Prankfort-on-the-Maine, the home and starting-place of the great house of the
Rothschilds, assisted me largely in carrying out these purposes.
We exhibited at Mayence, and several other places in the vicinity, reaping
golden harvests everywhere, and then went down the Rhine to Cologne.
We remained at Cologne only long enough to visit the famous cathedral and to
see other curiosities and works of art, and then pushed on to Rotterdam and
Amsterdam.
CHAPTER XXX.
IN" HOLLAND.
HOLLAND gav« me more genuine satisfaction than any other foreign country 1
have ever visited, if I except Great Britain. Redeemed as a large portion of the
whole surface of the land has been from the bottom of the sea, by the wonderful
dykes, which are monuments of the industry of whole generations of human
beavers, Holland seems to me the most curious, as well as interesting country in
the world. The people, too, with their quaint costumes, their extraordinary
cleanliness, their thrift, industry and frugality, pleased me very much. It is the
universal testimony of all travelers, that the Hollanders are the neatest and
most economical people among all nations. So far as cleanliness is concerned, in
Holland it is evidently not next to, but far ahead of godliness. It is rare, indeed,
to meet a ragged, dirty, or drunken person. The people are very temperate and
economical in their habits; and even the very rich — and there is a vast amount
of wealth in the country — live with great frugality, though all of the people live
welL
As for the scenery, I cannot say much for it, since it is only diversified by
thousands of windmills, which are made to do all kinds of work, from grinding
grain to pumping water from the inside of the dykes back to the sea again. As
I exhibited the General only in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and to no great
profit in either city, we spent most of our time in rambling; about to see what
was to be seen. In the country villages it seemed as if every house was scrubbed
twice and whitewashed once every day in the week, excepting Sunday. Some
places were almost painfully pure, and I was in one village where horses and cattle
were not allowed to go through the streets, and no one was permitted to wear
their boots or shoes in the houses. There is a general and constant exercise of
brooms, pails, floor-brushes and mops all over Holland, and in some places, even,
this kind of thing is earned so far, I am told, that the only trees set out are
scrub-oaks.
The reason, I think, why our exhibitions were not more successful in Rotter-
dam and Amsterdam, is that the people are too frugal to spend much money for
amusements, but they and their habits and ways afforded us so much amusement,
that we were quite willing they should give our entertainment the "go by," as
they generally did. We were in Amsterdam at the season of " Kremis," or the
annual fair which is held in all the principal towns, and where shows of all
descriptions are open, at prices for admission ranging from one to five pennies,
and are attended by nearly the whole population. For the people generally, this
one great holiday seems all-sufficient for the whole year. I went through scores
of booths, where curiosities and monstrosities of all kinds were exhibited, and
was able to make some purchases and engagements for the American Museum.
Among these, was the Albino family consisting of a man, his wife, and son,
who were by far the most interesting and attractive spf cimens of their class I
had ever seen.
We visited the Hague, the capital, and the finest city in Holland. It is hand
somely and regularly laid out, and contains a beautiful theater, a public picture
162
IN HOLLAND. 163
gallery, which contains some of the best works of Vandyke, Paul Potter, and
other Dutch masters, while the museum is especially rich in rarities from China
and Japan. When we arrived at the Hague, Mr. August Belmont, who had been
the United States Minister at that court, had just gone home; but I heard many
encomiums passed upon him and his family, and I was told some pretty good
stories of his familiarity with the king, and of the "jolly times" these two per-
sonages frequently enjoyed together. I did not miss visiting the great govern-
ment museum, as I wished particularly to see the rich collection of Japan ware
and arms, made during the many years when the Dutch carried on almost exclu-
sively the entire foreign trade with the Japanese. I spent several days in
minutely examining these curious manufactures of a people who were then
almost as little known to nations generally as are the inhabitants of the planet
Jupiter.
On the first day of my visit to this museum, I stood for an hour before a large
case containing a most unique and extraordinary collecion of fabulous animals,
made from paper and other materials, and looking as natural and genuine as the
staffed skins of any animals in the American Museum. There were serpents two
yards long, with a head and pair of feet at each end; frogs as large as a man,
with human hands and feet; turtles with three heads; monkeys with two heads
and six legs; scores of equally curious monstrosities; and at least two dozen
mermaids, of all sorts and sizes. Looking at these ' ' sirens " I easily divined from
whence the Feejee mermaid originated.
After a truly delightful visit in Holland, we went back to England; and, pro-
ceeding to Manchester, opened our exhibition. For several days the hall was
crowded to overflowing at each of the three, and sometimes four, entertainments
we gave every day. By this time, my wife and two youngest daughters had come
over to London, and I hired furnished lodgings in the suburbs where they could
live within the strictest limits of economy. It was necessary now for me to
return for a few weeks to America, to assist personally in forwarding a settle-
ment of the clock difficulties. So leaving the little General in the hands of trusty
and competent agents to carry on the exhibitions in my absence, I set my face
once more towards home and the west, and took steamer at Liverpool for New
York.
The trip, Like most of the passages which I have made across the Atlantic, was
an exceedingly pleasant one. These frequent voyages were to me the rests, the
reliefs from almost unremitting industry, anxiety, and care, and I always man-
aged to have more or less fun on board ship every time I crossed the ocean.
During the present trip, for amusement and to pass away the time, the passengers
got up a number of mock trials, which afforded a vast deal of fun. A judge was
selected, jurymen drawn, prisoners arraigned, counsel employed, and all the
formalities of a court established. I have the vanity to think that if my good
fortune had directed me to that profession, I should have made a very fail-
lawyer, for I have always had a great fondness for debate and especially for the
cross-examination of witnesses, unless that witness was P. T. Barnum in examin-
ation under supplementary proceedings at the instance of some note-shaver, who
had bought a clock note at a discount of thirty-six per cent. In this mock court,
I was unanimously chosen as prosecuting attorney, and, as the court was estab-
lished expressly to convict, I had no difficulty in carrying the jury and securing
the punishment of the prisoner. A small fine was generally imposed, and the
fund thus collected was given to a poor sailor boy who had fallen from the mast
and broken his leg.
164 IN HOLLAND.
After several of these trials hod been held, a dozen or more of the passengers
secretly put their heads together and resolved to place the " showman " on trial
for his life. An indictment, covering twenty pages, was drawn up by several
legal gentlemen among the passengers, charging him with being the Prince of
Humbugs, and enumerating a dozen special counts, containing charges of the most
absurd and ridiculous description. Witnesses were then brought together, and
privately instructed what to say and do. Two or three days were devoted to
arranging this mighty prosecution. When everything was ready, I was arrested,
and the formidable indictment read to me. I saw at a glance that time and talent
had been brought into requisition, and that my trial was to be more elaborate
than any that had preceded it. I asked for half an hour to prepare for my
defence, which was granted. Meanwhile, seats were arranged to accommodate
the court and spectators, and extra settees were placed for the ladies on the
upper deck, where they could look down, see and hear all that transpired.
Curiosity was on tip-toe, for it was evident that this was to be a long, exciting
and laughable trial. At the end of half an hour the judge was on the bench, the
jury had taken their places; the witnesses were ready; the counsel for the prose-
cution, four in number, with pens, ink, and paper in profusion, were seated, and
everything seemed ready. I was brought in by a special constable, the indict-
ment read, and I was asked to plead guilty, or not guilty. I rose, and in a most
solemn manner, stated that I could not conscientiously plead guilty or not guilty;
that I had, in fact, committed many of the acts charged in the indictment, but
these acts, I was ready to show, were not criminal, but on the contrary, worthy
of praise. My plea was received and the first witness called.
He testified to having visited the prisoner's Museum, and of being humbugged
by the Feejee Mermaid; the nurse of Washington; and by other curiosities
natural and unnatural. The questions and answers having been all arranged in
advance, everything worked smoothly. Acting as jny own counsel, I cross-ex-
amined the witness by simply asking whether he sawanything else in the Museum
besides what he had mentioned.
"Oh! yes, [ saw thousands of other things."
" Were they curious?"
" Certainly; many of them very astonishing."
" Did you witness a dramatic representation in the Museum? "
"Yes, sir, a very good one."
" What did you pay for all this? "
" Twenty-five cents."
" That will do, sir; you can step down."
A second, third and fourth witness were called, and the examination was
similar to the foregoing. Another witness then appeared to testify in regard to
another count in the indictment. He stated that for several weeks he was the
guest of the prisoner, at his country residence, Iranistan, and ]fb gave a most
amusing description of the various schemes and contrivances which were there
originated, for the purpose of being carried out at some future day in the Museum.
"How did you live there?" asked one of the counsel for the prosecution.
"Very well, indeed, in the daytime," was the reply; "plenty of the best to eat
and drink, except liquors. In bed, however, it was impossible to sleep. I rose
the first night, struck a light, and on examination found myself covered with
myriads of little bugs, so small as to be almost imperceptible. By using my
microscope I discovered them to be infantile bedbugs. After the first night 1 was
obliged to sleep in the coach-house in order to escape this annoyance."
IN HOLLAND. 165
Of ixmrse this elicited much mirth. The first question put on the cross-exami-
nation was this:
" Are you a naturalist, sir? "
The witness hesitated. In all the drilling that had taken place before the trial,
neither the counsel nor witnesses had thought of what questions might come up
in the cross-examination, and now, not seeing the drift of the question, the wit-
ness seemed a little bewildered, and the counsel for the prosecution looked
puzzled.
The question was repeated with some emphasis.
" No, sir ! " replied the witness, hesitatingly, " I am not a naturalist."
"Then, sir, not being a naturalist, dare you affirm that those microscopic
insects were not humbugs instead of bedbugs " — (here the prisoner was interrupted
by a universal shout of laughter, in which the solemn judge himself joined) —
" and if they were humbugs, I suppose that even the learned counsel opposed to
me, will not claim that they were out of place? "
" They may have been humbugs," replied the witness.
" That will do, sir; you may go," said I; and at the same time, turning to the
array of counsel, I remarked, with a smile, " You had better have a naturalist
for your next witness, gentlemen."
"Don't be alarmed, sir, we have got one, and we will now introduce him,"
replied the counsel.
The next witness testified that he was a planter from Georgia, that some years
since the prisoner visited his plantation with a show, and that while there he dis
covered an old worthless donkey belonging to the planter, and bought him for five
dollars. The next year the witness visited Iranistan, the country seat of the pris-
oner, and, while walking about the grounds, his old donkey, recognizing his former
master, brayed; " whereupon," continued the witness, " I walked up to the animal
and found that two men were engaged in sticking wool upon him, and this animal
was afterwards exhibited by the prisoner as the woolly horse."
The whole court — spectators, and even the "prisoner" himself, were convulsed
with laughter at the gravity with which the planter gave his very ludicrous
testimony.
" What evidence have you," I inquired, "that this was the same donkey which
you sold to me?"
"The fact that the animal recognized me, as was evident from his braying as
eoon as he saw me."
" Are you a naturalist, sir? "
"Yes, I anV replied the planter, with firm emphasis, as much as to say, you
can't catch me as you did the other witness.
"Oh! you are a naturalist, are you? Then, sir, I ask you, as a naturalist, do
you not know it to be a fact in natural history, that one jackass always brays as
soon as he sees another?
This question was received with shouts of laughter, in the midst of which the,
nonplussed witness backed out of court, and all the efforts of special constables,
and even the high sheriff himself, were unavailing in getting him again on the
witness stand.
This trial lasted two days, to the great delight of all on board. After my suc-
cess with the "naturalist," not one half of the witnesses would appear against me.
In my final argument I sifted the testimony, analyzed its bearings, ruffled tho
learned counsel, disconcerted the witnesses, flattered the judge and jury, and when
the judge had delivered his charge, the jury acquitted me without leaving their
166 IN HOLLAND.
seats. The judge received the verdict, and then announced that he should fine
the naturalist for the mistake he made, as to the cause of the donkey's braying,
and he should also fine the several witnesses, who, through fear of the cross-fire,
had refused to testify.
The trial afforded a pleasant topic of conversation for the rest of the voyage;
and the morning before arriving in port, a vote of thanks was passed to me, in
consideration of the amusement I had intentionally and unintentionally furnished
to the passengers during the voyage.
After my arrival in New York, oftentimes, in passing up and down Broadway,
I saw old and prosperous friends coming, but before I came anywhere near them,
if they espied me, they would dodge into a store, or across the street, or oppor-
tunely meet some one with whom they had pressing business, or they would be
very much interested in something that was going on over the way, or on top of
the City Hall. I was delighted at this, for it gave me at once a new sensation
and anew experience. "Ah, ha!" I said to myself; "my butterfly friends, I
know you now; and, what is more to the point, if ever I get out of this bewilder-
ment of broken clock-wheels, I shall not forget you; " and I heartily thanked the
old clock concern for giving me the opportunity to learn this sad but most needful
lesson. I had a very few of the same sort of experiences in Bridgeport, and they
proved valuable to me.
Mr, James D. Johnson, of Bridgeport, one of my assignees, who had written to
me that my personal presence might facilitate a settlement of my affairs, told me,
soon after my arrival, that there was no probability of disposing of Iranistan at
present, and that I might as well move my family into the house. I had arrived
in August, and my family followed me from London in September, and October
20, 1857, my second daughter, Helen, was married in the house of her elder sister,
Mrs. D. W. Thompson, in Bridgeport, to Mr. Samuel H. Hurd.
Meanwile, Iranistan, which had been closed and unoccupied for more than two
years, was once more opened to the carpenters and painters whom Mr. Johnson
sent there to put the house in order. He agreed with me that it was best to keep
the property as long as possible, and in the interval, till a purchaser for the estate
appeared, or till it was forced to auction, to take up the clock notes whenever they
were offered. The workmen who were employed in the house were specially in-
structed not to smoke there, but, nevertheless, it was subsequently discovered
that some of the men were in the habit occasionally of going into the main dome to
eat their dinners which they brought with them, and that they stayed there
awhile after dinner to smoke their pipes. In all probability, one of these lighted
pipes was left on the cushion which covered the circular seat in the dome and
ignited the tow with which the cushion was stuffed. It may have been days and
even weeks before this smouldering tow fire burst into flame.
I was staying at the Astor House, in New York, when, on the morning of
December 18, 1857, 1 received a telegram from my brother Philo F. Barnum, dated
at Bridgeport, and informing me that Iranistan was burned to the ground that
morning. The alarm was given at eleven o'clock on the night of the 17th, and
the fire burned till one o'clock on the morning of the 18th. My beautiful Iranis-
tan was gone! This was not only a serious loss to my estate, for it had probably
cost at least $150,000, but it was generally regarded as a public calamity. It was
the only building in its peculiar style of architecture of any pretension in America,
and many persons visited Bridgeport every year expressly to see Iranistan. The
insurance on the mansion, had usually been about $62,000, but I had let some of the
policies expire without renewing them, so that at the time of the fire there was only
IN HOLLAND. 167
$38,000 insurance on the property. Most of the furniture and pictures were saved,
generally hi a damaged state.
Subsequently, my asignees sold the grounds and outhouses of Irauistaii to the
late Elias Howe, Jr., the celebrated inventor of the needle for sewing-machines.
The property brought $50,000, which, with the $28,000 insurance, went into my
assets to satisfy clock creditors. It was Mr. Howe's intention to erect a splendid
mansion on the estate, but his untimely and lamented death prevented the fulfill-
ment <>f the plan.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE ART OF MO^EY-GETTING.
SEEING the necessity of making more money to assist in extricating me froz^
my financial difficulties, and leaving my affairs in the hands of Mr. James D.
Johnson — my wife and youngest daughter, Pauline, boarding with my eldest
daughter, Mrs. Thompson, in Bridgeport — early in 1858, I went back to England,
and took Tom Thumb to all the principal places in Scotland and Wales, giving
many exhibitions and making much money which was remitted, as heretofore, to
my agents and assignees in America.
Finding, after a while, that my personal attention was not needed in the Tom
Thumb exhibitions and confiding him almost wholly to agents who continued the
tour through Great Britain, under my general advice and instruction, I turned
my individual attention to a new field. At the suggestion of several American
gentlemen, resident in London, I prepared a lecture on "The Art of Money-
Getting." I told my friends that, considering my clock complications, I thought
I was more competent to speak on "The Art of Money Losing; " but they encour-
aged me by reminding me that I could not have lost money, if I had not previ-
ously possessed the faculty of making it. They further assured me that my
name having been intimately associated with the Jenny Land concerts and other
great money-making enterprises, the lecture would be sure to prove attractive
and profitable.
The old clocks ticked in my ear the reminder that I should improve every
opportunity to " turn an honest penny," and my lecture was duly announced for
delivery in the great St. James' Hall, Regent street, Piccadilly. It was thoroughly
advertised — a feature I never neglected — and, at the appointed time, the hall,
which would hold three thousand people, was completely filled, at prices of three
and two shillings (seventy-five and fifty cents), per seat, according to location. It
was the evening of December 29, 1858. I could see in my audience all my Ameri-
can friends who had suggested this effort; all my theatrical and literary friends;
and as I saw several gentlemen whom I knew to be connected with the leading
London papers, I felt sure that my success or failure would be duly chronicled
next morning. There was, moreover, a general audience that seemed eager to
see the "showman" of whom they had heard so much, and to catch from his
lips the "art" which, in times past, had contributed so largely to his success in
life. Stimulated by these things, I tried to do my best, and I think I did it. The
following is the lecture substantially as it was delivered, though it was inter-
spersed with many anecdotes and illustrations which are necessarily omitted ; and 1
should add, that the subjoined copy being adapted to the meridian in which ii
has been repeatedly delivered, contains numerous local allusions to men ana
matters in the United States, which, of course, did not appear in the original
draft prepared for my English audiences:
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING.
[n the United States, where we have more land than people, it is not at all diffi-
cult for persons in good health to make money. In this comparatively new field
168
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTIKG. 169
there are so many avenues of success open, so many vocations which are not
crowded, that any person of either sex who is willing, at least for the time
being, to engage in any respectable occupation that offers, may find lucrative
employment.
Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only to set their minds
upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object
which they wish to accomplish, and the tiling is easily done. But however easy
it may be found to make money, I have no doubt many of my hearers will agree
it is the most difficult thing in the world to keep it. The road to wealth is, as
Dr. Franklin truly says, "as plain as the road to mill," It consists simply in
expending less than we earn; that seems to be a very simple problem. Mr.
Micawber, one of those happy creations of the genial Dickens, puts the case in a
strong light when he says that to have an income of twenty pounds, per annum,
and spend twenty pounds and sixpence, is to be the most miserable of men;
whereas, to have an income of only twenty pounds, and spend but nineteen
pounds and sixpence, is to be the happiest of mortals. Many of my hearers may
say, "we understand this; this is economy, and we know economy is wealth; we
know we can't eat our cake and keep it also." Yet I beg to say that perhaps
more cases of failure arise from mistakes on this point than almost any other.
The fact is, many people think they understand economy when they really do
not.
True economy is misapprehended, and people go through life without properly
comprehending what that principle is. One says, "I have an income of so
much, and here is my neighbor who has the same; yet every year he gets. some-
thing ahead and I fall short; why is it? I know all about economy." He thinks
he does, but he does not. There are many who think that economy consists in
saving cheese-parings and candle-ends, in cutting off two pence from the
laundress' bill and doing all sorts of little, mean, dirty things. Economy is not
meanness. The misfortune is, also, that this class of persons let their economy
apply in only one direction. They fancy they are so wonderfully economical in
saving a half-penny where they ought to spend two pence, that they think they
can afford to squander in other directions. A few years ago, before kerosene oil
was discovered or thought of, one might stop over night at almost any farmer's
house in the agricultural districts and get a very good supper, but after supper he
might attempt to read in the sitting-room, and would find it impossible with the
inefficient light of one candle. The hostess, seeing his dilemma, would say:
" It is rather difficult to read here evenings; the proverb says ' you must have a
ship at sea in order to be able to burn two candles at once;' we never have an
extra candle except on extra occasions." These extra occasions occur, perhaps,
twice a year. In this way the good woman saves five, six, or ten dollars in that
time; but the information which might be derived from having the extra light
would, of course, far outweigh a ton of candles.
But the trouble does not end here. Feeling that she is so economical in tallow
candles, she thinks she can afford to go frequently to the village and spend twenty
or thirty dollars for ribbons and furbelows, many of which are not necessary.
This false economy may frequently be seen in men of business, and in those
instances it often runs to writing-paper. You find good business men who save
all the old envelopes, and scraps, and would not tear a new sheet of paper, if they
could avoid it, for the world. This is all very well; they may in this way save
five or ten dollars a year, but being so economical (only in note paper), they think
they can afford to waste tii 'e : to have expensive parties, and to drive their car-
170 THE AET OF MONEY-GETTING.
riages. This is an illustration of Dr. Franklin's " saving at the spigot and wasting
at the bung-hole;" " penny wise and pound foolish." Punch in speaking of this
"one idea" class of people says "they are like the man who bought a penny
herring for his family's dinner and then hired a coach and four to take it home.''
I never knew a man to succeed by practising this kind of economy.
True economy consists in always making the income exceed the out-go. Wear
the old clothes a little longer if necessary; dispense with the new pair of gloves;
mend the old dress; live on plainer food if need be; so that, under all circum-
stances, unless some unforeseen accident occurs, there will be a margin in favor of
the income. A penny here, and a dollar there, placed at interest, goes on accu-
mulating, and in this way the desired result is attained. It requires some training,
perhaps, to accomplish this economy, but when once used to it, you will find there
is more satisfaction in rational saving, than in irrational spending. Here is a
recipe which I recommend; I have found it to work an excellent cure for extrava-
gance, and especially for mistaken economy: When you find that you have no
surplus at the end of the year, and yet have a good income, I advise you to take
a few sheets of paper and form them into a book and mark down every item of
expenditure. Post it every day or week in two columns, one headed ' ' necessaries "
or even "comforts," and the other headed "luxuries," and you will find that the
latter column will be double, treble, and frequently ten times greater than the
former. The real comforts of life cost but a small portion of what most of us
can earn. Dr. Franklin says " it is the eyes of others and not our own eyes which
ruin us. If all the world were blind except myself I should not care for fine
clothes or furniture." It is the fear of what Mrs. Grundy may say that keeps the
noses of many worthy families to the grindstone. In America many persons
like to repeat "we are all free and equal," but it is a great mistake in more
senses than one.
That we are born " free and equal" is a glorious truth in one sense, yet we are
not all born equally rich, and we never shall be. One may say, " there is a man
who has an income of fifty thousand dollars per annum, while I have but one
thousand dollars; I knew that fellow when he was poor like myself, now he is
rich and thinks he is better than I am; I will show him that I am as good as he is;
I will go and buy a horse and buggy; no, I cannot do that, but I will go and hire
one and ride this afternoon on the same road that he does, and thus prove to him
that I am as good as he is."
My friend, you need not take that trouble; you can easily prove that you are
" as good as he is; " you have only to behave as well as he does; but you cannot
make anybody believe that you are rich as he is. Besides, if you put on these
"airs," and waste your time and spend your money, your poor wife will be
obliged to scrub her fingers off at home, and buy her tea two ounces at a time,
and everything else in proportion, in order that you may keep up " appearances,"
and, after all, deceive nobody. On the other hand, Mrs. Smith may say that her
next-door neighbor married Johnson for his money, and "everybody says so."
She has a nice one-thousand dollar camel's hair shawl, and she will make Smith
get her an imitation one, and she will sit in a pew right next to her neighbor in
church, in order to prove that she is her equal
My good woman, you will not get ahead in the world, if your vanity and envy
thus take the lead. In this country, where we believe the majority ought to
rule, we ignore that principle in regard to fashion, and let a handful of people,
calling themselves the aristocracy, run up a false standard of perfection, and in
wudeavoring to rise to that standard, we constantly keep ourselves poor; all the
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 171
time digging away for the sake of outside appearances. How much wiser to be
a " law unto ourselves " and say, " we will regulate our out-go by our income,
and lay up something for a rainy day." People ought to be as sensible on the
subject of money-getting as on any other subject. Like causes produces like
effects. You cannot accumulate a fortune by taking the road that leads to
poverty. It needs no prophet to tell us that those who live fully up to their
means, without any thought of a reverse in this life, can never attain a pecuniary
independence.
Men and women accustomed to gratify every whim and caprice, will find it
hard, at first, to cut down their various unnecessary expenses, and will feel it a
great self-denial to live in a smaller house than they have been accustomed to,
with less expensive furniture, less company, less costly clothing, fewer servants,
a less number of balls, parties, theater-goings, carriage-ridings, pleasure excur-
sions, cigar-smokings, liquor-drinMngs, and other extravagances; but, after all,
if they will try the plan of laying by a "nest-egg," or, in other words, a small
sum of money, at interest or judiciously invested in land, they will be surprised
at the pleasure to be derived from constantly adding to their little " pile," as well
as from all the economical habits which are engendered by this course.
The old suit of clothes, and the old bonnet and dress, will answer for another
season; the Croton or spring water will taste better than champagne; a cold bath
and a brisk walk will prove more exhilarating than a ride in the finest coach; a
social chat, an evening's reading in the family circle, or an hour's play of "hunt
the slipper" and "blind man's buff, "will be far more pleasant than a fifty or five
hundred dollar party, when the reflection on the difference in cost is indulged in
by those who begin to know the pleasures of saving. Thousands of men are kept
poor, and tens of thousands are made so after they have acquired quite sufficient
to support them well through life, in consequence of laying their plans of living
on too broad a platform. Some families expend twenty thousand dollars per
annum, and some much more, and would scarcely know how to li ve on less, while
others secure more solid enjoyment frequently on a twentieth part of that amount.
Prosperity is a more severe ordeal than adversity, especially sudden prosperity.
" Easy come, easy go," is an old and true proverb. A spirit of pride and vanity,
when permitted to have full sway, is the undying canker-worm which gnaws the
very vitals of a man's worldy possessions, let them be small or great, hundreds
or millions. Many persons, as they begin to prosper, immediately expand their
ideas and commence expending for luxuries, until in a short time then- expenses
swallow up then- income, and they become ruined in their ridiculous attempts to
keep up appearances, and make a " sensation."
I know a gentleman of fortune who says, that when he first began to prosper,
his wife would have a new and elegant sofa. "That sofa," he says, "cost me
thirty thousand dollars! " When the sofa reached the house, it was found neces-
sary to get chairs to match; then side-boards, carpets and tables "to correspond "
with them, and so on through the entire stock of furniture ; when at last it was found
that the house itself was quite too small and old-fashioned for the furniture, and
a new one was built to correspond with the new purchases; " thus," added my
friend, " summing up an outlay of thirty thousand dollars, caused by that single
sofa, and saddling on me, in the shape of servants, equipage, and the necessary
expenses attendant upon keeping up a fine 'establishment,' a yearly outlay of
eleven thousand dollars, and a tight pinch at that; whereas, ten years ago, we
lived with much more real comfort, because with much less care, on as many
hundreds. The truth is," he continued, "that sofa would have brought me to
172 THE ART OF
inevitable bankruptcy, had not a most unexampled tide of prosperity kept me
above it, and had I not checked the natural desire to ' cut a dash.' "
The foundation of success in life is good health; that is the substratum of for-
tune; it is also the basis of happiness. A person cannot accumulate a fortune
very well when he is sick. He has no ambition; no incentive; no force. Of
course, there are those who have bad health and cannot help it; you cannot
expect that such persons can accumulate wealth; but there are a great many in
poor health who need not be so.
If, then, sound health is the foundation of success and happiness in life, how
important it is that we should study the laws of health, which is but another
expression for the laws of nature 1 The closer we keep to the laws of nature, the
nearer we are to good health, and yet how many persons there are who pay no
attention to natural laws, but absolutely transgress them, even against their own
natural inclination. We ought to know that the "sin of ignorance "is never
winked at in regard to the violation of nature's laws; their infraction always
brings the penalty. A child may thrust its finger into the flames without know-
ing it will burn, and so suffers, repentance, even, will not stop the smart. Many
of our ancestors knew very little about the principle of ventilation. They did
not know much about oxygen, whatever other "gin" they might have been
acquainted with; and consequently, they built their houses with little seven-by-
nine feet bedrooms, and these good old pious Puritans would lock themselves up
in one of these cells, say their prayers and go to bed. In the morning they
would devoutly return thanks for the "preservation of their lives," during the
night, and nobody had better reason to be thankfuL Probably some big crack in
the window, or in the door, let in a little fresh air, and thus saved them.
Many persons knowingly violate the laws of nature against their better im-
pulses, for the sake of fashion. For instance, there is one thing that nothing
living except a vile worm ever naturally loved, and that is tobacco; yet how
many persons there are who deliberately train an unnatural appetite, and over-
come this implanted aversion for tobacco, to such a degree that they get to love
it. They have got hold of a poisonous, filthy weed, or rather that takes a firm
hold of them. Here are married men who run about spitting tobacco juice on
the carpet and floors, and sometimes even upon their wives besides. They do
Dot kick their wives out of doors like drunken men, but their wives, I have no
doubt, often wish they were outside of the house. Another perilous feature is
that this artificial appetite, like jealousy, " grows by what it feeds on; " when you
love that which is unnatural, a stronger appetite is created for the hurtful thing
than the natural desire for what is harmless. There is an old proverb which
says that " habit is second nature," but an artificial habit is stronger than nature.
Take for instance, an old tobacco-chewer; his love for the "quid' is stronger
than his love for any particular kind of food. He can give up roast beef easier
than give up the weed.
Young lads regret that they are not men; they would like to go to bed boys
and wake up men; and to accomplish this they copy the bad habits of their sen-
iors. Little Tommy and Johnny see their fathers or uncles smoke a pipe, and
they say, " If I could only do that, I would be a man too; uncle John has gone
out and left his pipe of tobacco, let us try it." They take a match and light it,
and then puff away. "We will learn to smoke; do you like it Johnny?" That
lad dolefully replies: "Not very much; it tastes bitter;'1 by and by he grows
pale, but he persists and he soon offers up a sacrifice on the altar of fashion; but
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 173
the boys stick to it and persevere until at last they conquer their natural appetites
and become the victims of acquired tastes.
I speak " by the book," for I have noticed its effects on myself, having gone so
far as to smoke ten or fifteen cigars a day, although I have not used the weed
during the last fourteen years, and never shall again. The more a man smokes,
the more he craves smoking; the last cigar smoked simply excites the desire for
another, and so on incessantly.
Take the tobacco-chewer. In the morning, when he gets up, he puts a quid in
his mouth and keeps it there all day, never taking it out except to exchange it
for a fresh one, or when he is going to eat; oh! yes, at intervals during the day
and evening, many a chewer takes out the quid and holds it in his hand long
enough to take a drink, and then pop it goes back again. This simply proves that
the appetite for rum is even stronger than that for tobacco. When the tobacco-
chewer goes to your country seat and you show him your grapery and fruit
house, and the beauties of your garden, when you offer him some fresh, ripe
fruit, and say, " My friend, I have got here the most delicious apples, and pears,
and peaches, and apricots; I havo imported them from Spain, France and Italy
— just see those luscious grapes; there is nothing more delicious nor more healthy
than ripe fruit, so help yourself; I want to see you delight yourself with these
things;" he will roll the dear quid under his tongue and answer, "No, I thank
you, I have got tobacco in my mouth." His palate hasjaecome narcotized hy the
noxious weed, and he has lost, in a great measure, the delicate and enviable
taste for fruits. This shows what expensive, useless and injurious habits men will
get into. I speak from experience. I have smoked until I trembled like an aspen
leaf, the blood rushed to my head, and I had a palpitation of the heart which I
thought was heart disease, till I was almost killed with fright. When I consulted
my physician, he said "break off tobacco using." I was not only injuring my
health and spending a great deal of money, but I was setting a bad example. I
obeyed his counsel. No young man in the world ever looked so beautiful, as he
thought he did, behind a fifteen cent cigar or a meerschaum!
These remarks apply with tenfold force to the use of intoxicating drinks. To
make money, requires a clear brain. A man has got to see that two and two
make four; he must lay all his plans with reflection and forethought, and closely
examine all the details and the ins and outs of business. As no man can succeed
in business unless he has a brain to enable him to lay his plans, and reason to
guide him in their execution, so, no matter how bountifully a man maybe blessed
with intelligence, if the brain is muddled, and his judgment warped by intoxi-
cating drinks, it is impossible for him to carry on business successfully. How
many good opportunities have passed, never to return, while a man was sipping
a "social glass," with his friend! How many foolish bargains have been made
under the influence of the "nervine," which temporarily makes its victim think
he is rich. How many important chances have been put off until to-morrow,
and then forever, because the wine cup has thrown the system into a state of
lassitude, neutralizing the energies so essential to success in business. Verily,
"wine is a mocker." The use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, is as much
an infatuation, as is the smoking of opium by the Chinese, and the former is
quite as destructive to the success of the business man as the latter. It is an
unmitigated evil, utterly indefensible in the light of philosophy, religion or good
sense. It is the parent of nearly every other evil in our country.
DON'T MISTAKE YOUK VOCATION. — The safest plan, and the one most sure of
success for the young man starting in life, is to select the vocation which is most
174 THE ART OF ilOXEY-GETTIKO.
congenial to his tastes. Parents and guardians are often quite too npgligent in
regard to this. It is very common for a father to say, for example: "1 have
five boys. I will make Billy a clergyman; John a lawyer; Tom a doctor, aiid
Dick a farmer." He then goes into town and looks about to see what he will do
with Sammy. He returns home and says " Sammy, I see watch-making is a
nice, genteel business; I think I will make you a goldsmith." He does this,
regardless of Sam's natural inclinations, or genius.
We are all, no doubt, born for a wise purpose. There is as much diversity in
our brains as in our countenances. Some are born natural mechanics, while some
have great aversion to machinery. Let a dozen boys of ten years get together,
and you will soon observe two or three are " whittling " out some ingenious
device; working with locks or complicated machinery. When they were but five
years old, their father could find no toy to please them like a puzzle. They are
natural mechanics; but the other eight or nine boys have different aptitudes. I
belong to the latter class; I never had the slightest love for mechanism; on the
contrary, I have a sort of abhorrence for complicated machinery. I never had
ingenuity enough to whittle a cider tap so it would not leak. I never could make
a pen that I could write with, or understand the principle of a steam engine. If
a man was to take such a boy as I was, and attempt to make a watchmaker of
him, the boy might, after an apprenticeship of five or seven years, be able to take
apart and put together a*watch; but all through life he would be working up hill
and seizing every excuse for leaving his work and idling away his time. Watch-
making is repulsive to him,
Unless a man enters upon the vocation intended for him by nature, and best
suited to his peculiar genius, he cannot succeed. I am glad to believe that the
majority of persons do find their right vocation. Yet we see many who have
mistaken their calling, from the blacksmith up (or down) to the clergyman.
You will see, for instance, that extraordinary linguist the "learned blacksmith,"
who ought to have been a teacher of languages; and you may have seen lawyers,
doctors and clergymen who were better fitted by nature for the anvil or the
lapstone.
SELECT THE RIGHT LOCATION. — After securing the right vocation, you must
be careful to select the proper location. You may have been cut out for a hotel
keeper, and they say it requires a genius to "know how to keep a hotel." You
might conduct a hotel like clock-work, and provide satisfactorily for five hundred
guests every day; yet, if you should locate your house in a small village where
there is no railroad communication or public travel, the location would be your
ruin. It is equally important that you do not commence business where there are
already enough to meet all demands hi the same occupation. I remember a case
which illustrates this subject. When I was in London in 1858, I was passing
down Holborn with an English friend and came to the "penny shows." They
had immense cartoons outside, portraying the wonderful curiosities to be seen " all
for a penny. " Being a little in the ' ' show line " myself, I said " let us go in here. ' '
We soon found ourselves in the presence of the illustrious showman, and he proved
to be the sharpest man hi that line I had ever met. He told us some extraordinary
stories in reference to his bearded ladies, his Albinos, and his Armadillos, which
we could hardly believe, but thought it " better to believe it than look after the
proof." He finally begged to call our attention to some wax statuary, and showed
Us a lot of the dirtiest and filthiest wax figures imaginable. They looked as if
they had not seen water since the Deluge.
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 175
"What is there so wonderful about your statuary?" I asked.
"I beg you not to speak so satirically," he replied, "Sir, these are not Madam
Tussaud's wax figures, all covered with gilt and tinsel and imitation diamonds,
And copied from engravings and photographs. Mine, sir, wore taken from life.
Whenever you look updn one of those figures, you may consider that you are
looking upon the living individual."
Glancing casually at them, I saw one labelled " Henry VIII.," and feeling a little
curious upon seeing that it looked like Calvin Edson, the living skeleton, I said:
" Do you call that ' Henry the Eighth? ' "
He replied, ' ' Certainly, sir ; it was taken from lif e at Hampton Court, by special
order of his majesty, on such a day."
He would have given the hour of the day if I had insisted; I said, " Everybody
knows that ' Henry VIII.' was a great stout old king, and that figure is lean and
lank; what do you say to that?"
" Why," he replied, " you would be lean and lank yourself, if you sat there as
long as he has."
There was no resisting sucn arguments. I said to my English friend, "Let us
go out; do not tell him who I am; I show the white feather; he beats me."
He followed us to the door, and seeing the rabble in the street, he called out,
"ladies and gentlemen, I beg to draw your attention to the respectable character
of my visitors," pointing to us as we walked away. I called upon him a couple
of days afterwards; told him who I was, and said:
"My friend, you are an excellent showman, but you have selected a bad
location."
He replied, " This is true, sir; I feel that all my talents are thrown away; but
what can I do? "
" You can go to America," I replied. " You can give full play to your faculties
over there; you will find plenty of elbow-room in America; I will engage you
for two years; after that you will be able to go on your own account."
He accepted my offer and remained two years hi my New York Museum. He
then went to New Orleans and carried on a traveling show business during the
summer. To-day he is worth sixty thousand dollars, simply because he selected
the right vocation and also secured the proper location. The old proverb says,
" Three removes are as bad as a fire," but when a man is in the fire, it matters but
little how soon or how often he removes.
AVOID DEBT. — Young men starting in life should avoid running into debt.
There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt. It is a slavish
position to get in, yet we find many a young man, hardly out of his " teens," run-
ning in debt. He meets a chum and says, " Look at this: I have got trusted fora
new suit of clothes." He seems to look upon the clothes as so much given to him;
well, it frequently is so, but, if he succeeds in paying and then gets trusted again,
he is adopting a habit which will keep him in poverty through life. Debt robs a
man of his self-respect, and makes him almost despise himself. Grunting and
groaning and working for what he has eaten up or worn out, and now when he is
called upon to pay up, he has nothing to show for his money; this is properly
termed "working for a dead horse." I do not speak of merchants buying and
selling on credit, or of those who buy on credit in order to turn the purchase to a
profit. The old Quaker said to his farmer son, " John, never get trusted; but if
thee gets trusted for anything, let it be for 'manure,' because that will help thee
pay it back again."
176 THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING.
Mr. Beecher advised young men to get in debt if they could to a small amount
in the purchase of land, in the country districts. "If a young man," he says,
" will only get in debt for some land and then get married, these two things will
keep him straight, or nothing will" This may be safe to a limited extent, but
getting in debt for what you eat and drink and wear is to be avoided. Some
families have a foolish habit of getting credit at " the stores," and thus frequently
purchase many things which might have been dispensed with.
It is all very well to say, " I have got trusted for sixty days, and if I don't have
the money the creditor will think nothing about it." There is no class of people
in the world, who have such good memories as creditors. When the sixty days
run out, you will have to pay. If you do not pay, you will break your promise,
and probably resort to a falsehood. You may make some excuse or get in debt
elsewhere to pay it, but that only involves you the deeper.
A good-looking, lazy young fellow, was the apprentice boy, Horatio. His
employer said, "Horatio, did you ever see a snail?" "I — think — I — have," he
drawled out. " You must have met him then, for I am sure you never overtook
one," said the "boss." Your creditor will meet you or overtake you and say,
" Now, my young friend, you agreed to pay me; you have not done it, you must
give me your note." You give the note on interest and it commences working
against you; "it is a dead horse." The creditor goes to bed at night and wakes
up in the morning better off than when he retired to bed, because his interest has
increased during the night, but you grow poorer while you are sleeping, for the
interest is accumulating against you.
Money is in some respects like fire; it is a very excellent servant but a terrible
master. When you have it mastering you; when interest is constantly piling up
against you, it will keep you down in the worst kind of slavery. But let money
work for you, and you have the most devoted servant in the world. It is no " eye-
servant." There is nothing animate or inanimate that will work so faithfully as
money when placed at interest, well secured. It works night and day, and in wet
or dry weather.
I was born in the blue-law State of Connecticut, where the old Puritans had
laws so rigid that it was said, "they fined a man for kissing his wife on Sunday."
Yet these rich old Puritans would have thousands of dollars at interest, and on
Saturday night would be worth a certain amount; on Sunday they would go to
church and perform all the duties of a Christian. On waking up on Monday
morning, they would find themselves considerably richer than the Saturday night
previous, simply because their money placed at interest had worked faithfully for
them all day Sunday, according to law !
Do not let it work against you; if you do there is no chance for success in life
so far as money is concerned. John Randolph, the eccentric Virginian, once
exclaimed in Congress, "Mr. Speaker, I have discovered the philosopher's stone:
pay as you go." Thi3 is, indeed, nearer to the philosopher's stone than any
alchemist has ever yet arrived.
PERSEVERE. — When a man is in the right path, he must persevere. I speak of
this because there are some persons who are "born tired; " naturally lazy and
possessing no self-reliance and no perseverance. But they can cultivate these
qualities, as Davy Crockett said:
" This thing remember, when I am dead ,
Be sure you are right, then go ahead.'1
THE AET OP MONEY-GETTING. 177
It is this go-aheaditiveness, this determination not to let the "horrors" or the
"blues" take possession of you, so as to make you relax your energies in the
struggle for independence, which you must cultivate.
How many have almost reached the goal of their ambition, but, losing faith in
themselves, have relaxed their energies, and the golden prize has been lost forever.
It is, no doubt, often true, as Shakespeare says:
"There Is a tide In the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."
If you hesitate, some bolder hand will stretch out before you and get the prize.
Remember the proverb of Solomon: "He becometh poor that dealeth with a
slack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich."
Perseverance is sometimes but another word for self-reliance. Many persons
- naturally look on the dark side of life, and borrow trouble. They are born so.
Then they ask for advice, and they will be governed by one wind and blown by
another, and cannot rely upon themselves. Until you can get so that you can rely
upon yourself, you need not expect to succeed. I have known men, personally,
who have met with pecuniary reverses, and absolutely committed suicide, because
they thought they could never overcome their misfortune. But I have known
others who have met more serious financial difficulties, and have bridged them
over by simple perseverance, aided by a firm belief that they were doing justly,
and that Providence would "overcome evil with good." Yon will see this
illustrated in any sphere of life.
Take two generals; both understand military tactics, both educated at West
Point, if you please, both equally gifted; yet one, having this principle of perse-
verance, and the other lacking it, the former will succeed in his profession, while
the latter will fail One may hear the cry, "the enemy are coming, and they
have got cannon."
" Got cannon? " says the hesitating general
"Yes."
" Then halt every man."
He wants time to reflect ; his hesitation is his ruin ; the enemy passes unmolested,
or overwhelms him; while on the other hand, the general of pluck, perseverance
and self-reliance, goes into battle with a will, and, amid the clash of arms, the
booming of cannon, the shrieks of the wounded, and the moans of the dying, you
will see this man persevering, going on, cutting and slashing his way through
with unwavering determination, inspiring his soldiers to deeds of fortitude, valor
and triumph.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT.— Work at it, if necessary,
early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never
deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now. The old
proverb is full of truth and meaning, "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth
doing well" Many a man acquires a fortune by doing his business thoroughly,
while his neighbor remains poor for lif e, because he only half does it. Ambition,
energy, industry, perseverance, are indispensable requisites for success in business.
Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help
himself. It won't do to spend your time like Mr. Micawber, in waiting for some-
thing to "turn up." To such men one of two things usually "turns up:" the
poor-house or the jail; for idleness breeds bad habits, and clothes a man in rags.
The poor spendthrift vagabond said to a rich man:
" I have discovered there is money enough in the world for all of us, if it was
equally divided; this must be done, and we shall all be happy together."
178 THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING.
" But." was the response, " if everybody was like you, it would be spent in two
months, and what would you do then? "
" Ohl divide again; keep dividing, of course! "
I was recently reading in a London paper an account of a like philosophic
pauper who was kicked out of a cheap boarding-house because he could not pay
his bill, but he had a roll of papers sticking out of his coat pocket, which, upon
examination, proved to be his plan for paying off the national debt of England
without the aid of a penny. People have got to do as Cromwell said: " not only
trust in Providence, but keep the powder dry." Do your part of the work, or
you cannot succeed. Mahomet, one night, while encamping in the desert, over-
heard one of his fatigued followers remark: " I will loose my camel, and trust it
to God." "No, no, not so," said the prophet, "tie thy camel, and trust it to
God!" Do all you can for yourselves, and then trust to Providence, or luck, or
whatever you please to call it, for the rest.
DEPEND UPON YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXERTIONS. — The eye of the employer
is often worth more than the hands of a dozen employees. In the nature of things,
an agent cannot be so faithful to his employer as to himself. Many who are em-
ployers will call to mind instances where the best employees have overlooked
important points which could not have escaped their own observation as a pro-
prietor. No man has a right to expect to succeed in life unless he understands
his business, and nobody can understand his business thoroughly unless he learns
it by personal application and experience. A man may be a manufacturer ; he
has got to learn the many details of his business personally; he will learn some-
thing every day, and he will find he will make mistakes nearly every day. And
these very mistakes are helps to him in the way of experiences if he but heeds
them. He will be like the Yankee tin-peddler, who, having been cheated as to
quality in the purchase of his merchandise, said: "All right, there's a little infor-
mation to be gained every day; I will never be cheated in that way again." Thus
a man buys his experience, and it is the best kind if not purchased at too dear a
rate.
I hold that every man should, like Cuvier, the French naturalist, thoroughly
know his business. So proficient was he in the study of natural history, that
you might bring to him the bone, or even a section of a bone of an animal which
he had never seen described, and, reasoning from analogy, he would be able to
draw a picture of the object from which the bone had been taken. On one
occasion his students attempted to deceive him. They rolled one of their number
in a cow skin and put him under the professor's table as a new specimen. When
the philosopher came into the room, some of the students asked him what aitimal
it was. Suddenly the animal said "I am the devil and I am going to eat you.''
It was' but natural that Cuvier should desire to classify this creature, and, exam
ining it intently, he said:
"Divided hoof ; graminivorous! it cannot be done."
He knew that an a.nima.1 -with a split hoof must live upon grass and grain, or
other kind of vegetation, and would not be inclined to eat flesh, dead or alive, so
he considered himself perfectly safe. The possession 6f a perfect knowledge of
your business is an absolute necessity in order to insure success.
Among the maxims of the elder Rothschild was one, an apparent paradox: " Be
cautious and bold." This seems to be a contradiction in terms, but it is not, and
there is great wisdom in the maxim. It is, in fact, a condensed statement of
what I have already said. It is to say, "you must exercise your caution in laying
vour plans, but be bold in carrying them out." A man who is all caution, will
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 1?J)
never dare to take hold and be successful, and a man who is all boldness, is
merely reckless, and must eventually fail. A man may go on '"change" and
make fifty or one hundred thousand dollars in speculating in stocks, at a single
operation. But if he has simple boldness without caution, it is mere chance, and
what he gains to-day he will lose to-morrow. You must have both the caution
and the boldness, to insure success.
The Rothschilds have another maxim ; "Never have anything to do with an
unlucky man or place." That is to say, never have Anything to do with a man
or place which never succeeds, because, although a man may appear to be honest
and intelligent, yet if he tries this or that thing and always fails, it is on account
of some fault or infirmity that you may not be able to discover, but nevertheless
which must exist.
There is no such thing in the world as luck. There never was a man who could
go out in the morning and find a purse full of gold in the street to-day, and
another to-morrow, and so on, day after day. He may do so once in his life;
but so far as mere luck is concerned, he is as liable to lose it as to find it. " Like
causes produce like effects." If a man adopts the proper methods to be successful,
"luck" will not prevent him. If he does not succeed, there are reasons for it,
although, perhaps, he may not be able to see them.
USE THE BEST TOOLS. — Men in engaging employees should be careful to get
the best. Understand, you cannot have too good tools to work with, and there
is no tool you should be so particular about as living tools. If you get a good
one, it is better to keep him, than keep changing. He learns something every
day, and you are benefited by the experience he acquires. He is worth more to
you this year than last, and he is the last man to part with, provided his habits
are good, and he continues faithful. If, as he gets more valuable, he demands
an exorbitant increase of salary, on the supposition that you can't do without him,
let him go. Whenever I have such an employee, I always discharge him; first, to
convince him that his place may be supplied, and second, because he is good for
nothing if he thinks he is invaluable and cannot be spared.
But I would keep him, if possible, in order to profit from the result of his
experience. An important element in an employee is the brain. You can see
Dills up, " Hands Wanted," but "hands" are not worth a great deal without
" heads." Mr. Beecher illustrates this, in this wise:
An employee offers his services by saying, "I have a pair of hands and one
of my fingers thinks." " That is very good," says the employer. Another man
comes along, and says "he has two fingers that think." "Ah! that is better."
But a third calls in and says that "all his fingers and thumbs think," That is
better still. Finally another steps in, and says, "I have a brain that thinks; 1
think all over; I am a thinking as well as a working man!" " You are the man
I want," says the delighted employer.
Those men who have brains and experience are therefore the most valuable
and not to be readily parted with; it is better for them, as well as yourself, to
keep them, at reasonable advances in their salaries from time to time.
DON'T GET ABOVE YOUR BUSINESS.— Young men after they get through their
business training, or apprenticeship, instead of pursuing their avocation and
rising in their business, will often lie about doing nothing. They say, " I have
learned my business, but I am not going to be a hireling; whab is the object of
learning my trade or profession, unless I establish myself ?"
" Have you capital to start with?"
" No, but I am going to have it."
180 THE ART OF MONET-GETTING.
" How are you going to get it?"
"I will tell you confidentially; I have a wealthy old aunt, and she will die
pretty soon; but if she does not, I expect to find some rich old man who will lend
me a few thousands to give me a start. If I only get the money to start with I
will do well"
There is no greater mistake than when a young man believes he will succeed
with borrowed money. Why? Because every man's experience coincides with
that of Mr. Astor, who said, "it was more difficult for him to accumulate Ms first
thousand dollars, than all the succeeding millions that made up his colossal for-
tune." Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by experience.
Give a boy twenty thousand dollars and put him in business, and the chances are
that he will lose every dollar of it before he is a year older. Like buying a ticket
in the lottery, and drawing a prize, it is "easy come, easy go." He does not
know the value of it; nothing is worth anything, unless it costs effort. Without
self-denial and economy, patience and perseverance, and commencing with capital
which you have not earned, you are not sure to succeed in accumulating. Young
men, instead of " waiting for dead men's shoes," should be up and doing, for there
is no class of persons who are so unaccommodating in regard to dying as these
rich old people, and it is fortunate for the expectant heirs that it is so. Nine out
of ten of the rich men of our country to-day, started out in life as poor boys,
with determined wills, industry, perseverance, economy and good habits. They
went on gradually, made their own money and saved it; and this is the best way
to acquire a fortune. Stephen Girard started life as a poor cabin boy, and died
worth nine million dollars. A. T. Stewart was a poor Irish boy; now he pays
taxes on a million and a half dollars of income, per year. John Jacob Astor was
a poor farmer boy, and died worth twenty millions. Cornelius Vanderbilt began
life rowing a boat from Staten Island to New York; now he presents our govern-
ment with a steamship worth a million of dollars, and he is worth fifty millions.
"There is no royal road to learning," says the proverb, and I may say it is
equally true, "there is no royal road to wealth." But I think there is a royal
road to both. The road to learning is a royal one ; the road that enables the
student to expand his intellect and add every day to his stock of knowledge,
until, in the pleasant process of intellectual growth, he is able to solve the most
profound problems, to count the stars, to analyze every atom of the globe, and to
measure the firmament — this is a regal highway, and it is the only road worth
traveling.
So in regard to wealth. Go on in confidence, study the rules, and above all
things, study human nature; for "the proper study of mankind is man," and
you will find that while expanding the intellect and the muscles, your enlarged
experience will enable you every day to accumulate more and more principal,
•vhich will increase itself by interest and otherwise,*until you arrive at a state of
independence. You will find, as a general thing, that the poor boys get rich and
the rich boys get poor. For instance, a rich man at his decease, leaves a large
estate to his family. His eldest sons, who have helped him earn his fortune, know
by experience the value of money, and they take their inheritance and add to it.
The separate portions of the young children are placed at interest, and the little
fellows are patted on the head, and told a dozen times a day, " you are rich; you
will never have to work, you can always have whatever you wish, for you were
born with a golden spoon in your mouth." The young heir soon finds out what
that means; he has the finest dresses and playthings; he is crammed with sugar
candies and almost " killed with kindness," and he passes from school to school,
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 181
petted and flattered. He becomes arrogant and self-conceited, abuses his teachers,
and carries everything with a high hand. He knows nothing of the real value of
money, having never earned any; but he knows all about the " golden spoon "
business. At college, he invites his poor fellow-students to his room, where he
" wines and dines " them. He is cajoled and caressed, and called a glorious good
fellow, because he is so lavish of his money. He gives his game suppers, drives his
fast horses, invites his chums to fetes and parties, determined to have lots of
"good times." He spends the night in frolics and debauchery, and leads off his
companions with the familiar song, " we won't go home till morning." He gets
them to join him in pulling down signs, taking gates from their hinges and throw-
ing them into back yards and horse-ponds. If the police arrest them, he knocks
them down, is taken to the lock-up, and joyfully foots the bills.
"Ah! my boys," he cries, "what is the use of being rich, if you can't enjoy
yourself?" t «
He might more truly say, "if you cant make a fool of yourself;" but he is
"fast," hates slow things, and don't "see it." Young men loaded down with
other people's money are almost sure to lose all they inherit, and they acquire all
sorts of bad habits which, in the majority of cases, ruin them in health, purse
and character. In this country, one generation follows another, and the poor of
to-day are rich in the next generation, or the third. Their experience leads them
on, and they become rich, and they leave vast riches to their young children.
These children, having been reared in luxury, are inexperienced and get poor;
and after long experience another generation comes on and gathers up riches
again in turn. And thus " history repeats itself," and happy is he who by listen-
ing to the experience of others avoids the rocks and shoals on which so many
have been wrecked.
"In England, the business makes the man." If a man in that country is a
mechanic or working-man, he is not recognized as a gentleman. On the occasion
of my first appearance before Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington asked me
what sphere in life General Tom Thumb's parents were in.
" His father is a carpenter," I replied.
" Oh! I had heard he was a gentleman," was the response of His Grace.
In this Republican country, the man makes the business. No matter whether
he is a blacksmith, a shoemaker, a farmer, banker or lawyer, so long as his busi-
ness is legitimate, he may be a gentleman. So any " legitimate " business is a
double blessing — it helps the man engaged in it, and also helps others. The
farmer supports his own family, but he also benefits the merchant or mechanic
who needs the products of his farm. The tailor not only makes a living by his
trade, but he also benefits the farmer, the clergyman and others who cannot
make their own clothing. But all these classes of men may be gentlemen.
The great ambition should be to excel all others engaged in the same occupation.
The college-student who was about graduating, said to an old lawyer:
"I have not yet decided which prof ession I will follow. Is your profession
full?"
" The basement is much crowded, but there is plenty of room up-stairs," was
the witty and truthful reply.
No profession, trade, or calling, is overcrowded in the upper story. Wherever
you find the most honest and intelligent merchant or banker, or the best lawyer,
the best doctor, the best clergyman, the best shoemaker, carpenter, or anything
else, that man is most sought for, and has always enough to do. As a nation,
Americans are too superficial — they are striving to get rich quickly, and do not
182 THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING.
generally do their business as substantially and thoroughly as they should, but
whoever excels all others in bis own line, if his habits are good and his integrity
undoubted, cannot fail to secure abundant patronage, and the wealth that natu-
rally follows. Let your motto then always be " Excelsior," for by living up to it
there is no such word as fail
LEARN SOMETHING USEFUL. — Every man should make his son or daughter
learn some trade or profession, so that in these days of changing fortunes — of
being rich to-day and poor to-morrow — they may have something tangible to fall
back upon. This provision might save many persons from misery, who by some
unexpected turn of fortune have lost all their means.
LET HOPE PREDOMINATE, BUT BE NOT TOO VISIONARY. — Many persons are
always kept poor, because they are too visionary. Every project looks to them
like certain success, and therefore they keep changing from one business to
anotfier, always in hot water, always "under the harrow." The plan of "counfr-
ing the chickens before they are hatched " is an error of ancient date, but it does
not seem to improve by age.
Do NOT SCATTER YOUR POWERS. — Engage in one kind of business only, and
stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until your experience shows that you
should abandon it. A constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it
home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man's undivided attention is
centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of
value, which would escape him if his brain was occupied by a dozen different
subjects at once. Many a fortune has slipped through a man's fingers because he
was engaged in too many occupations at a time. There is good sense in the old
caution against having too many irons in the fire at once.
BE SYSTEMATIC. — Men should be systematic in their business. A person who
does business by rule, having a time and place for everything, doing his work
promptly, will accomplish twice as much and with half the trouble of him who
does it carelessly and slipshod. By introducing system into all your transac-
tions, doing one thing at a time, always meeting appointments with punctuality,
you find leisure for pastime and recreation; whereas the man who only half does
one thing, and then turns to something else, and half does that, will have his
business at loose ends, and will never know when his day's work is done, for it
never will be done. Of course, there is a limit to all these rules. "We must try
to preserve the happy medium, for there is such a thing as being too systematic.
There are men and women, for instance, who put away things so carefully that
they can never find them again. It is too much like the " red tape" formality
at Washington, and Mr. Dickens' "Circumlocution Office," — all theory and no
result.
When the " Astor House " was first started in New York city, it was undoubt-
edly the best hotel in the country. The proprietors had learned a good deal in
Europe regarding hotels, and the landlords were proud of the rigid system which
pervaded every department of their great establishment. When twelve o'clock
at night had arrived, and there were a number of guests around, one of the
proprietors would say, "Touch that bell, John;" and in two minutes sixty ser-
vants, with a water-bucket in each hand, would present themselves in the hall.
"This," said the landlord, addressing his guests, "is our fire-bell; it will show
you we, are quite safe here; we do everything systematically." This was before
the Croton water was introduced into the city. But they sometimes carried their
system too far. On one occasion, when the hotel was thronged with guests, one
of the waiters was suddenly indisposed, and although there were fifty waiters in
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 183
the hotel, the landlord thought he must have his full complement, or bis "sys-
tem " would be interfered with. Just before dinner-time, he rushed down stairs
and said. "There must be another waiter, I am one waiter short, what can I do?"
He happened to see " Boots," the Irishman. "Pat," said he, " wash your hands
and face: take that white apron and come into the dining-room in five minutes."
Presently Pat appeared as required, and the proprietor said: "Now Pat, you
must stand behind these two chairs, and wait on the gentlemen who will occupy
them; did you ever act as a waiter? "
" I know all about it, sure, but I never did it."
Lake the Irish pilot, on one occasion when the captain, thinking he was consid-
erably out of his course, asked, "Are you certain you understand what you are
doing? "
Pat replied, " Sure and I knows every rock in the channel."
That moment, " bang " thumped the vessel against a rock.
" Ahl be jabers, and that is one of 'em," continued the pilot. But to return
to the dining-room. "Pat," said the landlord, "here we do everything syste-
matically. You must first give the gentlemen each a plate of soup, and when
they finish that, ask them what they will have next."
Pat replied, " Ahl an' I understand parfectiy the vartues of shystem."
Very soon in came the guests. The plates of soup were placed before them.
One of Pat's two gentlemen ate his soup; the other did not care for it. He said:
"Waiter, take this plate away and bring me some fish." Pat looked at the1
untasted plate of soup, and remembering the injunctions of the landlord in
regard to "system," replied:
"Not till ye have ate yer supe ! "
Of course that was carrying " system " entirely too far.
READ THE NEWSPAPERS. — Always take a trustworthy newspaper, and thus
keep thoroughly posted in regard to the transactions of the world. He who is
without a newspaper is cut off from his species. In these days of telegraphs and
steam, many important inventions and improvements in every branch of trade,
are being made, and he who don't consult the newspapers will soon find himself
and his business left out hi the cold.
BEWARE OF "OUTSIDE OPERATIONS." — We sometimes see men who have
obtained f ortunes, suddenly become poor. In many cases, this arises from intem-
perance, and often from gaming, and other bad habits. Frequently it occurs
because a man has been engaged in "outside operations," of some sort. When
he gets rich in his legitimate business, he is told of a grand speculation where he
can make a score of thousands. He is constantly flattered by his friends, who
tell him that he is born lucky, that everything he touches turns into gold. Now
if he forgets that his economical habits, his rectitude of conduct and a personal
attention to a business which he understood, caused his success hi life, he will
listen to the siren voices. He says:
" I will put in twenty thousand dollars. I have been lucky, and my good luck
will soon bring me back sixty thousand dollars."
A few days elapse and it is discovered he must put in ten thousand dollars
more; soon after he is told "it is all right," but certain matters not foreseen,
require an advance of twenty thousand dollars more, which will bring him a
rich harvest; but before the time comes around to realize, the bubble bursts, he
loses all he is possessed of, and then he learns what he ought to have known at
the first, that however successful a man may be in his own business, if he turns
from that and engages in a business which he don't understand, he is liko Sam-
184 THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING.
son when shorn of his locks— his strength has departed, and he becomes like
other men.
If a man has plenty of money, he ought to invest something in everything that
appears to promise success, and that will probably benefit mankind; but let the
sums thus invested be moderate in amount, and never let a man f oolishly jeop-
ardize a fortune that he has earned in a legitimate way, by investing it in things
in which he has had no experience.
DON'T INDORSE WITHOUT SECURITY. — I hold that no man ought ever to indorse
a note or become security for any man, be it his father or brother, to a greater
extent than he can afford to lose and care nothing about, without taking good
security. Here is a man that is worth twenty thousand dollars; he is doing
a thriving manufacturing or mercantile trade; you are retired and living on
your money; he comes to you and says:
" You are aware that I am worth twenty thousand dollars, and don't owe a
dollar; if I had five thousand dollars in cash, I could purchase a particular lot of
goods and double my money in a couple of months; will you indorse my note for
that amount? "
You reflect that he is worth twenty thousand dollars, and you incur no risk by
indorsing his note; you like to accommodate him, and you lend your name with-
out taking the precaution of getting security. Shortly after, he shows you the
note with your indorsement canceled, and tells you, probably truly, "that he
made the profit that he expected by the operation," you reflect that you have
done a good action, and the thought makes you feel happy. By and by, the same
thing occurs again and you do it again; you have already fixed the impression
in your mind that it is perfectly safe to indorse his notes without security.
But the trouble is, this man is getting money too easily. He has only to take
your note to the bank, get it discounted and take the cash. He gets money for
the time being without effort; without inconvenience to himself. Now mark the
result. He sees a chance for speculation outside of his business. A temporary
investment of only $10,000 is required. It is sure to come back before a note at
the bank would be due. He places a note for that-amount before you. You sign
it almost mechanically. Being firmly convinced that your friend is responsible
and trustworthy, you indorse his notes as a "matter of course."
Unfortunately the speculation does not come to a head quite so soon as was
expected, and another $10,000 note must be discounted to take up the last one
when due. Before this note matures the speculation has proved an utter failure
and all the money is lost. Does the loser tell his friend, the indorser, that he has
lost half of his fortune? Not at alL He don't even mention that he has specu-
lated at all But he has got excited; the spirit of speculation has seized him; he
sees others making large sums in this way (we seldom hear of the losers), and, like
other speculators, he "looks for his money where he loses it." He tries again.
Indorsing notes has become chronic with you, and at every loss he gets your
signature for whatever amount he wants. Finally you discover your friend has
lost all of his property and all of yours. You are overwhelmed with astonish-
ment and grief, and you say " it is a hard thing; my friend here has ruined me,"
but, you should add, " I have also ruined him." If you had said in the first place,
" I will accommodate you, but I never indorse without taking ample security,"
he could not have gone beyond the length of his tether, and he would never have
been tempted away from his legitimate business. It is a very dangerous thing,
therefore, at any time, to let people get possession of money too easily; it tempts
them to hazardous speculations, if nothing more. Solomon truly said "he that
hateth suretiship is sure."
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 185
So with the young man starting in business ; let him understand the value of
money by earning it. When he does understand its value, then grease the wheels
a little in helping him to start business, but remember, men who get money with
too great facility, cannot usually succeed. You must get the first dollars by hard
knocks, and at some sacrifice, in order to appreciate the value of those dollars.
ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS. — We all depend, more or less, upon the public for
our support. We all trade with the public — lawyers, doctors, shoemakers, artists,
blacksmiths, showmen, opera singers, railroad presidents, and college professors.
Those who deal with the public must be careful that their goods are valuable;
that they are genuine, and will give satisfaction. When you get an article which
you know is going to please your customers, and that when they nave tried it,
they will feel they have got their money's worth, then let the fact be known that
you have got it. Be careful to advertise it in some shape or other, because it is
evident that if a man has ever so good an article for sale, and nobody knows it,
it will bring him no return. In a country like this, where nearly everybody
reads, and where newspapers are issued and circulated in editions of five thousand
to two hundred thousand, it would be very unwise if this channel was not taken
advantage of to reach the public in advertising. A newspaper goes into the
family, and is read by wife and children, as well as the head of the house; hence
hundreds and thousands of people may read your advertisement, while you are
attending to your routine business. Many, perhaps, read it while you are asleep.
The whole philosophy of life is, first "sow," then " reap." That is the way the
farmer does; he plants his potatoes and corn, and sows his* grain, and then goes
about something else, and the time comes when he reaps. But he never reaps
first and sows af terwards. This principle applies to all kinds of business, and to
nothing more eminently than to advertising. If a man has a genuine article,
there is no way in which he can reap more advantageously than by "sowing" to
the public in this way. He must, of course, have a really good article, and one
which will please his customers; anything spurious will not succeed permanently,
because the public is wiser than many imagine. Men and women are selfish, and
we all prefer purchasing where we can get the most for our money; and we try
to find out where we can most surely do so.
You may advertise a spurious article, and induce many people to call and buy
it once, but they will denounce you as an impostor and swindler, and your
business will gradually die out and leave you poor. This is right. Pew people
can safely depend upon chance custom. You all need to have your customers
return and purchase again. A man said to me, " I have tried advertising and
did not succeed; yet I have a good article."
I replied, " My friend, there may be exceptions to a general rule. But how do
you advertise?"
" I put it in a weekly newspaper tnree times, and paid a dollar and a half for it."
I replied: " Sir, advertising is like learning — ' a little is a dangerous thing I' "
A French writer says that " The reader of a newspaper does not see the first
insertion of an ordinary advertisement; the second insertion he sees, but does not
read; the third insertion he reads; the fourth insertion, he looks at the price; the
fifth insertion, he speaks of it to his wife; the sixth insertion, he is ready to pur-
chase, and the seventh insertion, he purchases." Your object in advertising is to
make the public understand what you have got to sell, and if you have not the
pluck to keep advertising, until you have imparted that information, all the
money you have spent is lost. You are like the fellow who told the gentleman if
he would give him ten cents it would save him a dollar. " How can I help you
186 THE ART OF MCXNEY-GETTINQ.
so much with so small a sum? " asked the gentleman in surprise. " 1 started out
this morning (hiccupped the fellow) with the full determination to get drunk, and
I have spent my only dollar to accomplish the object, and it has not quite done
it. Ten cents worth more of whisky would just do it, and in this manner I should
save the dollar already expended."
So a man who advertises at all must keep it up until the public know who and
what he is, and what his business is, or else the money invested in advertising is
lost.
Some men have a peculiar genius for writing a striking advertisement, one that
will arrest the attention of the reader at first sight. This tact, of course, gives
the advertiser a great advantage. Sometimes a man makes himself popular by
an unique sign or a curious display in his window. Recently I observed a swing
sign extending over the sidewalk in front of a store, on which was the inscription
in plain letters,
"DON'T READ THE OTHER SIDE."
Of course I did, and so did everybody else, and I learned that the man had
made an independence by first attracting the public to his business in that way
and then using his customers well afterwards.
Genin, the hatter, bought the first Jenny Land ticket at auction for two hundred
and twenty-five dollars, because he knew it would be a good advertisement for
him, "Who is the bidder?" said the auctioneer, as he knocked down that ticket
at Castle Garden. "43«nin, the hatter," was the response. Here were thousands
of people from the Fifth avenue, and from distant cities in the highest stations
in life. "Who is 'Genin,' the hatter?" they exclaimed. They had never heard
of him before. The next morning the newspapers and telegraph had circulated
the facts from Maine to Texas, and from five to ten millions of people had read that
the tickets sold at auction for Jenny Lind's first concert amounted to about twenty
thousand dollars, and that a single ticket was sold at two hundred and twenty-five
dollars, to "Genin, the hatter." Men throughout the country involuntarily took
off their hats to see if they had a "Genin" hat on their heads. At a town in
Iowa it was found that in the crowd around the post-office, there was one man
who had a " Genin " hat, and he showed it in triumph, although it was worn out
and not worth two cents. "Why," one man exclaimed, "you have a real
'Genin' hat; what a lucky fellow you are." Another man said, "Hang on to
that hat, it will be a valuable heir-loom in your family." Still another man in
the crowd, who seemed to envy the possessor of this good fortune, said, " Come,
give us all a chance ; put it up at auction ! " He did so, and it was sold as a keep-
sake for nine dollars and fifty cents? What was the consequence to Mr. Genin'
He sold ten thousand extra hats per annum, the first six years. Nine-tenths of
the purchasers bought of him, probably, out of curiosity, and many of them,
finding that he gave them an equivalent for their money, became his regular
customers. This novel advertisement first struck their attention, and then, as he
made a good article, they came again.
Now, I don't say that everbody should advertise as Mr. Genin did. But I say
if a man has got goods for sale, and he don't advertise them in some way, the
chances are that some day the sheriff will do it for him. Nor do I say that
everybody must advertise in a newspaper, or indeed use "printers' ink" at alL
On the contrary, although that article is indispensable in the majority of cases,
yet doctors and clergymen, and sometimes lawyers and some others, can more
effectually reach the public in some other manner. But it is obvious, they must
be known in some way, else how could they be supported?
THE ART OP MONEY-GETTING. 187
BE POLITE AND KIND To YOUR CUSTOMERS. — Politeness and civility are the
best capital ever invested in business. Large stores, gilt signs, flaming adver-
tisements, will all prove unavailing if you or your employees treat your patrons
abruptly. The truth is, the more kind and liberal a man is, the more generous
will be the patronage bestowed upon him. " Lake begets like." The man who
gives the greatest amount of goods of a corresponding quality for the least sum
(still reserving to himself a profit) will generally succeed best in the long run.
This brings us to the golden rule, " As ye would that men should do to you, do
ye also to them," and they will do better by you than if you always treated them
as if you wanted to get the most you could out of them for the least return.
Men who drive sharp bargains with their customers, acting as if they never
expected to see them again, will not be mistaken. They never will see them again
as customers. People don't like to pay and get kicked also.
One of the ushers in my Museum once told me he intended to whip a man who
was in the lecture-room as soon as he came out.
"What for?" I inquired.
" Because he said I was no gentleman," replied the usher.
" Never mind," I replied, " he pays for that, and you will not convince him you
are a gentleman by whipping him. I cannot afford to lose a customer. If you
whip him, he will never visit the Museum again, and he will induce friends to go
with him to other places of amusement instead of this, and thus, you see, I should
be a serious loser."
" But he insulted me," muttered the usher.
"Exactly," I replied, "and if he owned the Museum, and you had paid him
for the privilege of visiting it, and he had then insulted you, there might be some
reason in your resenting it, but in this instance he is the man who pays, while we
receive, and you must, therefore, put up with his bad manners."
My usher laughingly remarked, that this was undoubtedly the true policy, but
he added that he should not object to an increase of salary if he was expected to
be abused hi order to promote my interests.
BE CHARITABLE. — Of course men should be charitable, because it is a duty and
a pleasure. But even as a matter of policy, if you possess no higher incentive,
you will find that the liberal man will command patronage, while the sordid,
uncharitable miser will be avoided.
Solomon says: " There is that scattereth and yet increaseth; and there is that
withholdeth more than meet, but it tendeth to poverty." Of course the only
true charity is that which is from the heart.
The best kind of charity is to help those who are willing to help themselves.
Promiscuous almsgiving, without inquiring into the worthiness of the applicant,
is bad in every sense. But to search out and quietly assist those who are strug-
gling for themselves, is the kind that " scattereth and yet increaseth." But don't
fall into the idea that some persons practice, of giving a prayer instead of a
potato, and a benediction instead of bread, to the hungry. It is easier to make
Christians with full stomachs than empty.
DON'T BLAB. — Some men have a foolish habit of telling then* business secrets.
If they make money they like to tell their neighbors how it was done. Nothing
is gained by this, and ofttimes much is lost. Say nothing about your profits,
your hopes, your expectations, your intentions. And this should apply to letters as
well as to conversation. Goethe makes Mephistophiles say: " never write a letter
uor destroy one." Business men must write letters, but they should be careful
188 THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING.
what they put in them. If you are losing money, be specially cautious and not
tell of it, or you will lose your reputation.
PRESERVE TOUR INTEGRITY. — It is more precious than diamonds or rubies.
The old miser said to his sons: " (Jet money; get it honestly, if you can, but get
money." This advice was not only atrociously wicked, but it was the very
essence of stupidity. It was as much as to say, " if you find it difficult to obtain
money honestly, you can easily get it dishonestly. Get it in that way. " Poor fool I
Not to know that the most difficult thing in life is to make money dishonestly!
not to know that our prisons are full of men who attempted to follow this advice;
not to understand that no man can be dishonest, without soon being found out,
and that when his lack of principle is discovered, nearly every avenue to success
is closed against him forever. The public very properly shun all whose integrity
is doubted. No matter how polite and pleasant and accommodating a man may
be, none of us dare to deal with him if we suspect "false weights and measures."
Strict honesty, not only lies at the foundation of all success in life (financially),
but in every other respect. Uncompromising integrity of character in invalua-
ble. It secures to its possessor a peace and joy which cannot be attained without
it — which no amount of money, or houses and lands can purchase. A man who is
known to be strictly honest, may be ever so poor, but he has the purses of all the
community at his disposal — for all know that if he promises to return what he
borrows, he will never disappoint them. As a mere matter of selfishness, there-
fore, if a man had no higher motive for being honest, all will find that the
maxim of Dr. Franklin can never fail to be true, that " honesty is the best
policy."
To get rich, is not always equivalent to being successful. "There are many
rich poor men," while there are many others, honest and devout men and women,
who have never possessed so much money as some rich persons squander in a
week, but who are nevertheless really richer and happier than any man can ever
be while he is a transgressor of the higher laws of his being.
The inordinate love of money, no doubt, may be and is "the root of all evil,"
but money itself, when properly used, is not only a " handy thing to have in the
house," but affords the gratification of blessing our race by enabling its possessor
to enlarge the scope of human happiness and human influence. The desire for
wealth is nearly universal, and none can say it is not laudable, provided the pos-
sessor of it accepts its responsibilities, and uses it as a friend to humanity.
The history of money-getting, which is commerce, is a history of civilization,
and wherever trade has flourished most, there, too, have art and science produced
the noblest fruits. In fact, as a general thing, money-getters are the benefactors
of our race. To them, in a great measure, are we indebted for our institutions of
learning and of art, our academies, colleges and churches. It is no argument
against the desire for, or the possession of, wealth, to say that there are some-
times misers who hoard money only for the sake of hoarding, and who have no
higher aspiration than to grasp everything which comes within their reach. As
we have sometimes hypocrites in religion, and demagogues in politics, so there
are occasionally misers among money-getters. These, however, are only excep-
tions to the general rule. But when, in this country, we find such a nuisance
and stumbling block as a miser, we remember with gratitude that in America
we have no laws of primogeniture, and that in the due course of nature the time
will come when the hoarded dust will be scattered for the benefit of mankind.
To all men and women, therefore, do I conscientiously say, make money honestly,
and not otherwise, for Shakespeare has truly said, " He that wants money, means
and content, is without three good friends."
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 189
Nearly every paper In London had something to say about my lecture, and in
almost every instance the matter and manner of the lecturer were unqualifiedly
approved. Indeed, the profusion of praise quite overwhelmed me. The London
Times, December 30, 1858, concluded a half -column criticism with the following
paragraph:
" We are bound to admit that Mr. Burnum is one of the most entertaining lecturers
tuat ever addressed an audience on a theme universally intelligible. The appearance of
Mr. Barnnm, it should be added, has nothing of the ' charlatan ' about it, but is that of the
thoroughly respectable man of business; and he has at command a fund of dry humor that
convulses everybody with lauehter, while he himself remains perfectly serious. A sonor-
ous voice and an admirably clear delivery complete his qualifications as a lecturer, in which
capacity he is no 'humbug,' either in a higher or lower sense of the word."
The London Morning Post, the Advertiser, the Chronicle, the Telegraph, the
Herald, the Neivs, the Globe, the Sun, and other lesser journals of the same date,
all contained lengthy and favorable notices and criticisms of my lecture. My
own lavish advertisements were as nothing to the notoriety which the London
newspapers voluntarily and editorially gave to my new enterprise. The weekly
and literary papers followed in the train; and even Punch, which had already
done so much to keep Tom Thumb before the public, gave me a half -page notice,
with an illustration, and thereafter favored me with frequent paragraphs. The
city thus prepared the provinces to give me a cordial reception.
During the year 1859, I delivered this lecture nearly one hundred times in dif-
ferent parts of England, returning occasionally to London to repeat it to fresh
audiences, and always with pecuniary success. Every provincial paper had
something to say about Barnum and " The Art of Money-Getting," and I was
never more pleasantly or profusely advertised. The tour, too, made me
acquainted with many new people and added fresh and fast friends to my
continually increasing list. My lecturing season is among my most grateful
memories of England.
Remembering my experiences, some years before, with General Tom Thumb at
Oxford and Cambridge, and the fondness of the under-graduates for practical
joking, I was quite prepared when I made up my mind to visit those two cities,
to take any quantity of "chaff" and lampooning which the University boys
might choose to bring. I was sure of a full house in each city, and as I was
anxious to earn all the money I could, so as to hasten my deliverance from finan-
cial difficulties, I fully resolved to put up with whatever offered — indeed I rather
liked the idea of an episode in the steady run of praise which had followed my
lecture everywhere, and I felt too, in the coming encounter, that I might give
quite as much as I was compelled to take.
I commenced at Cambridge, and, as I expected, to an overflowing house,
largely composed of under-graduates. Soon after I began to speak, one of the
young men called out: " Where is Joice Heth? " to which I very coolly replied:
"Young gentleman, please to restrain yourself till the conclusion of the
lecture, when I shall take great delight in affording you, or any others of her
posterity, all the information I possess concerning your deceased relative."
This reply turned the laugh against the youthful and anxious inquirer and had
the effect of keeping other students quiet for a half hour. Thereafter, questions
of a similar character were occasionally propounded, but as each inquirer gen-
erally received a prompt Roland for his Oliver, there was far less interruption
than I had anticipated. The proceeds of the evening were more than one hun-
dred pounds sterling, an important addition to my treasury at that time. At the
190 THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING.
dose of the lecture, several students invited me to a sumptuous supper where I
met, among other under-graduates, a nephew of Lord Macaulay, the historian.
This young gentleman insisted upon my breakfasting with him at his rooms next
morning, but as I was anxious to take an early train for London, I only called to
leave my card, and after his " gyp " had given me a strong cup of coffee, I has-
tened away, leaving the young Macaulay, whom I did not wish to disturb, fast
asleep in bed.
At Oxford the large hall was filled half an hour before the time announced for
the lecture to begin, and the sale of tickets was stopped. I then stepped upon
the platform, and said: " Ladies and gentlemen: As every seat is occupied and
the ticket-office is closed, I propose to proceed with my lecture now, and not keep
you waiting till the advertised hour."
"Good for you, old Barnum," said one; "Time is money," said another;
" Nothing like economy," came from a third, and other remarks and exclama-
tions followed, which excited much laughter in the audience. Holding up my
hand as a signal that I was anxious to say something so soon as silence should be
restored, I thus addressed my audience:
" Young gentlemen, I have a word or two to say, in order that we may have a
thorough understanding between ourselves at the outset. I see symptoms of a
pretty jolly time here this evening, and you have paid me liberally for the single
hour of my time which is at your service. I am an old traveler and an old show-
man, and I like to please my patrons. Now, it is quite immaterial to me ; you may
furnish the entertainment for the hour, or I will endeavor to do so, or we will
take portions of the time by turns — you supplying a part of the amusement, and
I a part — as we say sometimes in America, ' you pays your money, and you takes
your choice.' "
My auditors were in the best of humor from the beginning, and my frankness
pleased them. " Good for you, old Barnum," cried their leader; and I went on
with my lecture for some fifteen minutes, when a voice called out:
"Come, old chap! you must be tired by this time; hold up now till we sing
' Yankee Doodle, ' " whereupon they all joined in that pleasing air with a vigor
which showed that they had thoroughly prepared themselves for the occasion,
and meanwhile I took a chair and sat down to show them that I was quite satis-
fied with their manner of passing the time. When the song was concluded, the
leader of the party said: " Now, Mr. Barnum, you may go ahead again."
I looked at my watch and quietly remarked, "Oh! there is time for lots of fun
yet; we have nearly forty minutes of the hour remaining," and I proceeded with
my lecture, or rather a lecture, for I began to adapt my remarks to the audience
and the occasion. At intervals of ten minutes, or so, came interruptions which
I, as my audience saw, fully enjoyed as much as the house did. When this
miscellaneous entertainment was concluded, and I stopped short at the end of the
hour, crowds of the young men pressed forward to shake hands with me, declar-
ing that they had had a " jolly good time," while the leader said: " Stay with us
a week, Barnum, and we will dine you, wine you, and give you full houses every
night." But I was announced to lecture in London the next evening, and I could
not accept the pressing invitation, though I would gladly have stayed through the
week. They asked me all sorts of questions about America, the Museum, my
various shows and successes, and expressed the hope that I would come out of
my clock troubles all right.
At least a score of them pressed me to breakfast with them next morning,
but I declined, till one young gentleman put it on this purely personal ground:
THE ART OF MONEY-GETTING. 191
"My dear sir, you must breakfast with me; I have almost split my throat in
screaming here to-night, and it is only fair that you should repay me by coming
to see me in the morning." This appeal was irresistible, and at the appointed
time I met him and half a dozen of his friends at his table, and we spent a very
pleasant hour together. They complimented me on the tact and equanimity I
had exhibited the previous evening, but I replied: "Oh! I was quite inclined to
have you enjoy your fun and came fully prepared for it."
But they liked better, they said, to get the party angry. A fortnight before,
they told me, my friend Howard Paul had left them in disgust, because they
insisted upon smoking while his wife was on the stage, adding that the entertain-
ment was excellent, and that Howard Paul could have made a thousand pounds if
he had not let his anger drive Him away. My new-found friends parted with me
at the railway station, heartily urging me to come again, and my ticket-seller
returned £169 as the immediate result of an evening's good-natured fun with the
Oxford boys.
After delivering my lecture many times in different places, a prominent pub-
lishing house in London, offered me £1,200 ($6,000), for the copyright. This offer
I declined, not that I thought the lecture worth more money, but because I had
engaged to deliver it in several towns and cities, and I thought the publication
would be detrimental to the public delivery of my lecture. It was a source cf
very considerable emolument to me, bringing in much money, which went
towards the redemption of my pecuniary obligations, so that the lecture itself
was an admirable illustration of " The Art of Money-Getting."
CHAPTER XXXll.
AN ENTERPRISING ENGLISHMAN.
WHIU: visiting Manchester, in 1858, I was invited by Mr. Peacock, the lessee,
to deliver a lecture in " Free Trade HalL" I gave a lecture, the title of which I
uow forget; but I well remember it contained numerous personal reminiscences.
The next day a gentleman named John Fish sent his card to my room at the
hotel where I was stopping. I requested the servant to show him up at once, and
he SOOH appeared and introduced himself. At first he seemed somewhat embar-
rassed, but gradually broke the ice by saying he had been pleased in listening to
my lecture the previous evening, and added that he knew my history pretty well,
as he had read my autobiography. As his embarrassment at first meeting with
a stranger wore away, he inf ormed me that he was joint proprietor with another
gentleman in a " cotton-mill " in Bury, near Manchester, " although," he modestly
added, "only a few years ago I was working as a journeyman, and probably
should have been at this time, had it not been for your book." Observing my
surprise at this announcement, he continued:
"The fact is, Mr. Barnum, upon reading your autobiography, I thought I
perceived you tried to make yourself out something worse than you really were ;
for I discovered a pleasant spirit and a good heart under the rougher exterior in
which you chose to present yourself to the public; but," he added, "after reading
your life I found myself in possession of renewed strength, and awakened ener-
gies and aspirations, and I said to myself, ' Why can't I go ahead and make money
as Barnum did? He commenced without money and succeeded; why may not
I ?' In this train of thought," he continued, " I went to a newspaper office and
advertised for a partner with money to join me in establishing a cotton-mill. I
had no applications, and, remembering your experiences when you had money
and wanted a partner, I spent half a crown in a similar experiment. I advertised
for a partner to join a man who had plenty of capital Then I had lots of appli-
cants ready to introduce me into all sorts of occupations, from that of a banker
to that of a horse-jockey or gambler, if I would only furnish the money to start
with. After a while, I advertised again for a partner, and obtained one with
money. We have a good mill, I devote myself closely to business, and have
been very successful. I know every line in your book; so, indeed, do several
members of my family; and I have conducted my business on the principles laid
down in your published 'Rules for Money-making.' I find them correct princi-
ples; and, sir, I have sought this interview in order to thank you for publishing
your autobiography, and to tell you that to that act of yours I attribute my
present position in life."
Of course, I was pleased and surprised at this revelation, and, feeling that my
new friend had somewhat exaggerated the results of my labors as influencing his
own, I said:
"Your statement is certainly very nattering, and I am glad if I have been able
in any manner, through my experiences, to aid you in starting in life; but I pre-
sume your genius would have found vent in good time if I had never written «
book."
192
AX ENTEllPRISINQ ENGLISHMAN. 193
" No, indeed it would not," he replied, in an earnest tone; " I am sure I should
Lave worked as a mill-hand all my life if it had not been for you. Oh, I have
made no secret of it," he continued; "the commercial men with whom I deal
know all about it; indeed, they call me ' Barnum ' on 'change here in Manchester."
On one occasion, when General Tom Thumb exhibited in Bury, Mr. Fish closed
his mill, and gave each of his employees a ticket to the exhibition; out of respect,
as he said, to Barnum. On a subsequent occasion, when the little General visited
England the last time, Mr, Fish invited him, his wife, Commodore Nutt, Minnie
Warren, and the managers of " the show," to a splendid and sumptuous dinner
at his house, which the distinguished little party enjoyed exceedingly.
My friend Fish expressed himself extremely anxious to do any service for me
which might at any time be in his power. Soon after I arrived in America, I
read an account of a French giant, then exhibiting in Paris, and said to be over
eight feet in height. As this was a considerably greater altitude than any speci-
men of the genus homo within my knowledge had attained, I wrote to my friend
Fish to take a trip to Paris for me, secure an interview with this modern Anak,
and by actual measurement obtain for me his exact height. I enclosed an offer
for this giant's services, arranging the price on a sliding scale, according to what
his height should actually prove to be — commencing at eight feet, and descending
to seven feet two inches: and, if he was not taller than the latter figure, I did not
want him at all
Mr. Fish, placing an English two-foot rule in his pocket, started for Paris; and,
after much difficulty and several days' delay in trying to speak with the giant,
who was closely watched by his exhibitor, succeeded in appointing an interview
at the giant's lodgings. And now came a trouble which required all the patience
and diplomacy which my agent could command. Mr. Fish, arriving at the place
of rendezvous, told the giant who he was, and the object of his visit. In fact, he
showed him my letter, and read the tempting offers which I made for his services,
provided he measured eight feet, or even came within six inches of that height.*
" Oh, I measure over eight feet in height," said the giant. " Very likely,"
replied my faithful agent, "but you see my orders are to measure you." " There's
no need of that, you can see for yourself," stretching himself up a few inches, by
aid of that peculiar muscular knack which giants and dwarfs exercise when they
desire to extend or diminish their apparent stature.
"No doubt you are right," persisted the agent; " but you see that is not accord-
ing to orders." "Well, stand alongside of me; see, the top of your hat don't
come to my shoulder," said the giant, as he swung his arm completely over Mr.
Fish's head, hat and all.
But my wary agent happened just then to be watching the giant's feet and
knees, and he thought he saw a movement around the " understandings " that
materially helped the elevation of the "upperworks," " It is all very well," said
Mr. Fish; " but I tell you, if I am not permitted to measure your height, I shall
not engage you." My offer had been very liberal; in fact, provided he was eight
feet high, it was more than four times the amount the giant was then receiving;
it was evidently a great temptation to his "highness," and quite as evidently he
did not want to be fairly measured. " Well," said the giant, " if you can't take
my word for it, look at that door ; you see my head is more than two feet above
the top" (giving his neck and every muscle in his body a severe stretch) ; "just
measure the height of that door." My English friend plainly saw that the giant
* See Illustration, opposite.
194 AN ENTERPRISING ENGLISHMAN.
felt that he could not come up to the mark, and he laughed at this last ruse.
'•' Oh, I don't want to measure the door; I prefer to measure you," said Mr. Fish,
coolly. The giant was now desperate, and, stretching himself up to the highest
point, he exclaimed: "Well, be quick! put your rule down to my feet and meas-
ure me; no delay, if you please."
The giant knew he could not hold himself up many seconds to the few extra
inches he had imparted to his extended muscles; but his remark had drawn Mr.
Fish's attention to his feet, and from the feet to the boots, and he began to
open his eyes. " Look here, Monsieur, " he exclaimed with much earnestness,
"this sort of thing won't do, you know. I don't understand this contrivance
around the soles of your boots, but it seems to me you have got a set of springs
in there which materially aids your altitude a few inches when you desire it.
Now, I shall stand no more nonsense. If I engage you at all, you must tirst take off
your boots, and lie flat upon your back in the middle of the floor. The giant
grumbled and talked about his word being doubted and his honor assailed, but
Mr. Fish calmly persisted, until at length he slowly took off Ms coat and gradu-
ally got down on the floor. Stretched upon his back, he made several vain efforts
to extend his natural height. Mr. Fish carefully applied his English two-foot
rule, the result of the measurement causing him much astonishment, and the giant
more indignation, the giant measuring exactly seven feet one and one-half inches.
So he was not engaged, and my agent returned to England and wrote me a most
amusing letter, giving the particulars of the gigantic interview.
On the occasion of the erection of a new engine in his mill, Mr. Fish proposed
naming it after his daughter, but she insisted it should be christened " Barnum,"
and it was so done, with considerable ceremony. Subsequently he introduced a
second engine into his enlarged mill, and named this, after my wife, " Charity."
A short time since, I wrote informing him that I desired to give some of the
foregoing facts in my book, and asked him to give me his consent, and also to
furnish me some particulars in regard to the engines, and the capacity of his
milL He wrote in return a modest letter, which is so characteristic of my whole-
souled friend that I cannot forbear making the following extracts from it:
Had I made a fortune of £100,000 I should have been proud o. a place in your Autobiog-
raphy ; but as I have only been able to make (here he named a sum which in this country
would be considered almost a fortune), I feel I should be out of place in your pages; at all
events, if you mention me at all, draw it mildly, if you please.
The American war has made sad havoc in our trade, and it is only by close attention to
business that I have lately been at all successful. I have built a place for one thousand
looms, and have, as you know, put in a pair of engines, which I have named "Barnum "
and "Charity." Each engine has its name engraved on two large brass plates at either end
of the cylinder, which has often caused much mirth when I have explained the circum-
stances to visitors. I started and christened " Charity" on the fourteenth of January last,
and she has saved me £12 per month in coals ever since. The steam from the boiler goes
first to " Charity " (she is high pressure;, and " Barnum " only gets the steam after she has
done with it. He has to work at low pressure (a condensing engine), and the result is o
saving. Barnum was extravagant when he took steam direct, but since I fixed Charity
betwixt him and the boiler, he can only get what she gives him. This reminds me that you
state in your " Life " you could always make money, but formerly did not save it. Perhaps
you never took care of it till Charity became Chancellor of Exchequer. When I visited you
at the Bull Hotel, in Blackburn, you pointed to General Tom Thumb, and said: " That is
my piece of goods; I have sold it hundreds of thousands of times, and have never yet
delivered it!" That was tnn years ago. in 185S. If 1 had been doins; the same with my
pieces of calico, I must have been wealthy by this time; but 1 have been hammering at one
(cotton) nail several months, ami. as it did not oiler to clinch, I was almost tempted to
doubt one of your " rules," and thought I would drive at some other nail; but, on reflec-
tion. I knew 1 understood cotton better than anything else, and so 1 back up your rule and
stick to cotton, not doubting it will be all right and successful.
Mr. Fish was one of the large class of English manufacturers who suffered seri-
ously from the effects of the rebellion in the United States. As an Englishman
AN ENTERPRISING ENGLISHMAN. 195
he could not have a patriot's interest in the progress of that terrible struggle;
but he made a practical exhibition of sympathy for the suffering soldiers, in a
pleasant and characteristic manner.
The great fair of the Sanitary Commission, held in New York during the war,
affords one of the most interesting chapters in American history. None of those
who visited the fair will forget, in the multiplicity of offerings to put money
into the treasury of the commission, two monster cakes, which were as strange
in shape and ornament as they were mammoth in their proportions. One of
these great cakes was covered with miniature forts, ships of war, cannon, armies,
arms of the whole "panoply of war," and it excited the attention of all visitors.
This strange cake is what is called in Bury, England, where name, cake anc
custom originated, a "Simnel cake." It was sent to me expressly for this fair,
by my friend Fish, and, while it was in itself a generous gift, it was doubly so as
coming from an English manufacturer who had suffered by the war. The second
great Simnel cake which stood beside it in the fair, was sent to me personally by
Mr. Fish; but, with his permission, I took much pleasure in contributing it, witb
his own offering, for the benefit of our suffering soldiers.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
RICHARD'S HIMSELF AGAIN.
Is 1859 I returned to the United States. During my last visit abroad I had
secured many novelties for the Museum, including the Albino Family, which 1
engaged at Amsterdam, and Thiodon's mechanical theater, which I found at
Southampton, besides purchasing many curiosities. These things all afforded me
a liberal commission, and thus, by constant and earnest effort, I made much
money, besides what I derived from the Tom Thumb exhibitions, my lectures,
and other enterprises. All of this money, as well as my wife's income, and a
considerable sum raised by selling a portion of her property, was faithfully
devoted to the one great object of my life at that period — my extrication from
those crushing clock debts. I worked and I saved. When my wife and youngest
daughter were not boarding in Bridgeport, they Irwed frugally in the suburbs,
in a small one-story house which was hired at the rate of $150 a year. I had
now been struggling about four years, with the difficulties of my one great finan-
cial mistake, and the end still seemed to be far off. I felt that the land, pur-
chased by my wife in East Bridgeport at the assignees' sale, would, after a while,
increase rapidly in value; and on the strength of this expectation more money
was borrowed for the sake of taking up the clock notes, and some of the East
Bridgeport property was sold in single lots, the proceeds going to the same
object.
At last, in March, 1860, all the clock indebtedness was satisfactorily extin-
guished, excepting some $20,000, which I had bound myself to take up within a
certain number of months, my friend, James D. Johnson, guaranteeing my bond
to that effect. Mr. Johnson was by far my most effective agent in working
me through these clock troubles, and in aiding to bring them to a successful
conclusion.
On the seventeenth day of March, 1860, Messrs. Butler & Greenwood signed an
agreement to sell and deliver to me on the following Saturday, March 34th, their
good will and entire interest in the Museum collection. This fact was thoroughly
circulated, and it was everywhere announced in blazing posters, placards and
advertisements, which were headed, "Barnum on his feet again." It was fur-
thermore stated that the Museum would be closed, March 24th, for one week for
repairs and general renovation, to be re-opened, March 31st, under the manage-
ment and proprietorship of its original owner. It was also announced that on
the night of closing, I would address the audience from the stage.
The American Museum, decorated on that occasion as on holidays, with a
brilliant display of flags and banners, was filled to its utmost capacity, and I
experienced profound delight at seeing hundreds of old friends of both sexes in
the audience.* I lacked but four months of being fifty years of age ; but I felt all
the vigor and ambition that fired me when I first took possession of the premises
twenty years before; and I was confident that the various experiences of that
score r<{ years would be valuable to me in my second effort to secure an
independence.
* See Illustration, page 180.
196
EIOHAED'S HIMSELF AGAIN. 19?
At the rising of the curtain, and before the play commenced, I stepped on the
stage and was received by the large and brilliant audience with an enthusiasm
far surpassing anything of the kind I had ever experienced or witnessed in a
public career of a quarter of a century. Indeed, this tremendous demonstration
nearly broke me down, and my voice faltered and tears came to my eyes as I
thought of this magnificent conclusion to the trials and struggles of the past four
years. Recovering myself, however, I bowed my grateful acknowledgments for
the reception, and addressed the audience as follows:
" LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I should be more or less than human, if I could meet
this unexpected and overwhelming testimonial at your hands, without the deepest
emotion. My own personal connection with the Museum is now resumed, and I
avail myself of the circumstance to say why it is so. Never did I feel stronger
in my worldly prosperity than in September, 1855. Three months later I was so
deeply embarrassed that I felt certain of nothing, except the uncertainty of
everything. A combination of singular efforts and circumstanoes tempted me to
put faith in a certain clock manufacturing company, and I placed my signature
to papers which ultimately broke me down. After nearly five years of hard
struggle to keep my head above water, I have touched bottom at last, and here
to-night, I am happy to announce that I have waded ashore. Every clock debt
of which I have any knowledge has been provided for. Perhaps, after the
troubles and turmoils I have experienced, I should feel no desire to re-engage in
the excitements of business, but a man like myself, less than fifty years of age,
and enjoying robust health, is scarcely old enough to be embalmed and put in a
glass case in the Museum as one of its million of curiosities. ' It is better to
wear out than rust out.' Besides, if a man of active temperament is not busy,
he is apt to get into mischief. To avoid evil, therefore, and since business activity
is a necessity of my nature, here I am, once more, in the Museum, and among
those with whom I have been so long and so pleasantly identified. I am confi-
dent of a cordial welcome, and hence feel some claim to your indulgence while I
briefly allude to the means of my present deliverance from utter financial ruin.
Need I say, in the first place, that I am somewhat indebted to the forbearance of
generous creditors. In the next place, permit me to speak of sympathizhig
friends, whose volunteered loans and exertions vastly aided my rescue. When
my day of sorrow came, I first paid or secured every debt I owed of a personal
nature. This done, I felt bound in honor to give up all of my property that
remained towards liquidating my "clock debts." I placed it in the hands of
trustees and receivers for the benefit of all the "clock" creditors. But at the
forced sale of my Connecticut real estate, there was a purchaser behind the screen,
of whom the world had little knowledge. In the day of my prosperity* I made
over to my wife much valuable property, including the lease of this Museum build-
ing— a lease then having about twenty-two years to run, and enhanced in value
to more than double its original worth. I sold the Museum collection to Messrs.
Greenwood and Butler, subject to my wife's separate interest in the lease, and she
has received more than eighty thousand dollars over and above the sums paid to
the owners of the building. Instead of selfishly applying this amount to private
purposes, my family lived with a due regard to economy, and the savings (strictly
belonging to my wife), were devoted to buying in portions of my estate at the
assignees' sales, and to purchasing ' clock notes ' bearing my indorsements. The
* I was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars when a« a matter of love I transferred
a portion to my wife, little dreaming that it would be needed during my lifetime.
198 RICHARD'S HIMSELF AGAIN.
Christian name of my wife is Charity. I may well acknowledge, therefore, that
I am not only a proper 'subject of charity,' but that 'without Charity, I am
nothing.'
" But, ladies and gentlemen, while Charity thus labored in my behalf, Faith
and Hope were not idle. I have been anything but indolent during the last four
years. Driven from pillar to post, and annoyed beyond description by all sorts
of legal claims and writs, I was perusing protests and summonses by day, and
dreaming of clocks run down by night. My head was ever whizzing with dislo-
cated cog-wheels and broken main-springs; my whole mind (and my credit) was
running upon tick, and everything pressing on me like a dead weight.
" In this state of affairs I felt that I was of no use on this side of the Atlantic,
BO, giving the pendulum a swing, and seizing time by the forelock, I went to
Europe. There I furtively pulled the wires of several exhibitions, among which
that of Tom Thumb may be mentioned for example. I managed a variety of
musical and commercial speculations in Great Britain, Germany, and Holland.
These enterprises, together whith the net profits of my public lectures, enabled
me to remit large sums to confidential agents for the purchase of my obligations.
In this manner, I quietly extinguished, little by little, every dollar of my clock
liabilities. I could not have achieved this difficult feat, however, without the
able assistance of enthusiastic friends — and among the chief of them let me grate-
fully acknowledge the invaluable services of Mr. James D. Johnson, a gentleman
of wealth, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Other gentlemen have been generous
with me. Some have loaned me large sums without security, and have placed
me under obligations which must ever command my honest gratitude; but Mr.
Johnson has been a ' friend indeed,' for he has been truly a ' friend in need.'
" You must not infer, from what I have said, that I have completely recovered
from the stunning blow to which I was subjected four years ago. I have lost
more in the way of tens of thousands, yes, hundreds of thousands, than I care to
remember. A valuable portion of my real estate in Connecticut, however, has
been preserved, and as I feel all the ardor of twenty years ago, and the prospect
here is so nattering, my heart is animated with the hope of ultimately, by enter-
prise and activity, obliterating unpleasant reminiscences, and retrieving the losses
of the past. Experience, too, has taught me not only that, even in the matter of
money, 'enough is as good as a feast,' but that there are, in this world, some
things vastly better than the Almighty Dollar! Possibly I may contemplate, at
times, the painful day when I said 'Othello's occupation's gone;' but I shall
more frequently cherish the memory of this moment, when I am permitted to
announce that ' Richard's himself again.'
" Many people have wondered that a man considered so acute as myself should
have been deluded into embarrassments like mine, and not a few have declared,
in short meter, that ' Barnum was a fooL' I can only reply that I never made
pretensions to the sharpness of a pawnbroker, and I hope I shall never so entirely
lose confidence in human nature as to consider every man a scamp by instinct, or
a rogue by necessity. ' It is better to be deceived sometimes, than to distrust
always,' says Lord Bacon, and I agree with him.
"Experience is said to be a hard schoolmaster, but I should be sorry to feel
that this great lesson in adversity has not brought forth fruits of some value. I
needed the discipline this tribulation has given me, and I really feel, after all, that
this, like many other apparent evils, was only a blessing in disguise. Indeed, I
may mention that the very clock factory which I built in Bridgeport, for the
purpose of bringing hundreds of workmen to that city, has been purchased and
RICHARD'S HIMSELF AGAIN. 19(J
quadrupled in size by the Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine Company, and is
now filled with intelligent New England mechanics, whose families add two thou-
sand to the population, and who are doing a great work in building up and
beautifying that flourishing city. So that the same concern which prostrated me
seems destined as a most important agent towards my recuperation. I am certain
that the popular sympathy has been with me from the beginning; and this,
together with a consciousness of rectitude, is more than an offset to all the vicissi-
tudes to which I have been subjected.
' ' In conclusion, I beg to assure you and the public that my chief pleasure,
while health and strength are spared me, will be to cater for your and their
healthy amusement and instruction. In future, such capabilities as I possess will
be devoted to the maintenance of this Museum as a popular place of family resort,
in which all that is novel and interesting shall be gathered from the four quarters
of the globe, and which ladies and children may visit at all times unattended,
without danger of encountering anything of an objectionable nature. The
dramas introduced in the Lecture Room will never contain a profane expression
or a vulgar allusion; on the contrary, their tendency will always be to encourage
virtue, and frown upon vice.
"I have established connections in Europe, which will enable me to produce
here a succession of interesting novelties otherwise inaccessible. Although I shall
be personally present much of the time, and hope to meet many of my old
acquaintances, as well as to form many new ones, I am sure you will be glad to
learn that I have re-secured the services of one of the late proprietors, and the
active manager of this Museum, Mr. John Greenwood, Jr. As he is a modest
gentleman, who would be the last to praise himself, allow me to add that he is
one to whose successful qualities as a caterer for the popular entertainments, the
crowds that have often filled this building may well bear testimony. But, more
than this, he is the unobtrusive one to whose integrity, diligence and devotion, I
owe much of my present position of self-congratulation. Mr. Greenwood will
hereafter act as assistant manager, while his late co-partner, Mr. Butler, has
engaged in another branch of business. Once more, thanking you all for your
kind welcome, I bid you, till the re-opening, 'an affectionate adieu.' "
This off-hand speech was received with almost tumultuous applause. At nearly
fifty years of age, I was now once more before the public with the promise to
put on a full head of steam, to " rush things," to give double or treble the amount
of attractions ever before offered at the Museum, and to devote all my own time
and services to the enterprise. In return, I asked that the public should give my
efforts the patronage they merited, and the public took me at my word. The
daily number of visitors at once more than doubled, and my exertions to gratify
them with rapid changes and novelties never tired.
The announcement that I was at last out of the financial entanglement was
variously received. That portion of the press which had followed me with abuse
when I was down, under the belief that my case was past recovery, were chary
in allusions to the new state of things, or passed them over without comment.
The sycophants always knew I would get up again, "and said so at the time;"
the many and noble journals which had stood by me and upheld me in my mis-
fortunes, were of course rejoiced, and their words of sincere congratulation gave
me a higher satisfaction than I have power of language to acknowledge. Letters
of congratulation came in upon me from every quarter. Friendly hands that
had never been withheld during the long period of my misfortune, were now
200 RICHARD'S HIMSELF AGAIN.
extended with a still heartier grip. I never knew till now the warmth and
number of my friends.
Nor must I neglect to state that a large number of my creditors who held the
clock notes, proved very magnanimous in taking into consideration the gross
deception which had put me in their power. Not a few of them said to me in
substance: " You never supposed you had made yourself liable for this debt; you
were deluded into it; it is not right that it should be held over you to keep you
hopelessly down ; take it, and pay me'such percentage as, under the circumstances,
it is possible for you to pay." But for such men and such consideration I fear I
should never have got on my feet again; and of the many who rejoiced in my
bettered fortune, not a few were of this class of my creditors.
My old friend, the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette, which printed a few
cheering poetical lines of consolation and hope when I was down,* now gave me
the following from the same graceful pen, conveying glowing words of congratu-
lation at my rise again:
ANOTHER WORD FOR BARNTJM.
BARNCM, your hand! The struggle o'er,
Ton face the world and ask no favor ;
fou stand where you have stood before,
The old salt hasn't lost its savor.
You now can laugh with friends, at foes,
Ne'er heeding Mrs. Grnndy's tattle ;
You've dealt and taken sturdy blows,
Regardless of the rabble's prattle.
Not yours the heart to harbor ill
'Gainst those who've dealt in trivial jesting;
You pass them with the same good will
Erst shown when they their Vit were testing.
You're the same Barnnm that we knew.
You're good for years, still fit for labor,
Be as of old, be bold and true,
Honest as man, aa friend, as neighbor.
At about this period, the following poem was published in a Pottsville, Pa.,
paper, and copied by many journals of the day:
A HEALTH TO BARNUM.
COMPANIONS! fill your glasses round,
And drink a health to one
Who has few coming after him,
To do as he has done ;
Who made a fortune for himself,
Made fortunes, too, for many,
Yet wronged no bosom of a sigh,
No pocket of a penny.
Come! shout a gallant chorus,
And make the glasses ring,
Here's health and luck to Barnuml
The Exhibition King.
Who lured the Swedish Nightingale
To Western woods to come?
Who prosperous and happy made
The life of little Thumb?
Who oped Amusement's golden door
So cheaply to the crowd,
And taught Morality to smile
On all his stage allowed?
Come! shout a gallant chorus,
Until the glasses ring —
Here's health and luck to Barnuml
The Exhibition King.
• See page 149.
RICHARD'S HIMSELF AGAIN. 201
And when the sad reverses came,
As come they may to all,
Who stood a Hero, bold and true.
Amid his fortune's fall?
Who to the utmost yielded up
What Honor could not keep,
Then took the field of life again
With courage calm and deep?
Cornel shout a gallant chorus,
Until the glasses dance-
Here's health and luck to Itanium,
The Napoleon of Finance.
Yet, no — our hero would not look
With smiles on such a cup ;
Throw out the wine — with water clear,
Fill the pure crystal up.
Then rise, and greet with deep respect,
The courage he has shown.
And drink to him who well deserves
A seat on Fortune's throne.
Here's health and luck to Itanium!
An Elba he has seen,
And never may his map of life
Display a St. Hdewt
MRS. ANNA BACHX,
CHAPTER XXXIV.
MENAGERIE AND MUSEUM MEMORANDA.
1 WAS now fairly embarked on board the good old ship American Museum, to
try onoe more my skill as captain, and to see what fortune the voyage would
bring me. Curiosities began to pour into the Museum Halls, and I was eager for
enterprises in the show line, whether as part of the Museum itself, or as outside
. accessories or accompaniments. Among the first to give me a call, with attrac-
tions sure to prove a success, was James C. Adams, of hard-earned, grizzly-bear
fame. This extraordinary man was eminently what is called "a character."
He was universally known as " Grizzly Adams," from the fact that he had cap-
tured a great many grizzly bears, at the risk and cost of fearful encounters and
perils. He was brave, and with his bravery there was enough of the romantic in
his nature to make him a real hero. For many years a hunter and trapper in the
Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains, he acquired a recklessness, which, added to
his natural invincible courage, rendered him one of the most striking men of the
age, and he was emphatically a man of pluck. A month after I had re-purchased
the Museum, he arrrived in New York with his famous collection of California
aninmla, captured by himself, consisting of twenty or thirty immense grizzly
bears, at the head of which stood "Old Samson," together with several wolves,
half a dozen different species of California bears, Calif ornia lions, tigers, buffalo,
elk, and " Old Neptune," the great sea-lion from the Pacific.
Old Adams had trained all these monsters so that with him they were as docile
as kittens, though many of the most ferocious among them would attack a
stranger without hesitation, if he came within their grasp. In fact the training
of these animals was no fool's play, as Old Adams learned to his cost, for the
terrific blows which he received from time to time, while teaching them
"docility," finally cost him his life.*
Adams called on me immediately on his arrival in New York. He was dressed
in his hunter's suit of buckskin, trimmed with the skins and bordered with the
hanging tails of small Rocky Mountain animals; his cap consisting of the skin of
a wolfs head and shoulders, from which depended several tails, and under which
appeared his stiff, bushy, gray hair and his long, white, grizzly beard; in fact
Old Adams was quite as much of a show as his beasts. They had come around
Cape Horn on the clipper ship " Golden Fleece," and a sea voyage of three and a
half months had probably not added much to the beauty or neat appearance of
the old bear-hunter. During our conversation, Grizzly Adams took off his cap,
and showed me the top of his head. His skull was literally broken in. It had,
on various occasions, been struck by the fearful paws of his grizzly students;
and the last blow, from the bear called "General Fremont," had laid open his
brain so that its workings were plainly visible. I remarked that I thought it was
a dangerous wound and might possibly prove fatal.
* See Illustration, page 200.
MENAGERIE AND MUSEUM MEMORANDA. 203
"Yes," replied Adams, "that will fix me out. It had nearly healed; but
old Fremont opened it for me, for the third or fourth time, before I left Cal-
ifornia, and he did his business so thoroughly, I'm a used-up man. However, I
reckon I may live six months or a year yet." This was spoken as coolly as if he
had been talking about the life of a dog. The immediate object of " old Adams "
in calling upon me was this; I had purchased, a week previously, one-half inter-
est in his California menagerie, from a man who had come by way of the Isthmus
from California, and who claimed to own an equal interest with Adams in the
show. Adams declared that the man had only advanced him some money, and
did not possess the right to sell half of the concern. However, the man held a bill
of sale for half of the "California Menagerie," and old Adams finally consented
to accept me as an equal partner in the speculation, saying that he guessed I could
do the managing part, and he would show up the animals. I obtained a canvas
tent, and, erecting it on the present site of Wallack's theater. Adams there opened
his novel California Menagerie. On the morning of opening, a band of music
preceded a procession of animal cages down Broadway and up the Bowery, old
Adams, dressed in his hunting costume, heading the line, with a platform wagon
on which were placed three immense grizzly bears, two of which he held by
chains, while he was mounted on the back of the largest grizzly, which stood in
the center and was not secured in any manner whatever. This was the bear
known as "General Fremont," and so docile had he become, that Adams said he
had used him as a pack-bear, to carry his cooking and hunting apparatus through
the mountains for six months, and had ridden him hundreds of miles. But
apparently docile as were many of these animals, there was not one among them
that would not occasionally give Adams a sly blow or a sly bite when a good
chance offered; hence old Adams was but a wreck of his former self, and
expressed pretty nearly the truth when he said:
"Mr. Barnum, I am not the man I was five years ago. Then I felt able to
stand the hug of any grizzly living, and was always glad to encounter, single
handed, any sort of an animal that dared present himself. But I have been
beaten to a jelly, torn almost limb from limb, and nearly chawed up and spit
out by these treacherous grizzly bears. However, I am good for a few months
yet, and by that tune I hope we shall gain enough to make my old woman
comfortable, for I have been absent from her some years."
His wife came from Massachusetts to New York and nursed him. Dr. Johns
dressed his wounds every day, and not only told Adams he could never recover,
but assured his friends, that probably a very few weeks would lay him in his
grave. But Adams was as firm as adamant and as resolute as a lion. Among
the thousands who saw him dressed in his grotesque hunter's suit, and witnessed
the seeming vigor with which he "performed" the savage monsters, beating
and whipping them into apparently the most perfect docility, probably not one
suspected that this rough, fierce-looking, powerful demi-savage, as he appeared
to be, was suffering intense pain from his broken skull and fevered system, and
that nothing kept him from stretching himself on his death-bed but his most
indomitable and extraordinary will.
Old Adams liked to astonish others, as he often did, with his astounding stories,
but no one could astonish him ; he had seen everything and knew everything, and
I was anxious to get a chance of exposing this weak point to him. A fit occasion
soon presented itself. One day, while engaged in my office at the Museum, a
man with marked Teutonic features and accent approached the door and asked
if I would like to buy a pair of living golden pigeons.
204 MENAGERIE AND MUSEUM MEMORANDA.
" Yes," I replied, "I would like a flock of golden pigeons, if I could buy them
for their weight in silver; for there are no 'golden' pigeons in existence, unless
they are made from the pure metaL"
" You shall see some golden pigeons alive," he replied, at the same time enter-
ing my office, and closing the door after him, He then removed the lid from a
small basket which he carried in his hand, and sure enough, there were snugly
ensconced a pair of beautiful, living ruff-necked pigeons, as yellow as saffron, and
as bright as a double-eagle fresh from the mint.
I confess I was somewhat staggered at this sight, and quickly asked the man
where those birds came from. A dull, lazy smile crawled over the sober face of
iny German visitor, as he replied in a slow, guttural tone of voice :
" What you think yourself?"
Catching his meaning, I quickly replied:
" I think it is a humbug."
"Of course, I know you will say so; because you 'forstha' such things; so I
shall not try to humbug you; I have colored them myself."
On furthei inquiry, I learned that this German was a chemist, and that he pos-
sessed the art of coloring birds any hue desired, and yet retain a natural gloss
on the feathers, which gave every shade the appearance of reality.
Thinking here was a good chance to catch "Grizzly Adams," I bought the pair
of golden pigeons for ten dollars, and sent them up to the " Happy Family "
(where I knew Adams would soon see them), marked, " Golden Pigeons, from
California. "
The next morning " Old Grizzly Adams, "passed through the Museum when his
eyes fell on the " Golden California Pigeons." He looked a moment and doubt-
less admired. He soon after came to my office.
" Mr. Barnum," said he, " you must let me have those California pigeons."
"I can't spare them," I replied.
"But you must spare them. All the birds and animals from Calif ornia ought
to be together. You own half of my Calif ornia menagerie, and you must lend
me those pigeons."
" Mr. Adams, they are too rare and valuable a bird to be hawked about in that
manner,"
"Oh, don't be a fool," replied Adams. "Rare bird, indeed! Why, they are
just as common in California as any other pigeon! I could have brought a hun-
dred of them from San Francisco, if I had thought of it."
" But why did you not think of it?" I asked, with a suppressed smile.
"Because they are so common there," said Adams, "I did not think they
would be any curiosity here."
I was ready to burst with laughter to see how readily Adams swallowed the
bait, but, maintaining the most rigid gravity, I replied:
" Oh well, Mr. Adams, if they are really so common in California, you had
probably better take them, and you may write over and have half a dozen pairs
sent to me for the Museum. "
Six or eight weeks after this incident, I was in the California Menagerie, and
noticed that the "Golden Pigeons" had assumed a frightfully mottled appear-
ance. Their feathers had grown out and they were half white. Adams had
been so busy with his bears that he had not noticed the change. I called him up
to the pigeon cage, and remarked-
"Mr. Adams, I fear you will lose your Golden Pigeons; they must be very
sick; I observe they are turning quite pale."
MENAGERIE AND MUSEUM MEMORANDA. 205
Adams looked at them a moment with astonishment, then turning to me, and
seeing that I could not suppress a smile, he indignantly exclaimed:
"Blast the Golden Pigeons I You had better take them back to the Museum.
You can't humbug me with your painted pigeons! "
This was too much, and "I laughed till I cried," to witness the mixed look of
astonishment and vexation which marked the grizzly features of old Adams.
After the exhibition on Thirteenth street and Broadway had been open six
weeks, the doctor insisted that Adams should sell out his share in the animals and
settle up his worldly affairs, for he assured him that he was growing weaker
every day, and his earthly existence must soon terminate. " I shall live a good
deal longer than you doctors think for," replied Adams, doggedly; and then,
seeming after all to realize the truth of the doctor's assertion, he turned to me
and said: "Well, Mr. Barnum, you must buy me out." He named his price for
his half of the "show," and I accepted his offer. We had arranged to exhibit
the bears in Connecticut and Massachusetts during the summer, in connection
with a circus, and Adams insisted that I should hire him to travel for the season
and exhibit the bears in their curious performances. He offered to go for $60 per
week and traveling expenses of himself and wife. I replied that I would gladly
engage him as long as he could stand it, but I advised him to give up business and
go to his home in Massachusetts; " for," I remarked, " you are growing weaker
every day, and at best cannot stand it more than a fortnight."
" What will you give me extra if 1 will travel and exhibit the bears every day
for ten weeks ? " added old Adams, eagerly.
" Five hundred dollars," ^replied with a laugh.
"Donel" exclaimed Adams, "I will do it, so draw up an agreement to that
effect at once. But, mind you, draw it payable to ray wife, for I may »e too
weak to attend to business after the ten weeks are up, and if I perform my part
of the contract, I want her to get the $500 without any trouble."
I drew up a contract to pay him $60 per week for his services, and if he con-
tinued to exhibit the bears for ten consecutive weeks I was then to hand him, or
his wife, $500 extra.
" You have lost your $500! " exclaimed Adams on taking the contract; " for 1
am bound to live and earn it."
" I hope you may, with all my heart, and a hundred years more if you desire
it," I replied.
" Call me a fool if I don't earn the $5001 " exclaimed Adams, with a triumph-
ant laugh.
The " show " started off in a few days, and at the end of a fortnight I met it at
Hartford, Connecticut.
"Well," said J, "Adams, you seem to stand it pretty well. I hope you and
your wife are comfortable ? "
" Yes," he replied with a laugh; " and you may as well try to be comfortable,
too, for your $500 is a goner."
" All right," I replied, " I hope you will grow better every day."
But I saw by his pale face and other indications that he was rapidly failing.
In three weeks more, I met him again at New Bedford, Massachusetts. It seemed
to me, then, that he could not live a week, for his eyes were glassy and his hands
trembled, but his pluck was as great as ever.
" This hot weather is pretty bad for me," he said, " but my ten weeks are half
expired, and I am good for your $500, and, probably, a month or two longer."
206 MENAGERIE AND MUSEUM MEMOBANDA.
This was said with as much bravado as if he was offering to bet upon a horse-
race. I offered to pay him half of the $500, if he would give up and go home;
but he peremptorily declined making any compromise whatever. I met him the
ninth week in Boston. He had failed considerably since I last saw him, but he
still continued to exhibit the bears, although he was too weak to lead them in,
and he chuckled over his almost certain triumph. I laughed in return, and sin-
cerely congratulated him on his nerve and probable success. I remained with
him until the tenth week was finished, and handed him his $500. He took it with
a leer of satisfaction, and remarked, that he was sorry I was a teetotaler, for he
would like to stand treat I
Just before the menagerie left New York, I had paid $150 for a new hunting-
suit, made of beaver skins, similar to the one which Adams had worn. This I
intended for Heir Driesbach, the animal-tamer, who was engaged by me to take
the place of Adams, whenever he should be compelled to give up. Adams, on start-
ing from New York, asked me to loan this new dress to him to perform in once
in a while in a fair day, where he had a large audience, for his own costume was
considerably soiled. I did so, and now when I handed him his $500, he remarked:
" Mr. Barnum, I suppose you are going to give me this new hunting-dress ? "
"Oh, no," I replied, "I got that for your successor, who will exhibit the
bears to-morrow; besides, you have no possible use for it."
"Now, don't be mean, but lend me the dress, if you won't give it to me, for I
want to wear it home to my native village."
I could not refuse the poor old man anything, and I therefore replied:
" Well, Adams, I will lend you the dress; but you will send it back to me ? "
"Yes, when I have done with it," he replied, with an evident chuckle of
triumph.
I thought to myself, he will soon be done with it, and replied: "That's all
right."
A new idea evidently struck him, for, with a brightening look of satisfaction,
he said:
" Now, Barnum, you have made a good thing out of the California menagerie,
and so have I; but you will make a heap more. So if you won't give me this
new hunter's dress, just draw a little writing, and sign it, saying that I may
wear it until I have done with it."
I knew that in a few days, at longest, he would be "done" with this world
altogether, and, to gratify him, I cheerfully drew and signed the paper.
" Come, old Yankee, I've got you this time — see if I hain't ! " exclaimed Adams,
with a broad grin, as he took the paper.
I smiled, and said:
" All right, my dear fellow; the longer you live the better I shall like it."
We parted, and he went to Charlton, Worcester County, Mass., \vh«re his
wife and daughter lived. He took at once to his bed, and never rose from it
again. The excitement had passed away, and his vital energies could accomplish
no more. The fifth day after arriving home, the physician told him he could not
live until the next morning. He received the announcement m perfect calmness,
and with the most apparent indifference ; then, turning to his wife, with a smile
he requested her to have him buried in the new hunting-suit. "For," said he,
" Barnum agreed to let me have it until I have done with it, and I was deter-
mined to fix his flint this time. He shall never see that dress again." That dress
was indeed the shroud in which he was entombed.
MENAGERIE AND MUSEUM MEMORANDA. 207
After the death of Adams, the grizzly bears and other animals, were added to
the collection in my Museum, and I employed Herr Driesbach, the celebrated
lion-tamer, as an exhibitor. Some time afterwards the bears were sold to a men-
agerie company, but I kept " Old Neptune," the sea-lion, for several years, send-
ing him occasionally for exhibitions in other cities, as far west as Chicago.
On the thirteenth of October, 1860, the Prince of Wales, then making a tour it
the United States, in company with his suite, visited the American Museum.*
This was a very great compliment, since it was the only place of amusement the
Prince attended in this country. Unfortunately, I was in Bridgeport at the time,
and the Museum was in charge of my manager, Mr. Greenwood.
On leaving the Museum, the Prince asked to see Mr. Barnum, and when he
was told that I was out of town, he remarked: " We have missed the most inter-
esting feature of the establishment." A few days afterwards, when the Prince
was in Boston, happening to be in that city, I sent my card to him at the Revere
House, and was cordially received. He smiled when I reminded him that I had
seen him when he was a little boy, on the occasion of one of my visits to Buck-
ingham Palace with General Tom Thumb. The Prince told me that he was much
pleased with his recent inspection of my Museum, and that he and his suite had
left their autographs in the establishment, as mementoes of their visit.
Meanwhile the Museum flourished better than ever; and I began to make large
holes in the mortgages which covered the property of my wife in New York and
in Connecticut. Still, there was an immense amount of debts resting upon all
her real estate, and nothing but time, economy, industry and diligence would
remove the burdens.
* He« Illustration, page 112.
CHAPTER XXXV.
EAST BRIDGEPORT.*
FOB nearly five years my family had been knocked about, the sport of adverse
fortune, without a settled home. Sometimes we boarded, and at other times we
lived in a small hired house. Two of my daughters were married, and my youngest
daughter, Pauline, was away at boarding-school. The health of my wife waa
much impaired, and she especially needed a fixed residence which she could call
"home." Accordingly, in 1860, I built a pleasant house adjoining that of
my daughter Caroline, in Bridgeport, one hundred rods west of the grounds of
Iranistan.
Meanwhile, my pet city, East Bridgeport, was progressing with giant strides.
The Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine manufactory had been quadrupled in
size, and employed about a thousand workmen. Numerous other large factories
had been built, and scores of first-class houses were erected, besides many neat
but smaller and cheaper houses for laborers and mechanics. That piece of
property, which, but eight years before, had been farm land, with scarcely six
houses upon the whole tract, was now a beautiful new city, teeming with busy
life, and looking as neat as a new pin.
I copy from the files of the Bridgeport Standard, an offer which I made, and
the editorial comment thereon. This offer was for the sake of helping those who
were willing to help themselves, and, at the same time, contribute to my happi-
ness, as well as their own, by forwarding the growth of the new city.
" NEW HOUSES IN EAST BRIDGEPORT.
"EVERY MAN TO OWN THB HOUSE HB LIVES IN.
" There is a demand at the present moment for two hundred more dwelling-houses In
East Bridgeport. It is evident that if the money expended in rent can be paid towards the
purchase of a house and lot. the person so paying will in a few years own the house he lives
in, instead of always remaining a tenant. In view of this fact, I propose to loan money at
six per cent, to any number, not exceeding fifty, industrious, temperate and respectable
individuals, who desire to build their own houses.
" They may engage their own builders, and build according to any reasonable plan (which
I may approve), or I will have it done for them at the lowest possible rate, without a far-
thing profit to myself or agent, I putting the lot at a fair price and advancing eighty per cent,
of the entire cost; the other party to furnish twenty per cent, in labor, material or money,
and they may pay me in small sums weekly, monthly or quarterly, any amount not less than
three per cent, per quarter, all ol which is to apply on the money advanced until it is paid.
" It has been ascertained that by purchasing building materials for cash, and in large
quantities, nice dwellings, painted and furnished with green blinds, can be erected at a cost
of $1,500 or $1,800, for house, lot, fences, etc., all complete, and if six or eight friends prefer
to join in erecting a neat block of houses with verandas in front, the average cost need not
exceed about $1,300 per house and lot. If, however, some parties would prefer a single or
double house that would cost $^,500 to $3,000, I shall be glad to meet their views.
" P. T. BABNUM.
"February 16, 1861"
The editor of the Standard printed the following upon my announcement:
" AN ADVANTAGEOUS OFFER.— We have read with great pleasure Mr. Barnnm's adver-
tisement, offering assistance to any number of persons, not exceeding fifty, in the erectioo
* See Illustration, opposite.
208
EAST BRIDGEPORT 209
of dwelling-houses. This plan combines all the advantages and none of the objections of
Building Associations. Any individual who can furnish in cash, labor, or material, oue-
flflh only of the amount requisite for the erection of a dwelling-house, can receive the other
four-fifths from Mr. Barnum, rent his house and by merely paying what may be considered as
only a fair rent for a few years, find himself at last the owner, and all further payments
cease. In the mean time, he can be making such inexpensive improvements in his property
as would greatly Increase its market value, and besides have the advantage of any rise in
the value of real estate. It is not often that such a generous offer is made to working men.
It is a loan on what would be generally considered inadequate security, at six per cent., at a
time when a much better use of money can be made by any capitalist. It is therefore gen-
erous. Mr. Barnum may make money by the operation. Very well, perhaps he will, but if
he does, it will be by making others richer, not poorer; by helping those who need assist-
ance, not by hindering them, and we can only wish that every rich man would follow such
a noble example, and thus, without injury to themselves, give a helping hand to those who
need it. Success to the enterprise. We hope that fifty men will be found before the week
ends, each of whom desires in such a manner to obtain a roof which he can call his own.'
Quite a number of men at once availed themselves of my offer, and eventually
succeeded in paying for their homes without much effort. I am sorry to add,
that rent is still paid, month after month, by many men who would long ago
have owned neat homesteads, free from all incumbrances, if they had accepted
my proposals, and had signed and kept the temperance pledge, and given up the
use of tobacco. The money they have since expended for whisky and tobacco,
would have given them a house of their own, if the money had been devoted to
that object, and their positions, socially and morally, would have been far better
than they are to-day. How many infatuated men there are in all parts of the
country, who could now be independent, and even owners of their own carriages,
but for their slavery to these miserable habits !
The land in East Bridgeport was originally purchased by me at from $50 to $75,
and from those sums to $300 per acre; and the average cost of all I bought on
that side of the river was $200 per acre. Some portions of this land are now
assessed in the Bridgeport tax-list at from $3.000 to $4,000 per acre. At the time
I joined Mi-. Noble in this enterprise, the site we purchased was not a part of the
city of Bridgeport. It is now, however, a most important section of the city,
and the three bridges connecting the two banks of the river, and originally char-
tered as toll-bridges, have been bought by the city and thrown open as free
highways to the public. A horse railroad, in which I took one-tenth part of the
stock, connects the two portions of the city, extending westerly beyond Iranistan
and Lindencroft, while a branch road runs to the beautiful " Sea-side Park" on
the Sound shore.
General Noble, in laying out the first portion of our new city, named several
streets after members of his own family, and also of mine. Hence, we have a
" Noble " street — and a noble street it is; a "Barnum" street; while other streets
are named " William," from Mr Noble; "Harriet," the Christian name of Mrs.
Noble; "Hallett," the maiden name of my wife; and "Caroline," "Helen," and
" Pauline," the names of my three daughters. There is also the " Barnum School
District " and school-house ; so that it seems as if, for a few scores of years at
least, posterity would know who were the founders of the new, flourishing and
beautiful city. We have yet another enduring and ever-growing monument in
the many thousands of trees which we set out, and which now line and gratefully
shade the streets of East Bridgeport.
Three handsome churches, Methodist, Episcopal and Congregational, front on
the beautiful Washington Park of seven acres, which Mr. Noble and myself pre-
sented to the city. Som.e of the largest and most prosperous manufactories in
the United States are located in the new city.
210 EAST
The entire city of Bridgeport is advancing in population and prosperity with a
rapidity far beyond that of any other city in Connecticut, and everything indi-
cates that it will soon take its proper position as the second, if not the first, city in
the State. Its situation as the terminus of the Naugatuck and the Housatonic rail-
ways, its accessibility to New York, with its two daily steamboats to and from
the metropolis, and its dozen daily trains of the New York and Boston and Shore
Line railways, are all elements of prosperity which are rapidly telling in favor of
this busy, beautiful and charming city.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM.
lie 1861, I lean led that some fishermen at the mouth of the St. Lawrence had
succeeded in capturing a living white whale, and I was also inf ormed that a whale
of this kind, if placed in a box lined with sea-weed and partially filled with salt
water, could be transported by land to a considerable distance, and be kept alive.
It was simply necessary that an attendant, supplied with a barrel of salt water
and a sponge, should keep the mouth and blow-hole of the whale constantly
moist.
Having made up my mind to capture and transport to my Museum at least two
living whales, I prepared in the basement of the building a brick and cement
tank, forty feet long, and eighteen feet wide, for their reception. This done, I
started upon my whaling expedition. Going by rail to Quebec, and thence by
the Grand Trunk Railroad, ninety miles, to Wells river, I chartered a sloop to
Elbow island (Isle au Coudres), in the St. Lawrence river, populated by Canadian
French people. I contracted with a party of twenty-four fishermen, to capture
for me, alive and unharmed, a couple of white whales, scores of which could at
all times be discovered by their " spouting " within sight of the island.*
The plan decided upon was to plant in the river a "kraal," composed of stakes
driven down in the form of a V, leaving the broad end open for the whales to
enter. This was done in a shallow place, with the point of the kraal towards
shore; and if by chance one or more whales should enter the trap at high water,
my fishermen were to occupy the entrance with their boats, and keep up a tre-
mendous splashing and noise till the tide receded, when the frightened whales
wo\ild find themselves nearly " high and dry," or with too little water to enable
them to swim, and their capture would be next thing in order. This was to be
effected by securing a slip-noose of stout rope over their tails, and towing them
to the sea-weed lined boxes in which they were to be transported to New York.
It was aggravating to see the whales glide so near the trap without going into
it, and our patience was sorely tried. One day a whale actually went into the
kraal, and the fishermen proposed to capture it ; but I wanted another, and while
we waited for number two to go in number one went out. After several days I
was awakened at daylight by a great noise, and amid the clamor of many voices,
I caught the cheering news that two whales were even then within the kraal.
Leaving the details of capture and transportation to my trusty assistants, I
started at once for New York, leaving at every station on the line instructions to
telegraph operators to "take off" all whaling messages that passed over the wires
to New York, and to inform their fellow-townsmen at what hour the whales
would pass through each place.
The result of these arrangements may be imagined; at every station crowds of
people came to the cars to see the whales which were traveling by land to Bar-
num's Museum, and those who did not see the monsters with their own eyes, at
* See Illustration, page 216.
211
212 MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM.
least saw some one who had seen them, and I thus secured a tremendous adver-
tisement, seven hundred miles long, for the American Museum.
Arrived in New York, despatches continued to come from the whaling expe-
dition every few hours. These I bulletined in front of the Museum and sent
copies to the papers. The excitement was intense, and, when at last, these marine
monsters arrived and were swimming in the tank that had been prepared for
them, anxious thousands literally rushed to see the strangest curiosities ever
exhibited in New York
Thus was my first whaling expedition a great success; but I did not know how
to feed or to take care of the monsters, and, moreover, they were in fresh water,
and this, with the bad air in the basement, may have hastened their death, which
occurred a few days after their arrival, but not before thousands of people had
seen them. Not at all discouraged, I resolved to try again. My plan now was
to connect the water of New York bay with the basement of the Museum by
means of iron pipes under the street, and a steam engine on the dock to pump
the water. This I actually did at a cost of several thousand dollars, with an
extra thousand to the aldermanic "ring" for the privilege, and I constructed
another tank in the second floor of the building. This tank was built of slate and
French glass plates six feet long, five feet broad, and one inch thick, imported
expressly for the purpose, and the tank, when completed, was twenty-four feet
square, and cost $4,000. It was kept constantly supplied with what would be
called , Hibernically, " fresh" salt water, and inside of it I soon had two white
whales, caught, as the first had been, hundreds of miles below Quebec, to which
city they were carried by a sailing vessel, and from thence were brought by
railway to New York.
Of this whole enterprise, I confess I was very proud that I "had originated it
and brought it to such successful conclusion. It was a very great sensation, and
it added thousands of dollars to my treasury. The whales, however, soon died —
their sudden and immense popularity was too much for them — and I then
despatched agents to the coast of Labrador, and not many weeks thereafter I had
two more live whales disporting themselves in my monster aquarium. Certain
envious people started the report that my whales were only porpoises, but this
petty malice was turned to good account, for Professor Agassiz, of Harvard Uni-
versity, came to see them, and gave me a certificate that they were genuine white
whales, and this endorsement I published far and wide.
The tank which I had built in the basement served for a yet more interesting
exhibition. On the twelfth of August, 1861, I began to exhibit the first and only
geruine hippopotamus that had ever been seen in America, and for several weeks
the Museum was thronged by the curious who came to see the monster. I adver-
tised him extensively and ingeniously, as " the great behemoth of the Scriptures,"
giving a full description of the animal and his habits, and thousands of cultivated
people, biblical students, and others, were attracted to this novel exhibition.
There was quite as much excitement in the city over this wonder in the animal
creation as there was in London when the first hippopotamus was placed in the
zoological collection in Regent's Park.
Having a stream of salt water at my command at every high tide, I was
enabled to make splendid additions to the beautiful aquarium, which I was the
first to introduce into this country. I not only procured living sharks, porpoises,
sea horses, and many rare fish from the sea hi the vicinity of New York, but in
the summer of 1861, and for several summers in succession, I despatched a fishing
smack and crew to the Islands of Bermuda and its neighborhood, whence they
MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM. 213
brought scores of specimens of the beautiful "angel fish," and numerous other
tropical fish of brilliant colors and unique forms. In the same year, I bought
out the Aquaria! Gardens in Boston, and soon after removed the collection to the
Museum.
In December, 1861, I made one of my most "palpable hits." I was visited at
the Museum by a most remarkable dwarf, who was a sharp, intelligent little
fellow, with a deal of drollery and wit. He had a splendid head, was perfectly
formed, and was very attractive, and, in short, for a "showman," he was a per-
fect treasure. His name, he told me, was George Washington Morrison Nutt,
and his father was Major Rodnia Nutt, a substantial farmer, of Manchester, New
Hampshire. I was not long in despatching an efficient agent to Manchester, and
in overcoming the competition with other showmen who were equally eager to
secure this extraordinary pigmy. The terms upon which I engaged him for three
years were so large that he was christened the $30,000 Nutt; I, in the meantime,
conferring upon him the title of Commodore. As soon as I engaged him, placards,
posters and the columns of the newspapers proclaimed the presence of " Commo-
dore Nutt," at the Museum. I also procured for the Commodore a pair of Shet-
land ponies, miniature coachman and footman, in livery, gold-mounted harness,
and an elegant little carriage, which, when closed, represented a gigantic English
walnut. The little Commodore attracted great attention, and grew rapidly in
public favor. General Tom Thumb was then traveling in the South and West.
For some years he had not been exhibited in New York, and during these years
he had increased considerably in rotundity and had changed much in his general
appearance. It was a singular fact, however, that Commodore Nutt was almost
a fao-simile of General Tom Thumb, as he looked half-a-dozen years before.
Consequently, very many of my patrons, not making allowance for the time
which had elapsed since they had last seen the General, declared that there was
no such person as " Commodore Nutt; " but that I was exhibiting my old friend
Tom Thumb under a new name.
Commodore Nutt enjoyed the joke very much. He would sometimes half
admit the deception, simply to add to the bewilderment of the doubting portion
of my visitors.
It was evident that here was an opportunity to turn all doubts into hard cash,
by simply bringing the two dwarf Dromios together, and showing them on the
same platform. I therefore induced Tom Thumb to bring his western engage-
ments to a close, and to appear for four weeks, beginning with August 11, 1862,
in my Museum. Announcements headed "The Two Dromios," and "Two
Smallest Men, and Greatest Curiosities Living," as I expected, drew large crowds
to see them, and many came especially to solve their doubts with regard to the
genuineness of the " Nutt." But here I was considerably nonplussed, for aston-
ishing as it may seem, the doubts of many of the visitors were confirmed ! The
sharp people who were determined "not to be humbugged, anyhow," still
declared that Commodore Nutt was General Tom Thumb, and that the little
fellow whom I was trying to pass off as Tom Thumb, was no more like the Gen-
eral than he was like the man in the moon. It is very amusing to see how people
will sometimes deceive themselves by being too incredulous.
In 1862, I sent the Commodore to Washington, and, joining him there, I
received an invitation from President Lincoln to call at the White House with
my little friend. Arriving at the appointed hour, I was informed that the Presi-
dent was in a special cabinet meeting, but that he had left word if I called to l>e
shown in to him with the Commodore. These were dark days in the rebellion
214 MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM.
and 1 felt that my visit, if not ill-timed, must at all events be brief. When we
were admitted, Mr. Lincoln received us cordially, and introduced us to the mem-
bers of the Cabinet. When Mr. Chase was introduced as the Secretary of the
Treasury, the little Commodore remarked:
" I suppose you are the gentleman who is spending so much of Uncle Sam's
money?"
" No, indeed," said Secretary of War Stanton, very promptly: " I am spending
the money."
"Well," said Commodore Nutt, "it is in a good cause, anyhow, and I guess it
will come out all right."
His apt remark created much amusement. Mr. Lincoln then bent down his
long, lank body, and taking Nutt by the hand, he said:
" Commodore, permit me to give you a parting word of advice. When you
are in command of your fleet, if you find yourself in danger of being taken
prisoner, I advise you to wade ashore."
The Commodore found the laugh was against him, but placing himself at the
side of the President, and gradually raising his eyes up the whole length of Mr.
Lincoln's very long legs, he replied:
"I guess, Mr. President, you could do that better than I could."
Commodore Nutt and the Nova Scotia giantess, Anna Swan, illustrate the
old proverb sufficiently to show how extremes occasionally met in my Museum.
He was the shortest of men and she was the tallest of women. I first heard of
her through a Quaker who came into my office one day and told me of a wonder-
ful girl, seventeen years of age, who resided near him at Pictou, Nova Scotia,
and who was probably the tallest girl in the world. I asked him to obtain her
exact height, on his return home, which he did, and sent it to me, and I at once
sent an agent who in due time came back with Anna Swan. She was an intelli-
gent and by no means ill-looking girl, and during the long period while she was
in my employ, she was visited by thousands of persons. After the burning of
my second Museum, she went to England where she attracted great attention.
For many years I had been in the habit of engaging parties of American
Indians from the far west, to exhibit at the Museum, and had sent two or more
Indian companies to Europe, where they were regarded as very great " curiosi-
ties." In 1864, ten or twelve chiefs of as many different tribes, visited the
President of the United States, at Washington. By a pretty liberal outlay of
money, I succeeded in inducing the interpreter to bring them to New York, and
to pass some days at my Museum. Of course, getting these Indians to dance, or
to give any illustration of their games or pastimes, was out of the question.
They were real chiefs of powerful tribes, and would no more have consented to
give an exhibition of themselves than the chief magistrate of our own nation
would have done. Their interpreter could not therefore promise that they would
remain at the Museum for any definite time; "for," said he, "you can only keep
them just so long as they suppose all your patrons come to pay them visits
of honor. If they suspected that your Museum was a place where people paid
for entering," he continued, "you could not keep them a moment after the
discovery."
On their arrival at the Museum, therefore, I took them upon the stage and per-
sonally introduced them to the public. The Tnrh>ns liked this attention from me,
as they had been informed that I was the proprietor of the great establishment
in which they were invited and honored guests. My patrons were of course
pleased to see these old chiefs, as they knew they were the "real thing," and
MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM. 215
several of them were known to the public, either as being friendly or cruel to
the whites. After one or two appearances on the stage, I took them in carriages
and visited the Mayor of New York in the Governor's room at the City HalL
Here the Mayor made them a speech of welcome, which being interpreted to the
savages was responded to by a speech from one of the chiefs, in which he thanked
the great "Father" of the city for his pleasant words, and for his kindness
in pointing out the portraits of his predecessors hanging on the walls of the
Governor's room.
On another occasion, I took them by special invitation to visit one of the large
public schools up town. The teachers were pleased to see them, and arranged an
exhibition of special exercises by the scholars, which they thought would be most
likely to gratify their barbaric visitors. At the close of these exercises, one old
chief arose, and simply said, " This is all new to us. We are mere unlearned sons
of the forest, and cannot understand what we have seen and heard."
On other occasions, I took them to ride in Central Park, and through different
portions of the city. At every street corner which we passed, they would
express their astonishment to each other, at seeing the long rows of houses which
extended both ways on either side of each cross-street. Of course, between each
of these outside visits I would return with them to the Museum, and secure two
or three appearances upon the stage to receive the people who had there congre-
gated "to do them honor."
As they regarded me as their host, they did not hesitate to trespass upon my
hospitality. Whenever their eyes rested upon a glittering shell among my speci-
mens of conchology, especially if it had several brilliant colors, one would take
off his coat, another his shirt, and insist that I should exchange my shell for their
garment. When I declined the exchange, but on the contrary presented them
with the coveted article, I -soon found I had established a dangerous precedent.
Immediately, they all commenced to beg for everything in my vast collection,
which they happened to take a liking to. This cost me many valuable specimens,
and often ' ' put me to my trumps " for an excuse to avoid giving them things which
I could not part with.
The chief of one of the tribes one day discovered an ancient shirt of chain-
mail which hung in one of my cases of antique armor. He was delighted with it,
and declared he must have it. I tried all sorts of excuses to prevent his getting
it, for it had cost me a hundred dollars, and was a great curiosity. But the old
man's eyes glistened, and he would not take "no" for an answer. "The Utes
have killed my little child," he told me through the interpreter; and now he must
have this steel shirt to protect himself; and when he returned to the Rocky Moun-
tains he would have his revenge. I remained inexorable until he ftnalJy brought
me a new buckskin Indian suit, which he insisted upon exchanging. I felt com-
pelled to accept his proposal ; and never did I see a man more delighted than he
seemed to be when he took the mailed shirt into his hands. He fairly jumped up
and down with joy. He ran to his lodging-room, and soon appeared again with
the coveted armor upon his body, and marched down one of the main halls of the
Museum, with folded arms, and head erect, occasionally patting his breast with
hip right hand, as much as to say, "now, Mr. Ute, look sharp, for I will soon be
on the war path ! "
Among these Indians were War Bonnet, Lean Bear, and Hand-in-the-water,
chiefs of the Cheyennes; Yellow Buffalo, of the Kiowas; Yellow Bear, of the
same tribe; Jacob, of the Caddos; and White Bull, of the Apaches. The h'ttle
wiry chief known as Yellow Bear had killed many whites as they had traveled
216 MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM
through the "far west" He was a sly, treacherous, blood-thirsty savage, who
would think no more of scalping a family of women and children, than a butchei
would of wringing the neck of a chicken. But now he was on a mission to the
" Great Father " at Washington, seeking for presents and favors for his tribe, and
he pretended to be exceedingly meek and humble, and continually urged the
interpreter to announce him as a " great friend to the white man." He would
fawn about me, and although not speaking or understanding a word of our lan-
guage, would try to convince me that he loved me dearly.
In exhibiting these Indian warriors on the stage, I explained to the large audi-
ences the names and characteristics of each. When I came to Yellow Bear I
would pat him familiarly upon the shoulder, which always caused him to look up
to me with a pleasant smile, while he softly stroked down my arm with his right
hand in the most loving manner. Knowing that he could not understand a word
I said, I pretended to be complimenting him to the audience, while I was really
saying something Hke the following:
" This little Indian, ladies and gentlemen, is Yellow Bear, chief of the Kiowas.
He has killed, no doubt, scores of white persons, and he is probably the meanest,
black-hearted rascal that lives in the far west." Here I patted him on the head,
and he, supposing I was sounding his praises, would smile, fawn upon me, and
stroke my arm, while I continued: " If the blood-thirsty little villain understood
what I was saying, he would kill me in a moment; but as he thinks I am compli
menting him, I can safely state the truth to you, that he is a lying, thieving,
treacherous, murderous monster. He has tortured to death poor, unprotected
women, murdered their husbands, brained their helpless little ones ; and he would
gladly do the same to you or to me, if he thought he could escape punishment.
This is but a faint description of the character of Yellow Bear." Here I gave
him another patronizing pat on the head, and he, with a pleasant smile, bowed to
the audience, as much as to say that my words were quite true, and that he
thanked me very much for the high encomiums I had so generously heaped upou
him.
After they had been about a week at the Museum, one of the chiefs discovered
that visitors paid money for entering. This information he soon communicated
to the other chiefs, and I heard an immediate murmur of discontent. Their eyes
were opened, and no power could induce them to appear again upon the stage.
Their dignity had been offended, and then- wild, flashing eyes were anything but
agreeable. Indeed, I hardly felt safe in their presence, and it was with a feeling
of relief that I witnessed their departure for Washington the next morning.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
MB. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB.
IN 1863 1 heard of an extraordinary dwarf girl, named Lavinia Warren, who
was residing with her parents at Middleboro', Massachusetts, and I sent an invi-
tation to her and her parents to conie and visit me at Bridgeport. They came,
and I found her to be a most intelligent and refined young lady, well educated,
and an accomplished, beautiful and perfectly developed woman in miniature. I
succeeded in making an engagement with her for several years, during which she
contracted — as dwarfs are said to have the power to do — to visit Great Britain,
France, and other foreign lands.
Having arranged the terms of her engagement, I took her to the house of one
of my daughters in New York, where she remained quietly, while I was proem-
ing her wardrobe and jewelry, and making arrangements for her debut.
I purchased a very splendid wardrobe for Mies Warren, including scores of the
richest dresses that could be procured, costly jewels, and in fact everything that
could add to the charms of her naturally charming little person. She was then
placed on exhibition at the Museum, and from the day of her debut she was
an extraordinary success. Commodore Nutt was on exhibition with her, and
although he was several years her junior, he evidently took a great fancy to her.
One day I presented to Lavinia a diamond and emerald ring, and as it did not
exactly fit her finger, I told her I would give her another one and that she might
present this one to the Commodore in her own name. She did so, and an unlooked-
for effect was speedily apparent; the little Commodore felt sure that this was a
love-token, and poor Lavinia was in the greatest trouble, for she considered herself
quite a woman, and regarded the Commodore only as a nice little boy. But she
did not like to offend him, and while she did not encourage, she did not openly
repel his attentions. Miss Lavinia Warren, however, was never destined to be
Mrs. Commodore Nutt.
It was by no means an unnatural circumstance that I should be suspected of
having instigated and brought about the marriage of Tom Thumb with Lavinia
Warren. Had I done this, I should at this day have felt no regrets, for it has
proved, in an eminent degree, one of the "happy marriages." I only say, what
is known to all of their immediate friends, that from first to last their engage-
ment was an affair of the heart — a case of "love at first sight" — that the attach-
ment was mutual, and that it only grows with the lapse of time. But I had
neither part nor lot in instigating or in occasioning the marriage. And as I am
anxious to be put right before the public, I have procured the consent of all the
parties to a sketch of the wooing, winning and nuptials. Of course I should not
lay these details before the public, except with the sanction of those most inter-
ested. In this they consent to pay the penalty of distinction. And if the wooings
of kings and queens must be told, why not the courtship and marriage of General
and Mrs. Tom Thumb ? The story is an interesting one, and shall be told alike to
^exonerate me from the suspicion named, and to amuse those — and they count by
scores of thousands — who are interested in the welfare of the distinguished
couple.
10 217
218 MR. AND MKS. GENERAL TOM THUMB.
In the autumn of 1802, when Lavinia Warren was on exhibition at the Museum,
Tom Thumb had no business engagement with me; in fact, he was not on exhibi-
tion at the time at all; he was taking a "vacation" at his house in Bridgeport.
Whenever he came to New York he naturally called upon me, his old friend, at
the Museum. He happened to be, in the city at the time referred to, and one day
he called, quite unexpectedly to me, while Lavinia was holding one of her levees.
Here he now saw her for the first time, and very naturally made her acquaintance
He had a short interview with her, after which he came directly to my private
office and desired to see me alone. Of course I complied with his request, but
without the remotest suspicion as to his object I closed the door, and the Gen-
eral took a seat. His first question let in the light. He inquired about the family
of Lavinia Warren. I gave him the facts, which I clearly perceived gave him
satisfaction of a peculiar sort. He then said, with great frankness, and with no
less earnestness:
" Mr. Barnum, that is the most Charming little lady I ever saw, and I believe
she was created on purpose to be my wife ! Now," he continued, "you have
always been a friend of mine, and I want you to say a good word for me to her.
I have got plenty of money, and I want to marry and settle down in life, and
I really feel as if I must marry that young lady."
The little General was highly excited, and his general manner betrayed the
usual anxiety, which, I doubt not, most of my readers will understand without a
description. I could not repress a smile, nor forget my joke, and I said:
"Lavinia is engaged already."
"To whom — Commodore Nutt?" asked Tom Thumb, with much earnestness,
and some exhibition of the "green-eyed monster."
" No, General, to me," I replied.
"Never mind," said the General, laughing, "you can exhibit her for a while,
and then give up the engagement; but I do hope you will favor my suit with her."
" Well, General," I replied, " I will not oppose you in your suit, but you must
do your own courting. I tell you, however, the Commodore will be jealous of
you, and more than that, Miss Warren is nobody's fool, and you will have to
proceed very cautiously if you can succeed in winning her affections."
The General thanked me, and promised to be very discreet. A change now
came suddenly over him in several particulars. He had been (much to his credit)
very fond of his country home in Bridgeport, where he spent his intervals of rest
with his horses, and especially with his yacht, for his fondness for the water was
his great passion. But now he was constantly having occasion to visit the city,
and horses and yachts were strangely neglected. He had a married sister in New
York, and his visits to her multiplied, for, of course, he came to New York "to
fc.ee his sister ! " His mother, who resided in Bridgeport, remarked that Charles
had never before shown so much brotherly affection, nor so much fondness for
city life.
His visits to the Museum were very frequent, and it was noticeable that new
relations were being established between him and Commodore Nutt. The Com-
modore was not exactly jealous, yet he strutted around like a bantam rooster
whenever the General approached Lavinia, One day he and the General got into
a friendly scuffle in the dressing-room, and the Commodore threw the General
upon his back in " double quick " time. The Commodore is lithe, wiry, and quick
in his movements, but the General is naturally slow, and although he was con-
siderably heavier than the Commodore, he soon found that he could not stand
before him in a personal encounter Moreover, the Commodore is naturally
MR. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB. 219
quick -tempered, and, when excited, he brags about his knowledge of "the inanly
art of self-defence," and sometimes talks about pistols and bowie knives, etc.
Tom Thumb, on the contrary, is by natural disposition decidedly a man of peace;
hence, in this, agreeing with Falstaff as to what constituted the "better part of
valor," he was strongly inclined to keep his distance, if the little Commodore
showed any belligerent symptoms.
In the course of several weeks the General found numerous opportunities to
talk with Lavinia, while the Commodore was performing on the stage, or was
otherwise engaged; and, to a watchful discerner, it was evident he was making
encouraging progress in the affair of the heart. He also managed to meet Lavinia
ou Sunday afternoons and evenings, without the knowledge of the Commodore;
but he assured me he had not yet dared to suggest matrimony.
He finally returned to Bridgeport, and privately begged that on the following
Saturday I would take Lavinia up to my house, and also invite him.
His immediate object in this was, that his mother might get acquainted with
Lavinia, for he feared opposition from that source whenever the idea of his mar-
riage should be suggested. I could do no less than accede to his proposal, and on
the following Friday, while Lavinia and the Commodore were sitting in the
green-room, I said:
"Lavinia, you may go up to Bridgeport with me to-morrow morning, and
remain until Monday."
" Thank you," she replied; " it will be quite a relief to get into the country for
a couple of days."
The Commodore immediately pricked up his ears, and said:
" Mr. Barnum, /should like to go to Bridgeport to-morrow."
"What for?" I asked.
" I want to see my little ponies; I have not^een them tor several months," he
replied.
I whispered in his ear, " you little rogue, that is the pony you want to see,"
pointing to Lavinia.
He insisted I was mistaken. When I remarked that he could not well be spared
from the Museum, he said :
" Oh ! I can perform at half -past seven o'clock, and then jump on to the eight
o'clock evening train, and go up by myself, reaching Bridgeport before eleven,
and return early Monday morning."
I feared there would be a clashing of interests between the rival pigmies; but
wishing to please him, I consented to his request, especially as Lavinia also
favored it. I wished I could then fathom that little woman's heart, and see
whether she (who must have discovered the secret of the General's frequent visits
to the Museum) desired the Commodore's visit in order to stir up the General's
ardor, or whether, as seemed to me the more likely, she was seeking in this way
to prevent a denouement which she was not inclined to favor. Certain it is, that
though I was the General's confidant, and knew all his desires upon the subject,
no person had discovered the slightest evidence that Lavinia Warren had ever
entertained the remotest suspicion of his thoughts regarding marriage. If »he
had made the discovery, as I assume, she kept the secret well. In fact, I assured
Tom Thumb that every indication, so far as any of us could observe, was to the
effect that his suit would be rejected. The little General was fidgety, but deter-
mined; hence he was anxious to have Lavinia meet his mother, and also see his
possessions in Bridgeport, for he owned considerable land and numerous houses
there.
220 MR. AND MES. GENERAL TOM THUMB.
The General met us at the depot in Bridgeport, on Saturday morning, and
drove us to my house in his own carriage — his coachman being tidily dressed,
with a broad velvet ribbon and silver buckle placed upon his hat expressly for
the occasion. Lavinia was duly informed that this was the General's ' ' turn out ; "
and after resting half an hour at Lindencrof t, he took her out to ride. He stopped
a few moments at his mother's house, where she saw the apartments which his
father had built expressly for him, and filled with the most gorgeous furniture —
all corresponding to his own diminutive size. Then he took her to East Bridge-
port, and undoubtedly took occasion to point out in great detail all of the houses
which he owned, for he depended much upon having his wealth make some
impression upon her. They returned, and the General stayed to lunch. I asked
Lavinia how she liked her ride; she replied:
" It was very pleasant, but," she added, "it seems as if you and Tom Thumb
owned about all of Bridgeport! "
The General took his leave and returned at five o'clock to dinner with his
mother. Mrs. Stratton remained until seven o'clock. She expressed herself
charmed with Lavinia Warren; but not a suspicion passed her mind that little
Charlie was endeavoring to give her this accomplished young lady as a daughter-
in-law. The General had privately asked me to invite him to stay over night,
" For," said he, " if I get a chance, I intend to ' pop the question ' before the Com-
modore arrives." So I told his mother I thought the General had better stop
with us over night, as the Commodore would be up in the late train, adding that
it would be more pleasant for the little folks to be together. She assented, and
the General was happy.
After tea Lavinia and the General sat down to play backgammon. As nine
o'clock approached, I remarked that it was about time to retire, but somebody
would have to sit up until nearly eleven o'clock, in order to let in the Commo-
dore. The General replied:
" I will sit up with pleasure, if Miss Warren will remain also."
Lavinia carelessly replied, that she was accustomed to late hours, and she
would wait and see the Commodore. A little supper was placed upon the table
for the Commodore, and the family retired.
Now it happened that a couple of mischievous young ladies were visiting at my
house, one of whom was to sleep with Lavinia. They were suspicious that the
General was going to propose to Lavinia that evening, and, in a spirit of ungov
ernable curiosity, they determined, notwithstanding its manifest impropriety, to
witness the operation, if they could possibly manage to do so on the sly. Of
course this was inexcusable, the more so as so few of my readers, had they been
placed under the same temptation, would have been guilty of such an impro-
priety 1 Perhaps I should hesitate to use the testimony of such witnesses, or even
to trust it. But a few weeks after, they told the little couple the whole story,
were forgiven, and all had a hearty laugh over it.
It so happened that the door of the sitting-room, in which the General and
Lavinia were left at the backgammon board, opened into the hall just at the side
of the stairs, and these young misses, turning out the lights in the hall, seated
themselves upon the stairs in the dark, where they had a full view of the cosy
little couple, and were within easy ear-shot of all that was said.
The house was still. The General soon acknowledged himself vanquished at
backgammon, and gave it up. After sitting a few moments, he evidently
thought it was best to put a clincher on the financial part of his abilities; so he
drew from his pocket a policy of insurance, and handing it to Lavinia, he asked
her if she knew what it was.
MR. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB. 221
Examining it, she replied, "It is an insurance policy, i see you keep youi
property insured."
" But the beauty of it is, it is not my property," replied the General, " and yet
I get the benefit of the insurance in case of fire. You will see," he continued,
unfolding the policy, "this is the property of Mr. Williams, but here, you will
observe, it reads ' loss, if any, payable to Charles S. Stratton, as his interest may
appear.' The fact is, I loaned Mr. Williams three thousand dollars, took a mort-
gage on his house, and made him insure it for my benefit. In this way, you
perceive, I get my interest, and he has to pay the taxes."
" That is a very wise way, I should think," remarked Lavinia.
" That is the way I do all my business," replied the General, complacently, as
he returned the huge insurance policy to his pocket. "You see," he continued,
' I never lend any of my money without taking bond and mortgage security,
then I have no trouble with taxes; my principal is secure, and I receive my
interest regularly."
The explanation seemed satisfactory to Lavinia, and the General's courage
began to rise. Drawing his chair a little nearer to hers, he said:
" So you are going to Europe, soon ?"
"Yes," replied Lavinia, "Mr. Barnum intends to take me over in a couple of
months."
"You will find it very pleasant," remarked the General; "I have been there
twice, in fact I have spent six years abroad, and I like the old countries very
much."
"I hope I shall like the trip, ana i expect I shall," responded Lavinia; "for
Mr. Barnum says I shall visit all the principal cities, and he has no doubt I will
be invited to appear before the Queen of England, the Emperor and Empress of
France, the King of Prussia, the Emperor of Austria, and at the courts of any
other countries which we may visit. Oh I I shall like that, it will be so new to
me."
"Yes, it will be very interesting indeed. I have visited most of the crowned
heads," remarked the General, with an evident feeling of self-congratulation.
" But are you not afraid you will be lonesome in a strange country ?" asked the
General.
"No, I think there is no danger of that, for friends will accompany me," was
the reply.
" I wish I was going over, for I know all about the different countries, and
could explain them all to you," remarked Tom Thumb.
" That would be very nice," said Lavinia.
" Do you think so ?" said the General, moving his chair still closer to Lavinia's.
" Of course," replied Lavinia, coolly, " for I, being a stranger to all the habits
and customs of the people, as well as to the country, it would be pleasant to have
some person along who could answer all my foolish questions."
" I should like it first rate, if Mr. Barnum would engage me," said the General.
"I thought you remarked the other day that you had money enough, and was
tired of traveling," said Lavinia, with a slightly mischievous look from one
corner of her eye.
"That depends upon my company while traveling," replied the General
" You might not find my company very agreeable."
"I would be glad to risk it."
"Well, perhaps Mr. Barnum would engage you, if you asked him," said
Lavinia.
222 MR. AND MRS. GEXERAL TOM THUMB.
"Would you really like to have me go ?" asked the General, quietly insinuat-
ing his arm around her waist, but hardly dose enough to touch her.
"Of course I would," was the reply.
The little General's arm clasped the waist closer as he turned his face nearer to
hers, and said:
"Don't you think it would be pleasanter if we went as man and wife ?"
The little fairy quickly disengaged his arm, and remarked that the General was
a funny fellow to joke in that way.
" I am not joking at all," said the General, earnestly, " it is quite too serious a
matter for that."
" I wonder why the Commodore dont come ?" said Lavinia.
" I hope you are not anxious for his arrival, for I am sure / am not," responded
the General, " and what is more, I do hope you will say ' yes,' before he comes at
all!"
"Really, Mr. Stratton," said Lavinia, with dignity, "if you are in earnest in
your strange proposal, I must say I am surprised."
"Well, I hope you are not offended," replied the General, "for I was never
more in earnest in my life, and I hope you will consent. The first moment I saw
you 1 felt that you were created to be my wife."
" But this is so sudden."
" Not so very sudden; it is several months since we first met, and you know all
about me and my family, and I hope you find nothing to object to in me."
" Not at all; on the contrary, I have found you very agreeable, in fact I like
you very much as a friend, but I have not thought of marrying, and — "
' ' And what, my dear ?" said the General, giving her a kiss. " No w, I beg of you,
don't have any ' buts ' or ' ands ' about it. You say you like me as a friend, why
will you not like me as a husband ? You ought to get married : I love you dearly,
and I want you for a wife. Now, deary, the Commodore will be here in a few
minutes, I may not have a chance to see you again alone; do say that we will be
married, and I will get Mr. Barmim to give up your engagement."
Lavinia hesitated, and finally said:
"I thinl? I love you well enough to consent, but I have always said I would
never marry without my mother's consent."
" Oh 1 I'll ask your mother. May I ask your mother ? Come, say yes to that,
and I will go and see her next week. May I do that, pet ? "
Then there was a sound of something very much like the popping of several
corks from as many beer-bottles. The young eavesdroppers had no doubt as to
the character of these reports, nor did they doubt that they sealed the betrothal,
for immediately after they heard Lavinia say:
" Yes, Charles, you may ask my mother." Another volley of reports followed,
and then Lavinia said, "Now, Charles, don't whisper this to a living soul; let us
keep our own secrets for the present."
" All right," said the General, " I will say nothing; but next Tuesday I shall
start to see your mother."
" Perhaps you may find it difficult to obtain her consent," said Lavinia.
At that moment a carriage drove up to the door, and immediately the bell was
rung, and the little Commodore entered.
" You here, General ?" said the Commodore, as he espied his rivaL
" Yes," said Lavinia, " Mr. Barnum asked him to stay, and we were waiting
for you: come, warm yourself."
"I am not cold." said the Commodore; " where is Mr. Barnum ?"
MR. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB. 223
" He has gone to bed," remarked the General, " but a nice supper has been
prepared for you."
" I am not hungry, I thank you; I am going to bed. Which room does Mr.
Barnum sleep in ?" said the little bantam, in a petulant tone of voice.
His question was answered; the young eavesdroppers scampered to their
sleeping apartments, and the Commodore soon came to my room, where he found
me indulging in the foolish habit of reading in bed.
"Mr. Barnum, does Tom Thumb board here?" asked the Commodore,
sarcastically.
"No," said I, "Tom Thumb does not board here. 1 invited him to stop over
night, so don't be foolish, but go to bed."
" Oh, it's no affair of mine. I don't care anything about it; but I thought he
had taken up his board here," replied the Commodore, and off he went to bed,
evidently in a bad humor.
Ten minutes afterwards Tom Thumb came rushing into my room, and, closing
the door, he caught hold of my hand in high state of excitement and whispered:
"We are engaged, Mr. Barnum ! we are engaged I we are engaged I" and he
jumped up and down in the greatest glee.
" Is that possible 3 " I asked.
"Yes, sir, indeed it is; but you must not mention it," he responded: "we agreed
to tell nobody, so please don't say a word. I must tell you, of course, but ' mum
is the word.' I am going, Tuesday, to get her mother's consent."
I promised secrecy, and the General retired in as happy a mood as I ever saw
him. Lavinia also retired, but not a liint did she give to the young lady with
whom she slept regarding the engagement. Indeed, our family plied her upon
the subject the next day, but not a breath passed her lips that would give the
slightest indication of what had transpired. She was quite sociable with the
Commodore, and as tho General concluded to go home the next morning, the
Commodore's equanimity and good feelings were fully restored. The General
made a call of half an hour Sunday evening, and managed to have an interview
with Lavinia. The next morning she and the Commodore returned to New York
in good spirits, I remaining in Bridgeport.
The General called on me Monday, however, bringing a very nice letter which
he had written to Lavinia's mother. ' He had concluded to send this letter by his
trusty friend, Mr. George A. Wells, instead of going himself, and he had just
seen Mr. Wells, who had consented to go to Middleborough with the letter the
following day, and to urge the General's suit, if it should be necessary.
The General went to New York on Wednesday, and was there to await Mr.
Wells' arrival. On Wednesday morning the General and Lavinia walked into
my office, and after closing the door, the little General said:
"Mr. Barnum, I want somebody to tell the Commodore that Lavinia and I are
engaged, for I am afraid there will be a ' row ' when he hears of it."
"Do it yourself, General," I replied.
"Oh," said the General, almost shuddering, "I would not dare to do it, he
might knock me down."
" I will do it," said Lavinia; and it was at once arranged that I should call the
Commodore and Lavinia into my office, and either she or myself would tell him.
The General, of course, "vamosed."
When the Commodore joined us, and the door was closed, I said :
" Commodore, do you know what this little witch has been doing ?"
"No, I don't," he answered.
224 MB. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB.
" Well, she has been cutting up one of the greatest pranks you ever heard of,"
I replied. " She almost deserves to be shut up, for daring to do it. Can't you
guess what she has done? "
He mused a moment, and then looking at me, said in a low voice, and with a
serious-looking face, "Engaged?"
"Yes," said I, " absolutely engaged to be married to General Tom Thumb.
Did you ever hear of such a thing? "
" Is that so, Lavinia? " asked the Commodore, looking her earnestly in the face.
"That is so," said Lavinia; "and Mr. Wells has gone to obtain my mother's
consent."
The Commodore turned pale, and choked a little, as if he was trying to swallow
something. Then, turning on his heel, he said, in a broken voice:
"I hope you may be happy."
As he passed out the door, a tear rolled down his cheek.
" That is pretty hard," I said to Lavinia.
"I am very sorry," she replied, "but I could not help it. That diamond and
emerald ring which you bade me present in my name, has caused all this trouble. "
Half an hour after this incident, the Commodore came to my office, and said:
"Mr. Barnum, do you think it would be right for Miss Warren to marry
Charley Stratton if her mother should object?"
I saw that the little fellow had still a slight hope to hang on, and I said:
" No, indeed, it would not be right."
"Well, she says she shall marry him any way; that she gives her mother the
chance to consent, but if she objects, she will have her own way and marry him,"
said the Commodore.
" On the contrary," I replied, " I will not permit it. She is engaged to go to
Europe for me, and I will not release her, if her mother does not fully consent to
her marrying Tom Thumb."
The Commodore's eyes glistened with pleasure, as he replied:
"Between you and me, Mr. Barnum, I don't believe she will give her consent."
But the next day dissipated his hopes. Mr. Wells returned, saying that Lavi-
nia's mother at first objected, for she feared it was a contrivance to get them
married for the promotion of some pecuniary advantage; but, upon reading the
letter from the General, and one still more urgent from Lavinia, and also upon
hearing from Mr. Wells that, in case of their marriage, 1 should cancel all
claims I had upon Lavinia's services, she consented.
After the Commodore had heard the news, I said to him:
" Never mind, Commodore, Minnie Warren is a better match for you; she is a
charming little creature, and two years younger than you, while Lavinia is
several years your senior."
"I thank you, sir," replied the Commodore, pompously, "I would not marry
the best woman living; I don't believe in women, any way."
I then suggested that he should stand with little Minnie, as groom and brides-
maid, at the approaching wedding.
"No, sir!" replied the Commodore, emphatically; "I won't do it! "
That idea was therefore abandoned. A few weeks subsequently, when time
had reconciled the Commodore, he told me that Tom Thumb had asked him to
stand as groom with Minnie, at the wedding, and he was going to do so.
"When I asked you a few weeks ago, you refused," I said.
" It was not your business to ask me," replied the Commodore, pompously.
"When the proper person invited me I accepted."
MB. AND MRS. QEKERAL TOM THUMB. 225
The approaching wedding was announced. It created an immense excitement.
Lavinia's levees at the Museum were crowded to suffocation, and her photographic
pictures were in great demand. For several weeks she sold more than three
hundred dollars' worth of her cartes de visile each day. And the daily receipts
at the Museum were frequently over three thousand dollars. I engaged the
General^to exhibit, and to assist her in the sale of pictures, to which his own
photograph, of course, was added. I could afford to give them a fine wedding,
and I did so.
I did not hesitate to seek continued advantage from the notoriety of the pros-
pective marriage. Accordingly, I offered the General and Lavinia fifteen
thousand dollars if they would postpone the wedding for a month, and continue
their exhibitions at the Museum.
" Not for fifty thousand dollars," said the General, excitedly.
" Good for you, Charley," said Lavinia, " only you ought to have said not for
a hundred thousand, for I would not ! "
They both laughed heartily at what they considered my discomfiture, and
such, looked at from a business point of view, it certainly was. The wedding day
approached and the public excitement grew. For several days, I might say
weeks, the approaching marriage of Tom Thumb was the New York "sensation."
For proof of this I did not need what, however, was ample, the newspaper
paragraphs. A surer index was in the crowds that passed into the Museum, and
the dollars that found their way into the ticket-office.
It was suggested to me that a small fortune in itself could be easily made out
of the excitement. "Let the ceremony take place in the Academy of Music,
charge a big price for admission, and the citizens will come in crowds." I have
no manner of doubt that in this way twenty-five thousand dollars could easily
have been obtained. But I had no such thought. I had promised to give the
couple a genteel and graceful wedding, and I kept my word.
The day arrived, Tuesday, February 10, 1863. The ceremony was to take place
in Grace Church, New York. The Rev. Junius Willey, Rector of St. John's
Church in Bridgeport, assisted by the late Rev. Dr. Taylor, of Grace Church, was
to officiate. The organ was played by Morgan. I know not what better I could
have done, had the wedding of a prince been in contemplation. The church
was comfortably filled by a highly select audience of ladies and gentlemen, none
being admitted except those having cards of invitation. Among them were
governors of several of the States, to whom I had sent cards, and such of those
as could not be present in person were represented by friends, to whom they had
given their cards. Members of Congress were present, also generals of the army,
and many other prominent public men. Numerous applications were made from
wealthy and distinguished persons, for tickets to witness the ceremony, and as
high as sixty dollars was offered for a single admission. But not a ticket was
sold; and Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren were pronounced "man and wife"
before witnesses.*
The following entirely authentic correspondence, the only suppression being the
name of the person who wrote to Dr. Taylor, and to whom Dr. Taylor's reply is
addressed, shows how a certain would-be "witness" was not a witness of the
famous wedding. In other particulars the correspondence speaks for itself.
* See Illustration, page 228.
226 ME. AND MRS. GEHERAL TOM THUMB.
To THE REV. DR. TAYLOR, «
Sir: The object of my unwillingly addressing you this note is to enquire what right yon
had to exclude myself and other owners of pews in Grace Church from entering it yesterday,
enforced, too, by a cordon of police for that purpofee. If my pew is not my property, I wish
to know it; and if it is, I deny your right to prevent me from occupying it whenever the
church is open, even at a marriage of mountebanks, which I would not take the trouble to
cross the street to witness.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
W**%S***
804 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 1863.
MR. W*** S**»,
Dear Sir : I am sorry, my valued friend, that yon should have written me the peppery
letter that is now before me. If the matter of which you complain be so utterly insignificant
and contemptible as " a marriage of mountebanks, which you would not take the trouble to
cross the street to witness," it surprises me that you should have made such strenuous, but
ill-directed'efl'orts to secure a ticket of admission. And why, permit me to ask, in the name
of reason and philosophy, do you still suffer it to disturb you so sadly? It would, perhaps,
be a sufficient answer to your letter, to say that your cause of complaint exists only in your
imagination. You have never been excluded from your pew. As rector, I am the only
custodian of the church, and you will hardly venture to say that you have ever applied to
me for permission to enter, and been refused.
Here I might safely rest, and leave you to the comfort of your own reflections in the case.
But as yon, in common with many other worthy persons, would seem to have very crude
notions as to your rights of " property " in pews, yon will pardon me for saying that a pew
in a church is property only in a pecnliar and restricted sense. It is not property, as youi
house or your horse is property. It vests you with no fee in the soil ; you cannot use it, in
any way, and in every way, and at all times, as your pleasure or caprice may dictate ; you
cannot put it to any common or unhallowed uses ; you cannot remove it, nor injure it, nor
destroy it. In short, you hold by purchase, and may sell the right to the undisturbed posses-
sion of that little space within the church edifice which yon call your pew during the hours
of divine service. But even that right must be exercised decorously, and with a decent
regard for time and place, or else you may at any moment be ignominiously ejected from it.
I regret to be obliged to add that, by the law of custom, you may, during those said hours
of divine service (but at no other time) sleep in your pew ; yon must, however, do so noise-
lessly and never to the disturbance of your sleeping neighbors ; your property in your pew
has this extent and nothing more. Now, if Mr. W * * * S * * * were at any time to come
to me and say, " Sir, I would that you should grant me the use of Grace Church for a solemn
service (a marriage, a baptism, or a funeral, as the case may be), and as it is desirable that
the feelings oi the parties should be protected as far as possible from the impertinent
intrusion and disturbance of a crowd from the streets and lanes of the city, I beg that no
one may be admitted within the doors of the church during the very few moments that we
expect to be there, but our invited friends only," — it would certainly, in such a case, be my
pleasure to comply with your request, and to meet your wishes in every particular ; and I
think that even Mr. W * * * 8 * * * will agree that all thi» would be entirely reasonable and
proper. Then, tell me, how would such a case differ from the instance of which you
complain? Two young persons, whose only crimes would seem to be that they are neither
so big, nor so stupid, nor so ill-mannered, nor so inordinately selfish as some other people,
come to me and say, sir. we are about to be married, and we wish to throw around our
marriage all the solemnities of religion. We are strangers in your city, and as there is no
clergymen here standing in a pastoral relation to us, we have ventured to ask the favor of
the bishop of New York to marry us, and he has kindly consented to do so; may we then
venture a little further and request the use of your church in which the bishop may perform
the marriage service ? We assure you, sir, that we are no shams, no cheats, no mountebanks;
we are neither monsters nor abortions; it is true we are little, but we are as God made us,
perfect in onr littleness. Sir, we are simply man and woman of like passions and infirmities
with yon and other mortals. The arrangements for our marriage are controlled by no
'showman," and we are sincerely desirous that everything should be ordered with a most
scrupulous regard to decorum. We hope to invite our relations and intimate friends, together
with such persons as may in other years have extended civilities to either of us ; but we
pledge ourselves to you most sacredly that no invitation can be bought with money. Permit
us to say further, that as we would most gladly escape from the insulting jeers, and ribald
sneers and coarse ridicule of the unthinking multitude without, we pray you to allow us, at
our own proper charges, so to guard the avenues of access from the street, as to prevent all
unseemly tumult and disorder.
I tell you, sir. that whenever, and from whomsoever, such an appeal is made to my Christian
courtesy, although it should come from the very humblest of the earth, I would go calmly
and cheerfully forward to meet their wishes, although as many W*** 8 * * * 's as would
reach from here to Kamtschatka, clothed in furs and frowns, should rise np to oppose me.
In conclusion, I will say, that if the marriage of Charles 8. Stratton and Lavinia Warren
Is to be regarded as a pageant, then it was the most beautiful pageant it has ever been my
privilege to witness. If, on the contrary, it is rather to be thought of as a solemn ceremony,
then it was as touchingly solemn as a wedding can possibly be rendered. It is true the
bishop was not present, but Mr. Stratton's own pastor, the Rev. Mr. Willey, of Bridgeport,
MR. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB. 227
Connecticut, read the service with admirable taste and iinpressiveness, and the bride was
given away by her mother's pastor and her own "next friend," a venerable congregational
Jergyman from Massachusetts. Surely, there never was a gathering of so many hundreds
of our best people, when everybody appeared so delighted with everything ; surely it is no
light thing to call forth so much innocent joy in so few moments of passing time ; surely it
8 no light thing, thus to smooth the roughness and sweeten the acerbities which mar our
nappiness as we advance upon the wearing journey of life. Sir, it was most emphatically a
high triumph of " Christian civilization 1"
Respectfully submitted, by your obedient servant,
THOMAS HOUSE TAYLOR.
Several thousand persons attended the reception of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thumb
the same day at the Metropolitan HoteL After this they started on a wedding
tour, taking Washington in their way. They visited President Lincoln at the
White House. After a couple of weeks they returned, and, as they then sup-
posed, retired to private life.
Habit, however, is indeed second nature. The General and his wife had been
accustomed to excitement, and after a few months' retirement they again longed
for the peculiar pleasures of a public Me, and the public were eager to welcome
them once more. They resumed their public career, and have since traveled
around the world, holding public exhibitions more than half the time, Commo-
dore Nutt and Minnie Warren accompanying them.
I met the little Commodore last summer, after his absence in Europe of three
years, and said:
" Are you not married yet, Commodore? "
" No, sir; my fruit is plucked," he replied.
"You don't mean to say you will never marry," I remarked.
"No, not exactly," replied the Commodore, complacently, "but I have
concluded not to marry until I am thirty."
" I suppose you intend to marry one of your size? " I said.
" I am not particular in that respect," but seeing my jocose mood, he continued,
with a comical leer, " I think I should prefer marrying a good, green, country
girl, to anybody else."
This was said with a degree of nonchalance, which none can appreciate who do
not know him.
To make sure that a lack of memory has not misled me as to any of the facts
in regard to the courtship and wedding of Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren, I
will here say that, after writing out the story, I read it to the parties personally
interested, and they give me leave to say that, in all particulars, it is a correct
statement of the affair, except that Lavinia remarked :
" Well, Mr. Barnum, your story don't lose any by the telling; " and the Com-
modore denies the " rolling tear," when informed of the engagement of the little
pair.
In June, 1869, the report was started, for the third or fourth time in the
newspapers, that Commodore Nutt and Miss Minnie Warren were married, this
time at West Haven, in Connecticut. The story was wholly untrue, nor do I
think that such a wedding is likely to take place, for, on the principle that people
like their opposites, Minnie and the Commodore are likely to marry persons whom
they can literally "look up to," that is, if either of them marries at all it will be
a tall partner.
Soon after the wedding of General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren, a lady
came to my office and called my attention to a little six-paged pamphlet which
she aaid she had written, entitled "Priests and Pigmies," and requested me to
228 MK. AND MRS. GENERAL TOM THUMB.
read it. 1 glanced at the title, and at once estimating the character of the
publication, I promptly declined to devote any portion of my valuable time to its
perusal.
" But you had better look at it, Mr. Barnum; it deeply interests you, and you
may think it worth your while to buy it."
" Certainly, I will buy it, if you desire, "said I, tendering her a sixpence, which
I supposed to be the price of the little pamphlet.
" Ohl you quite misunderstand me; I mean buy the copyright and the entire
edition, with the view of suppressing the work. It says some frightful things, 1
assure you," urged the author.
I lay back in my chair and fairly roared at this exceedingly feeble attempt at
black-mail
" But," persisted the lady, "suppose it says that your Museum and Grace
Church are all one, what then?"
" My dear madam," I replied, " you may say what you please about me or about
my Museum; you may print a hundred thousand copies of a pamphlet stating that
I stole the communion service, after the wedding, from Grace Church altar, or
anything else you choose to write ; only have the kindness to say something about
me, and then come to me and I will properly estimate the money value of your
services to me as an advertising agent. Good morning, madam," — and the
departed.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
POLITICAL AND PEKSONAL.
I BBGAN my political life as a Democrat, and my newspaper, the Herald oj
Freedom, was a Jackson-Democratic journal. While always taking an active
interest in political matters, I had no desire for personal preferment, and, up to
a late period, steadily declined to run for office. Nevertheless, in 1852 or 1853,
prominent members of the party with which I voted, urged the submission of my
name to the State Convention, as a candidate for the office of Governor, and,
although the party was then in the ascendancy, and a nomination would have
been equivalent to an election, I peremptorily refused; in spite of this refusal,
which was generally known, several votes were cast for me in the Convention.
The Kansas strifes, in 1854, shook my faith in my party, though I continued
to call myself a Democrat, often declaring that if I thought there was a drop of
blood in me that was not democratic, I would let it out if I had to cut the jugular
vein. When, however, secession threatened in 1860, I thought it was time for a
"new departure," and I identified myself with the Republican party.
During the active and exciting political campaign of 1860, which resulted in
Mr. Lincoln's first election to the presidency, it will be remembered that "Wide-
Awake " associations, with their uniforms, torches and processions, were organ-
ized in nearly every city, town and village throughout the North. Arriving at
Bridgeport from New York at five o'clock one afternoon, I was informed that
the Wide-A wakes were to parade that evening and intended to march out to
Lindencroft. So I ordered two boxes of sperm candles, and prepared for a gen-
eral illumination of every window in the front of my house. Many of my
neighbors, including several Democrats, came to Lindencroft in the evening to
witness the illumination and see the Wide- A wake procession. My nearest neigh-
bor, Mr. T., was a strong Democrat, and before he came to my house, he ordered
his servants to stay in the basement, and not to show a light above ground, thus
intending to prove his Democratic convictions and conclusions by the darkness of
his premises; and so, whilej Lindencroft was all ablaze with a flood of light, the
next house was as black as a coal-hole.
My neighbor, Mr. James D. Johnson, was also a Democrat, but I knew he would
not spoil a good joke for the sake of politics, and I asked him to engage the atten-
tion of Mr. and Mrs. T., and to keep their faces turned towards Bridgeport and
the approaching procession, the light of whose torches could already be seen in
the distance, while another Democratic friend, Mr. George A. Wells, and I, ran
over and illuminated Mr. T.'s house. This we did with great success, completing
our work five minutes before the procession arrived. As the Wide-A wakes turned
into my grounds and saw that the house of Mr. T. was brilliantly illuminated, they
concluded that he had become a sudden convert to Republicanism, and gave three
rousing cheers for him. Hearing his name thus cheered and wondering at the
cause, he happened to turn and see that his house was lighted up from basement
to attic, and uttering a single profane ejaculation, he rushed for home. He was
not able, however, to put out the lights till the Wide- A wakes had gone on their
way rejoicing under the impression that one more Republican had been added to
their ranks.
229
230 POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
When the rebellion broke out in 18G1, 1 was too old to go to the field, but 1 sup-
plied four substitutes, and contributed liberally from my means for the cause of
the Union. After the defeat at Bull Run, July 21, 1861, " peace meetings " began
to be held in different parts of the Northern States, and especially in Fairfield
and Litchfleld counties, in Connecticut. It was usual in these assemblages to
display a white flag, bearing the word " Peace " above the National flag, and to
make and listen to harrangues denunciatory of the war. One of these meetings
was advertised to be held August 24th, at Stepney ten miles north of Bridgeport.
On the morning of that day, I met Elias Howe, Jr.,* who proposed to me that
we should drive up to Stepney, attend the peace meeting, and hear for ourselves
whether the addresses were disloyal or not. We agreed to meet at the post-office,
at twelve o'clock at noon, and I went home for my carriage. On the way I met
several gentlemen to whom I communicated my intention, asking them to go also;
and, as Mr. Howe invited several of' his friends to accompany us, when we met
at noon, at least twenty gentlemen were at the place of rendezvous with their
carriages, ready to start for Stepney. I am quite confident that not one of us had
any other intention in going to this meeting, than to quietly listen to the har-
rangues, and if they were found to be in opposition to the government, and
calculated to create disturbance or disaffection in the community, and deter
enlistments, it would be best to represent the matter to the government at Wash-
ington, and ask that measures might be taken to suppress such gatherings.
As we turned into Main street, we discovered two large omnibuses filled with
soldiers, who were at home on furlough, and who were going to Stepney. Our
lighter carriages outran them, and so arrived at Stepney in time to see the white
peace flag run up over the stars and stripes, when we quietly stood in the crowd
while the meeting was organized. It was a very large gathering, and some fifty
ladies were on the seats in front of the platform, on which were the officers and
speakers of the meeting. A "preacher" — Mr. Charles Smith — was invited to
open the proceedings with prayer, and "The Military and Civil History of Con-
necticut, during the War of 1861-65," by W. A Croffut and John M. Morris, thus
continues the record of this extraordinary gathering:
"He (Smith) had not, however, progressed far in his supplication, when he
slightly opened his eyes, and beheld, to his horror, the Bridgeport omnibuses
coming over the hill, garnished with Union banners, and vocal with loyal cheers.
This was the signal for a panic; Bull Run, on a small scale was re-enacted. The
devout Smith, and the undelivered orators, it is alleged, took refuge in a field of
corn. The procession drove straight to the pole unresisted, the hostile crowd
parting to let them pass; and a tall man — John Platt — amid some mutterings,
climbed the pole, reached the halliards, and the mongrel banners were on the
ground. Some of the peace-men, rallying, drew weapons on ' the invaders, ' and
a musket and a revolver were taken from them by soldiers at the very instant of
firing. Another of the defenders fired a revolver, and was chased into the fields.
Still others, waxing belligerent, were disarmed, and a number of loaded muskets
found stored in an adjacent shed were seized. The stars and stripes were hoisted
upon the pole, and wildly cheered. P. T. Barnum was then taken on the shoulders
of the boys in blue, and put on the platform, where he made a speech full of
patriotism, spiced with the humor of the occasion. Captain James E. Dunham
also said a few words to the point. ***** The Star Spangled Banner ' was
then sung in chorus, and a series of resolutions passed, declaring that ' loyal men
• The inventor if 'ewing machine needle.
POLITICAL AND PEBSONAL. 233
are the rightful custodians of the peace of Connecticut.' Elias Howe, Jr.,
chairman, made his speech, when the crowd threatened to shoot the speakers.
' If they fire a gun, boys, burn the whole town, and I'll pay for it ! ' Alter giving
the citizens wholesome advice concerning the substituted flag, and their duty to
the government, the procession returned to Bridgeport, with the white flag trail-
ing in the mud behind an omnibus. * * * * They were received at Bridgeport
by approving crowds, and were greeted with continuous cheers as they passed
along."
On our way back to Bridgeport, the soldiers threatened a descent upon the
Farmer office, but I strongly appealed to them to refrain from such a riotous
proceeding, telling them that as law-abiding citizens they should refrain from acts
of violence, and especially should make no appeal to the passions of a mob. So
confident was I that the day's proceedings had ended with the reception of the
soldiers on their return from Stepney, that, in telegraphing a full account of the
facts to the New York papers, I added that there was no danger of an attack
upon the Farmer office, since leading loyal citizens were opposed to such action
as unnecessary and unwise. But the enthusiasm with which the soldiers had been
received, and the excitement of the day, prompted them to break through their
resolutions, and, half an hour after my telegram had been sent to New York,
they rushed into the Farmer office, tumbled the type into the street, and broke
the presses. I did not approve of this summary suppression of the paper, and
offered the proprietors a handsome subscription to assist in enabling them to
renew the publication of the Farmer.
After the draft riots in New York and in other cities, in July, 1863, myself and
other members of the " Prudential Committee " which had been formed in
Bridgeport were frequently threatened with personal violence, and rumors were
especially rife that Lindencroft would some night be mobbed and destroyed. On
several occasions, soldiers volunteered as a guard and came and stayed at my
house, sometimes for several nights in succession, and I was also provided with
rockets, so that in case of an attempted attack I could signal to my friends in the
city, and especially to the night watchman at the arsenal, who would see my
rockets at Lindencroft and give the alarm. Happily these signals were never
needed, but the rockets came in play, long afterwards, in another way.
My house was provided with a magnetic burglar-alarm and one night the faith-
ful bell sounded. I was instantly on my feet and summoning my servants, one
ran and rung the large bell on the lawn which served in the day-time to call my
coachman from the stable, another turned on the gas, while I fired a gun out of
the window, and I then went to the top of the house and set off several rockets.
The whole region round about was instantly aroused; dogs barked, neighbors half-
dressed, but armed, flocked over to my grounds, every time a rocket went up,
and I was by no means sparing of my supply; the whole place was as light as
day, and in the general glare and confusion we caught sight of two retreating
burglars, one running one way, the other another way, and both as fast as their
legs could carry them; nor do I believe that the panic-stricken would-be plun-
derers stopped running till they reached New York.*
In the spring of 1865, I accepted from the Republican party a nomination
to the Connecticut legislature from the town of Fairfield, and I did this because
I felt that it would be an honor to be permitted to vote for the then proposed
amendment to the Constitution of the United States, to abolish slavery forevei
from the land.
* See Illustration, page 240.
232 POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
I was elected, and, on arriving at Hartford the night before the session began, 1
found the wire-pullers at work laying their plans for the election of a Speaker of
the House. Watching the movements closely, I saw that the railroad interests
had combined in support of one of the candidates, and this naturally excited my
suspicion. I never believed in making State legislation a mere power to support
monopolies. I do not need to declare my full appreciation of the great blessings
which railroad interests and enterprises have brought upon this country and the
world. But the vaster the enterprise and its power for good, the greater its
opportunity for mischief if its power is perverted. The time was when a whole
community was tied to the track of one or two railway companies, and it was
too truthful to be looked upon as satire to call New Jersey the " State of Camden
and Amboy." A great railroad company, like fire, is a good servant, but a
bad master; and when it is considered that such a company, with its vast num-
ber of men dependent upon it for their daily bread, can sometimes elect State
officers and legislatures, the danger to our free institutions from such a force may
well be feared.
Thinking of these things, and seeing in the combination of railroad interests to
elect a speaker no promise of good to the community at large, I at once con-
sulted with a few friends in the legislature, and we resolved to defeat the railroad
"ring," if possible, in caucus. 1 AJUU IK.-»«.I- seen either of the candidates for
the speakership, nor had I a single selfish end in view to gratify by the election
of one candidate or the other; but I felt that if the railroad favorite could be
defeated, the public interest would be subserved. We succeeded; their candi-
date was not nominated, and the railroad men were taken by surprise. They
had had their own way in every legislature since the first railroad was laid down
in Connecticut, and to be beaten now fairly startled them.
Immediately after the caucus, I sought the successful nominee, Hon. E. K.
Foster, of New Haven, and begged him not to appoint, as chairman of the rail-
road committee, the^ man who had held that office for several successive years,
and who was, in fact, the great railroad factotum in the State. He complied
with my request, and he soon found how important it was to check the strong
and growing monopoly; for, as he said, the "outside pressure" from personal
friends in both political parties, to secure the appointments of the person to whom
I had objected, was terrible.
Though I had not foreseen nor thought of such a thing until I reached Hart-
ford, I soon found that a battle with the railroad commissioners would be neces-
sary, and my course was shaped accordingly. It was soon discovered that a
majority of the railroad commissioners were mere tools in the hands of the
railroad companies, and that one of them was actually a hired clerk in the office
of the New York and New Haven Railroad Company. It was also shown that the
chairman of the railroad commissioners permitted most of the accidents which
occurred on that road to be taken charge of and reported upon by the paid lobby
agent of that railroad. This was so manifestly destructive to the interests of all
parties who might suffer from accidents on the road, or have any controversy
therefor with the company, that I succeeded in enlisting the farmers and other
true men on the side of right; and we defeated the chairman of the railroad
commissioners, who was a candidate for re-election, and elected our own candi-
date in his place. I also earned through a law that no person who was in the
employ of any railroad hi the State, should serve as railroad commissioner.
But the great struggle which lasted nearly through the entire session, was upon
the subject of railroad passenger commutations. Commodore Vande*t)ilt had
POLITICAL AND PEBSONAL. 233
secured control of the Hudson River and Harlem railroads, and had increased
the price of commuters' tickets from two hundred to four hundred per cent.
Many men living on the line of these roads, at distances of from ten to fifty
miles from New York, had built fine residences in the country, on the strength of
cheap transit to and from the city, and were compelled to submit to the extortion.
Commodore Vanderbilt was a large shareholder in the New York and New Haven
road; indeed, subsequent elections showed that he had a controlling interest, and
it seemed evident to me that'the same practice would be put in operation on the
New Haven railroad, that commuters were groaning under on the two other
roads. I enlisted as many as I could in an effort to strangle this outrage
before it became too strong te> grapple with. Several lawyers in the Assembly
had promised me then* aid, but, long before the final struggle came, every lawyer
except one, in that body, was enlisted in favor of the railroads ! What potent
influence had been at work with these legal gentlemen, could only be surmised.
Certain it is, that all the railroad interests in the State were combined ; and while
they had plenty of money with which to carry out their designs and desires, the
chances looked slim in favor of those members of the legislature who had no
pecuniary interest in the matter, but were struggling simply for justice and the
protection of the people. But "Yankee stick-to-it-iveness" was always a noted
feature in my character. Every inch of the ground was fought over, day after
day, before the legislative railroad committee. Examinations and cross-exam-
inations of railroad commissioners and lobbyists were kept up. Scarely more
than one man, Senator Ballard, of Darien, aided me personally in the investiga-
tions which took place. But he was a host in himself, and left not a stone
unturned; we succeeded by persistence, in letting in considerable light upon a
dark subject. The man whom I had prevented from being made chairman, suc-
ceeded in becoming a member of the railroad committee; but, from the mouths of
unwilling witnesses, I exhibited his connection with railroad reports, railroad
laws, and railroad lobbyings, in such a light that he took to his bed some ten days
before the end of the session, and actually remained there " sick," as he said, till
the legislature adjourned
The speaker offered me the chairmanship of any one of several committees,
and I selected that of the agricultural committee, because it would occupy but
little of my time, and give me the opportunity I so much desired to devote my
attention to the railway combinations. The Republicans had a majority in both
branches of the legislature; the Democrats, however, were watchful and ener-
getic. The amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery,
met with but little open opposition ; but the proposed amendment to the State
Constitution, striking out the word " white " from that clause which defined the
qualifications of voters, was violently opposed by the Democratic members. The
report from the minority of the committee to whom the question was referred,
gave certain reasons for opposing the contemplated amendment, and in reply to
this, I spoke, May 26th, 1865, as follows:
SPEECH OF P. T. BARNUM,
ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL, AMENDMENT.
Mr. Speaker: I will not attempt to notice at any length the declamation of
the honorable gentleman from Milford, for certainly I have heard nothing from
his lips approach tng to the dignity of argument. I agree with the gentleman
234 POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
that the right of suffrage is "dearly and sacredly cherished by the white mau; "
and it is because this right is so dear and sacred, that I wish to see it extended to
every educated moral man within our State, without regard to color. He tells
us that one race is a vessel to honor, and another to dishonor; and that he has
seen on ancient Egyptian monuments the negro represented as " a hewer of wood
and a drawer or water." This is doubtless true, and the gentleman seems deter
mined always to keep the negro a " vessel of dishonor," and a " hewer of wood."
We, on the other hand, propose to give him the opportunity of expanding his
faculties and elevating himself to true manhood. He says he " hates and abhors,
and despises demagogism." I am rejoiced to hear it, and I trust we shall see
tangible evidence of the truth of what he professes in his abandonment of that
slavery to party which is the mere trick and trap of the demagogue.
When, a few days since, this honorable body voted unanimously for the
Amendment of the United States Constitution abolishing human slavery, I not
only thanked God from my heart of hearts, but I felt like going down on my
knees to the gentlemen of the opposition, for the wisdom they had exhibited
in bowing to the logic of events by dropping that dead weight of slavery
which had disrupted the Democratic party, with which I had been so long
connected. And on this occasion I wish again to appeal to the wisdom and loy-
alty of my Democratic Mends. I say Democratic " friends," for I am and ever
was, a thorough, out and out Democrat. I supported General Jackson, and
voted for every Democratic president after him, up to and including Pierce; for
I really thought Pierce was a Democrat until he proved the contrary, as I con-
ceived, in the Kansas question. My democracy goes for the greatest good to the
greatest number, for equal and exact justice to all men, and for a submission to
the will of the majority. It was the repudiation by the southern democracy of
this great democratic doctrine of majority rule which opened the rebellion.
And now, Mr. Speaker, let me remind our democratic friends that the present
question simply asks that a majority of the legal voters, the white citizens of this
State, may decide whether or not colored men of good moral character, who are
able to read, and who possess all the qualifications of white voters, shn.11 be
entitled to the elective franchise. The opposition may have their own ideas, or
may be in doubt upon this subject; but surely no true democrat will dare to
refuse permission to our fellow-citizens to decide the question.
Negro slavery, and its legitimate outgrowths of ignorance, tyranny and oppres-
sion, have caused this gigantic rebellion which has cost our country thousands of
millions of treasure, and hundreds of thousands of human lives in defending a
principle. And where was this poor, down-trodden colored race in this rebellion?
Did they seize the " opportunity" when their masters were engaged with a pow-
erful foe, to break out in insurrection, and massacre those tyrants who had so
long held them in the most cruel bondage ? No, Mr. Speaker, they did not do this.
My " democratic " friends would have done it. I would have done it. Irishmen,
Chinamen, Portuguese, would have done it; any white man would have done it;
put the poor black man is like a lamb in his nature compared with the white
man. The black man possesses a confiding disposition, thoroughly tinctured with
religious enthusiasm, and not characterized by a spirit of revenge. No, the only
barbarous massacres we heard of, during the war, were those committed by
their white masters on their poor, defenceless white prisoners, and to the eternal
disgrace of southern white "democratic" rebels, be it said, these instances of
barbarism were numerous all through the war. When this rebellion first broke
out. the northern democracy raised a hue-and-cry against permitting the negroes
POLITICAL AND PERSONAL. 235
to fight; but when such a measure seemed necessary, in order to put down
traitors, these colored men took their muskets in hand and made their bodies a
wall of defence for the loyal citizens of the north. And now, when our grateful
white citizens ask from this assembly the privilege of deciding by their votes
whether these colored men, who, at least, were partially our saviors in the war,
may or may not, under proper restrictions, become participants in that great
salvation, I am amazed that men calling themselves democrats dare refuse to
grant this democratic measure. We wish to educate ignorant men, white or
black. Ignorance is incompatible with the genius of our free institutions. In
the very nature of things it jeopardizes their stability, and it is always unsafe to
transgress the laws of nature. We cannot safely shut ourselves up with ignorance
and brutality; we must educate and christianize those who are now by circum-
stances our social inferiors.
Years ago, I was afraid of foreign voters. I feared that when Europe poured
her teeming millions of working people upon our shores, our extended laws of
franchise •would enable them to swamp our free institutions, and reduce us to
anarchy. But much reflection has satisfied me that we have only to elevate these
millions and their descendants to the standard of American citizenship, and we
shall find sufficient of the leaven of liberty in our system of government to
absorb all foreign elements and assimilate them to a truly democratic form of
government.
Mr. Speaker: We cannot afford to carry passengers and have them live under
our government with no real vital interest in its perpetuity. Every man must
be a joint owner.
The only safe inhabitants of a free country are educated citizens who vote.
Nor in a free government can we afford to employ journeymen; they may be
apprenticed until they learn to read, and study our institutions; and then let
them become joint proprietors and feel a proportionate responsibility. The two
learned and distinguished authors of the minority report have been studying the
science of ethnology and have treated us with a dissertation on the races. And
what have they attempted to show ? Why, that a race which, simply on account
of the color of the skin, has long been buried in slavery at the South, and even
at the North has been tabooed and scarcely permitted to rise above the dignity of
whitewashers and boot-blacks, does not exhibit the same polish and refinement
that the white citizens do who have enjoyed the advantages of civilization, edu-
cation, Christian culture and self-respect which can only be attained by those
who share in making the laws under which they live.
Do our democratic friends assume that the negroes are not human ? I have
heard professed democrats claim even that ; but do the authors of this minority
report insist that the negro is a beast ? Is his body not tenanted by an immortal
spirit ? If this is the position of the gentlemen, then I confess a beast cannot
reason, and this minority committee are right in declaring that "the negro can
develop no inventive faculties or genius for the arts." For although the elephant
may be taught to plow, or the dog to carry your market-basket by his teeth, you
cannot teach them to shave notes, to speculate in gold, or even to vote; whereas,
the experience of all political parties shows that men may be taught to vote, even
when they do not know what the ticket means.
But if the colored man is indeed a man, then his manhood with proper training
can be developed. His soul may appear dormant, his brain inactive, but there is a
vitality there ; and Nature will assert herself if you will give her the opportunity.
Suppose an inhabitant of another planet should drop down upon this portion of
236 POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
our globe at mid-winter. He would find the earth covered with snow and ice
and congealed almost to the consistency of granite. The trees are leafless, every
thing is cold and barren; no green thing is to be seen; the inhabitants are chilled,
and stalk about shivering, from place to place; he would exclaim, " Surely t^ is
not life; this means annihilation. No flesh and blood can long endure this; this
frozen earth is bound in the everlasting embraces of adamantine frost, and can
never develop vegetation for the sustenance of any living thing." He little
dreams of the priceless myriads of germs which bountiful Nature has safely
garnered in the warm bosom of our mother earth; he sees no evidence of that
vitality which the beneficent sun will develop to grace and beautify the world.
But let him remain until March or April, and as the snow begins to melt away,
he discovers the beautiful crocus struggling through the half -frozen ground; the
snow-drops appear in all their chaste beauty; the buds of the swamp-maple shoot
forth; the beautiful magnolia opens her splendid blossoms; the sassafras adds its
evidence of life; the pearl-white blossoms of the dog-wood light up every forest;
and while our stranger is rubbing his eyes in astonishment, the earth is covered
with her emerald velvet carpet; rich foliage and brilliant colored blossoms adorn
the trees; fragrant flowers are enwreathing every wayside; the swift-winged
birds float through the air and send forth joyful notes of gratitude from every
tree-top; the merry lambs skip joyfully around their verdant pasture grounds;
and everywhere is our stranger surrounded with life, beauty, joy and gladness.
So it is with the poor African. You may take a dozen specimens of both sexes
from the lowest type of man found in Africa; their race has been buried for ages
in ignorance and barbarism, and you can scarcely perceive that they have any
more of manhood or womanhood than so many orang-outangs or gorillas. You
look at their low foreheads, their thick skulls and lips, their woolly heads, their
flat noses, their dull, lazy eyes, and you may be tempted to adopt the language
of this minority committee, and exclaim: Surely these people have "no inven-
tive faculties, no genius for the arts, or for any of those occupations requiring
intellect and wisdom." But bring them out into the light of civilization; le<~
them and their children come into the genial sunshine of Christianity; teach them
industry, self-reliance, and self-respect ; let them learn what too few white Chris-
tians have yet understood, that cleanliness is akin to godliness, and a part of
godlhiess; and the human soul will begin to develop itself. Each generation,
blessed with churches and common schools, will gradually exhibit the result of
such culture; the low foreheads will be raised and widened by an active and
expanded brain; the vacant eye of barbarism, ignorance and idleness will light
up with the fire of intelligence, education, ambition, activity and Christian civili-
zation; and you will find the immortal soul asserting her dignity, by the
development of a man who would startle, by his intelligence, the honorable gen
tleman from Wallingford, who has presumed to compare beings made in God's
image with "oxen and asses." That honorable gentleman, if he is rightly
reported in the papers (I did not have the happiness to hear his speech), has mis-
taken the nature of the colored man. The honorable gentleman reminds me of
the young man who went abroad, and when he returned, there was nothing in
America that could compare with what he had seen in foreign lands. Niagara
Falls was nowhere; the White Mountains were "knocked higher than a kite"
by Mont Blanc; our rivers were so large that they were vulgar, when contrasted
with the beautiful little streams and rivulets of Europe; our New York Central
Park was eclipsed by the Bois de Bologne and the Champs Elysees of Paris, or
Hyde or Regent Park of London, to say nothing of the great Phoenix Park at
Dublin.
POLITICAL AND PERSONAL. 237
"Iney have introduced a couple of Venetian gondolas on the large pond in
Central Park," remarked a friend.
" All very well," replied the verdant traveler, " but, between you and me, these
birds can't stand our cold climate more than one season." The gentleman from
Wallingf ord evidently had as little idea of the true nature of the African as the
young swell had of the pleasure-boats of Venice.
Mr. Johnson, of Wallingf ord: The gentleman misapprehends my remarks.
The gentleman from Norwich had urged that the negro should vote because they
have fought in our battles. I replied that oxen and asses can fight, and therefore
should, on the same grounds, be entitled to vote.
Mr. Barnum: I accept the gentleman's explanation. Doubtless General Grant
will feel himself highly complimented when he learns that it requires no greater
capacity to handle the musket, and meet armed battalions in the field, than " oxen
and asses " possess.
Let the educated free negro feel that he is a man; let him be trained in New
England churches, schools and workshops; let him support himself, pay his taxes,
and cast his vote, like other men, and he will put to everlasting shame the cham-
pions of modern democracy, by the overwhelming evidence he will give in his own
person of the great Scripture truth, that " God has made of one blood all the
nations of men." A human soul, "that God has created and Christ died for," is
not to be trifled with. It may tenant the body of a Chinaman, a Turk, an Arab
or a Hottentot — it is still an immortal spirit; and, amid all assumptions of caste, it
will in due time vindicate the great fact that, without regard to color or condition,
all men are equally children of the common Father.
A few years since, an English lord and his family were riding in his carriage in
Liverpool. It was an elegant equipage; the servants were dressed in rich livery;
the horses caparisoned in the most costly style ; and everything betokened that
the establishment belonged to a scion of England's proudest aristocracy. The
carriage stopped in front of a palatial residence. At this moment a poor beggar
woman rushed to the side of the carriage, and gently seizing the lady by the
hand, exclaimed, " For the love of God give me something to save my poor sick
children from starvation. You are rich; I am your poor sister, for God is our
common Father."
"Wretch !" exclaimed the proud lady, casting the woman's hand away; "don't
call me sister; I have nothing in common with such low brutes as you." And the
great lady doubtless thought she was formed of finer clay than this suffering
mendicant ; but when a few days afterwards she was brought to a sick bed by
the small-pox, contracted by touching the hand of that poor wretch, she felt the
evidence that they belonged to the same great family, and were subject to the
same pains and diseases.
The State of Connecticut, like New Jersey, is a border State of New York.
New York has a great commercial city, where aldermen rob by the tens of thou-
sands, and where principal is studied much more than principle. I can readily
understand how the negro has come to be debased at the North as well as at the
South. The interests of the two sections in the product of negro labor were
nearly identical The North wanted Southern cotton and the South was ready
in turn to buy from the North whatever was needed in the way of Northern
supplies and manufactures. This community of commercial interests led to an
identity in political principles, especially in matters pertaining to the negro race —
the working race of the South — which produced the cotton and consumed so much
of what Northern merchants and manufacturers sold for plantation use. The
238 POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
Southern planters were good customers and were worth conciliating. So when
Connecticut proposed in 1818 to continue to admit colored men to the franchise,
the South protested against thus elevating the negroes, and Connecticut suc-
cumbed. No other New England State has ever so disgraced herself; and now
Connecticut democrats are asked to permit the white citizens of this State to
express their opinion in regard to re-instating the colored man where our Revo-
lutionary sires placed him under the Constitution. Now, gentlemen, " democrats,"
as you call yourselves, you who speak so flippantly of your "loyalty," your
"love for the Union" and your "love for the people;" you who are generally
talking right and voting wrong, we ask you to come forward and act "democrati-
cally," by letting your masters, the people, speak.
The word ' ' white " in the Constitution cannot be strictly and literally construed.
The opposition express great love for white blood. Will they let a mulatto vote
half the time, a quadroon three-fourths, and an octoroon seven-eighths of the
time ? If not, why not ? Will they enslave seven-eighths of a white man because
one-eighth is not Caucasian ? Is this democratic ? Shall not the majority seven
control the minority one ? Out on such "democracy."
But a Democratic minority committee (of two) seem to have done something
besides study ethnology. They have, also paid great attention to fine arts, and are
particularly anxious that all voters shall have a " genius for the arts." I would
like to ask them if it has always been political practice to insist that every voter
in the great " unwashed " and " unterrified " of any party should become a mem-
ber of the Academy of Arts before he votes the " regular" ticket ? I thought he
was received into the full fellowship of a political party if he could exhibit suffi-
cient "inventive faculties and genius for the arts," to enable him to paint a black
eye. Can a man whose "genius for the arts" enables him to strike from the
shoulder scientifically, be admitted to full fellowship in a political party ? Is it
evident that the political artist has studied the old masters, if he exhibits his genius
by tapping an opponent's head with a shillelagh? The oldest master in this
school of art was Cain ; and so canes have been made to play their part in politics,
at the polls and even in the United States Senate Chamber.
" Is genius for the arts and those occupations requiring intellect and wisdom "
sufficiently exemplified in adroitly stuffing ballot-boxes, forging soldiers' votes,
and copying a directory, as has been done, as the return list of votes ? Is the
" inventive faculty " of " voting early and often," a passport to political brother-
hood? Is it satisfactory evidence of "artistic" genius, to head a mob? and a
mob which is led and guided by political passion, as numerous instances in our
history prove, is the worst of mobs. Is it evidence of "high art " to lynch a man
by hauging him to the nearest tree or lamp-post ? Is a "whisky scrimmage"
one of the lost arts restored 1 We all know how certain "artists" are prone to
embellish elections and to enhance the excitements of political campaigns by
inciting riots, and the frequency with which these disgraceful outbreaks have
occurred of late, especially in some of the populous cities, is cause for just alarm.
It is dangerous "art."
Mr. Speaker: I repeat that I am a friend to the Irishman. I have traveled
through his native country and have seen how he is oppressed. I have listened to
the eloquent and patriotic appeals of Daniel O'Connell, in Conciliation Hall, in
Dublin, and I have gladly contributed to his fund for ameliorating the condition
of his countrymen. I rejoice to see them rushing to this land of liberty and inde-
pendence; and it is because I am their friend that I denounce the demagogues
who attempt to blind and mislead them to vote in the interests of any party
POLITICAL AND PERSONAL. 239
against the interests of humanity, and the principles of true democracy. My
neighbors will testify that at mid-winter I employ Irishmen by the hundred to
do work that is not absolutely necessary, in order to help them support their
families.
After hearing the minority report last week, I began to feel that I might be
disfranchised, for I have no great degree of "genius for the arts;" I felt, there-
fore, that I must get "posted" on that subject as soon as possible. I at once
sauntered into the Senate Chamber to look at the paintings; there I saw portraits
of great men, and I saw two empty frames from which the pictures had been
removed. These missing paintings, I was told, were portraits of two ex-Gov-
ernors of the State, whose position on political affairs was obnoxious to the
dominant party in the Legislature; and especially obnoxious were the supposed
sentiments of these governors on the war. Therefore, the Senate voted to remove
the pictures, and thus proved as it would seem, that there is an intimate connec-
tion between politics and art.
I have repeatedly traveled through every State in the South, and I assert, what
every intelligent officer and soldier who has resided there will corroborate, that
the slaves, as a body, are more intelligent than the poor whites. No man who has
not been there can conceive to what a low depth of ignorance the poor snuff-tak-
ing, clay-eating whites of some portion of the South have descended. I trust
the day is not far distant when the " common school " shall throw its illuminating
rays through this Egyptian pall.
I have known slave mechanics to be sold for $3,000, and even $5,000 each, and
others could not be bought at all; and I have seen intelligent slaves acting as
stewards for their masters, traveling every year to New Orleans, Nashville, and
even to Cincinnati, to dispose of their master's crops. The free colored citizens of
Opelousas, St. Martinsville, and all the Attakapas country in Louisiana, are as
respectable and intelligent as an ordinary community of whites. They speak the
French and English languages, educate their children in music and "the arts,"
and they pay their taxes on more than fifteen millions of dollars.
Gentlemen of the opposition, I beseech you to remember that our State and our
country ask from us something more than party tactics. It is absolutely necessary
that the loyal blacks at the South should vote in order to save the loyal whites.
Let Connecticut, without regard to party, set them an example that shall influence
the action at the South, and prevent a new form of slavery from arising there,
which shall make all our expenditure of blood and treasure fruitless.
But some persons have this color prejudice simply by the force of education,
ctnd they say, "Well, a nigger is a nigger, and he can't be anything else. I hate
niggers, anyhow." Twenty years ago I crossed the Atlantic, and among our
passengers was an Irish judge, who was coming out to Newfoundland as chief
justice. He was an exceedingly intelligent and polished gentleman, and extremely
witty. The passengers from the New England States and those from the South
got into a discussion on the subject of slavery, which lasted three days. The
Southerners were finally worsted, and when their arguments were exhausted,
they fell back on the old story, by saying: "Oh ! curse a nigger, he ain't half
human anyhow; he had no business to be a nigger, etc." One of the gentlemen
t>>en turned to the Irish judge, and asked his opinion of the merits of the contro-
versy The judge replied:
" Gentlemen, I have listened with much edification to your arguments pro and
con during three days. I was quite inclined to think the anti-slavery gentlemen
had justice and right on their side, but the last argument from the South has
240 POLITICAL AND PERSONAL.
changed my mind. I say a ' nigger has no business to be a nigger,' and we should
kick Him out of society and trample him under foot — always provided, gentle-
men, you prove he was born black ac Ms own particular request. If he had no
word to say in the matter of course he is blameless for his color, and is entitled
to the same respect that other men are who properly behave themselves 1"
Mr. Speaker: I am no politician; I came to this legislature simply because 1
wish to have the honor of voting for the two constitutional amendments— one for
driving slavery entirely out of our country; the other to allow men of education
and good moral character to vote, regardless of the color of their skins. To give
my voice for these two philanthropic, just, and Christian measures is all the glory
I ask legislativewise. I care nothing whatever for any sect or party under heaven,
as such. I have no axes to grind, no logs to roll, no favors to ask. All I desire
is to do what is right, and prevent what is wrong. I believe in no " expediency "
that is not predicated of justice, for in all things — politics, as well as everything
else — I know that "honesty is the best policy." A retributive Providence will
unerringly and speedily search out all wrong-doing ; hence, right is always the best
in the long run. Certainly, in the light of the great American spirit of liberty
and equal rights which is sweeping over this country, and making the thrones of
tyrants totter in the Old World, no party can afford to carry slavery, either of
body or of mind. Knock off your manacles and let the man go free. Take down
the blinds from his intellect, and let in the light of education and Christian cul-
ture. When this is done you have developed a man. Give him the responsibility
of a man and the self-respect of a man, by granting him the right of suffrage.
Let universal education, and the universal franchise be the motto of free America,
and the toning millions of Europe, who are watching you with such intense
interest, will hail us as their saviors. Let us loyally sink " party " on this ques-
tion, and go for " God and our Country." Let no man attach an eternal stigma
to his name by shutting his eyes to the great lesson of the hour, and voting against
permitting the people to express their opinion on this important subject. Let us
unanimously grant this truly democratic boon. Then, when our laws of fran-
chise are settled on a just basis, let future parties divide where they honestly differ
on State or national questions which do not trench upon the claims of manhood
or American citizenship.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN RUINS.
ON the thirteenth day of July, 1865, I was speaking in the Connecticut Legis-
lature, in session at Hartford, against the railroad schemes, when a telegram was
nanded to me from my son-in-law, S. H. Hurd, my assistant manager in New
York, stating that the American Museum was in flames, and that its total destruc-
tion was certain. I glanced over the despatch, folded it, laid it on my desk,
and calmly continued my speech as if nothing had happened. At the conclusion
of my remarks, the bill I had been advocating was carried, and the House
adjourned. I then handed the telegram, announcing my great loss in New York,
to my friend and fellow-laborer, Mr. William G. Coe, of Winsted, who immedi-
ately communicated the intelligence to several members. Warm sympathizers
at once crowded around me, and Mr. Henry B. Harrison, of New Haven, my
strongest railroad opponent, pushing forward, seized me by the hand, and said:
" Mr. Barnum, I am really very sorry to hear of your great misfortune."
" Sorry," I replied, " why, my dear sir, I shall not have time to be ' sorry ' in a
week 1 It will take me that length of time before I can get over laughing at
having whipped you all so nicely in this attempted railroad imposition."
The Speaker of the House and many of my fellow-members testified that
neither my face nor my manner betrayed the slightest intimation, when I read
the telegram, that I had received unpleasant intelligence. One of the local jour-
nals, speaking of this incident, two days after the fire, said:
In the midst of Mr. Barnum's speech, a telegram was handed to him, announcing that
his Museum was in flames, with no hope of saving any portion of his cherished establish-
ment. Without the slightest evidence of agitation, he laid the telegram upon his desk and
finished his speech. When he went next day to New York he saw only a pile of black,
smouldering ruins.
Immediately after adjournment that afternoon, I took the cars for Bridgeport,
spending the night quietly at home, and the following morning I went to New
York to see the ruins of my Museum, and to learn the full extent of the disaster.
When I arrived at the scene of the calamity and saw nothing but the smoulder-
ing debris of what a few hours before was the American Museum, the sight was
sad indeed. Here were destroyed, almost in a breath, the accumulated results of
many years of incessant toil, my own and my predecessors, in gathering from
every quarter of the globe myriads of curious productions of nature and art — an
assemblage of rarities which a half million of dollars could not restore, and a
quarter of a century could not collect. In addition to these there were many
Revolutionary relics and other links in our national history which never could be
duplicated. Not a thousand dollars worth of the entire property was saved; the
destruction was complete ; the loss was irreparable, and the total amount of insur-
ance was but forty thousand dollars.
The fire probably originated in the engine room, where steam was constantly
kept up to pump fresh air into the water of the aquaria and to propel the immense
fans for cooling the atmosphere of the halls.
11 241
242 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN RUIN'S.
All the New York newspapers made a great "sensation" of the fire, and thu
full particulars were copied in journals throughout the country. A facetious
reporter, Mr. Nathan D. Urner, of the Tribune, wrote the following amusing
account, which appeared in that journal, July 14, 1865, and was very generally
quoted from and copied by provincial papers, many of whose readers accepted
every line of the glowing narrative as "gospel truth:"
Soon after the breaking out of the conflagration, a number of strange and terrible howls
and moans proceeding from the large apartment in the third floor of the Museum, corner of
Ann street and Broadway, startled the throngs who had collected in front of the burning
building, and who were at first under the impression that the sounds must proceed from
human beings unable to effect their escape. Their anxiety was somewhat rt'ieved on this
score, but their consternation was by no means decreased upon learning that the r join in
question was the principal chamber of the menagerie connected with the Museum, and
that there was imminent danger of the release of the animals there confined, by the action
of the flames. Our reporter fortunately occupied a room on the north corner of Ann street
and Broadway, the windows of which looked immediately into this apartment; and no
sooner was he apprised of the fire than he repaired there, confident of finding items in
abundance. Luckily the windows of the Museum were unclosed, and he had a perfect
view of almost the entire interior of the apartment. The following is his statement of
what followed, in his own language:
" Protecting myself from the intense heat as well as I could, by taking the mattrass from
the bed and erecting it as a bulwark before the window, with only enough space reserved
on the top so as to look out, I anxiously observed the animals in the opposite room. Imme-
diately opposite the window through which I gazed, was a lare^e cage containing a lion and
lioness. To the right hand was the three-storied cage, containing monkeys at the top, two
kangaroos in the second story, and a happy family of cats, rats, adders, rabbits, etc., in the
lower apartment. To the left of the lion's cage was the tank containing the two vast alli-
gators, and still further to the left, partially hidden from my sight, was the grand tank
containing the great white whale, which has created such a furore in our sight-seeing midst
for the past few weeks. Upon the floor were caged the boa-constrictor, anacondas and
rattlesnakes, whose heads would now and then rise menacingly through the top of the
cage. In the extreme right was the cage, entirely shut from my view at first, containing
the Bengal tiger and the Polar bear, whose terrific growls could be distinctly heard from
behind the partition. With a simultaneous bound the lion and his mate, sprang against the
bars, which gave way and came down with a great crash, releasing the beasts, which for a
moment, apparently amazed at their sudden liberty, stood in the middle of the floor lashing
their sides with their tails and roaring dolefully.
Almost at the same moment the upper part of the three-storied cage, consumed by the
flames, fell forward, letting the rods drop to the floor, and many other animals were set
free. Just at this time the door fell through and the flames and smoke rolled in like a
whirlwind from the Hadean river Cocytus. A horrible scene in the right-hand corner 01
the room, a yell of indescribable agony, and a crashing, grating sound, indicated that the
tiger and Polar bear were stirred up to the highest pitch of excitement. Then there came
a great crash, as of the giving way of the bars of their cage. The flames and smoke
momentarily rolled back, and for a few seconds the interior of the room was visible in the
lurid light of the flames, which revealed the tiger and the lion, locked together in close
combat.
The monkeys were perched around the \vin.1ows shivering with dread, and afraid to Jump
out. The snakes werewiithing about, crippled and blistered by the heat, darting out
their forked tongues, and expressing their rage and fear in the most sibilant of hisses.
The "Happy Family" were experiencing an amount of beatitude which was evidently too
cordial for philosophical enjoyment. A long tongue of flame had crept under the cage,
completely singing every hair from the cat's body. The felicitous adder was slowly burn-
ing in two and busily engaged in impregnating his organic system with his own venom.
The joyful rat had lost his tail by a falling bar of iron ; and the beatific rabbit, perforated
by a red-hot nail, looked as if nothing would be more grateful than a cool corner in some
Esquimaux farm-yard. The members of the delectated convocation were all huddled
together in the bottom of their cage, which suddenly gave way, precipitating them out of
view in the depths below, which by this time were also blazing like the fabled Tophet.
At this moment the flames rolled again into the room, and then again retired. The
whale and alligators were by this time suffering dreadful torments. The water in which
they swam was literally boiling. The alligators dashed fiercely about endeavoring to
escape, and opening and shutting their great jaws in ferocious torture ; but the poor whale,
almost boiled, with great ulcers bursting from his blubbery sides, could only feebly swim
about, though blowing excessively, and every now and then sending up great fountains of
spray. At length, crack went the glass sides of the great cases, and whale and alligators
rolled out on the floor with the rushing and ^teaming water. The whale died easily, hiving
been pretty well used up before. A few great gasps and a convulsive flap or two of his mighty
flukes were his expiring spasm. One of the alligators was killed almost immediately by
falling across a great fragment of shattered glass, which cut open his stomach and let out
Ihe greater part of his entrails to the light of day. Th° remaining alligator became
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN RUINS. 243
Involved in a controversy with an anaconda, and joined the melee in the center of the
flaming apartment.
A number of birds which were caged in the upper part of the building were set free by
some charitably inclined person at the first alarm of fire, and at intervals they flew out.
There were many valuable tropical birds, parrots, cockatoos, mockingbirds, humming-
birds, etc., as well as some vultures and eagles, and one condor. Great excitement existed
among the swaying crowds in the streets below as they took wing. There were confined in
the same room a few serpents, which also obtained their liberty; and soon after the rising
and devouring flames began to enwrap the entire building, a splendid and emblematic sight
wus presented to the wondering and upgazing throngs. Bursting through the central case-
ment, with flap of wings and lashing coils, appeared ah eagle and a serpent wreathed in fight.
For a moment they hung poised in mid-air, presenting a novel and terrible conflict. It was
the earth and air (or their respective representatives) at war for mastery; the base and the
lofty, the groveller and the soarer, were engaged in deadly battle. At length the flat head
ol the serpent sank; his writhing, sinuous form grew still; and wafted upward by the
cheers of the gazing multitude, the eagle, with u scream of triumph, and bearing his prey
in his iron talons, soared towards the sun. Several monkeys escaped from the burning
building to the neighboring roofs and streets; and considerable excitement was caused by
the attempts to secure them. One of the most amusing incidents* in this respect, was in
connection with Mr. James Gordon Bennett. The veteran editor of the Herald was sitting
in his private office with his back to the open window, calmly discussing with a friend the
chances that the 1/erald establishment would escape the conflagration, which at that time
was threateningly advancing up Ann street, towards Nassau street. In the course of his
conversation, Mr. Bennett observed: "Although I have usually had good luck in cases of
fire, they say that the devil is ever at one's shoulder, and" — Here an exclamation from his
friend interrupted him, and turning quickly he was considerably taken aback at seeing the
devil himself, or something like him, at his very shoulder as he spoke. Recovering his
equanimity, with the ease and suavity which is usual with him in all company, Mr. Ben-
nett was about to address the intruder when he perceived that what he had taken for the
gentleman in black was nothing more than a frightened orang-outang. The poor creature,
but recently released from captivity, and doubtless thinking that he might till some vacancy
in the editorial corps of the paper in question, had descended by the water-pipe and instinc-
tively taken refuge in the inner sanctum of the establishment. Although the editor — per-
haps from the fact that he saw nothing peculiarly strange in the visitation — soon regained
his composure, it was far otherwise with his friend, who immediately gave the alarm. Mr.
Hudson rushed in and boldly attacked the monkey, grasping him by the throat. The book-
editor next came in, obtaining a clutch upon the brute by the ears; the musical critic
followed, and seized the tail with both hands, and a number of reporters, armed with
inkstands and sharpened pencils, came next, followed by a dozen policemen with brand-
ished clubs ; at the same time, the engineer in the basement, received the preconcerted
signal and got ready his hose, wherewith to pour boiling hot water upon the heads of those
in the streets, in case it should prove a regular systematized attack by gorillas, Brazil apes,
and chimpanzees. Opposed to this formidable combination, the rash intruder fared badly,
and was soon in durance vile. Numerous other incidents of a Similar kind occurred ; but
some ol the most amusing were in connection with the wax figures.
Upon the same impulse which prompts men in time of fire to fling valuable looking-
glasses out of three-story windows, and at the same time tenderly to lower down feaiher
beds — soon after the Museum took fire, a number of sturdy firemen rushed into the build-
ing to carry out the wax figures. There were thousand of valuable articles which mi;:ht
have been saved, if there had been less of solicitude displayed for the miserable effigies
which are usually exhibited under the appellation of " wax figures." As it was, a dozen
firemen rushed into the apartment where the figures were kept, amid a multitude of crawl-
ing snakes, chattering monkeys and escaped paroquets. The " Dj ing Brigand " was
unceremoniously throttled and dragged toward the door; liberties were taken with the
tearful " Senorita," who has so long knelt and so constantly wagged her doll's head at his
side : the mules of the other bandits were upset, and they themselves roughly seized. The
full length statue of P. T. Barnum fell down of its own accord, as if disgusted with the
whole affair. A red-shirted fireman seized with either hand Franklin Pierce and James
Buchanan by their coat-collars, tucked the Prince Imperial of France, under one arm, and
the Veiled Murderess under the other, and coolly departed for the street. Two ragged
boys quarreled over the Tom Thumb, but at length settled the controversy by one of them
tiiking the head, the other satisfying himself with the legs below the knees. They evi-
dently had Tom under their thumbs, and intended to keep him down. While a curiosity-
peeking policeman was garroting Benjamin Franklin, with the idea of abducting him, a
small monkey, flung from the window-sill by the strong hand of an impatient fireman, made
a straight dive, hitting Poor Richard just below the waist-coat, and passing through his
stomach, as fairly as the Harlequin in the " Green Monster" pantomime ever pierced the
picture with the slit in it, which always hangs so conveniently low and near Patrick Henry
had his teeth knocked out by a tlying missile, and in carrying Diinibl Lambert down stairs,
he was found to be so large that they had to break off his head in order to get him through
the door. At length the heat became intense, the " figgers " began to perspire freely, and
the swiftly approaching flames compelled all hands to desist from any I'urthiT attempt at
rescue. Throwing a parting glance behind as we passed dowu the stairs, we saw the
remaining dignitaries in a strange plight. Some one had stuck a cigar in General Wash-
ington's mouth, and thus, with his chapean crushed down over his eyes and his head
reclining upon the ample lap of Moll Pilcher. the Father of his Country led lUe vuii of us
244 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN RUINS.
•orry a band of patriots as not often comes within one's experience to see. General Mai ion
was playing a dummy game of poker with General Lafayette : Governor Morris was hav-
ing a set-to with Nathan Lane, and James Madison was executing a Dutch polka with
Madam Roland on one arm and Lucretia Borgia on the other. The next moment the
advancing flames compelled us to retire.
We believe that all the living curiosities were saved ; but the giant girl, Anna Swan, was
only rescued with the utmost difficulty. There was not a door through which her bulky
frame could obtain a passage. It was likewise feared that the stairs would break down, even
if she should reach them. Her best friend, the living skeleton, stood by her as long as he
dared, but then deserted her, while, as the heat grew in intensity, the perspiration rolled
from her face in little brooks and rivulets, which pattered musically upon the floor. At
length, as a last resort, the employees of the place procured a lofty derrick which fortu-
nately happened to be standing near, and erected it alongside the Museum. A portion 61
the wall was then broken ofl on each side of the window, the strong tackle was got in
readiness, the tall woman was made fast to one end and swung over the heads of the
people in the street, with eighteen men grasping the other extremity of the line, and low-
ered down from the third story, amid enthusiastic applause. A carriage of extraordinary
capacity was in readiness, and, entering this, the young lady was driven away to a hotel.
When the surviving serpents, that were released by the partial burning of the box in
which they were contained, crept along on the floor to the balcony of the Museum and
dropped on the sidewalk, the crowd, seized with St. Patrick's aversion to the reptiles, fled
with such precipitate haste that they knocked each other down and trampled on one
another in the most reckless and damaging manner.
Hats were lost, coats torn, boots burst and pantaloons dropped with magnificent miscel-
laneousness, and dozens of those who rose from the miry streets into which they had been
thrown, looked like the disembodied spirits of a mud bank. The snakes crawled on the
sidewalk and into Broadway, where some of them died from injuries received, and others
were despatched by the excited populace. Several of the serpents of the copper-head
species, escaped the fury of the tumultuous masses, and, true to their instincts, sought shel-
ter in the World and News offices. A large black bear escaped from the burning Museum
into Ann street, and then made his way into Nassau, and down that thoroughfare into
Wall, where his appearance caused a sensation. Some superstitious persons believed
him the spirit of a departed Ursa Major, and others of his fraternity welcomed the animal
as a favorable omen. The bear walked quietly along to the Custom House, ascended the
steps of the building, and became bewildered, as many a biped bear has done before him.
He seemed to lose his sense of vision, and no doubt, endeavoring to operate for a fall,
walked over the side of the steps and broke his neck. He succeeded in his object, but it
cost him dearly. The appearance of Bruin in the street sensibly affected the stock market,
and shares fell rapidly; but when he lost his life in the careless manner we have described,
shares advanced again, and the Bulls triumphed once more.
Broadway and its crossings have not witnessed a denser throng for months thar assem-
bled at the fire yesterday. Barnum's was always popular, but it never drew so vast a
crowd before. There must have been forty thousand people on Broadway, between Maiden
Lane and Chambers street, and a great portion stayed there until dusk. So great vas the
concourse of people that it was with difficulty pedestrians or vehicles could pass,
After the fire several high-art epicures grouping among the ruins, found choice morsels of
boiled whale, roasted kangaroo and fricassed crocodile, which, it is said, they relished ;
though the many would have failed to appreciate such rare edibles Probably the recherche
epicures will declare the only true way to prepare those meats is to cook them in a museum
wrapped in flames, in the same manner that the Chinese, according to Charles Lamb, first
discovered roast pig in a burning house, and ever afterward set a house on fire with a pig
inside, when they wanted that particular food.
All the New York journals, and many more in other cities, editorially expressed
their sympathy with my misfortune, and their sense of the loss the community
had sustained in the destruction of the American Museum. The following editorial
is from the New York Tribune, of July 14, 1865:
and though many of them muy not have had much intrinsic or memorial value, a consider-
able portion was certainly of great worth for any Museum. But aside from this, pleasant
memories clustered about the place, which for so many years has been the chief resort for
amtsement to the common people who cannot often afl'ord to treat themselves to a night
at the more expensive theaters, while to the children of the city, Barnnm's has been a foun-
tain of delight, ever ofl'erlng new attractions as captivating and as implicitly believed in
as the Arabian Nights, Entertainments : Theater, Menagerie and Museum, it amused,
instructed, and astonished. If its thousands and tens of thousands of annual visitors were
bewildered sometimes with a Woolly Horse, a What is It? or a Mermaid, they found repose
and certainty in a Giraffe, a Whale or a Rhinoceros. If wax effigies of pirates and mur-
derers made them shudder lest those dreadful figures should start out of their glass cases
and repeat their horrid deeds, they were reassured by the presence of the mildest and most
amiable of giants, and the fattest of mortal women, whose dead weight alone could crush
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN RUINS. 245
all the wax figures Into their original cakes. It was a source of unfailing Interest to all
country visitors, and New York to many of them was only the place that held Barnnm's
Museum. It was the first thing — often the only thing— they visited when they came among
us, and nothing that could have been contrived, out of our present resources, could have
offered so many attractions unless some more ingenious showman had undertaken to add to
Barnum's collection of waxen criminals by putting in a cage the live Boards of the Com-
mon Council. We mourn its loss, but not as without consolation. Barnum's Museum is
gone, but Barnum himself, happily, did not share the fate of his rattlesnakes and his, at
Feast, most "un-happy Family." There are fishes in the seas and beasts in the forest;
birds still fly in the air, and strange creatures still roam in the deserts ; giants and pigmies
still wander up and down the earth ; the oldest man, the fattest woman, and the smallest
baby are still living, and Barnum will find them.
Or even if none of these things or creatures existed, we could trust to Barnum to make
them out of hand. The Museum, then, is only a temporary loss, and much as we sympa-
thize with the proprietor, the public may trust to his well-known ability and energy to soon
renew a place of amusement which was a source of so much innocent pleasure, and had in
it so many elements of solid excellence.
As already stated, my insurance was but $40,000, while the collection, at the
lowest estimate, was worth $400,000, and as my premium was five percent., I had
paid the insurance companies more than they returned to me. When the fire
occurred, my summer pantomime season had just begun and the Museum was
doing an immensely profitable business. My first impulse, after reckoning up my
losses, was to retire from active lif e and from all business occupation beyond what
my large real estate interests in Bridgeport, and my property in New York would
compel. I felt that I had still a competence, and that after a most active and
busy life, at fifty-five years, I was entitled to retirement, to comparative rest for
the remainder of my days. I called on my old friend, the editor of the Tribune,
for advice on the subject.
"Accept this fire as a notice to quit, and go a-fishing," said Mr. Greeley.
" A-fishing! " I exclaimed.
"Yes, a-fishing; I have been wanting to go a-fishing for thirty years, and have
not yeb found time to do so," replied Mr. Greeley.
I really felt that his advice was good and wise, and had I consulted only my
own ease and interest I should have acted upon it. But two considerations
moved me to pause: First, one hundred and fifty employees, many of whom
depended upon their exertions for their daily bread, were thrown out of work at
a season when it would be difficult for them to get engagements elsewhere.
Second, I felt that a large city like New York needed a good Museum, and that
my experience of a quarter of a century in that direction afforded extraordinary
facilities for founding another establishment of the kind, and so I took a few days
for reflection.
Meanwhile, the Museum employees were tendered a benefit at the Academy of
Music, at which most of the dramatic artists in the city volunteered their services.
I was called out, and made some off-hand remarks, in which I stated that nothing
which I could utter in behalf of the recipients of that benefit, could plead for
them half so eloquently as the smoking ruins of the building where they had so
long earned their support by their efforts to gratify the public. At the same time
I announced that, moved by the considerations I have mentioned, I had concluded
to establish another Museum, and that, in order to give present occupation to my
employees, I had engaged the Winter Garden Theater for a few weeks, and I
hoped to open a new establishment of my own in the ensuing fall.
The New York Sun commented upon the few remarks which I was suddenly
and quite unexpectedly called upon to make-, in the following flattering manner:
One of the happiest impromptu oratorial efforts that we have heard for some time, was
that made by Bitrnum at the benefit performance given lor his employee* on Friday after-
noon. If a stranger wanted to satisfy himself how the great showman had managed so to
246 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN RUINS.
J^JUl LU111LJ Ul UUlllg BL» tlltlll UJ/ UrMUlIilJ^ LA.' btUfl AUUIVD^I. •» WI J VY VI u, luuugll UCTlltCTICU
WIMI apparent carelessness, struck a key-note in the hearts of his listeners. Simple, lim-i'jle
and touching, it showed how thoroughly this extraordinary man comprehends the character
of his countrymen, and how easily he can play upon their feelings.
Those who look upon Barnum as a mere charlatan, have really no knowledge of him. It
would be easy to demonstrate that the qualities that have placed him in his present position
of notoriety and affluence would, in another pursuit, have raised him to far greater emi-
nence. In his breadth of views, his profound knowledge of mankind, his courage under
tact
thai .
American mind.
I very soon secured by lease the premises, numbers 535, 537 and 539 Broadway,
seventy-five feet front and rear, by two hundred feet deep, and known as the
Chinese Museum buildings. In less than four months, I succeeded in converting
this building into a commodious Museum and lecture-room, and meanwhile I
sent agents through America and Europe to purchase curiosities. Besides hun-
dreds of small collections, I bought up several entire museums, and with many
living curiosities and my old company of actors and actresses, I opened to the
public, November 13, 1865, "Barnum's New American Museum," thus beginning
a new chapter in my career as a manager and showman.
CHAPTER XL.
DURING my membership in the Connecticut Legislature of 1865, 1 made several
new friends and agreeable acquaintances, and many things occurred, sometimes
in the regular proceedings, and sometimes as episodes, which made the session
memorable. On one occasion, a representative, who was a lawyer, introduced
resolutions to reduce the number of Representatives, urging that the " House"
was too large and ponderous a body to work smoothly ; that a smaller number
of persons could accomplish business more rapidly and completely ; and, in fact,
that the Connecticut Legislature was so large that the members did not have time
to get acquainted with each other before the body adjourned sine die.
I replied, that the larger the number of representatives, the more difficult it
would be to tamper with them ; and if they all could not become personally
acquainted, so much the better, for there would be fewer "rings, "and less facili-
ties for forcing improper legislation.
" As the house seems to be thin now, I will move to lay my resolutions on the
table," remarked the member; "but I shall call them up when there is a full
house."
" According to the gentleman's own theory," I replied, "the smaller the num-
ber, the surer are we to arrive at correct conclusions. Now, therefore, is just the
time to decide; and I move that the gentleman's resolutions be considered." This
proposition was seconded amid a roar of laughter; and the resolutions were
almost unanimously voted down, before the member fairly comprehended what
was going on. He afterwards acknowledged it as a pretty fair joke, and at any
rate as an effective one.
The State House at Hartford was a disgrace to Connecticut; the Hall of Repre-
sentatives was too small; there were no committee rooms, and the building was
utterly unfit for the purposes to which it was devoted. The State House at New
Haven was very little better, and I made a strong effort to secure the erection of
new edifices in both cities. I was chairman of the committee on new State
Houses, and during our investigations it was ascertained that Bridgeport, Middle-
town and Meriden would each be willing to erect a State House at its own cost,
if the city should be selected as the new capital of the State. These movements
aroused the jealousy of Hartford and New Haven, which at once appointed com-
mittees to wait upon us. The whole matter, however, finally went by default,
and the question was never submitted to the people. Since that period, however,
Hartford has been made the only capital city.
As the session drew near its close, the railroad controversy culminated by my
introduction of a bill to amend the act for the regulation of railroads, by the
Interpolation of the following:
SECTION 508. No railroad company, which has had a system of commutation fares in force
for more than four years, shall abolish, alter, or modify the same, except for the regulation
of the price charged for such commutation ; and such price shall, in no case, be raised to an
extent that shall alter the ratio between such commutation and the rates then charged fot
way fare, on the railroad of such company.
247
248 MY WAR ON THE RAILROADS.
The New York and New Haven Railroad Company seemed determined to move
heaven and earth to prevent the passage of this law. The halls of legislation were
thronged with railroad lobbyists, who button-holed nearly every member. My
motives were attacked, and the most foolish slanders were circulated. Not only
every legal man in the house was arrayed against me, but occasionally a "country
member " who had promised to stick by and aid in checking the cupidity of rail-
road managers, would drop off, and be found voting on the other side. I devoted
many hours, and even days, to explaining the true state of things to the members
from the rural regions, and, although the prospect of carrying this great reform
looked rather dark, I felt that I had a majority of the honest and disinterested
members of the house with me. Finally, Senator Ballard informed me that he
had canvassed the Senate, and was convinced that the bill could be carried through
that body if I could be equally successful with the house. At last it was known
that the final debate would take place and the vote be taken on the morning of
July 13.
When the day arrived the excitement was intense. The passages leading to the
hall were crowded with railroad lobbyists; for nearly every railroad in the State
had made common cause with the New York and New Haven Company, and
every representative was in hisjseat, excepting the sick man, who had doctored
the railroads till he needed doctoring himself. The debate was led off by skir-
mishers on each side, and was finally closed on the part of the railroads by Mr.
Harrison, of New Haven, who was chairman of the railroad committee. Mr.
Henry B. Harrison was a close and forcible debater and a clear-headed lawyer.
His speech exhibited considerable thought, and his earnestness and high character
as a gentleman of honor, carried much weight. Besides, his position as chairman
of the committee naturally influenced some votes. He claimed to understand
thoroughly the merits of the question, from having, in his capacity as chairman,
heard all the testimony and arguments which had come before that committee;
and a majority of the committee, after due deliberation, had reported against the
proposed MIL
On closing the debate, I endeavored to state briefly the gist of the case — that,
only a few years before, the New York and New Haven Company had fixed their
own price for commuters' tickets along the whole line of the road, and had thus
induced hundreds of New York citizens to remove to Connecticut with their
families, and build their houses on heretofore unimproved property, thus vastly
increasing the value of the lands, and correspondingly helping our receipts for
taxes. I urged that there was a tacit understanding between the railroad and
these commuters and the public generally, that such persons as chose thus to
remove from a neighboring State, and bring their families and capital within our
borders, should have the right to pass over the railroad on the terms fixed at the
time, by the president and directors; that any claim that the railroad could not
afford to commute at the prices they had themselves established was absurd, from
the fact that, even now, if one thousand families who reside in New York, and
had never been in our ovfn. State, should propose to the railroad to remove these
families (embracing in the aggregate five thousand persons) to Connecticut, and
build one thousand new houses on the line of the New York and New Haven
Railroad, provided the railroad would carry the male head of the family at all
times for nothing, the company could well afford to accept the proposition,
because they would receive full prices for transporting all other members of these
families, at all tunes, as well as full prices for all their visitors and servants.
MY WAR ON THE RAILROADS. 249
And now, what are the facts? Do we desire the railroad to carry even one fifth ol these
new comers for nothing? Do we, indeed, desire to compel them to transport them for any
definitely fixed price at all? On the contrary, we find that during the late rebellion, when gold
was selling for two dollars and eighty cents per dollar, this company doubled its prices of
commutation, and retains the same prices now, although gold is but one-half that amount
($1.40). We don't ask them to go back to their former prices ; we don't compel them to
rest even here; we simply say, increase your rates, pile up your demands just as high as
you desire, only you shall not muke fish of one and fowl of another. You have fixed and
increased your prices to passengers of all classes just as you liked, and established your
own ratio between those who pay by tlie year, and those who pay by the single trip; and
now, all we ask is, that you shall not change the ratio. Charge ten dollars per passenger
from New York to New Haven, if you have the courage to risk the competition of the
steamboats ; and whatever percentage you choose to increase the fare of transient passen-
gers, we permit you to increase the rates ot commuters in the same ratio.
The interests of the State, as well as communities, demand this law; (or if it is once
fixed by statute that the prices of commutation are not to be increased, many persons will
leave the localities where extortion is permitted on the railroads, and will settle in our
Htate. But these railroad gentlemen say they have no intention to increase their rates of
commutation, and they deprecate what they term ''premature legislation," and an uncalled
for meddling with their affairs. Mr. Speaker, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure." Men engaged in plots against public interests always ask to be " let alone."
Jeff Davis only asked to be "let alone," when the North was raising great armies to pre-
vent the dissolution of the Union. The people cannot afford to let these railroads alone.
This hall, crowded with railroad lobbyists, as the frogs thronged Egypt, is an admonition
to all honest legislators, that it is unsafe to allow the monopolies the chance to rivet the
chains which already fetter the limbs of those whom circumstances place in the power of
these companies.
It was at this point in my remarks that I received the telegram from my son-
in-law in New York, announcing the burning of the American Museum. Reading
the dispatch, and laying it on my desk without further attention, I continued:
These railroad gentlemen absolutely deny any intention of raising the fares of commuters,
and profess to think it very hard that disinterested and conscientious gentlemen like them
I then drew from my pocket and read two telegrams received that morning, one
f rom New York and the other from Bridgeport, announcing that the New York
and New Haven Railroad Directory had held a secret meeting in New York, the
day before, for the purpose of immediately raising the fares of commuters twenty
per cent., so that in case my bill became a law they could get ahead of me. I
continued:
Now, Mr. Speaker, I know that these despatches are true ; my information is from the
inside of the camp. 1 see a director of the New York and New Haven railroad sitting in
this hall; I know that he knows these despatches are true; and if he will go before the
railroad committee and make oath that he don't know that such a meeting took place yes-
terday, for exactly this purpose, I will forfeit and pay one thousand dollars to the families
of poor soldiers in this city. In consideration of this attempt to forestall the action of
this legislature, I offer an amendment to the bill now under consideration by adding after
the word " ratio," the words li as it existed on the first day of July, 1865." In this way we
shall cut off any action which these sleek gentlemen may have taken yesterday. It is
now evident that these railroad gentlemen have set a trap for this legislature; and I pro-
pose that we now spring the trap, and see if we cannot catch these wily railroad directors
in it. Mr. Speaker, 1 move the previous question.
The opposition were astounded at the revelation and the previous question was
ordered. The bill as amended was carried almost with a "hurrah." It is now an
act in the statute book of the State, and it annually adds many dollars to the
assessment roll of Connecticut, since the protection afforded to commuters against
250 MY WAR OK THE RAILROADS.
the extortions practised by railway companies elsewhere is a strong inducement
to permanent settlers along the lines of Connecticut railways.*
In the spring of 1866, I was again elected to represent the town of Fairfield in
the Connecticut Legislature. I had not intended to accept a nomination for that
office a second time, but one of the directors of the New York and New Haven
Railroad, who was a citizen of Fairfleld and had been a zealous lobby member of
the preceding legislature, had declared that I should not represent the town again.
As the voters of Fairfield seemed to think that the public interests were of more
importance than the success of railroad conspiracies, combinations, and monopo-
lies, I accepted their nomination.
Almost the only exciting question before that legislature was the election of an
United States Senator. President Johnson had begun to show disaffection
towards the Republican party which elected him, and the zealous members of
that party were watching with anxious hearts the actions of those who offered
themselves as candidates for offices of trust and responsibility. One of the
Republican United States Senators had already abandoned the party and affiliated
with Johnson. The other Senator was a candidate for re-election. He had been
a favorite candidate with me, but when I became convinced that he sympathized
with the recreant Senator and President Johnson, no importunities of political
friends or any other inducement could change my determination to defeat him,
if possible. I devoted days and nights to convincing some of my fellow-members
that the interests of the State and the country demanded the election of Hon. O.
S. Ferry to that important office.
Excitement ran high. Ex-Governor Wm. A. Buckingham was also a candi-
date. I knew he would make an excellent Senator, but he had filled the
gubernatorial chair for eight years; and as the present Senator had held his office
twelve years, and he was from the same city as Governor Buckingham, I urged
that Norwich should not carry off all the honors; that Fairfield county was
entitled to the office; and both before and at the Republican nominating caucus
I set forth, so far as I was able, what I considered the merits and peculiar claims
of Mr. Ferry. I suggested that Mr. Buckingham might rest on his laurels for a
couple of years and be elected to fill the place of the next retiring Senator in 1868.
Mr. Ferry started in the ballotings with a very small vote indeed, and it required
the most delicate management to secure a majority for him in that caucus. But
it was done; and as the great strife was between the two other rival candidates
Mr. Ferry had scarcely a hope of the nomination and was much surprised the
next morning to hear of his success. He was elected for the term beginning
March 4, 1866, and one of his opposing candidates in the caucus, Ex-Governor
William A. Buckingham, was elected, two years afterwards, for the senatorial
term commencing March 4, 1869.
I was again chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, and on the whole the
session at New Haven, in 1866, was very agreeable to me ; there were many con-
genial spirits in the House and our severer labors were lightened by some very
delightful episodes.
During the summer, Governor Hawley, Hon. David Gallup, Speaker of the
House, Hon. O. S. Ferry, United States Senator, Mr. W. G. Coe, of Winsted,
* The New York and New Haven railroad company never forgave me for thus securing a
righteous law for the protection of its commuters. Even as lately as 1871, the venders of
books on the tr-.iins \\ere prohibited from selling to ousseugers my autobiography which
exposed their cupidity. A parallel railroad from New Vork to New Haven, would De good
paying stock, and would materially disturb, if not destroy, the present railroad and express
monopolies.
MY WAR ON THE RAILROADS. 251
Mr. A. B. Mygatt, of New Milford, Mr. George Pratt, of Norwich, Mr. S. H.
Wales, of the Scientific American, Mr. David Clark, of Hartford, Mr. A. H.
Byington, of Norwalk, and many other gentlemen of distinction, were occasional
guests at Lindencroft. Several times we had delightful sails, dinners, and clam-
bakes at Charles Island, eight miles east of Bridgeport, a most cool and charming
spot in the warm summer days. The health of my wife, which had been poor
since 1855, prevented many occasions of festivity for which I had all other facili-
ties; for Lindencroft was indeed a charming residence, and it afforded every
requisite for the entertainment of large numbers of friends.
During the summer, Governor Hawley appointed me a commissioner to the
Paris Exposition, but I was unable to attend. •
In the spring of 1867, 1 received from the Republican convention in the Fourth
District in Connecticut, the nomination for Congress. As I have already re-
marked, politics were always distasteful to me. I possessed, naturally, too much
independence of mind, and too strong a determination to do what I believe to be
right, regardless of party expediency, to make a lithe and oily politician. To be
called on to favor applications from office-seekers, without regard to their merits,
and to do the dirty work too often demanded by political parties; to be "all
things to all men " though not in the apostolic sense ; to shake hands with those
whom I despised, and to kiss the dirty babies of those whose votes were courted,
were political requirements which I felt I could never acceptably fulfill. Never-
theless, I had become, so far as business was concerned, almost a man of leisure;
and some of my warmest, personal friends, insisted that a nomination to so high
and honorable a position as a member of Congress, was not to be lightly rejected,
and so I consented to run. Fairfield and Litchfield counties composed the district,
which, in the preceding Congressional election, in 1865, and just after the close
of the war, was republican. In the year following, however, the district in State
election went democratic. I had this democratic majority to contend against in
1867, and as the whole State turned over and elected the democratic ticket, I lost
my election. In the next succeeding Congressional election, iu 1869, the Fourth
District also elected the only democratic congressman chosen from Connecticut
that year.
I was neither disappointed nor cast down by my defeat. The political canvass
served the purpose of giving me a new sensation, and introducing me to new
phases of human nature — a subject which I had always great delight in studying
The filth and scandal, the slanders and vindictiveness, the plottings and fawn
ings, the fidelity, meanness and manliness, which by turns exhibited themselver
in the exciting scenes preceding the election, were novel to me, and were so fai
interesting.
Shortly after my opponent was nominated, 1 sent him the following letter
which was also published in the Bridgeport Standard .
BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Feb. 21, 1867.
W. H. BARNUM, Esq., Salisbury, Conn.:
Dear Sir : Observing that the Democratic party has nominated you for Con
gress from this district, I desire to make you a proposition.
The citizens of this portion of our State will be compelled, on the first Mondaj
in April next, to decide whether you or myself shall represent their interests and
their principles in the Fortieth Congress of the United States.
The theory of our government is, that the will of the people shall be the law
of the land. It is important, therefore, that the people shall vote understand
252 MY WAR ON THE RAILROADS.
ingly, and especially at tliis important crisis in our national existence. In order,
that the voters of this district shall fully comprehend the principles by which
each of their congressional candidates is guided, I respectfully invite you to meet
me in a serious and candid discussion of the important political issues of the day,
at various towns in the Fourth Congressional District of Connecticut, on each
week-day evening, from the fourth day of March until the thirtieth day of the
same month, both inclusive.
If you will consent to thus meet me in a friendly discussion of those subjects,
now so near and dear to every American bean, and, I may add, possessing at this
time such momentous interest to all civilized nations in the world who are suf-
fering from misrule, I pledge myself to conduct my portion of the debate with
perfect fairness, and with all due respect for my opponent, and doubt not you
will do the same.
Never, in my judgment, in our past history as a nation, have interests and
questions more important appealed to the people for their wise and careful con-
sideration. It is due to the voters of the Fourth Congressional District, that they
have an early and full opportunity to examine their candidates in regard to
these important problems, and I shall esteem it a great privilege if you will
accept tliis proposition.
Please favor me with an early answer, and oblige,
Truly yours, P. T. BARNUM.
To this letter Mr. William H. Barnum replied, declining to accept my propo-
sition to go before the people of the district and discuss the political questions of
the day.
When Congress met, I was surprised to see by the newspapers that the seat of
my opponent was to be contested on account of alleged bribery, fraud and cor-
ruption in securing his election. This was the first intimation that I had ever
received of such an intention, and I was never, at any time before or afterwards,
consulted upon the subject. The movement proved to have originated with
neighbors and townsmen of the successful candidate, who claimed to be able to
prove that he had paid large sums of money to purchase votes. They also claimed
that they had proof that men were brought from an adjoining State to vote, and
that in the office of the successful candidate naturalization papers were forged
to enabled foreigners to vote upon them. But, I repeat, I took no part nor lot in
the matter, but concluded that if I had been defeated by fraud, mine was the
real success.
CHAPTER XLI.
BENNETT AND THE HERALD.
WHEN the old American Museum burned down, and while the ruins were still
smoking, I had numerous applications for the purchase of the lease of the two
lots, fifty-six by one hundred feet, which had still nearly eleven years to run. It
will be remembered that in 1847 I came back from England, while my second
lease of five years had yet three years more to run, and renewed that lease for
twenty-five years from 1851 at an annual rental of $10,000. It was also stipulated
that in case the building was destroyed by fire the proprietor of the property
should expend twenty-four thousand dollars towards the erection of a new edifice,
and at the end of the term of lease he was to pay me the appraised value of the
building, not to exceed $100,000. Rents and real estate values had trebled since
I took this twenty-five years' lease, and hence the remaining term was very valu-
able. I engaged an experienced and competent real estate broker in Pine street
to examine the terms of my lease, and in view of his knowledge of the cost of
erecting buildings and the rentals they were commanding in Broadway, I enjoined
him to take his time, and make a careful estimate of what the lease was worth to
me, and what price I ought to receive if I sold it to another party. At the end
of several days, he showed me his figures, which proved that the lease was fully
worth $5375,000. As I was inclined to have a museum higher up town, I did not
wish to engage in erecting two buildings at once, so I concluded to offer my
museum lease for sale. Accordingly, I put it into the hands of Mr. Homer Mor-
gan, with directions to offer it for $235,000, which was $50,000 less than the value
at which it had been estimated.
The next day I met Mr. James Gordon Bennett, who told me that he desired to
buy my lease, and at the same time to purchase the fee of the museum property,
for the erection thereon of a publication building for the New York Herald. I
said I thought it was very fitting the Herald should be the successor of the Mu-
seum, and Mr. Bennett asked my price.
" Please to go or send immediately to Homer Morgan's office," I replied, " and
you will learn that Mr. Morgan has the lease for sale at $235,000. This is $50,000
less than its estimated value; but to you I will deduct $25,000 from my already
reduced price, so you may have the lease for $200,000."
Bennett replied that he would look into the affair closely; and the next day his
attorney sent for my lease. He kept it several days, and then appointed an hour
for me to come to his office. I called according to appointment. Mr. Bennett
and his attorney had thoroughly examined the lease. It was the property of my
wife. Bennett concluded to accept my offer. My wife assigned the lease to him,
and his attorney handed me Mr. Bennett's check on the Chemical Bank for
$200,000. That same day I invested $50,000 in United States bonds; and the
remaining $150,000 was similarly invested on the following day. I learned at that
time that Bennett had agreed to purchase the fee of the property for $500,000.
He had been informed that the property was worth some $350,000 to $400,000, and
he did not mind paying $100,000 extra for the purpose of carrying out his plans.
But the parties who estimated for him the value of the land knew nothing of the
253
xJ54 BENNETT AND THE HERALD.
t'ac c that there was a lease upon the property, else of course they would in their
estimate have deducted the $300,000, which the lease would cost. When, there-
fore, Mr. Bennett saw it stated in the newspapers that the sum which he had paid
for a piece of land measuring only fifty-six by one hundred feet was more than
was ever before paid in any city in the world for a tract of that size, he discov-
ered the serious oversight which he had made; and the owner of the property
was immediately informed that Bennett would not take it. But Bennett had
already signed a bond to the owner, agreeing to pay $100,000 cash, and to mort-
gage the premises for the remaining $400,000.
Supposing that by this step he had shaken off the owner of the fee, Bennett
was not long in seeing that, as he was not to own the land, he would have no
possible use for the lease, for which he had paid the $300,000; and accordingly his
next step was to shake me off also, and get back the money he had paid me.
My business for many years, as manager of the Museum and other public
entertainments, compelled me to court notoriety ; and I always found Bennett's
abuse far more remunerative than his praise, even if I could have had the praise
at the same price, that is, for nothing. Especially was it profitable to me when I
could be the subject of scores of lines of his scolding editorials free of charge,
instead of paying him forty cents a line for advertisements, which would not
attract a tenth part so much attention. Bennett had tried abusing me, off and
on, for twenty years, on one occasion refusing my advertisement altogether for
the space of about a year; but I always managed to be the gainer by his course.
Now, however, when new difficulties threatened, all the leading managers in New
York were members of the "Managers' Association," and as we all submitted to
the arbitrary and extortionate demands of the Herald, Bennett thought he had
but to crack his whip, in order to keep any and all of us within the traces. A ccord-
ingly, one day Bennett's attorney wrote me a letter, saying that he would like to
have me call on him at his office the following morning. Not dreaming of the
object, I called as desired, and after a few pleasant commonplace remarks about
the weather, and other trifles, the attorney said:
" Mr. Barnum, I have sent for you to say that Mr. Bennett has concluded not
to purchase the museum lots, and therefore that you had better take back the
lease, and return the $300,000 paid for it."
" Are you in earnest ?" I asked with surprise.
" Certainly, quite so," he answered.
"Really," I said, smiling, "I am sorry I can't accommodate Mr. Bennett; 1
have not got the little sum about me; in fact, I have spent the money."
"It will be better for you to take back the lease," said the attorney, seriously.
"Nonsense," I replied, "I shall do nothing of the sort, I don't make child's
bargains. The lease was cheap enough, but I have other business to attend to,
and shall have nothing to do with it."
The attorney said very little in reply; but I could see, by the almost benignant
sorrow expressed upon his countenance, that he evidently pitied me for the temer-
ity that would doubtless lead me into the jaws of the insatiable monster of the
Herald. The next morning I observed that the advertisement of my entertain-
ments with my Museum Company at Winter Garden was left out of the Herald
columns. I went directly to the editorial rooms of the Herald; and learning
that Bennett was not in, I said to Mr. Hudson, then managing editor:
"My advertisement is left out of the Herald: is there a screw loose ?"
" 1 believe there is," was the reply.
" What is the matter ?" I asked.
t
BENNETT AND THE HERALD. 255
"You must ask the Emperor," said Mr. Hudson, meaning of course Bennett.
"When will the 'Emperor' be in?" I enquired. "Next Monday," was the
answer.
" Well, I shall not see him," I replied; " but I wish to have this thing settled at
once. Mr. Hudson, I now tender you the money for the insertion of my Museum
advertisement on the same terms as are paid by other places of amusement; will
you publish it?"
"I will not," Mr. Hudson peremptorily replied.
"That is all," I said. Mr. Hudson then smilingly and blandly remarked, "1
have formally answered your formal demand, because I suppose you require it ;
but you know, Mr. Barnum, I can only obey orders." I assured him that I
understood the matter perfectly, and attached no blame to him in the premises.
I then proceeded to notify the secretary of the " Managers' Association " to call
the managers together at twelve o'clock the following day; and there was a full
meeting at the appointed time. I stated the facts in the case in the Herald affair,
and simply remarked, that if we did not make common cause against any news-
paper publisher who excluded an advertisement from his columns simply to
gratify a private pique, it was evident that either and all of us were liable to
imposition at any time.
One of the managers immediately made a motion that the entire Association
should stop their advertising and bill printing at the Herald office, and have no
further connection with that establishment. Mr. Lester Wallack advised that
this motion should not be adopted until a committee had waited upon Bennett,
and had reported the result of the interview to the Association. Accordingly,
Messrs. Wallack, Wheatley and Stuart were delegated to go down to the Herald
office to call on Mr. Bennett.
The moment Bennett saw them, he evidently suspected the object of their
mission, for he at once commenced to speak to Mr. Wallack in a patronizing
manner; told him how long he had known, and how much he respected his late
father, who was "a true English gentleman of the old school," with much more
in the same strain. Mr. Wallack replied to Bennett that the three managers
were appointed a committee to wait upon him to ascertain if he insisted upon
excluding from his columns the Museum advertisements — not on account of any
objection to the contents of the advertisements, or to the Museum itself, but
simply because he had a private business disagreement with the proprietor ; inti-
mating that such a proceeding, for such a reason, and no other, might lead to a
rupture of business relations with other managers. In reply, Mr. Bennett had
something to say about the fox that had suffered tailwise from a trap, and there-
upon advised all other foxes to cut their tails off; and he pointed the fable by
setting forth the impolicy of drawing down upon the Association the vengeance
of the Herald. The committee, however, coolly insisted upon a direct answer to
their question.
Bennett then answered: " I will not publish Bamurn's advertisement; I do my
business as I please, and in my own way."
" So do we," replied one of the managers, and the committee withdrew.
The next day the Managers' Association met, heard the report, and unanimously
resolved to withdraw their advertisements from the Herald, and their patronage
from the Herald job establishment, and it was done. Nevertheless, the Herald
for several days continued to print gratuitously the advertisements of Wallack's
Theater and Niblo's Garden, and inordinately puffed these establishments, evi-
dently in order to ease the fall, and to convey the idea that some of the theaters
patronized the Herald, and perhaps hoping by praising these managers to draw
t
256 BENNETT AND THE HERALD.
them back again, and so to nullify the agreement of the Association in regard to
the Herald. Thereupon, the managers headed their advertisements in all the
other New York papers with the line, "This establishment does not advertise in
the New York Herald," and for many months this announcement was kept at the
top of every theatrical advertisement and on the posters and playbills.
The Herald then began to abuse and villif y the theatrical and opera managers,
their artists and their performances, and by way of contrast profusely praised
Tony Pastor's Bowery show, and sundry entertainments of a similar character,
which of course was well understood by the public and relished accordingly.
Meanwhile, the first-class theaters prospered amazingly under the abuse of Ben-
nett. Their receipts were never larger, and their houses never more thronged.
The public took sides in the matter with the managers and against the Herald,
and thousands of people went to the theaters merely to show their willingness
to support the managers and to spite "Old Bennett." The editor was fairly
caught in his own trap; other journals began to estimate the loss the Herald sus-
tained by the action of the managers, and it was generally believed that this loss-
in advertising and job printing was not less than from $75,000 to $100,000 a year.
The Herald's circulation also suffered terribly, since hundreds of people, at the
hotels and elsewhere, who were accustomed to buy the paper solely for the sake
of seeing what amusements were announced for the evening, now bought other
papers. This was the hardest blow of all, and it fully accounted for the abuse
which the Herald daily poured out upon the theaters.
Bennett evidently felt ashamed of the whole transaction; he would never
publish the facts in his columns, though he once stated in an editorial that it had
been reported that he had been cheated in purchasing the Broadway property;
that the case had gone to court, and the public would soon know all the particu-
lars. Some persons supposed by this that Bennett had sued me; but this was far
from being the case. The owner of the lots sued Bennett, to compel him to take
the title and pay for the property as per agreement; and that was all the "law '-
there was about it. He held James Gordon Bennett's bond, that he would pay
him half a million of dollars for the land, as follows: $100,000 cash, and a bond
and mortgage upon the premises for the remaining $400,000. The day before the
suit was to come to trial, Bennett came forward, took the deed, and paid $100,000
cash, and gave a bond and mortgage of the entire premises for $400,000.
Had I really taken back the lease as Bennett desired, he would have been in a
worse scrape than ever; for having been compelled to take the property, he would
have been obliged, as my landlord, to go on and assist in building a Museum for
me, according to the terms of my lease, and a Museum I should certainly have
built on Bennett's property, even if I had owned a dozen Museums up town.
In the autumn of 1868, the associated managers came to the conclusion that the
punishment of Bennett for two years was sufficient, and they consented to restore
their advertisements to the Herald, I was then carrying on my new Museum,
and although I did not immediately resume advertising in the Herald, I have
since done so.
Mr. Bennett died in 1872. In these pages I have not been sparing of criticism
upon his business plans and schemes, but cannot forbear acknowledgment of the
extraordinary talent and tact of this great journalist. By enterprise and energy
he attained a world-wide reputation and a fortune of large proportions. Let
personal conflicts be buried in forgiving forgetfulness.
CHAPTER XLII.
PUBLIC LECTURING.
DURING the summer of 1866, Mr. Edwin L. Brown, Corresponding Secretary
of the "Associated Western Literary Societies," opened a correspondence with
me relative to delivering, in the ensuing season, my lecture on "Success in Life,"
before some sixty lyceums, Young Men's Christian Associations, and Literary
Societies belonging to the union which Mr. Brown represented. The scheme
embraced an extended tour through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wis-
consin, Missouri and Iowa, and I was to receive one hundred dollars for every
repetition of my lecture, with all my traveling expenses on the- route. Agreeing
to these terms, I commenced the engagement at the appointed time, and, averag-
ing five lectures a week, I finished the prescribed round just before New Year's.
Before beginning this engagement, however, I gave the lecture for other
associations at Wheeling, Virginia, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky.
I also delivered the lecture in Chicago, for Professor Eastman, who at that time
had one of his Business Colleges in that city. He engaged the celebrated Crosby
Opera House for the occasion, and I think, with perhaps two exceptions, I never
spoke before so large and intelligent an audience as was there assembled. It was
estimated that from five to six thousand ladies and gentlemen were gathered in
that capacious building; and nearly as many more went away unable to obtain
admission. I was glad to observe by the action of the audience, and by th<*
journals of the following day, that my efforts on that occasion were satisfactory.
Indeed, though it is necessarily egotistical, I may truly say that with this lecture
I always succeeded in pleasing my hearers. I may add, that I have invariably,
as a rule, devoted to charitable purposes every penny I ever received for lectur-
ing, except while I was under the great Jerome Clock cloud in England, when I
needed all I could earn.
My western tour was delightful ; indeed it was almost an ovation. I found, in
fact, that when I had strayed so far from home, the curiosity exhibitor himself
became quite a curiosity. On several occasions, in Iowa, I was introduced to
ladies and gentlemen, who had driven thirty miles in carriages to hear me. I
insisted, however, that it was more to see than to hear; and I asked them if that
was not really the case. In several instances they answered in the affirmative.
In fact, one quaint old lady said: "Why, to tell you the truth, Mr. Barnum, we
have read so much about you, and your Museum and your queer carryings-on,
that we were not quite sure but you had horns and cloven feet, and so we came
to satisfy our curiosity; but, la, me! I don't see but what you look a good deal
like other folks, after all."
On my tour, in attempting to make the connection from Cleveland, Ohio, to
Fort Wayne, Indiana, via Toledo, I arrived at the latter city at one o'clock P. M.,
which was about two hours too late to catch the train in time for the hour
announced for my lecture that evening. I went to Mr. Andrews, the superin-
tendent of the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway, and told him I wanted to
hire a locomotive and car to run to Fort Wayne, as I must be there at eight
o'clock at night.
257
258 PUBLIC LECTURING.
" It is an impossibility," said Mr. Andrews ; " the distance is ninety-four miles
and no train leaves here till morning. The road is much occupied by freight
trains, and we never run extra trains in this part of the country, unless the
necessity is imperative."
I suppose I looked astonished, as well as chagrined. I knew that if I missed
lecturing in Fort Wayne that evening, I could not appoint another time for that
purpose, for every night was engaged during the next two months. I also felt
that a large number of persons in Fort Wayne would be disappointed, and I grew
desperate. Drawing my wallet from my pocket, I said:
" I will give two hundred dollars, and even more, if you say so, to be put into
Fort Wayne before eight o'clock to-night; and, really, I hope you will accommo-
date me "
The superintendent looked me thoroughly over in half a minute, and I fancied
he had come to the conclusion that I was a burglar, a counterf eiter, or something
worse, fleeing from justice. My surmise was confirmed, when he slowly
remarked :
"Your business must be very pressing, sir."
"It is indeed," I replied; " I am Barnum, the Museum man, and am engaged
to speak in Fort Wayne to-night."
He evidently did not catch the whole of my response, for he immediately said.
" Oh, it is a show, eh? Where is old Barnum himself ? "
"I am Barnum," I replied, "and it is a lecture which I am advertised to give
to-night; and I would not disappoint the people for anything."
"Is this P. T. Barnum?" said the superintendent, starting to his feet.
" I am sorry to say it is," I replied.
"Well, Mr. Barnum," said he, earnestly, "if you can stand it to ride to Fort
Wayne in the caboose of a freight train, your well-established reputation for
punctuality in keeping your engagements shall not suffer on account of the Toledo,
Wabash and Western Raijroad."
" Caboose 1 " said I, with a laugh, " I would ride to Fort Wayne astride of the
engine, or boxed up and stowed away in a freight car, if necessary, in order to
meet my engagement."
A freight train was on the point of starting for Fort Wayne; all the cars were
at once ordered to be switched off, except two, which the superintendent said were
necessary to balance the train; the freight trains on the road were telegraphed to
clear the track, and the polite superintendent, pointing to the caboose, invited me
to step in. I drew out my pocket-book to pay, but he smilingly shook his head,
and said: "You have a through ticket from Cleveland to Fort Wayne; hand it
to the freight agent on your arrival, and all will be right."*
The excited state of mind which I had suffered while under the impression that
the audience in Fort Wayne must be disappointed, now changed, and I felt as
happy as a king. In fact, I enjoyed a new sensation of imperial superiority, in
that I was "monarch of all I surveyed," emperor of my own train, switching
all other trains from the main track, and making conductors all along the line
wonder what grand mogul had thus taken complete possession and control of
the road. Indeed, as we sped past each train, which stood quietly on a side
track waiting for us to pass, I could not help smiling at the glances of excited
curiosity which were thrown into our car by the agent and brakeman of the
train which had been so peremptorily ordered to clear the track : and always step-
•See Illustration, page 252.
PUBLIC LECTURING. 259
ping at the caboose door, I raised my hat, receiving in return an almost rev-
erent salute, which the occupants of the waiting train thought due, no doubt, to
the distinguished person for whom they were ordered by special telegram to
to make way.
I now began to reflect that the Fort Wayne lecture committee, upon discover-
ing that I did not arrive by the regular passenger train, would not expect me at
all, and that probably they might issue small bills announcing my failure tc
arrive. I therefore prepared the following telegram which I despatched to them
on our arrival at Napoleon, the first station at which we stopped:
Lecture Committee, Fort Wayne : Rest perfectly tranquil. I am to be delivered at Fort
Wayne by con tract by half-past seven o'clock — special train.
At the same station I received a telegram from Mr. Andrews, the superintend-
ent, asking me how I liked the caboose. I replied :
The springs of the caboose are softer than down ; I am as happy as a clam at high -water:
I am being carried towards Fort Wayne in a style never surpassed by Caesar's triumphal
march into Rome. Hurrah for the Toledo and Wabash Railroad !
At the invitation of the engineer, I took a ride of twenty miles upon the loco-
motive. It fairly made my head swim. I could not reconcile my mind to the
idea that there was no danger; and intimating to the engineer that it would be a
relief to get where I could not see ahead, I was permitted to crawl back again to
the caboose.
I reached Fort "Wayne in ample time for the lecture ; and as the committee had
discreetly kept to themselves the fact of my non-arrival by the regular train,
probably not a dozen persons were aware of the trouble I had taken to f ulfUl my
engagement, till in the course of my lecture, under the head of "perseverance," I
recounted my day's adventures, as an illustration of exercising that quality when
real necessity demanded. The Fort Wayne papers of the next day published
accounts of "Barnum on a Locomotive," and "A Journey in a Caboose;" and,
as I always had an eye to advertising, these articles were sent marked to news-
papers in towns and cities where I was to lecture, and of course were copied —
thus producing the desired effects, first, of informing the public that the " show-
man " was coming, and next, assuring the lecture committee that Barnum would
be punctually on hand as advertised, unless prevented by " circumstances over
which he had no control"
The managers of railroads running west from Chicago, pretty rigidly enforce
a rule excluding from certain reserved cars, all gentlemen traveling without
ladies. As I do not smoke I avoided the smoking cars; and as the ladies' car was
sometimes more select and always more comfortable than the other cars, I tried
various expedients to smuggle myself in. If I saw a lady about to enter the car
alone, I followed closely, hoping thus to elude the vigilance of the brakeman,
who generally acts as door-keeper. But the car Cerberus is pretty well up to all
such dodges, and I did not always succeed. One one occasion, seeing a young
couple, evidently just married, and starting on a bridal tour, about to enter the
car, I followed closely, but was stopped by the door-keeper, who called out:
"How many gentlemen are with this lady."
I have always noticed that young, newly-married people, are very fond of say-
ing " my husband " and " my wife; " they are new terms which sound pleasantly
to the ears of those who utter them; so, in answer to the peremptory inquiry of
the door-keeper, the bridegroom promptly responded :
260 PUBLIC LECTURING.
" I am this lady's husband."
" And I guess you can see by the resemblance between the lady and myself,"
said I to Cerberus, " that I am her father."
The astounded husband and the blushing bride were too much "taken aback"
to deny their newly-discovered parent, but the brakeman said, as he permitted
the young couple to pass into the car:
" We can't pass all creation with one lady."
" I hope you will not deprive me of the company of my child during the little
time we can remain together," I said with a demure countenance. The brake-
man evidently sympathized with the fond "parient" whose feelings were
sufficiently lacerated at losing his daughter, through her finding a husband, and I
was permitted to pass. I immediately apologized to the young bride and her hus-
band, and told them who I was, and my reasons for the assumed paternity, and
they enjoyed the joke so heartily that they called me " father " during our entire
journey together. Indeed, the husband privately and slyly hinted to me that
the first boy should be christened " P. T."
I fulfilled my entire engagement, which covered the lecturing season, and
returned to New York greatly pleased with my western tour. Public lecturing
was by no means a new experience with me; for, apart from my labors in that
direction in England, and occasional addresses before literary and agricultural
associations at home, I had been prominently in the field for many years, as a
lecturer on temperance. My attention was turned to this subject in the following
manner:
In the fall of 1847, while exhibiting General Tom Thumb at Saratoga Springs,
where the New York State Fair was then being held, I saw so much intoxication
among men of wealth and intellect, filling the highest positions in society, that I
began to ask myself the question, What guarantee is there that / may not become
a drunkard ? and I forthwith pledged myself at that time never again to partake
of any kind of spirituous liquors as a beverage. True, I continued to partake of
wine, for I had been instructed, in my European tour, that this was one of the
innocent and charming indispensables of life. I however regarded myself as a
good temperance man, and soon began to persuade my friends to refrain from the
intoxicating cup. Seeing need of reform in Bridgeport, I invited my friend,
the Reverend Doctor E. H. Chapin, to visit us, for the purpose of giving a public
temperance lecture. I had never heard him on that subject, but I knew that on
whatever topic he spoke, he was as logical as he was eloquent.
He lectured in the Baptist church in Bridgeport. His subject was presented in
three divisions: The liquor-seller, the moderate drinker, and the indifferent man.
It happened, therefore, that the second, if not the third clause of the subject, had
a special bearing upon me and my position. The eloquent gentleman overwhelm-
ingly proved that the so-called respectable liquor-seller, in his splendid saloon or
hotel bar, and who sold only to " gentlemen," inflicted much greater injury upon
the community than a dozen common groggeries — which he abundantly illus-
trated. He then took up the " moderate drinker," and urged that he was the
great stumbling-block to the temperance reform. He it was, and not the drunk-
ard in the ditch, that the young man looked at as an example when he took his
first glass. That when the drunkard was asked to sign the pledge, he would reply,
" Why should I do so ? What harm can there be in drinking, when such men as
respectable Mr. A, and moral Mr. B drink wine under their own roof J " He
urged that the higher a man stood in the community, the greater was his influ-
ence either for good or for eviL He said to the moderate drinker: "Sir, yon
PUBLIC LECTUKING. 261
either do or you do not consider it a privation and a sacrifice to give up drinking.
Which is it ? If you say that you can drink or let it alone, that you can quit it
forever without considering it a self-denial, then I appeal to you as a man, to do
it for the sake of your suffering fellow-beings." He further argued that if it was
a self-denial to give up wine-drinking, then certainly the man should stop, for he
was in danger of becoming a drunkard.
What Doctor Chapin said produced a deep impression upon my mind, and, after
a night of anxious thought, I rose in the morning, took my champagne bottles,
knocked off their heads, and poured their contents upon the ground. I then called
upon Doctor Chapin, asked him for the teetotal pledge, and signed it. He was
greatly surprised in discovering that I was not already a teetotaler. He supposed
such was the case, from the fact that 1 had invited him to lecture, and he little
thought, at the time of his delivering it, that his argument to the moderate
drinker was at all applicable to me. I felt that I had now a duty to perform — to
save others, as I had been saved, and on the very morning when I signed the
pledge, I obtained over twenty signatures in Bridgeport. I talked temperance to
all whom I met, and very soon commenced lecturing upon the subject in the
adjacent towns and villages. I spent the entire winter and spring of 1851-2 in
lecturing free, through my native State, always traveling at my own expense,
and I was glad to know that I aroused many hundreds, perhaps thousands, to the
importance of the temperance reform. I also lectured frequently in the cities of
New York and Philadelphia, as well as in other towns in the neighboring States.
While in Boston with Jenny Land, I was earnestly solicited to deliver two tem-
perance lectures in the Tremont Temple, where she gave her concerts. I did so;
and though an admission fee was charged for the benefit of a benevolent society,
the building on each occasion was crowded. In the course of my tour with
Jenny Land, I was frequently solicited to lecture on temperance on evenings
when she did not sing. I always complied when it was in my power. In this
way I lectured in Baltimore, Washington, Charleston, New Orleans, Cincinnati,
St. Louis, and other cities, also in the ladies' saloon of the steamer Lexing-
ton, on Sunday morning. In August, 1853, I lectured in Cleveland, Ohio, and
several other towns, and afterwards in Chicago, Illinois, and in Kenosha, Wis-
consin. An election was to be held in Wisconsin in October, and the friends
of prohibition in that State solicited my services for the ensuing month, and I
could not refuse them. I therefore hastened home to transact some business
which required my presence for a few days, and then returned, and lectured on
my way in Toledo, Norwalk, Ohio, and Chicago, Dlinois. I made the tour of the
State of Wisconsin, delivering two free lectures per day, for four consecutive
weeks, to crowded and attentive audiences.
My lecture in New Orleans, when I was in that city, was in the great Lyceum
Hall, in St. Charles street, and I lectured by the invitation of Mayor Grossman,
and several other influential gentlemen. The immense hall contained more than
three thousand auditors, including the most respectable portion of the New
Orleans public. I was in capital humor, and had warmed myself into a pleasant
state of excitement, feeling that the audience was with me. While in the midst
of an argument illustrating the poisonous and destructive nature of alcohol to
ihe animal economy, .some opponent called out, "How does it affect us, exter-
nally or internally ? "
".S-ternally," I replied.
PUBLIC LECTURING.
I have scarcely ever heard more tremendous merriment than that which fol
lowed this reply, and the applause was so prolonged that it was some minutes
before I could proceed.
On the first evening when I lectured in Cleveland, Ohio (it was in the Baptist
church), I commenced in this wise: " If there are any ladies or gentlemen present
who have never suffered in consequence of the use of intoxicating drinks as a
beverage, either directly or in the person of a dear relative or friend, I will thank
them to rise." A.man with a tolerably glowing countenance arose. " Had you
never a friend who was intemperate ? " I asked.
. " Never 1 " was the positive reply.
A giggle ran through the opposition portion of the audience. " Really, my
friends," I said, " I feel constrained to make a proposition which I did not antici-
pate. I am, as you are all aware, a showman, and I am always on the look-out
for curiosities. This gentleman is a stranger to me, but if he will satisfy me to-
morrow morning that he is a man of credibility, and that no friend of his was
ever intemperate, I will be glad to engage him for ten weeks at $200 per week, to
exhibit him in my American Museum in New York, as the greatest curiosity in
this country."
A laugh that was a laugh followed this announcement.
"They may laugh, but it is a fact," persisted my opponent, with a look of
dogged tenacity.
The gentleman still insists that it is a fact," I replied. " I would like, there-
fore, to make one simple qualification to my offer; I made it on the supposition
that, at some period of his lif e, he had friends. Now, if he never had any friends,
I withdraw my offer; otherwise, I will stick to it."
This, and the shout of laughter that ensued, was too much for the gentleman,
and he sat down. I noticed throughout my speech that he paid strict attention,
and frequently indulged in a hearty laugh. At the close of the lecture he
approached me, and, extending his hand, which I readily accepted, he said, " I was
particularly green in rising to-night. Having once stood up, I was determined
not to be put down, but your last remark fixed me !" He then complimented
me very highly on the reasonableness of my arguments, and declared that ever
afterwards he would be found on the side of temperance.
I have lectured in Montreal, Canada, and many towns and cities in the United
States, at my own expense. One of the greatest consolations I now enjoy is that
of believing I have carried happiness to the bosom of many a family. In the
course of my life I have written much for newspapers, on various subjects, and
always with earnestness, but in none of these have I felt so deep an interest as in
that of the temperance reform. Were it not for this fact, I should be reluctant
to mention that, besides numerous articles for the daily and weekly press, I wrot»-
a little tract on " The Liquor Business," which expresses my practical view of
the use and traffic in intoxicating drinks. In every one of my temperance lee
tures since the beginning of the year 1869, I have regularly read the following
report, made by Mr. T. T. Cortis, Overseer of the Poor in Vineland, New Jersey :
Though we have a population of 10,000 people, for the period of six months no settler or
citizen of Vineland has required relief at my hands as overseer of the poor. Within sev-
enty days, there has only been one case among what we call the flpating population, at the
expense of $4.00. During the entire year, there has only been but one indictment, and that
a trifling case of assault and battery, among our colored population. So few are the fires
in Vineiand, that we have no need of a fire department. There has only been one house
burnt down in a year, and two slight fires, which were soon put out. \Ve practically have
no debt, and our taxes are only one per cent on the valuation. The police expenses of
Vine'and amount to $75.00 per year, the sum paid to me: and our poor expenses a mere
PUBLIC LECTURING. 2G3
trifle. I ascribe this remarkable state of things, so nearly approaching the golden age, to
the industry of our people, and the absence of King Alcohol. Let me give you, in contrast
to this, the state of things in the town from which I came, in New England. The popula-
tion of the town was 9,500 — a little less than that of Vineland. It maintained forty liquor
shops. These kept busy a police judge, city marshal, assistant marshal, four night watch-
men, six policemen. Fires were almost continual. That small place maintained a paid fire
department, of four companies, of forty men each, at an expense of $3,000.00 per annum. I
belonged to this department for six years, and the fires averaged about one every two
weeks, and mostly incendiary. The support of the poor cost $2,500.00 per annum. The
debt of the township was $120,000.00. The condition of things in this New England town
is as favorable in that country as that of many other places where liquor is sold.
It seems to me that there is an amount of overwhelming testimony and unan-
swerable argument in this one brief extract, that makes it in itself one of the
most perfect and powerful temperance lectures ever written.
CHAPTER XLII1.
THE NEW MUSEUM.
MY new Museum on Broadway was liberally patronized from the start, but 1
felt that still more attractions were necessary in order to insure constant success.
I therefore made arrangements with the renowned Van Amburgh Menagerie
Company to unite their entire collection of living wild animals with the Museum.
The new company was known as the " Baruum and Van Amburgh Museum and
Menagerie Company," and as such was chartered by the Connecticut Legislature,
the New York Legislature having refused us a charter unless I would "see" the
" ring " a thousand dollars' worth, which I declined. I owned forty per cent, and
the Van Amburgh Company held the remaining sixty per cent, in the new enter-
prise, which comprehended a large traveling menagerie through the country in
summer, and the placing of the wild animals in the Museum in winter. The
capital of the company was one million of dollars, with the privilege of doubling
the amount. As one of the conditions of the new arrangement, it was stipulated
that I should withdraw from all active personal attention to the Museum, but
should permit my name to be announced as General Manager, and I was also
elected President of the company.
Meanwhile, immense additions were made to the curiosity departments of the
new Museum. Every penny of the profits of this Museum and of the two
immense traveling menageries of wild animals was expended in procuring addi-
tional attractions for our patrons. Among other valuable novelties introduced in
this establishment was the famous collection made by the renowned lion-slayer
Gordon Cummings. This was purchased for me by my faithful friend, Mr.
George A. Wells, who was then traveling in Great Britain with General Tom
Thumb. The collection consisted of many hundreds of skins, tusks, heads and
skeletons of nearly every species of African animal, including numerous rare
specimens never before exhibited on this continent. It was a great Museum in
itself, and as such had attracted much attention in London and elsewhere, but it
was a mere addition to our Museum and Menagerie; and was exhibited without
extra charge for admission.
The monthly returns made to the United States Collector of Internal Revenue
for the district, showed that our receipts were larger than those of "Wallack's
Theater, Niblo's Garden, or any other theater or place of amusement in New
York, or in America.
Anxious to gather curiosities from every quarter of the globe, I sent Mr.
John Greenwood, junior (who went for me to the isle of Cyprus and to Constan-
tinople, in 1864), on the "Quaker City" excursion, which left New York, June
8, 1867, and returned in the following November. During his absence Mr. Green-
wood traveled 17,735 miles, and brought back several interesting relics from the
Holy Land, which were duly deposited in the Museum.
Very soon after entering upon the premises, I built a new and larger lecture
room, which was one of the most commodious and complete theaters in New
York, and I largely increased the dramatic company. Our collection swelled so
264
THE NEW MUSEUM. 265
rapidly that we were obliged to extend our premises by the addition of another
building, forty by one hundred feet, adjoining the Museum. This addition gave
us several new halls, which were speedily filled with curiosities. The rapid
expansion of the establishment, and the immense interest excited in the public
mind led me to consider a plan I had long contemplated, of taking some decided
steps towards the foundation of a great free institution, which should be similar
to and in some respects superior to the British Museum in London. " The Bar-
num and Van Amburgh Museum and Menagerie Company," chartered with a
capital of $2,000,000 had, in addition to the New York establishment, thirty acres
of land in Bridgeport, whereon it was proposed to erect suitable buildings and
glass and wire edifices for breeding and acclimating rare animals and birds, and
training such of them as were fit for public performances. In time, a new build '
ing in New York, covering a whole square, and farther up town, would be needed
for the mammoth exhibition, and I was not without hopes that I might be th»
means of establishing permanently in the city an extensive zoological garden.
It was also my intention ultimately to make my Museum the nucleus of a great
free national institution. When the American Museum was burned, and I turned
my attention to the collection of fresh curiosities, I felt that I needed other assist-
ance than that of my own agents in America and Europe. It occurred to me
that if our government representatives abroad would but use their influence to
secure curiosities in the respective countries to which they were delegated, a free
public Museum might at once be begun in New York, and I proposed to offer a
part of my own establishment rent-free for the deposit and exhibition of such
rarities as might be collected in this way. Accordingly, a week after the destruc-
tion of the American Museum, a memorial was addressed to the President of the
United States, asking him to give his sanction to the new effort to furnish the
means of useful information and wholesome amusement, and to give such instruc-
tions to public officers abroad as would enable them, without any conflict with
their legitimate duties, to give efficiency to this truly national movement for the
advancement of the public good, without cost to the government. This memorial
was dated July 20, 1865, and was signed by Messrs. E. D. Morgan, Moses Taylor,
Abram Wakeman, Simeon Draper, Moses H. Grinnell, Stephen Knapp, Benjamin
R. Winthrop, Charles Gould, Wm. C. Bryant, James Wadsworth, Tunis W.
Quick, John A. Pitldn, Willis Gaylord, Prosper M. Wetmore, Henry Ward
Beecher, and Horace Greeley. This memorial was in due time presented, and
was indorsed as follows:
" EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C'., April 27, 1866.
The purpose set forth in this Memorial IB highly approved and commended, and our
Ministers, Consuls and commercial agents are requested to give whatever influence in car-
rying out the object within stated they may deem compatible with the duties of their
respective positions, and not inconsistent with the public interests.
ANDREW JOHNSON."
1 went to Washington myself, and had interviews with the President, Secre-
taries Seward, McCulloch and Welles, and also with Assistant Secretary of the
Navy, G. V. Fox, who gave me several muskets and other "rebel trophies."
During my stay at the capital I had a pleasant interview with General Grant,
who told me he had lately visited my Museum with one of his sons, and had been
greatly gratified. Upon my mentioning, among other projects, that I had an
idea of collecting the hats of distinguished individuals, he at once offered to send
an orderly for the hat he had worn during his principal campaigns. Ah1 these
12
266 TI1E NEW Ml'SKL'M.
gentlemen cordially approved of my plan for the establishment of a National
Museum in New York.
But before this plan could be put into effective operation, an event occurred
which is now to be narrated: The winter of 1867-68 was one of the coldest that
had been known for years, and some thirty severe snow-storms occurred during
the season. On Tuesday morning, March 3d, 1868, it was bitter cold. A heavy
body of snow was on the ground, and, as I sat at the breakfast table with my
wife and an esteemed lady guest, the wife of my excellent friend, Rev. A. C.
Thomas, I read aloud the general news from the morning papers. Leisurely
turning to the local columns, I said, " Hallo 1 Barnum's Museum is burned."
"Yes, said my wife, with an incredulous smile, "I suspect it is."
"It is a fact," said I, "just listen; 'Barnum's Museum totally destroyed by
fire.' "
This was read so coolly, and I showed so little excitement, that both of the
ladies supposed I was joking. My wife simply remarked:
"Yes, it was totally destroyed two years ago, but Bamum built another one."
"Yes, and that is burned," I replied; "now listen," and I proceeded very
calmly to read the account of the fire. Mrs. Thomas, still believing from my
manner that it was a joke, stole slyly behind my chair, and looking over my
shoulder at the newspaper, she exclaimed:
" Why, Mrs. Bamum, the Museum is really burned. Here is the whole account
of it in this morning's paper."
" Of course it is," I remarked, with a smile, " how could you think I could joke
on such a serious subject !"
The papers of the following morning contained full accounts of the fire ; and
editorial writers, while manifesting much sympathy for the proprietors, also
expressed profound regret that so magnificent a collection, especially in the
zoological department, should be lost to the city.
The cold was so intense that the water froze almost as soon as it left the hose of
the fire engines; and when at last everything was destroyed, except the front
granite wall of the Museum building, that and the ladder, signs, and lamp-posts
in front, were covered in a gorgeous frame-work of transparent ice, which made
it altogether one of the most picturesque scenes imaginable. Thousands of per-
sons congregated daily in that locality in order to get a view of the magnificent
ruins. By moonlight, the ice-coated ruins were still more sublime; and for many
days and nights the old Museum was "the observed of all observers," and pho-
tographs were taken by several artists.*
When the Museum was burnt, I was nearly ready to bring out a new spectacle,
for which a very large, extra company had been engaged, and on which a con-
siderable sum of money had been expended hi scenery, properties, costumes, and
especially in enlarging the stage. I had expended altogether, some $78,000 in
building the new lecture-room, and in refitting the saloons. The curiosities were
inventoried by the manager, Mr. Ferguson, at $288,000. I bought the real estate
only a little while before the tire, for $4(30,000, and there was an insurance on the
whole of $160,000; and hi June, 1868, 1 sold the lots on which the building stood,
for $432,000. The cause of the fire was a defective flue in the restaurant hi the
basement of the building.
Thus, by the destruction of Iranistan and two Museums, about a million of
dollars' worth of my property had been destroyed by fire, and I was not now
long in making up my mind to follow Mr. Greeley's advice on a former occasion,
to " take this fire as a notice to quit, and go a-fishing/'
* See Illustration, page ;W4.
THE NEW MUSEUM. 26?
I dissolved with the Van Amburgh Company, and sold out to them all my
interest in the personal property of the concern. I was beset on every side to
start another Museum, and men of capital offered to raise a million of dollars, if
necessary, for that purpose, provided I would undertake its management ; but I
felt that I had enough to live on, and I earnestly believed the doctrine laid down
in my lecture on " Money-Getting," in regard to the danger of leaving too much
property to children.
As I now had something like real leisure at my disposal, in the summer of 1868
I made my third visit to the White Mountains. To me, the locality and scene
are ever fresh and ever wonderful. From the top of Mount Washington, one
can see, on every side within a radius of forty miles, peaks piled on peaks, with
smiling valleys here and there between, and, on a very clear day, the Atlantic
Ocean, off Portland, Maine, is distinctly visible — sixty miles away. Beauty,
grandeur, sublimity, and the satisfaction of almost every sense combine to remind
one of the ejaculation of that devout English soul who exclaims: " Look around
with pleasure, and upward with gratitude."
At the Profile House, near the Notch, in the Franconia range, I met many
acquaintances, some of whom had been there with their families for several
weeks. When tired of scenery-hunting and hill-climbing, and thrown entirely
upon their own resources, they had invented a "sell" which they perpetrated
upon every new-comer. Naturally enough, as I was considered a capital subject
for their fun, before I had been there half an hour they had made all the arrange-
ments to take me in. The " sell " consisted in getting up a foot-race in which all
were to join, and at the word " go " the contestants were to start and run across
the open space in front of the hotel to a fence opposite, while the last man who
should touch the rail must treat the crowd. Of course, no one touched the rail
at all, except the victim. I suspected no trick, but tried to avoid the race, urging
in excuse, that I was too old, too corpulent, and, besides, as they knew, I was a
teetotaler and would not drink their liquor.
" Oh, drink lemonade, if you like," they said, "but no backing out; and as for
corpulence, here is Stephen, our old stage-driver, who weighs three hundred, and
he shall run with the rest."
And, in good truth, Stephen, in a warm day especially, would be likely to
" run " with the best of them; but I did not know then that Stephen was the stool-
pigeon whom they kept to entrap unwary and verdant youths like myself ; so,
looking at his portly form, I at once agreed that if Stephen ran I would, as 1
knew that, for a stout man, I was pretty quick on my feet. Accordingly at the
word " go," I started and ran as if the traditional enemy of mankind were in
me or after me, but, before I had accomplished half the distance, I wondered why
at least, one or two of the crowd had not outstripped me, for, in fact, Stephen
was the only one whom I expected to beat. Looking back and at once compre-
hending the "sell," I decided not to be sold. A correspondent of the New York
Sun told how I escaped the trick and the penalty, and how I subsequently paid
off the tricksters, in a letter from which I quote the following : *
" Barnum threw up his hands before arriving at the railing, and did not touch it at all I
It was acknowledged on all sides that the ' biters were bit.' ' But you run well,' said those
who intended the 'sell.' 'Yes,' replied Barnum, in high glee, 'I ran better than I did for
Congress, but I was not green enough to touch the rail!' Of course a roar of laughter
followed, and the ' sellers r resolved to try the game the next morning on some other new-
comer ; but their luck had evidently deserted them, for the next man also ' smelt a rat,' and,
holding up his hunds, refused to touch the rail. The two successive failures dampened the
ardor of the " sellers," and they relinquished that trick as a bad job. But the way Bar-
num sold nearly the whole crowd of 'sellers,' in detail, on the following afternoon, by the
* See Illustration, page 800.
268 THE NEW MUSEUM.
old 'sliver trick,' was a caution to sore Rides. So much laughing In one day was probably
never before done in that locality. One after another succeeded in extracting from the
palm of Barnum's hand what each at first supposed was a tormenting ' sliver,' but which
turned out to be a * broom splinter ' a foot long which was hidden up B.'s sleeve, except
the small point which appeared from under the end of his thumb, apparently protruding
from under the skin of his palm. One ' weak brother ' nearly fainUd as he saw come
forth some twelve inches of what he first supposed was a ' sliver,' but which he was now
thoroughly convinced was one of the nerves from Barnum's arm. Mr. O'Brien, the Wall
street banker, was the first victim. When asked what he thought upon seeing such a long
'sliver' coming from Barnum's hand, he solemnly replied, ' I thought he was a dead man!'
It was acknowledged by all that Barnum gave them a world of 'fan,1 and that he and his
friends left the Profile House with flying colors."
CHAPTER XLIV.
CUKIOUS COINCIDENCES — NUMBER THIBTEEN.
lw the summer of 1868, a lady, who happened to be at that time an inmate of
my family, upon hearing me say that I supposed we must remove into our sum-
mer residence on Thursday, because our servants might not like to go on Friday,
remarked:
" What nonsense that is ! It is astonishing that some persons are so foolish as
to think there is any difference in the days. I call it rank heathenism to be so
superstitious as to think one day is lucky and another unlucky;" and then, in the
most innocent manner possible, she added : "I would not like to remove on a
Saturday, myself, for they say people who remove on the last day of the week
don't stay long."
Of course this was too refreshing a case of undoubted superstition to be per-
mitted to pass without a hearty laugh from all who heard it.
I suppose most of us have certain superstitions, imbibed in our youth, and still
lurking more or less faintly in our minds. Many would not like to acknowledge
that they had any choice whether they commenced a new enterprise on a Friday
or on a Monday, or whether they first saw the new moon over the right or left
shoulder. And yet, perhaps, a large portion of these same persons will be apt
to observe it when they happen to do anything which popular superstition calls
"unlucky." It is a common occurrence with many to immediately make a
secret "wish" if they happen to use the same expression at the same moment
when a friend with whom they are conversing makes it ; nevertheless, these per-
sons would protest against being considered superstitious — indeed, probably they
are not so in the full meaning of the word.
Several years ago, an old lady, who was a guest at my house, remarked on a
rainy Sunday:
" This is the first Sunday in the month, and now it will rain every Sunday in
the month; that is a sign which never fails, for I have noticed it many a time."
"Well," I remarked, smiling, "watch closely this time, and if it rains on the
next three Sundays, I will give you a new silk dress."
She was in high glee, and replied:
"Well, you have lost that dress, as sure as you are born."
The following Sunday it did, indeed, rain.
" Ah, ha 1 " exclaimed the old lady, " what did I tell you ? I knew it would
rain."
I smiled, and said, " all right, watch for next Sunday."
And surely enough, the next Sunday it did ram, harder than on either of the
preceding Sundays.
"Now, what do you think?" said the old lady, solemnly. "I tell you that
sign never fails. It won't do to doubt the ways of Providence," she added with
a sigh, " for His ways are mysterious and past finding out."
The following Sunday, the sun rose in a cloudless sky, and not the slightest
appearance of rain was manifested through the day. The old lady was greatly
disappointed, and did not like to hear any allusion to the subject; but two yearn
269
270 CURIOUS COINCIDENCES — NUMBER THIRTEEN.
afterwards, when she was once more my guest, it again happened to rain on the
first Sunday in the month, and I heard her solemnly predict that it would, every
succeeding Sunday in the month, " for," she remarked, " it is a sign that never
fails." She had forgotten the failure of two years before; indeed, the contin-
uance and prevalence of many popular superstitions is due to the fact that we
notice the " sign" when it happens to be verified, and do not observe it, or we
forget it, when it fails. Many persons are exceedingly superstitious in regard to
the number " thirteen." This is particularly the case, I have noticed, in Catholic
countries I have visited, and I have been told that superstition originated in the
fact of a thirteenth apostle having been chosen, on account of the treachery of
Judas. At any rate, I have known numbers of French persons who had quite a
horror of this fatal number. Once I knew a French lady, who had taken pas-
sage in an ocean steamer, and who, on going aboard, and finding her assigned
state-room to be " No. 13," insisted upon it that she would not sail in the ship at
all; she had rather forfeit her passage money, though, finally, she was persuaded
to take another room. And a great many people, French, English and Amer-
ican, will not undertake any important enterprise on the thirteenth day of the
month, nor sit at table with a full complement of thirteen persons. With regard
to this number, to which so many superstitions cling, I have some interesting
experiences and curious coincidences, which are worth relating, as a part of my
personal history.
When I was first in England with General Tom Thumb, I well remember din-
ing one Christmas day with my friends, the Brettells, in St. James's Palace, in
London. Just before the dinner was finished (it is a wonder it was not noticed
before) it was discovered that the number at table was exactly thirteen.
"How very unfortunate," remarked one of the guests; "I would not have
dined under such circumstances for any consideration, had I known it ! "
" Nor I either," seriously remarked another guest.
"Do you really suppose there is any truth in the old superstition on that
subject ?" I asked.
" Truth ! " solemnly replied an old lady. " Truth 1 Why I myself have known
three instances, and have heard of scores of others, where thirteen persons have
eaten at the same table, and in every case one of the number died before the year
was out ! "
This assertion, made with so much earnestness, evidently affected several of the
guests, whose nerves were easily excited. I can truthfully state, however, that
I dined at the Palace again the following Christmas, and although there were
seventeen persons present, every one of the original thirteen who dined there the
preceding Christmas, was among this number, and all in good health ; although,
of course, it would have been nothing very remarkable if one had happened to
have died during the last twelve months.
While I was on my Western lecturing tour in 1866, long before I got out of Illinois,
1 began to observe that at the various hotels where I stopped my room very fre-
quently was number thirteen. Indeed, it seemed as if this number turned up to me
as often as four times per week, and so, before many days, I almost expected to
have that number set down to my name wherever I signed it upon the register of
the hotel. Still, I laughed to myself, at what I was convinced was simply a coin-
cidence. On one occasion I was traveling from Clinton to Mount Vernon, Iowa,
and was to lecture in the college of the latter place that evening. Ordinarily,
I should have arrived at two o'clock P. M. ; but owing to an accident which had
occurred to the train from the West, the conductor informed me that our arrival in
CURIOUS COINCIDENCES — NUMBER THIRTEEN. 27J
Mount Vernon would probably be delayed until after seven o'clock. I telegraphed
that fact to the committee who were expecting me, and told them to be patient.
When we had arrived within ten miles of that town it was dark. I sat rather
moodily in the car, wishing the train would ' ' hurry up ; " and happening, for some
cause to look bacK over my left shoulder, I discovered the new moon through the
window. This omen struck me as a coincident addition to my ill-luck, and
with a pleasant chuckle I muttered to myself, "Well, I hope I won't get room
number thirteen to-night, for that will be adding insult to injury."
I reached Mount Vernon a few minutes before eight, and was met at the depot
by the committee, who took me in a carriage and hurried to the Ballard House.
The committee told me the hall in the college was already crowded, and they
hoped I would defer taking tea until after the lecture. I informed them that I
would gladly do so, but simply wished to run to my room a moment for a wash.
While wiping my face I happened to think about the new room, and at once
stepped outside of my bed-room door to look at the number. It was " number
thirteen."
After the lecture I took tea, and I confess that I began to think " number thir
teen " looked a little ominous. There I was, many hundreds of miles from my
family; I left my wife sick, and I began to ask myself, does " number thirteen "
portend anything in particular ? Without feeling willing even now to acknowl-
edge that I felt much apprehension on the subject, I must say I began to take a
serious view of things in general.
I mentioned the coincidence of my luck in so often having "number thirteen"
assigned to me to Mr. Ballard, the proprietor of the hotel, giving him all the
particulars to date.
" I will give you another room, if you prefer it," said Mr. Ballard.
"No, I thank you," I replied with a semi-serious smile; " if it is fate, I will
take it as it comes; and if it means anything I shall probably find it out in time.
That same night, before retiring to rest, I wrote a letter to a clerical friend, then
residing in Bridgeport, telling him all my experiences in regard to "number
thirteen." I said to him in closing: " Don't laugh at me for being superstitious,
for I hardly feel so; I think it is simply a series of 'coincidences' which appear
the more strange because I am sure to notice eveiy one that occurs." Ten days
afterwards I received an answer from my reverend friend, in which he cheerfully
said: "It's all right; go ahead and get 'number thirteen' as of ten as you can.
It is a lucky number," and he added:
w Unbelieving and ungrateful man! What is thirteen but the traditional 'baker's dozen,'
indicating ' good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over,' as illustrated
in your triumphal lecturing tour ? By all means insist upon having room number thirteen
at every hotel; anil if the guests at any meal be less than that charmed complement, send
out and compel somebody to come in.
" What do you say respecting the Thirteen Colonies? Any ill-luck in the number? Was
the patriarch Jacob afraid of it when he adopted Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of
Joseph, so as to complete the magic circle of thirteen?
"Do you not know that chapter thirteen of First Corinthians is the grandest in the Bible,
with verse thirteen as the culmination of all religions thought? And can you read verse
thirteen of the fifth chapter of Revelation without the highest rapture?"
But my clerical friend had not heard of a certain curious circumstance which
occurred to me after I had mailed my letter to him and before I received his
answer.
On leaving Mount Vernon for Cedar Rapids the next morning, the landlord,
Mr. Ballard, drove me to the railroad depot. As I was stepping upon the cars,
Mr. Ballard shook my hand, and with a laugh exclaimed: "Good-by, friend Bar-
CURIOUS COINCIDENCES — NUMBER THIRTEEN.
I hope you won't get room number thirteen at Cedar Rapids to-day." " 1
hope not 1 " I replied earnestly, and yet with a smile. I reached Cedar Rapids in
an hour. The lecture committee met and took me to the hotel. I entered my
name, and the landlord immediately called out to the porter:
" Here, John, take Mr. Barnum's baggage, and show him to ' number thirteen ? ' "
I confess that when I heard this I was startled. I remarked to the landlord
that it was certainly very singular, but was nevertheless true, that "number
thirteen " seemed to be about th» only room that I could get in a hotel.
"We have a large meeting of railroad directors here at present," he replied,
" and 'number thirteen' is the only room unoccupied in my house."
I proceeded to the room, and immediately wrote to Mr. Ballard at Mount Ver-
non, assuring him that my letter was written in "number thirteen," and that
this was the only room I could get in the hotel. During the remainder of my
journey, I was put into "number thirteen" so often in the various hotels at
which I stopped that it came to be quite a matter of course, though occasionally
I was fortunate enough to secure some other number. Upon returning to New
York, I related the foregoing adventures to my family, and told them I was
really half afraid of "number thirteen. " Soon afterwards, I telegraphed to my
daughter who was boarding at the Atlantic House in Bridgeport, asking her to
engage a room for me to lodge there the next night, on my way to Boston. "Mr.
Hale," said she to the landlord, "father is coming up to-day; will you please
reserve him a comfortable room?" "Certainly," replied Mr. Hale, and he
instantly ordered a fire in "room thirteen ! " I went to Boston and proceeded to
Lewiston, Maine, and thence to Lawrence, Massachusetts, and the hotel register
there has my name booked for " number thirteen."
My experience with this number has by no means been con fined to apartments.
In 1867 a church in Bridgeport wanted to raise several thousand dollars in order
to get freed from debt. I subscribed one thousand dollars, by aid of which they
assured me they would certainly raise enough to pay off the debt. A few weeks
subsequently, however, one of the "brethren" wrote me that they were still six
hundred dollars short, with but little prospect of getting it. I replied that I
would pay one-half of the sum required. The brother soon afterwards wrote me
that he had obtained the other half, and I might forward him my subscription of
" thirteen " hundred dollars. During the same season I attended a fan- in Franklin
Hall, Bridgeport, given by a temperance organization. Two of my little grand-
daughters accompanied me, and, telling them to select what articles they desired,
I paid the bill, twelve dollars and fifty cents. Whereupon I said to the children,
"I am glad you did not make it thirteen dollars, and I will expend no more
here to-night." We sat awhile listening to the music, and finally started for
home, and, as we were going, a lady at one of the stands near the door, called
out : " Mr. Barnum, you have not patronized me. Please take a chance in my
lottery." " Certainly," I replied ; " give me a ticket." I paid her the price (fifty
cents), and after I arrived home, I discovered that in spite of my expressed
determination to the contrary, I had expended exactly "thirteen" dollars !
I invited a few friends to a "clam-bake" in the summer of 1868, and, being
determined the party should not be thirteen, I invited fifteen, and they all agreed
to go. Of course, one man and his wife were "disappointed," and could not go —
and my party numbered thirteen. At Christmas, in the same year, my children
and grandchildren dined with me, and finding, on "counting noses," that they
would number the inevitable thirteen, I expressly arranged to have a high chair
nlaced at the table, and my youngest grandchild, seventeen months old, was
OTTEIOU8 COINCIDENCES — NUMBEE THIBTEEN. 273
placed in it, so that we should number fourteen, After the dinner was over, we
discovered that my son-in-law, Thompson, had been detained down town, and the
number at dinner table, notwithstanding my extra precautions, was exactly
thirteen.
Thirteen was certainly an ominous number to me in 1865, for on the thirteenth
day of July, the American Museum was burned to the ground, while the thir-
teenth day of November saw the opening of " Barnum's New American Museum,"
which was also subsequently destroyed by flre.
Having concluded this veritable history of superstitious coincidences in regard
to thirteen, I read it to a clerical friend, who happened to be present ; and after
reading the manuscript, I paged it, when my friend and I were a little startled to
find that the pages numbered exactly thirteen.
CHAPTER XLV.
SEA-SIDE PARK.*
PROM the time when I first settled in Bridgeport, and turned my attention to
opening and beautifying new avenues, and doing whatever lay in my power to
extend and improve that charming city, I was exceedingly anxious that public
parks should be established, especially one where good drive-ways, and an oppor-
tunity for the display of the many fine equipages for which Bridgeport is cele-
brated, could be afforded. Mr. Noble and I began the movement by presenting
to the city the beautiful ground in East Bridgeport now known as Washington
Park — a most attractive promenade and breathing-place, and a continual resort
for citizens on both sides of the river, particularly in the summer evenings, when
one of the city bands is an additional attraction to the pleasant spot. Thus
our city was far in advance of Bridgeport proper in providing a prime necessity
for the health and amusement of the people.
Up to the year 1865, the shores of Bridgeport, west of the public wharves, and
washed by the waters of Long Island Sound, was inaccessible to carriages, or
even to horsemen, and almost impossible for pedestrianism. The shore edge, in
fact, was strewn with rocks and boulders, which made it, like "Jordan" in the
song, an exceedingly "hard road to travel." A narrow lane reaching down to
the shore enabled parties to drive near to the water for the purpose of Clamming,
and occasionally bathing ; but it was all claimed as private property by the land
proprietors, whose farms extended down to the water's edge. On several occa-
sions, at low tide, I endeavored to ride along the shore on horseback, for the
purpose of examining "the lay of the land," in the hope of finding it feasible to
get a public drive along the water's edge. On one occasion, in 1863, I succeeded
in getting my horse around from the foot of Broad street, in Bridgeport, to a
lane over the Fail-field line, a few rods west of " Iranistan avenue," a grand
street which I have since opened at my own expense, and through my own land.
From the observations I made that day, I was satisfied that a most lovely park
and public drive might be, and ought to be opened along the whole water-front
as far as the western boundary line of Bridgeport, and even extending over
the Fairfield line.
Foreseeing that in a few years such an improvement would be too late, and
having in mind the failure of the attempt in 1850 to provide a park for the
people of Bridgeport, I immediately began to agitate the subject in the Bridge-
port papers, and also in daily conversations with such of my fellow-citizens as I
thought would take an earnest and immediate interest in the enterprise. I urged
that such an improvement would increase the taxable value of property in that
vicinity many thousands of dollars, and thus enrich the city treasury; that it
would improve the value of real estate generally, in the city ; that it would be
an additional attraction to strangers who came to spend the summer with us, and
to those who might be induced from other considerations to make the city their
permanent residence; that the improvement would throw into market some of
" See Jllnstration. page 276.
SEA-SIDE PARK 275
the most beautiful building sites that could be found anywhere in Connecticut ;
and I dwelt upon the absurdity, almost criminality, that a beautiful city like
Bridgeport, lying on the shore of a broad expanse of salt water, should so cage
itself in, that not an inhabitant could approach the beach. With these and like
arguments and entreaties, I plied the people day in and "day out, till some of
them began to be familiarized with the idea that a public park close upon the
shore of the Sound, was at least a possible if not probable thing.
But certain "conservatives," as they are called, said: "Barnum is a hair-
brained fellow, who thinks he can open and people a New York Broadway
through a Connecticut wilderness;" and the "old fogies" added: "Yes, he is
trying to start another chestnut-wood fire for the city to blow forever ; but the
city or town of Bridgeport will not pay out money to lay out or to purchase
public parks. If people want to see green grass and trees, they have only to walk
or drive half a mile either way from the city limits, and they will come to farms
where they can see either, or both, for nothing ; and, if they are anxious to see
salt water, and to get a breath of the Sound breeze, they can take boats at the
wharves, and sail or row till they are entirely satisfied."
Thus talked the conservatives and the "old fogies," who, unhappily, even if
they are in a minority, are always a force in all communities. I soon saw that it
was of no use to expect to get the city to pay for a park. The next thing was to
see if the land could not be procured free of charge, or at a nominal cost, pro-
vided the city would improve and maintain it as a public park. I approached the
farmers who owned the land lying immediately upon the shore, and tried to con-
vince them that, if they would give the city, free, a deep slip next to the water,
to be used as a public park, it would increase in value the rest of their land so
much as to make it a profitable operation for them. But it was like beating
against the wind. They were " not so stupid as to think that they could become
gainers by giving away their property." Such trials of patience as I underwent
in a twelvemonth, in the endeavor to carry this point, few persons who have
not undertaken like almost hopeless labor, can comprehend. At last, I enlisted
the attention of Messrs. Nathaniel Wheeler, James Loomis, Francis Ives, Frede-
rick Wood, and a few more gentlemen, and persuaded them to walk with me
over the ground, which to me seemed in every way practicable for a park. These
gentlemen, who were men of taste, as well as of enterprise and public spirit,
very soon coincided in my ideas as to the feasibility of the plan and the advan-
tages of the site ; and some of them went with me to talk with the land-owners,
adding their own pleas to the arguments I had already advanced. After much
pressing and persuading, we got the terms upon which the proprietors would give
a portion and sell another portion of their land, which fronted on the water, pro-
vided the land thus disposed of, should forever be appropriated to the purposes
of a public park. But, unfortunately, a part of the land it was desirable to
include, was the small Mallett farm, of some thirty acres, then belonging to an
unsettled estate, and neither the administrator nor the heirs could or would give
away a rod of it. But the whole farm was for sale— and, to overcome the diffi-
culty in the way of its transfer for the public benefit, I bought it for about
$12,000, and then presented the required front to the park. I did not want this
land or any portion of it, for my own purposes or profit, and I offered a thou-
sand dollars to any one who would take my place in the transaction ; but no one
accepted, and I was quite willing to contribute so much of the land as was needed
for so noble an object. Indeed, besides this, I gave $1,400 towards purchasing
other land and improving the park ; and. after months of persistent and pei-sonaJ
276 SEA-SIDE PARK.
effort, 1 succeeded in raising, by private subscription, the sum necessary to
secure the land needed. This was duly paid for, deeded to, and accepted by the
city, and I had the pleasure of naming this new and great public improvement,
4 ' Sea-side Park. " .
Public journals are generally exponents of public opinion ; and how the people
viewed the new purchase, now their own property, may be judged by the fol-
lowing extracts from the leading local newspapers, when the land for the new
enterprise was finally secured :
OUR SKA-SIDE PARK.
[From the "Bridgeport Standard," August 21, 1865.]
Bridgeport has taken another broad stride of which she may well be proud. The Sea-
Bide Park is a fixed fact. Yesterday Messrs. P. T. B;irnum, Captain John Brooks, Mr.
George Bailey, Captain Burr Knapp, and Henry Wheeler generously donated to this city
sufficient land for the Park, with the exception of seven or eight acres, which have been
purchased by private subscriptions. Last night the Common Council appointed excellent
Park Commissioners, and work on the tea-wall and the avenues surrounding the Park will
be commenced at once. Besides securing the most lovely location for a park to be found
between New York and Boston, which for all time will be a source of pride to our city and
State, there is no estimating the pecuniary advantage which this great improvement will
eventually prove to our citizens. Plans are on foot and enterprises are agitated in regard
to a park hotel, sea-side cottages, horse raijroad branch, and other features, which, when
consummated, will serve to amaze our citizens to think that such a delightful sea-side
frontage had been permitted to lie so long unimproved. To Mr. P. T. Barnum, we believe,
is awarded the credit of originating this beautiful improvement, and certainly to his untir-
ing, constant and persevering personal efforts are we indebted for its being finally consum-
mated. Hon. James C. Loomis was the first man who heartily joined with Baruum in
pressing the plan of the sea-side park upon the attention of our citizens, but it is due to
our citizens themselves to say that, with an extraordinary unanimity, they have not only
voted to appropriate 810,000 from the city treasury to making the avenues around the Park,
and otherwise improving it, but they have also generously aided by private contributions
in purchasing such land as was not freely given for the Park.
Thus was my long-cherished plan at length fulfilled ; nor did my efforts end
Here, for I aided and advised in all important matters in the laying out and pro-
gress of the new park ; and in July, 1869, I gave to the city several acres of land,
worth, at the lowest valuation, $5,000, which were added to and included in this
public pleasure-ground, and now make the west end of the park.
At the beginning, the park on paper and the park hi reality, were two quite
different things. The inaccessibility of the site was remedied by approaches
which permitted the hundreds of workmen to begin to grade the grounds, and to
lay out the walks and drives. The rocks and boulders over which I had more
than once attempted to make my way on foot and on horseback, were devoted to
the building of a substantial sea-wall, under the able superintendence of Mr.
David TV. Sherwood. Paths were opened, shade-trees were planted ; and for-
tunately there was, in the very center of the ground, a beautiful grove of full
growth, which is one of the most attractive features of this now charming spot ;
and a broad and magnificent drive follows the curves of the shore and encircles
the entire park. A large covered music-stand has been erected ; and on a rising
piece of ground has been built a substantial Soldiers' Monument.
The branch horse railroad already reaches one of the main entrances, and
brings down crowds of people every day and evening, and especially on the
evenings in which the band plays. At such times the avenues are not only
thronged with superb equipages and crowds of people, but the whole harbor is
alive with row-boats, sail-boats and yachts. The views on all sides are Charming.
In the rear is the city, with its roofs and spires ; Black Rock and Stafford light*
SEA-SIDE PARK. 277
are in plain sight ; to the eastward and southward stretches " Old Long Island's
sea-girt shore ; " and between lies the broad expanse of the salt water, with its
ever " fresh " breezes, and the perpetual panorama of sails and steamers. I do not
believe that a million dollars, to-day, would compensate the city of Bridgeport
for the loss of what is confessed to be the most delightful public pleasure-ground
between New York and Boston.
CHAPTER XLV1
WALDEMERE.*
WHEN I first selected Bridgeport as a permanent residence for my family, its
nearness to New York, and the facilities for daily transit to and from the
metropolis were present and partial considerations only in the general advantages
the location seemed to offer. Nowhere, in all my travels in America and abroad,
had I seen a city whose very position presented so many and varied attractions.
Situated on Long Island Sound, with that vast water-view in front, and on every
other side a beautiful and fertile country with every variety of inland scenery,
and charming drives which led through valleys rich with well-cultivated farms,
and over hills thick-wooded with far-stretching forests of primeval growth — all
these natural attractions appeared to me only so many aids to the advancement
the beautiful and busy city might attain, if public spirit, enterprise and money
grasped and improved the opportunities the locality itself, extended. I saw that
what Nature had so freely lavished must be supplemented by yet nlore liberal
Art.
Consequently, and quite naturally, when I projected and established my first
residence in Bridgeport, I was exceedingly desirous that all the surroundings of
Iranistan should accord with the beauty and completeness of that place. I was
never a victim to that r"anm which possesses many men of even moderate means
to " own everything tkat joins them," and I knew that Iranistan would so increase
the value of surrounding property that none but first-class residences would be
possible in the vicinity. But there was other work to do, which, while affording
advantageous approaches to my property, would at the same time be a lasting
benefit to the public ; and so I opened Iranistan Avenue, and other broad and
beautiful streets, through land which I freely purchased, and as freely gave to
the public, and these highways are now the most convenient as well as charming
in the city.
To have opened all these new avenues, in their entire length, at my own cost,
and through my own ground, would have required a confirmation of Miss Lavi-
nia Warren's opinion, that what little of the city of Bridgeport and the adjacent
town of Fairfield was not owned by General Tom Thumb, belonged to P. T.
Barnum. Everywhere through my own lands I laid out and threw open public
streets, and on both sides of every avenue I laid out and planted a profusion of
elms and other trees. In this way, I have opened miles of new streets, and have
planted thousands of shade-trees in Bridgeport; for I think there is much wisdom
in the advice of the Laird of Dumbiedikes, in Scott's " Heart of Mid-Lothian," who
sensibly says : " When ye hae naething else to do, ye may be aye sticking in a
tree ; it will be growing when ye're sleeping." But, in establishing new streets,
too often, when I had gone through my own land, the project came literally to an
end ; some "old fogy" blocked the way — my way, his own way, and the high-
way— and all I could do would be to jump over his field, and continue my new
* See Illustration, page 288.
WALDEMERE. ^'l:,
street through land I might own on the other side, till I reached the desired termi-
nus in the end or continuation of some other street ; or till, unhappily, I came
to a dead stand-still at the ground of some other "old fogy," who, like the
original owners of what is now the shore-front of Sea-side Park, " did not believe
there was money to be made by giving away their property."
Conservatism may be a good thing in the State, or in the church, but it is fatal
to the growth of cities ; and the conservative notions of old fogies make them
indifferent to the requirements which a very few years in the future will compel,
and blind to their own best interests. Such men never look beyond the length of
their noses, and consider every investment a dead loss unless they can get the
sixpence profit into tiwir pockets before they go to bed. My own long training
and experience as a manager impelled me to cany into such private enterprises
as the purchase of real estate that best and most essential managerial quality of
instantly deciding, not only whether a venture was worth undertaking, but what,
all things considered, that venture would result in. Almost any man can see
how a thing will begin, but not every man is gifted with the foresight to see how
it will end, or how, with the proper effort, it may be made to end. In East
Bridgeport, where we had no "conservatives" to contend with, we were only a
few years in turning almost tenantless farms into a populous and prosperous city.
On the other side of the river, while the opening of new avenues, the planting of
shade-trees, and the building of many houses, have afforded me the highest pleas-
ures of my life, I confess that not a few of my greatest annoyances have been
occasioned by the opposition of those who seem to be content to simply vegetate
through their existence, and who looked upon me as a restless, reckless innovator,
because I was trying to remove the moss from everything around them, and even
from their own eyes. .
In the summer of 1867, the health of my wife continuing to decline, her physi-
cian directed that she should remove nearer to the sea-shore.
Lindencroft was sold July 1, 1867, and we immediately removed for a summer's
sojourn to a small farm-house adjoining Sea-side Park. During the hot days of
the next three months we found the delightful sea-breeze so bracing and refresh-
ing that the season passed like a happy dream, and we resolved that our future
summers should be spent on the very shore of Long Island Sound. I did not,
however, perfect my arrangements in time to prepare my own summer residence
for the ensuing season ; and during the hot months of 1868, we resided in a new
and very pretty house I had just completed on State street, in Bridgeport, and
which I subsequently sold, as I intended doing when I built it. But, towards the
end of the summer, I added by purchase to the Mallett farm, adjoining Sea-side
Park, a large and beautiful hickory grove, which seemed to be all that was
needed to make the site exactly what I desired for a summer residence.
But there was a vast deal to do in grading and preparing the ground, in open-
ing new streets and avenues as approaches to the property, and in setting out
trees near the proposed site of the house; so that ground was not broken for the
foundation till October. I planned a house which should combine the greatest
convenience with the highest comfort, keeping in mind always that houses are
made to live in as well as to look at, and to be " homes " rather than mere resi-
dences. So the house was made to include abundant room for guests, with
dressing-rooms and baths to every chamber ; water from the city throughout the
premises ; gas, manufactured on my own ground ; and that greatest of all com-
forts, a semi-detached kitchen, so that the smell as weU as the sec/ets of the
cuisine might be confined to its own locality. The stables and gardens were
280 WALDEMERE.
located far from the mansion, on the opposite side of one of the newly opened
avenues, so that in the immediate vicinity of the house, on either side and before
both fronts, stretched large lawns, broken only by the grove, single shade-trees,
rock-work, walks, flower-beds and drives. The whole scheme as planned was
faithfully carried out in less than eight months. The first foundation stone was
laid in October, 1868 ; and we moved into the completed house in June following,
in 1809.
It required a regiment of faithful laborers and mechanics, and a very consider-
able expenditure of money, to accomplish so much in so short a space of time.
Those who saw a comparatively barren waste thus suddenly converted to a bloom-
ing garden, and, by the successful transplanting and judicious placing of very
large and full-grown forest trees, made to seem like a long-settled place, considered
the creation of my new summer home almost a work of magic , but there is no
magic when determination and dollars combine to achieve a work. When we
moved into this new residence, we formally christened the place ''"Waldemere,"
literally, but not so euphoniously, "Waldammeer," "Woods-by-the-Sea,"for I
preferred to give this native child of my own conception an American name of
my own creation.
On the same estate, and fronting the new avenue I opened between my own
property and the public park, I built at the same time two beautiful cottages, one
of which is known as the "Petrel's Nest," and the other, occupied by my eldest
daughter, Mrs. Thompson, and my youngest daughter, Mrs. Seeley, as a summer
residence, is called " Wave wood." From the east front of Waldemere, across the
sloping lawn, and through the reaches of the grove, these cottages are in sight,
and before the three residences stretches the broad Sound, with nothing to cut
off the view, and nothing intervening but the western portion of Sea-side Park.
Having made up my mind to spend seven months of every year in the city, in
the summer of 1867, 1 purchased the elegant and most eligibly situated mansion,
No. 438, Fifth Avenue, corner of Thirty-ninth street, at the crowning point erf
Murray Hill, in New York, and moved into it in November.
CHAPTER XLVII.
REST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION.
AFTEB the destruction by fire of my Museum, March 3d, 1868, I retired from
business, not knowing how utterly fruitless it is to attempt to chain down energies
peculiar to my nature. No man not similarly situated can imagine the ennui
which seizes such a nature after it has lain dormant for a few months. Having
"nothing to do," I thought at first was a very pleasant, as it was to me an entirely
new sensation.
" I would like to call on you in the summer, if you have any leisure, in Bridge-
port," said an old friend.
" I am a man of leisure and thankful that I have nothing to do; so you cannot
call amiss," I replied with an immense degree of self-satisfaction.
" Where is your office down-town when you live in New York I" asked another
friend.
"I have no office," I proudly replied. "I have done work enough, and shall
play the rest of my life. I don't go down-town once a week; but I ride in the
Park every day, and am at home much of my time."
I am afraid that I chuckled often, when I saw rich merchants and bankers
driving to their offices on a stormy morning, while I, looking complacently from
the window of my cozy library, said to myself, " Let it snow and blow, there's
nothing to call me out to-day." But nature will assert herself. Reading is pleas-
ant as a pastime; writing without any special purpose soon tires; a game of chess
will answer as a condiment; lectures, concerts, operas, and dinner parties are
well enough in their way ; but to a robust, healthy man of forty years' active
business life, something else is needed to satisfy. Sometimes like the truant
school-boy I found all my frieuds engaged, and I had no play-mate. I began to
fill my house with visitors, and yet frequently we spent evenings quite alone.
Without really perceiving what the matter was, time hung on my hands, and I
was ready to lecture gratuitously for every charitable cause that I could benefit.
At this juncture I hailed with delight a visit from my friend Pish (the enterpris-
ing Englishman of chapter thirty-second) and his daughter, who came to see the
new world, and found me just in the humor to act as guide and exhibitor. I
now resumed my old business and became a showman of "natural curiosities "
on a most magnificent scale: and, having congenial and appreciative traveling
companions, and no business distractions, I saw beauty and grandeur in scenes
which I had before gazed on unimpressed. For the third time I visited Cuba,
then New Orleans, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Baltimore and Washington,
noting and enjoying the emotions of my English friends. The awe with which
they gazed on the great cataract of Niagara ; their horror at seeing slaves driven
to work with whips in the plantations of Cuba, the tearful silence of the young
English lady as she gazed down into the beautiful valley of the Yumurri, the
disgust of my friend when he found Castle Thunder not a great fort as he had
imagined, but a tobacco warehouse, all made scenes interesting that were old
to me.
281
BEST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION.
In April we made up a small, congenial party of ladies and gentlemen, ana
visited California via the Union and Central Pacific Railroads.
We journeyed leisurely, and I lectured in Council Bluffs, Omaha and Salt Lake
City, where amongst my audience were a dozen or so of Brigliam Young's wives
and scores of his children. By invitation, t called with my friends on President
Young at the Bee-Hive. He received us very cordially, asked us many questions,
and promptly answered ours
" Barnum," said he, " what will you give to exhibit me in New York and the
eastern cities?"
" Well, Mr. President," I replied, "I'll give you half the receipts, which I will
guarantee shall be $200,000 per year, for I consider you the best show in America. '•
" Why did you not secure me some years ago when I was of no consequence ?"
he continued.
" Because, you would not have ' drawn ' at that time," I answered.
Brigham smiled and said, " I would like right well to spend a few hours with
you, if you could come when I am disengaged." I thanked him, and told him I
guessed I should enjoy it; but visitors were crowding into his reception-room, and
we withdrew.
During the week we spent in seeing San Francisco and its suburbs, I discovered
a dwarf more diminutive than General Tom Thumb was when first I found him.
and so handsome, well-formed and captivating that I could not resist the tempta-
tion to engage him. I gave him the soubriquet of Admiral Dot, dressed him in
complete Admiral's uniform, and invited the editors of the San Francisco journals
to visit him in the parlors of the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
Immediately there was an immense furore, and Woodward's Gardens, where
" Dot " was exhibited for three weeks before going east, was daily thronged with
crowds of his curious fellow citizens, under whose very eyes he had lived so
long undiscovered.
Speaking of dwarfs, it may be mentioned here, that, notwithstanding my
announced retirement from public life, I still retained business connections with
my old friend, the well-known General Tom Thumb. In 1869, I joined that cele-
brated dwarf in a fresh enterprise which proposed an exhibition tour of him and
a party of twelve, with a complete outfit, including a pair of ponies and a car-
riage, entirely around the world.
This party was made up of General Tom Thumb and his wife (formerly Lavinia
Warren), Commodore Nutt and his brother Rodnia, Miss Minnie Warren, Mr.
Sylvester Bleeker and his wife, and Mr. B. S. Kellogg, besides an advertising
agent and musicians. Mr. Bleeker was the manager, and Mr. Kellogg acted as
treasurer. In the Fall of 1869, this little company went by the Union Pacific
Railway to San Francisco, stopping on the way to give exhibitions at Omaha,
Denver, Salt Lake City, and other places on the route, with great success.
After a prolonged and most profitable series of exhibitions in San Francisco,
the company visited several leading towns in California and then started for
Australia. On the way they stopped at the Sandwich Islands and exhibited in
Honolulu. From there they went to Japan, exhibiting in Yeddo, Yokohama and
other principal places, and afterwards at Canton and elsewhere in China. They
next made the entire tour of Australia, drawing immense houses at Sydney,
MeH>oume, and in other towns, but they did not go to New Zealand. They then
proceeded to the East Indies, giving exhibitions in the larger towns and cities,
receiving marked attentions from Rajahs and other distinguished personages.
Afterwards they went by the way of the Suez Canal to Egypt, and gave theii
REST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION. 283
entertainments at Cairo; and thence to Italy, exhibiting at all available points,
and arrived in Great Britain in the summer of 18TL
While I am about it, I may as well confess my connection, sub rosa, with another
little speculation during my three years' "leisure." I hired the well-known
Siamese Twins, the giantess, Anna Swan, and a Circassian lady, and, in connec-
tion with Judge Ingalls, I sent them to Great Britain where, in all the principal
places, and for about a year, their levees were continually crowded. In all
probability the great success attending this enterprise was much enhanced, if not
actually caused, by extensive announcements in advance, that the main purpose
of Chang-Bug's visit to Europe was to consult the most eminent medical and
surgical talent with regard to the safety of separating the twins.
We spent some time in the Yo Semite ; stopping by the way at the Mariposa
grove of big trees, whence I sent to New York a piece of bark thirty-one niches
thick.
Concluding a most enjoyable trip, we returned to New York, and first of June
my family removed to our summer home, Waldemere. There the good and
gifted Alice Gary, then in feeble health, and her sister Phoebe, were our guests
for several weeks.
In September, I made up a party of ten, including my English friend, and we
started for Kansas on a grand buffalo hunt. General Custer, commandant at
Fort Hayes, was apprized in advance of our anticipated visit, and he received us
like princes. He fitted out a company of fifty cavalry, furnishing us with horses,
arms and ammunition. We were taken to an immense herd of buffaloes, quietly
browsing on the open plain. We charged on them, and, during an exciting chase
of a couple of hours, we slew twenty immense bull buffaloes, and might have
killed as many more had we not considered it wanton butchery.
Our ten day's sport afforded me a "sensation," but sensations cannot be ma/le
to order every day, so, in the autumn of 1870, to open a safety-valve for my
pent-up energies, I began to prepare a great show enterprise, comprising a Mu-
seum, Menagerie, Caravan, Hippodrome and Circus, of such proportions as to
require five hundred men and horses to transport it through the country. On the
tenth of April, 1871, the vast tents, covering nearly three acres of ground, were
opened in Brooklyn, and filled with ten thousand delighted spectators, thousands
more being unable to obtain entrance. The success which marked the inaugura-
tion of this, my greatest show, attended it the whole season, during which time
it visited the Eastern, Middle and Western States from Maine to Kansas.
At the close of a brilliant season, I recalled the show to New York, secured
the Empire Rink, and opened in that building November 13, 1871, being*welcomed
by an enthusiastic audience of ten thousand people. The exhibitions were con-
tinued daily, with unvarying popularity and patronage, until the close of the
holidays, when necessary preparations for the spring campaign compelled me to
close. One of the most interesting curiosities added at that time, was a gigantic
section of a California "big tree," of such proportions that on one occasion, at
the Empire Rink, it enclosed two hundred children of the Howard Mission. This
section I afterwards presented to Frank Leslie, who had it mounted and roofed
to form a summer-house on his Saratoga estate, where it now stands, a unique
ornament and attraction.
During the winter of 1871 and 1872, I worked unremittingly, re-organizing and
re-enforcing my great traveling show. To the horror of my very able but too
cautious manager, Mr. W. C. Coup, and my treasurer, Mr. Hurd, I so augmented
284 REST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION.
the already innumerable attractions, that it was shown beyond doubt, that we
could not travel at a less expense than five thousand dollars per day, but,
undaunted, I still expended thousands of dollars, and ship after ship brought me
rare and valuable animals and works of art. Two beautiful Giraffes or Camel-
opards, were dispatched to me (one died on the Atlantic), and a third was
retained for me at the Zoological Gardens, London, ready to be shipped at a
moment's notice. As no giraffe has ever lived two years in America, all other
managers had given up any attempt to import them, but this only made me more
determined to always have one on hand at whatever cost.
My agents in Alaska procured for me several immense sea-lions and barking-
seals, which weighed a thousand pounds each, and consumed from sixty to a
hundred pounds of fish daily.
My novelties comprised an Italian goat "Alexis," taught in Europe to ride on
horseback, leap through hoops and over banners, alighting on his feet on the back
of the horse while going at full speed. I had also many extraordinary musical
and other automatons and moving tableaux, made expressly for me by expert
European artists.
But perhaps the most striking additions to my show were four wild Fiji Canni-
bals, ransomed at great cost from the hands of a royal enemy, into whose hands
they had fallen, and by whom they were about to be killed and perhaps eaten.
The following happy hit is from the pen- of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, as it
appeared in that excellent paper of which he was editor, the New York Christian
Union of February 28th, 1872:
"Should not a paternal government set some limit to the enterprise of Brother Barn am,
with reference, at least, to the considerations of public safety T Here upon our desk, lie*
an indication of his last perilous venture. He invites us ' and one friend ' — no conditions
as to^condition ' specified— to a private exhibition of four living cannibals, which he has
obtained from the Fiji Islands, for his traveling show. We have beaten up. in this office,
among the lean and tough, and those most easily spared in an emergency, for volunteers to
visit the Anthropophagi, and report ; but never has the retiring and self-distrustful dispo-
sition of our employees been more signally displayed. The establishment was not represented
at that exposition. If Barnum had remembered to specify the ' feeding-time,' we might
have dropped in, in a friendly way, at some other period of the day."
Perceiving that my great combination was assuming such proportions that it
would be impossible to move it by horse power, I negotiated with all the railway
companies between New York and Omaha, Nebraska, for the transportation by
rail, of my whole show, requiring sixty to seventy freight cars, six passenger
cars, and three engines. The result is well remembered. The great show visited
the States of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, District of Colum-
bia, Virginia^ Ohio, Tnriiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Minne-
sota, Wisconsin and Michigan, often traveling one hundred miles in a single night
to hit good-sized towns every day, arriving in time to give three exhibitions, and
the usual street pageant at eight o'clock, A, M. By means of cheap excursion
trains, thousands of strangers attended daily, coming fifty, seventy-five and a
hundred miles. Thousands more came in wagons and on horseback, frequently
arriving in the night and " camping out" The tenting season closed at Detroit,
October 30th, when we were patronized by the largest concourse of people ever
assembled in the State of Michigan.
With wonderful unanimity the public press acknowledged that I exhibited
much more than I advertised, and that no combination of exhibitions that ever
traveled had shown a tithe of the instructive and amusing novelties that I had
gathered together. This universal commendation is, to me, the most gratifying
feature of the campaign, for, not being compelled to do business merely for the
BEST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION. 285
take of profit, my highest enjoyment is to delight my patrons. The entire six
months' receipts of the Great Traveling World's Fair, amounted to nearly one
million dollars.
When not with the company, I spent most of my time at my ideal home,
Waldemere, which I enlarged and beautified at a cost of ninety thousand dollars,
There I had the honor and pleasure of entertaining Horace Greeley, my life-long
friend, and of arranging for him those simple, healthful country amusements, so
grateful and refreshing to a care-worn politician.
In October, I visited Colorado, accompanied by my English friend, John Fish,
and a Bridgeport gentleman who had an interest with me in a stock-raising
ranche in the southern part of that Territory. We took the Kansas Pacific Rail-
road to Denver, seeing many thousands of wild buffalo — our train sometimes
being stopped to let them pass. The weather was delightful. We spent several
days in the new and flourishing town of Greeley. I gave a temperance lecture
there; also at Denver. At the latter city, hi the course of my remarks, I told
them I never saw so many disappointed people as at Denver. The large audience
looked surprised, but were relieved when I added, " half the inhabitants came
invalids from the east, expecting to die, and they find they cannot do it. Your
charming climate will not permit it ! " And it is a fact. I am charmed with
Colorado, the scenery and delightful air, and particularly would I recommend as
a place of residence to those who can afford it, the lively, thriving city of Den-
ver. To those who have some capital and yet have their fortunes to make, I
say, "go to Greeley."
We took the narrow gauge road from Denver to Pueblo, stopping at Colorado
Springs, and the "Garden of the gods." The novel scenery here amply paid us
for our visit. From Pueblo I proceeded forty miles by carriage to our cattle
ranche, and spent a couple of days there very pleasantly. We have several
thousand head of cattle there, which thrive through the winter without hay or
fodder of any kind. A railroad has just been opened from Pueblo to Trinidad
which passes through a corner of my ranche.
At the close in Detroit of the great Western railroad tour, I equipped and
started South a Museum, Menagerie and Circus, which, while it made no per-
ceptible diminution in the main body, was still the largest and most complete
traveling expedition ever seen in the Southern States. Louisville was designated
as the rendezvous and point of consolidation of the various departments, and the
new expedition gave its initial exhibition hi the Falls City, November 4. Much
of the menagerie consisted of animals of which I owned the duplicate, and henc«
could easily spare them without injuring the variety in my zoological collection
I was aware, also, that many of the rare specimens would thrive better in a
warmer climate, and as the expense of procuring them had been enormous, 1
coupled my humanitarian feelings with my pecuniary interests, and sent them
South.
In August, I purchased the building and lease on Fourteenth street, New York,
known as the Hippotheafcron, purposing to open a Museum, Menagerie, Hippo-
drome and Circus, that would furnish employment for two hundred of my people
who would otherwise be idle during the winter. I enlarged and remodeled the
building almost beyond recognition, at an expense of $60,000, installed in it my
valuable collection of animals, automatons and living curiosities, and on Monday
evening, November 18, the grand opening took place. It was a beautiful sight;
the huge building, with a seating capacity of 2,800, filled from pit to dome with
a brilliant audience, the dazzling new lights, the sweet music and gorgeous orna-
286 BEST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION.
mentations completing the charm. The papers next morning contained long and
eulogistic editorials.
Four weeks after this inauguration, I visited my Southern show at New Orleans.
While seated at breakfast at the St. Louis Hotel and perusing an account of the
flooding of my show-grounds in that city, the following telegram was handed me:
NEW YOBK, December 24.
To P. T. Bamum, New Orleans ;
About 4 A. M. fire discovered in boiler-room of circus building ; everything destroyed
except 2 elephants, 1 camel.
S. H. HURD, Treasurer.
The smaller misfortune was instantly forgotten in the greater. Calling for
writing material, I then and there cabled my European agents to send duplicates
of all animals lost, with positive instructions to have everything shipped in time
to reach New York by the middle of March. I directed them further to procure
at any cost specimens never seen in America; and through sub-agents to purchase
and forward curiosities — animate and ina.TiiTnn.tfl — from all parts of the globe.
I then dispatched the following to my son-in-law:
NBW ORLEANS. December 24.
To S. H. Hurd, New York :
Tell editors I have cabled European agents to expend half million dollars for extra
attractions ; will have new and more attractive show than ever early in April.
P. T. BARNUM.
These details attended to, I resumed my breakfast, and took a calm view of the
situation.
Returning to New York, I learned that my loss on building and property
amoimted to nearly $300,000, to meet which I held insurance policies to the
amount of $90,000. My equestrian company, in which I took great pride, was
left idle until the opening of the summer season. The members lost their entire
wardrobes, a loss which can only be appreciated by professionals. The Eques-
trian Benevolent Society kindly gave them a benefit at the Academy of Music,
on the afternoon and evening of January 7, 1873. Many stars in the Equestrian,
Dramatic and Musical firmament volunteered for the occasion, and the two
entertainments were largely attended. Being called upon to " define my posi
tion," I stepped upon the stage and made a few off-hand remarks, which were
reported in the morning papers as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : I have catered for so many years for the amusement of the
public that the beneficiaries on this occasion seem to have thought that the showman
himself ought to be a part of the show ; and, at their request, I come before yon. I sincerely
thank you, in their behalf, for your patronage on this occasion. How much they need your
substantial sympathy .the ashes across the street can tell you more eloquently than human
tongue could utter. Those ashes are the remnants of " all the worldly goods " of some who
appeal to you to-day.
For myself, I have been burned out so often, I am like the singer who was hissed on
the stage: " Hiss away," said he, " I am used to it." My pecuniary loss is very serious.
and occurring, as it did. just before the holidays, it is all the more disastrous.
It may, perhaps, gratify my friends to know, however, that I am still enabled to invest
another half million of dollars without disturbing my bank account. The public will have
amusements, and they ought to be those of an elevating and an unobjectionable character.
For many years it has been my pleasure to provide a class of instructive and amusing enter-
tainments, to which a refined Christian mother can take her children with satisfaction.
I believe that no other man in America possesses the desire and facilities which I have in
this direction. I have, therefore, taken steps, through all my agents in Europe and this
country, which will enable me to put upon the road, early in April, the most gigantic and
complete traveling museum, menagerie and hippodrome ever organized.
It has been asked whether I will build up a large museum and menagerie in New York.
Well, I am now nearly sixty-three years of age. I can buy plenty of building sites and get
plenty of leased lots for a new museum ; but I cannot get a new lease of life.
REST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION. '^ '
Younger members of my family desire me to erect in this city an establishment worthy
of New York and of myself. It will be no small undertaking ; for if I erect such an estab-
lishment, it will possess novel and costly features never before attempted. I have it under
consideration, and within a month shall determine whether or not I shall make another
attempt ; of one thing, however, you may be assured, ladies and gentlemen, although confla-
grations may, for the present, disconcert my plans, yet, while I have life and health, no fire
can burn nor water quench my ambition to gratify my patrons at whatever cost of money or
of effort. I shall never lend my name where my labors and heart do not go with it, and the
public shall never fail to find at any of my exhibitions their money's worth ten times told.
Before the new year dawned, I received tidings that my agents had purchased
for me a full collection of animals and curiosities, and by the first week in April,
1873 — but three short months after thfe fire — I placed upon the road a combination
of curiosities and marvellous performances that by far surpassed any attempt ever •
made with a traveling exhibition in any country. Indeed, so wonderfully im-
mense was " Barnum's Traveling World's Fair " in 1873, that its expenses greatly
exceeded five thousand dollars per day, and my friends almost unanimously
declared that it would "break" me. I suppose there is a limit beyond which it
would be fatal to go, in catering for public instruction and amusement, but I
have never yet found that limit. My experience is that the more and the better
a manager will provide for the public, the more liberally they will respond. The
season of 1873 was far from being an exception to this experience. My tents
covered double the space of ground that I had ever required before, and yet they
were never so closely crowded with visitors. Where thousands attended my
show in 1872, numbers of thousands came in 1873. It visited the largest cities in ^
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
and the Middle and Western States, as far as St. Louis, Mo., taking Canada on
the return route to New York.
While in Cleveland, Ohio, a little incident occurred which was described as
follows by one of the Cleveland papers:
A PRIVATE SHOW TO A SICK BOY-A PLEASANT EPISODE.
Mr. P. T. Barnum's ambition to give the public a better show than any one else can give
them for the same money is well known, though very few are aware of the great pleasure
he takes in. providing amusement for little children. An incident happening in our city yes-
terday illustrated this characteristic very strikingly. There is a little five-year-old invalid
up town who has become quite a favorite with the-great showman, who never fails to visit
him in passing through Cleveland. Yesterday morning the little fellow heard the door bell
rin<;, and his face lit up with joy as Mr. Barnnm entered the sick-room. The usual pleasant
greetings ensued, and the great manager threw his soul into the work of entertaining the
child as completely as when surrounded by thousands he talks in his great show. Thechild
was delighted, but the shadow which is always as near joy as the thorn is to the rose, stole
over the little "Trot's" face on reflecting that he could not see the menagerie. "Never
mind." said Mr. Itanium, " if yon cannot go to the show, we must bring the show to you."
So Maying, he departed, and a h;ilf hour later the child and the whole family were astonished
to see a drove of elephants, camel* and dromedaries marched in to the yard, and come to a halt
near the child's window. The little one was held up where he could see the animals, and
their keeper made them go through a regular performance. •' Trot " gave his orders to the
unwieldy elephants, and, by a sign from the keeper, they were all obeyed. In half an hour
the matinee terminated, and the detachment of the procession marched back to the show-
grounds, leaving the child wild with delight. Mr. Barnum's love for the little ones lias
been frequently shown by the generous invitations he everywhere extends to orphans to
attend his exhibitions free of charge ; but this effort to please a little child is a unique
illustration of that characteristic.
Notwithstanding my frequent visits to the "traveling show," I managed to
spend much of the summer at my delightful " Waldemere."
In September, of 1873, as I had not visited Europe since 1869, 1 concluded to
run over and see the International Exhibition at Vienna, and visit other parts of
Europe, to rest my over-worked brain, and see what could be picked up to
instruct and edify my amusement patrons.
BEST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION.
On landing at Liverpool, I was met by my old friend, John Fish, Esq., the
"enterprising Englishman." Mr. Fish was the last friend who shook my hand
as I left Liverpool in 1859, and the first to grasp it as I landed in 1873. After
spending a few days at his house, in Southport, the " Montpelier of England," a
delightful watering-place eighteen miles from Liverpool, I proceeded to London.
I met many of my old English friends here, including, of course, my esteemed
friend and faithful agent, Robert Fillingham, Esq., and then hastened on to
Cologne, Leipsic, Dresden, and Vienna, which latter city I reached ten days
before the closing of the great World's Fair. Those ten days I devoted most
assiduously to studying the marvels of this great World's Exhibition, and I
t witnessed the ceremonies which terminated what is generally conceded to be the
largest and best International Exhibition that the world ever saw. I proceeded
leisurely back to Dresden, stopping at Prague on the way. Thence I went to
Berlin, and, at each city, I took time to see all that was interesting. While at
Berlin, I received letters from my Manager, Coup, and Treasurer, Hurd, saying
they would be able to secure a short lease of the Harlem Railroad property hi
New York, bounded by Fourth and Madison avenues and Twenty-sixth anu
Twenty-seventh streets, containing several acres, for the purpose of carrying out
my long-cherished plan of exhibiting a Roman Hippodrome, Zoological Institute,
Aquaria, and Museum of unsurpassable extent and magnificence. I immediately
telegraphed them to take the lease, and within twenty-four hours from that time
I was in telegraphic communication with seventeen European cities where I knew
were the proper parties to aid me in carrying out a grand and novel enterprise.
I visited all the zoological gardens, circuses, and public exhibitions, wherever I
went, and thus secured numerous novelties and obtained new and valuable ideas.
At Hamburg, I purchased nearly a ship-load of valuable wild animals and rare
birds, including elephants, giraffes, a dozen ostriches, &c., &c.
I had concluded all my purchases in Hamburg on the eighteenth of November,
1873, and was taking a few last looks around the city previous to starting for
Italy, when, on the twentieth inst., I received from my son-in-law, Mr. Hurd, a
telegraphic despatch announcing the death of my wife on the day previous.
It is difficult for those who have not had the sad experience, to imagine the
degree of anguish which overwhelms one, when called to part with a beloved
companion with whom he has lived forty-four years. That anguish must be
greatly enhanced when such a death comes sudden and unexpected. But when
the intelligence is not only unlocked for, but as, in my case, it finds the sorrowing
husband four thousand miles away from the bedside of his dead wife, alone, in a
strange land, where his native tongue is not spoken: when he reflects that children,
grandchildren and other kindred are mourning over the coffin where he is needed,
and vrhere his poor stricken heart is breaking to be, the utter loneliness of that
mourner cannot be truly comprehended. Long accustomed as I have been to feel
that God is good, and that His ways are always right, that He overcometh evil
with good, and chastens us "for our profit," I confess the "cloud" seemed so
utterly black that it was hard to realize it could have a silver " lining; " and my
tongue ceased to move when I attempted to say, as surely we all ought unhesi-
tatingly at all times to say, "Not my will, but Thine be done." I remained in
my room for several days, and on that Saturday, on which I felt confident my
children and friends were accompanying her remains to our beautiful Mountain
Grove Cemetery, my lonely head was bowed, and my tears flowed in unison
with theirs, while I implored our dear Father to give them strength to bear their
loss and to sanctify her death to the benefit of us all.
P. T. BARNUM'S WIFE, CHARITY,
AT THE AGE OF 65. See page 289.
REST ONLY FOUND IN ACTION.
289
She died at our New York residence, surrounded by children and Mends, who
had the satisfaction of knowing that she passed away without pain.
The Bridgeport Standard gave the following account of the funeral services:
Toe remains of Mrs. P. T. Barnmn were brought to this city, upon the 10.12 express this
morning, and were taken to Waldemere, where the funeral services were held this after-
noou. The house was filled with the relatives and Iriends of the deceased, to render th'
last sad tribute of affection and respect, among whom were many of our most prominent
citizens and their families, and a number of the clargy of the city. The remains, which had
been embalmed in New York, in accordance with a request received by telegram from Mr.
Barnnm, who is at Hamburgh, were enclosed In an elegant rosewood casket, and placed in
*he east parlor at Waldemere. The casket was covered with crowns and crosses, and
wreaths of white roses, beautifully arranged. At the head of the casket was a large cross
of evergreens, with the word " Mother "in white roses, across the arms, and at the base,
" Charity," also in white roses. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Abel C.
Thomas, of Philadelphia. He also made a few short remarks upon the past life of the
deceased, and addressed comforting words to the mourning friends. After a closing prayer
the doxology— " Praise God from whom all blessings flow," was sung by all present, after
which an opportunity was given to view the remains. The funeral procession then wended
its sorrowful way " from Waldemere and the sound of many waters to the quiet of Moun-
tain Grove." The remains were then placed in the public receiving vault until the return
of Mr. Barnnm from Europe.
After this sad blow I could not bear the thought of "sight-seeing," and 1
yearned to be where I could meet sympathizing friends and hear my native
tongue. I therefore returned to London and s^ent several weeks in quiet
CHAPTER XLVII1.
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
AT length, the continual letters from my manager roused me to action, and 1
went at it with a wilL What I did is shown in the following extract from the
London Era:
BARNUM'S NEXT SENSATION.
The greatest showman of the day Is once more in London, completing preparations for the
opening of the immense Hippodrome which he is erecting in New York. Some idea of the
means which are being taken to create a sensation maybe derived from the following facts:
Mr. Barnnm has not only sent agents to Spain and Africa to secure attractions, but has liini-
gelf visited the Hippodrome in Paris, the Circus Renzat Vienna, Myers' Circus at Dresden,
Salamonski and Carre's Circus at Cologne, the Zoological Gardens at Hamburgh, Amster-
dam and other Continental cities, selecting and purchasing the choicest animals procurable,
and engaging the most talented artists. He has secured what may fairly be called an endless
variety of attractions, ranging from a race-horse to a Roman chariot. With the Messrs.
Sanger alone he has done business to "the tune" of £11,000. He has already shipped to
New York elephants, camels and horses, trained for every species of Circus performance.
On tbe 25th a further '• batch " will be dispatched, including sixteen ostriches, ten elands,
ten zebras, a team of reindeer, with Lapland drivers, a troupe of performing ponies, monkeys,
dogs, goats, &c., &c. The armor and costume makers of London are to be set to work
immediately the pantomines are off their minds and hands, and some portion of the para-
phernalia which is to contribute to the gigantic whole will be shipped weekly. The
Hippodrome will open in April next, and in the preliminary parade, we liave no doubt, the
citizens will find reason to say that their greatest and most popular showman has far
outstripped all his former efforts. We may iidd that the New York enterprise will in no
way interfere with the famous tent show everywhere known as " Barnum's Great Museum.
Menagerie, Circus and Traveling World's Fair."
Ten days afterwards the London Times, whose editor had seen the original
contract, published the following article:
A THEATRICAL CONTRACT.
Mr. P. T. Barnnm. who is now in this country, has just entered into a contract with Messrs.
Sanger, of Astley's Amphitheatre, for the purchase of the whole of the plant, wardrobe,
and paraphernalia connected with the pageant of the " Congress of Monarchs '" exhibited
at the Agricultural Hall four or five years'since. The contract is as follows .
" This agreement made at the City of London, January 2d, 1674, between Messrs. John
and George Sanger, of the said city of London, Eng., and P. T. Barnum, of New York,
United States of America, witnesseth, that for the sum of £33,000* sterling, the said Messrs.
J. and G. Sanger agree to complete and deliver to the said P. T. Barnuni, duplicates of all
the chariots, costumes, trappings, flags, banners, and other paraphernalia used by the said
J. and G. Sanger in the production of the great pageant representing the Congress of Mon-
archs. Every article thus furnished by the said Messrs. John and George Sanger shall be
new. and of the same quality and style used by them aforesaid. This collection embraces
13 gorgeous carved and gilt emblazoned chariots, and appropriate harness for lt>2 horses :
1.136 elegant and appropriate suits of armor, court dresses, &c.. to faithfully represent all
the principal Monarchs and Courts in the world, and &fac simile of all the flags, banners,
and everything else used in this pageant, except the horses, elephants, ostriches, giraffes,
camels, and other living animals. These the said Mr. P. T. Barnum will provide for him-
self. The arms of all nations represented on that occasion shall also be delivered to the
said P. T. Barnum. The whole to be completed and delivered to the said P. T. Barnum or
his agent, in London by February 22d, 1874. The said P. T. Barnum hereby agrees to pay
the said £33,000 to the said .Messrs. J. and G. Sanger for the make and perfect delivery of the
articles hereby agreed upon— £13,000 to be paid upon the signing of the contract, and the
remaining £20,000 on the 22d day of February next, or upon the earlier completion of the
* Independent of £11,000 worth before purchased of Messrs. Sanger.
Ji'JO
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. 291
contract by the said Messrs. John and George Sanger. Property to be delivered to Mr.
Robert Fiilingham, the said P. T. Barnum's agent, and to be approved by him."
This document was signed on Tuesday, and the £13,000 paid. Messrs. Sanger will hava
on view at their Royal National Amphitheatre the costumes they are about to provide Mr
Barnum.
Already had we leased from the Harlem Railroad Company a plot of land in
the center of New York valued at over a million of dollars, and on that land we
were to erect buildings which would probably cost two hundred thousand dollars.
Curiosity impelled me to attend the Tichborne trial one day. I was told it
would be useless to attempt it, as none were admitted without a court order. I,
however, applied at the door of Westminster Hall, where a great crowd was
waiting unable to get in. In reply to my request to be admitted, a policeman
asked if I had an order from the court. Upon my answering in the negative he
remarked: "Even if you had, you could not get in to-day, for every inch of
room is occupied ; but in no case can you ever get in without an order from the
court."
I asked for the inspector who had charge of the police. Inspector Doming was
pointed out to me, and I handed him my card.
"Are you the great American Museum man?" he asked.
" Y.es," I replied; I am the Museum man, the Tom Thumb man, the Jenny
Land man, and the Showman."
" My dear sir," said the inspector, " I am glad to see you. Please write your
name on the back of your card and I shall always prize it as a souvenir. I am
very happy that I can show the celebrated showman something he never saw
before."
He then led me into Westminster Hall, secured me a good seat, pointed out the
" claimant," Lord Chief Justice Cockburn, Justices Weller and Lush, Dr. Kenealy,
Mr. Hawkins, and other prominent personages.
I arrived in New York from Liverpool by the steamer Scotia, April 30, 1874,
rejoiced to reach my native land again, and delighted to find my children and
grandchildren in good health. The great Roman Hippodrome had been open
about a week, and on the evening of my arrival I was called out by the audience
and was driven in my carriage around the immense arena and saw what, to me,
was indeed a great "show"— the largest assemblage of people ever gathered in
one building in New York. I may be permitted to add, that my enthusiastic
reception was at once a testimonial of the public appreciation of one of my
greatest efforts in my managerial career, and a verdict that it was a complete
and gratifying success.
This truly stupendous and superb spectacle, as the unanimous voice of the press
pronounced it, opened every evening with an allegorical representation of a
" Congress of Nations," in a grand procession of gilded chariots and triumphal
cars, conveying the Kings, Queens, Emperors, and other potentates of the
civilized world, costumed with historical correctness, royally surrounded, and
accompanied and followed by their respective courts and splended retinues. The
correctness and completeness of this historical representation required nearly
one thousand persons and several hundred horses, besides elephants, camels,
llamas, ostriches, etc. The rich and varied costumes, armor and trappings, the
gorgeous banners and paraphernalia, and the appropriate music accompanying
the entrance of each nation produced an effect at once brilliant and l>ewildering.
The entire public, and the press, both secular and religious, declared unanimous! v,
what is unquestionably true— that never before since the days of the Ca*ars has
there been so grand and so interesting a public spectacle.
292
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
Following this superb historical introduction were all kinds of races by high-
bred horses imported by scores from Europe and ridden and driven by accom-
plished experts of both sexes. To these succeeded various first-class entertain-
ments, including the wonderful performances of the Japanese athletes, thrilling
wire-walking exploits, athletic sports by non-professionals for prizes awarded as
encouragements to such enterprises, semi-weekly balloon ascensions by Prof.
Donaldson, the whole interspersed with a plenty of genuine fun in the monkey
and donkey races, and in " Twenty minutes of the Donnybrook Fair and Lan-
cashire Races " — and with all was "thrown in " my magnificent menagerie.
Although the Hippodrome could accommodate ten thousand spectators, for
weeks in succession all the best seats were engaged days in advance, and it is
literally true that at every evening performance thousands were turned away.
My patrons included the President of the United States and his Cabinet, Gov-
ernors and Judges, the Clergy of all denominations, and all the best people of
our land, who expressed but one opinion, that the exhibition, as I intended it
should be, far surpassed the most sanguine expectations of what managerial
experience and endeavor could possibly accomplish. In the very midst of such
success, the necessity of covering the central part of the Hippodrome with glass,
putting in heating apparatus, and otherwise preparing the immense building for
the winter campaign, compelled me to temporarily transfer the entire vast estab-
lishment to Boston for three weeks from August 3d, thence to Philadelphia,
returning and reopening in New York about September 20th,
^fter the exciting scenes and unremitting labor of several weeks in New York,
I retired to Waldemere for rest. No sooner had I arrived at Bridgeport than a
newspaper paragraph announced to me that my friends and neighbors had
determined to tender to me a public dinner. Flattering as this testimonial was,
my first impulse was to express my gratitude for the tendered compliment, but
by no means to accept it But my mere arrival had already been the occasion
of a spontaneous and enthusiastic welcome, which a large number wished to make
more formal and complete, so that the proposed tender of a dinner remained
inevitable, and the following correspondence ensued :
BRIDGEPORT, JitllC 6, 1874.
To HON. P. T. BABNUM :
Dear Sir : As a mark of our esteem for your liberality and energy In private enterprise
and in promoting the industries and public improvements of oar city, we cordially invite
you to dine with us on some early and convenient occasion.
Yours, very truly,
R. T. CLABKE,
F. W. PABBOTT,
HANPOBD LYON,
F. G. FOWLEB,
G. B. WALLBB,
SAML. B. SUMNER,
ALBERT EAMES,
H. S. SANPOBD,
GIDEON THOMPSON,
W. 11. NOBLE,
C. SPOONER,
F. HUBD,
FRANCIS IVBS,
F. A. BENHAM,
ROBERT HUBBARD,
ALFRED HOPKINS,
JOHK BROOKS,
SHELTON & LYON,
N. WHEELER,
CABLOS CURTIS,
J. E. DUNHAM,
A. W. WALLACE,
JARRATT MORPOBD,
J. & G. A STAPLES,
IIIA GREGORY.
JOHN D. CANDEE,
ELI THOMPSON,
KNOWLES & Co.,
JAMES C. Looms,
G. W. BABKEB,
GEO. MALLORY,
D. N. MOBGAN,
E. B. GOODSELL,
WESSELLS BROS.,
R. ToMLINgON,
JAMES A. HOUSE.
W. H. PERRY,
A. R. LAMB,
CHAS. B. HOTCHKISS,
H. R. PARROTT,
D. F. HOLLISTEB,
M. H. WILSON,
G. H. HOJXISTER.
E. C. WILMOT,
JACOB KIEFER,
D. W. SHERWOOD,
W. R. HIGBY,
L. F. CURTIS,
TREAT & BULLOCK,
DAVID TRUBEE,
GEO. C. WALDO,
B. SOULES,
LEWIS W. BOOTH,
T. M. PALMER,
W. S. EDWARDS,
S. C. NICKEBSON,
P. HUBBELL,
SAMUEL C. KIN OMAN,
JOHN E. POND.
Z. GOODSELL,
T. R. CRUTTBNBEN,
JOHN 1). WHITNEY,
HUBBELL,JoNES & Co.
CHESTER RUSSELL,
\VjI. li. SfiKLET.
J. W. SMITH,
W. 11. MALLOBY,
J. H. & J. N. BENHAM
T. HAWLEY & Co ,
H. BUCKINGHAM,
GEO. W. BACON,
WILLIS <fc LANE,
S. B. FEEGDSOX.
E. BransEV. :>i>.
H. M HEAD,
LYDN, CURTI* A Co ,
W. H. ADAMS,
E. V. UAWES & SON,
W. G. LLNEBUROH.
aud cUiera.
AMONG MY EBIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. 293
WAIJJBMERE, BRIDGEPORT. CONK.
June 6, 1874.
To HIB HONOR. R. T. CLARKE, MAYOR, AND OTHERS :
Gentlemen: It is always pleasaut to receiv* the approval of one's neighbors To be
tendered a public dinner by the most prominent and substantial inhabitants of a city where
sided for more than a quarter of a century, is a compliment as gratifying as it is
Though conscious that to my recent return from abroad may be attributed your selection
of myself at this time from among other citizens who have materially aided in " promoting
the industries and public improvements of our city," yet I cannot forego the pleasure that!
always enjoy in social intercourse with friends, and therefore your invitation is gratefully
accepted. Any date agreeable to yourselves, alter the sixteenth inst., will be convenient to
me.
Respectfully yours,
P. T. BARNUM.
COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO P. T. BARNUM.
[From the Bridgeport Republican Standard, July 3, 1874.]
The complimentary dinner given by the citizens of Bridgeport to P. T. Barnum, at the
Atlantic House, Thursday evening, June 25, was in every respect a success, gratifying alike
to the guest in honor of whose energy, thrift, public spirit and genuine philanthropy it was
given, and to those who had conceived and carried it out so happily. The fine dining-hall
of the Atlantic House was set with four long tables, one across the head of the hall, and
the other three running at right angles to it and lengthwise of the room. At the first were
seated the presiding officer, Mayor Clarke; the guest of the evening, P. T. Barnum, Esq.,
and his immediate friends from abroad, with ex-Mayors of Bridgeport and other prominent
citizens, while the men of all professions and callings, representing the wealth, respecta-
bility, enterprise and energy of our thriving town occupied the other tables, in all to the
number of over two hundred. It is seldom that any public occasion calls out such a body
of our townsmen, and the company was one of which any Bridgeporter might well feel
proud. Among the most prominent of our older citizens present were Hanford Lyon, Esq.,
Capt. John Brooks, Philo Eurd and Eli Thompson, Esqs.: while amongst the prominent
ex-city officials were ex-Mayors E. B. Goodsell and Jarratt Morford. Representatives from
nearly all the prominent New York daily and weekly journals were also in attendance. The
tables were profusely adorned with beautiful flowers, toward which nearly every large
garden and green-house in town contributed, and these were tastily arranged in elegant
vases, holders and stands, which displayed them to advantage and enhanced their beauty.
Pyramids of fruit and delicate confections mingled with the flowers and added to the
appropriate adornment. The bill of fare was an elaborate and exhaustive one, embracing
all the luxuries of the season, cooked artistically, well served, and in profusion. The
Wheeler & Wilson Band, under leader Kosenburg, furnished music, and was, as usual,
very fine. They played on the balcony in front of the hotel while the guests were assem-
bling in the parlors, and subsequently enlivened the entertainment with judiciously selected
and well-played airs. Thus music, flowers, fruits, a good dinner and a good company, all
combined to make the occasion pleasaut and memorable. The guests sat down at the tables
at about eight o'clock, after grace by Rev. Dr. Hopper ; but it was nearly ten before the
inner man had been sufficiently satisfied with the constantly replenished supply of substan-
tials and delicacies to admit of the " feast of reason and flow of soul " which was to follow.
During the evening members of the committee were active in seeing that the wants of guests
were supplied, and that nothing was left undone that would contribute to the success of the
occasion. At ten o'clock His Honor Mayor Clarke called for the reading of the letters from
invited guests. Mr. G. C. Waldo, of the committee, read letters from several prominent
gentlemen, who were prevented from attending, but who expressed their regard for the
recipient of the compliment. Mr. Charles A. Dana, of the New York Sun, wrote:
"I am not surprised that the people of Bridgeport should pay such a compliment to so
public-spirited a fellow citizen."
Mr. George Jones, of the New York Times, wrote:
" I hope you will have a glorious time, and I desire to be considered IN when Mr. Barnum'a
health is proposed, and further shall be glad to send the following:
" P. T. Barnum, ' The Man who cannot grow old.' "
Rev. Dr. Chapin's letter concludes :
Nothing would have given me greater pleasure tflm to have met you and the good
"on referred to ; but now, I can only be wilh you in spirit
s perfectly consistent with a teetotal dinner, and wish
I1U J^ICiHG! jjicaaui C •^•u L" "'*>" IAIVV jv-ru «iuu nuu gww
people of Bridgeport on the occasion referred to ; but now, I can only be wilh you in spirit
—with the ' ardent spirit ' which is perfectly consistent with a teetotal dinner, and wish
you all a first-rate time."
Dr. Cnyler, of Brooklyn, wrote .
" Tell the good people of Bridgeport for me, that the pleasantest hours I have spent In
their town have been passed under Mr. Baruum's hospitable roof, and that they deserve to
AMONG MY FBIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
uave noti.e-hearted citizens when they appreciate them. They cannot do too much to
honor the public-spirited man who has done so much for them. If I were present I should
propose in clear crystal water this toast: A bright golden ' Indian Summer ' of life to our
guest, who has made more children happy than any American of thia generation. With a
thousand good wishes, yours most cordially."
Gov. Dix wrote regretting that he was prevented from attending by his engagement tc
deliver au address to the graduating class ol Union College, June 24.
The following is from Frank Leslie's letter :
" No man living more fully deserves the respect and confidence of all who know him.
We have had business and friendly relations dating back twenty-five years, so I speak ' be-
cause I know the man.' Years ago I was much impressed by the response of an old servant
in answer to an inquiry as to what kind of person Mr. Burnum was : ' What manner of
man is Mr. Barnnmf Why, just one of the kindest-hearted, public-spirited men that lives.
Money flows from him like water, in a just cause, and I haven't a good enough name to
give him,' with a burst of enthusiasm. And so. sir, I can only echo the words of his old
servant, and say of the man to whom you do honor, that I have not a good enough name to
give him."
Mayor Clarke then announced the first regular sentiment of the evening, " Our Quest,"
and called upon Gen. William H. Noble to present it.
SPEECH OP GEN. NOBLE.
"The words of your invitation to our guest, while they are your just epitome of his
deserts, are most fitting for my test.
" Yon offer him this banquet, and your goodly presence to mark your ' esteem for his
liberality and energy in private enterprise and in promoting the industries and public
improvements of our city.'
" This ia no tribute, then, to mere wealth — your catalogue of merits gives no place to
stocks, or bonds, or princely homes, or his broad acres of our city lots, stretching through
every district of the corporation. Such things touch not the heart of our esteem. Why
should they? Wealth is a mere implement to the soul that does with it Besides, the
bearing of our friend has never marked the sense of riches.
" Esteem is only due to wealth or talent when administered as a blessing held intrust,
reaching beyond ourselves and yielding zest and opportunity to others. By this standard 1
ask the measurement of our friend.
"By private liberality and enterprise, you do not, of course, claim to mark its ingenious
and versatile display in that old museum, store-house of curiosities, instruction, fun and
moral drama, a kaleidoscope of shows and innocent amusements; nor that ceaseless throng
of curious wonders drawn from every country, clime and race, to swell that 'innumerable
caravan ' of world's fairs and shows which circles through the lana ; nor will you claim, I
think, as yours the newer spectacle of mammoth hippodrome which treats you to a con-
gress of the nations, and a steeple-chase ' right up Broadway.' Nor do you intend to mark
that enterprise of his which, as some return to China, and Japan, and the far-off islands of
the sea, for contributions drawn from them to swell his curious inventory of wonders, he
sent to them sweet singers, Tom Thumb and Nutt, and all that Liiiputian troop, to play, in
their small way, the ' heathen Chinee ' and hari-kari. But from all these we have had,
indeed, through our imperial showman, substantial benefit and share, in concerts, songs and
shows devoted to some charity or other goodly work in our midst, and from the vast re-
turns of all his ventures put into the improvements, foundations and shapeliness of our
city. The marks of some of these shall last through time, and perish only with the Republic
and the waning of the solid earth.
" And first, our guest, in a life of thirty years amongst us, has, in his homes, so adminis-
tered his trust, that we have shared their comely aspects and the grace and refinement of
their surroundings. I speak not of the genial hospitality and courtesy which, within his
threshold, have been the property of every guest — his latch-string was ever out to them —
but of his open gates, whose posted words invited all to enter and enjoy his grounds.
" Most ol us remember Irauistan. that aerial, oriental villa, whose domes and minarets
were for every flitting train an attraction, a name and an advertisement for us and him.
" It was as original as our friend, and was said to duplicate the Brighton Palace of George
the IV.; but, beside that squat thine, ours had wings and airy elevation, as unlike it as an
eagle to a terrapin. Seen by moonlight, I-anistan was like some delicate tracery of arch
and pinnacle, photographed on the air, from those fairy Moslem gardens across the
Bosphorus. It was, by his permission and invitation, our show-place, and our little park
of twenty acres, our flower-garden and pleasure-ground. His trees, and shrubs, and
flower? were about as much ours as his. In fact, I believe that throng which circled
through its drives and shades, in carriages and on foot, enjoyed its loveliness In larger
measures than our friend. But he had the advantage of us in that return which ever cornea
to reward a pleasure granted others. The cost of our enjoyment, though a heavy footing
in his books, was never counted a loss.
" Next came Lindencroft, a world too narrow for our friend— a kind of resting-place wh'le
prospecting round for his new home at Waldemere. That is a region discovered by himself,
and traversed by him and other Livingstones about 1865. What a fit and speaking name,
this Waldemere, child of the woodland and the wave, how suited to its aspects and stir-
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. 295
lea, by his invitation, set down at its gates, that means
to seek in fruitless quest those fabled waters whose reviving lave were said to bring to aze
the vigor and the bloom of youth, to flre the currents of the blood, and stay the waning
tides of life.
" Let no man look on such a use of wealth— the making of one's home and its surround-
ings to minister to the pleasure, taste and instruction of his townsmen and fellows— and tell
me that down in the heart and purposes of him who so does and deals out his store there
is not gentle kindness, refinement and grace of thought and feeling. Verily, if our Iriend
hath sins— and who of us has not— such doing covers a multitude thereof There is a
efinemeut in flowers, in love of art and nature, that follows the footsteps of their presence
He who ministers thereto fulfills a mission whose sermons are in the woodlands and the
rocks, and its songs in breezes and the babbling brooks. Let no man sneer at the love of
flowers and fronds, and tinge ot leaf, which God has made and tinted, as too frivolous ana
feminine to become the toughness of manly, athlete, mental fibre. He who derides them
knows not their meaning; such tastes mark culture and refinement, and diviner levels
reached in the ascent of our race. Prom behind the flower that blooms and smiles in the
wintry sunshine of some humble cottage window, there looks a woman's soul, beyond the
hard facts of life, toward that refinement and a higher civilization which comes with and
follows that flower.
" But, as your invitation points out, the doings of our friend have been especially felt in
the industries and public improvements of our city.
"One of his first works here was on our 'Greenwood.' Out on the border of our city,
beside the little stream which girts a goodly spread of plateau, woodlands, dale, and shade
and rolling hill, lies ' Mountain Grove? Our friend discovered its fitness for our loved ones'
last resting-place, secured its titles, and with that magnetic way of his inspired others to
the purpose of its dedication to the sacred dead. After Greenwood and Mount Auburn, it
was one of the first well-ordered and tastefully laid out cemeteries in the country. To this
graceful public improvement our friend added, from the proceeds of a concert by Catherine
Hayes, its comely gateway. I here, too, pay just tribute to those gentlemen to whose care
and tasteful administration of its business and improvements our cemetery owes so much.
" Our guest was in full swing in his imperial campaign with Jenny Lind, when, somehow,
he and 1 were brought to work together in that East Bridgeport, whose early, rapid growth
and solid foundations are due to his liberal trust and out-pour of means for my administra-
tion. I could not have met another man so open-handed and confiding. He found me over-
loaded with some seventy acres, substantially projected and mapped 'as now— a foot-bridge
built along the railroad into its heart had ensured success, with means. He brought these.
The whole of our bargnir, and work together was an index of the man. Of course he knew
me, and of my doings— had seen my map and advertisement. He saw at once how we could
work together. Not half an hour was spent in terms of purchase and in putting them on
paper, before I was on the rail for Bridgeport with $20,000 in my pocket to buy more land
and ' push things.' He took no deed, looked up no titles ; I told him how things were, he
found them so, and ever has. My receipt for money, and one little half page of terms were
all our writings.
" From that day to the great clock disaster, it was one continuous rush of streets and
grades, trees, factories, dwellings, churches, schools. Washington Park, now worth $200,000,
was laid out and dedicated to the public. There was no stint of money. His m«ans, drawc
from concerts, museum, Tom Thumb, and all, were poured into East Bridgeport. Had
Jerome, and those who abetted him, not crippled and tangled our friend in the wreck of
clocks, no one can tell, with the powerful backings since cume among us, what East Bridge-
port might have become. Sometimes success and good come of disaster. That magnificent
industry and its swarm of kindred works, so ably engineered and allied by our friend and
senator before me, Nathaniel Wheeler, but for this clock disaster would hardly have found
the opportunity so valuable for us and all.
"Throughout our work together, and since, my old associate, in other parts of the city,
has kept up his tireless betterment of the situation. State street was started westward,
but blocked by others, who would not consent to that extension which afterwards they
craved. Iranistan avenue was laid down by him through a swamp and mud creek, where
tides (dyked out by him) flowed and old scows floated over land to-day built on and bordered
with trees and walks. By his push and enterprise, this avenue now stretches a mile of
splendid thoroughfare, and is the western entrance to our park.
" The last conspicuous monument of our friend's enterprise is Sea-side Park. Its fitness
for such use was, by himself and other Livingstones, discovered about the same time as
Waldemere. Through his exertions, and the enlisted aid of others, Sea-side has been made
a breathing place and pleasure ground for our people forever. The names and generous
donations of those whose land formed a large part of the track have gone into history and
should have a monument.
" In our friend's administration of the trust of wealth, you have an example of its wisest
use for the good of his fellows. This is a day of unexampled charities and large handed
296 AMONG MY FHIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
benevolence ; donations by hundreds of thousands, and millions, are poured out of the trust
which God has given in store, for various objects of public good. It is of some moment
to judge rightly of that use of means which benefits the most and reaches most. I do not
know that any one way or purpose should be set down for all : men, though divine in
giving, are human in their judgment. Each acts according to his character, habits of
thought, and life. Let all give for good purposes, as they are wont. He may rest well
satisfied with his work who appeals thereby to the better instincts of the race ; who,
instead of devoting his wealth to the waifs and overburthened of life, makes opportunities
for self-help, homes and industry for others ; who devotes his stores of wealth to such an
improvement as East Bridgeport, where the chance of homes and industries, and all the
strength and stamina of a people that gather around those homes are made possible to every
willing toiler. Our townsman, Howe, made his millions out of the profits of his great
invention. But not content with its possession and holding as an unproductive fund, he
devoted it to that magnificent industry which bears his name and gives bread and comfort
to thousands.
" But when men, like our friend and guest, have so administered the trust of their talents
and means, as to bring prosperity, improvements, comfort and refinement to others, there
becomes due to them a grateful recognition of duties well discharged, from their fellows
and the community in which they live. Such testimony to merit inspires both giver and
receiver with a kindly fellowship. We give ovations to soldiers ; why not to duty-doing
citizens as well ? Peace hath her victories, her toils and struggles, and her triumphs, less
costly and wasteful, to be sure, but ministering to happiness and wealth. There is power
in those men who move the business of the world. I believe in Csesars and Napoleons —
not those of conquest, who squander human life and stores of hard-earned wealth, whose
path is desolation — but in Oeesars and Napoleons who engineer and organize the industries
of the world ; who minister in the ten thousand channels where flow the busy throng of
human workers, to swell the flood and direct its currents ; who bridge our mighty rivers,
swing high in air above the masts of ships aerial pathways ; who tunnel mountains, unite
oceans, band people and nations with iron nerves and arteries of intercourse and commerce ;
who girt the world with speaking fire.
" But Caesars want a following. No man alone, however great his means, can of himself
accomplish much. Strength lies in union, in harmonious action, and in conspiracies for
good as well as evil. If one can do so much, with centered energies and wealth, how much
a whole community who join their peaceful Csesars in all works looking towards the good
of the community in which they live. May this our guest and friend, one of our peaceful
Caesars, live to do among us as in the past, but with a heavier following and more earnest
help. Long may it be before that flag, which from the pinnacle at Waldemere marks his
hospitable presence, shall descend to note an absence from which there is no return."
The scholarly, elegant and able effort of General Noble received alike the attention and
applause which were its due ; ami when he sat down Mr. Barnum arose amid a perfect
tempest of cheers and such an enthusiastic greeting as visibly touched his heart. His
speech was interrupted wKh frequent applause ; and his allusions to prominent men, who
had been his co-workers in building up Bridgeport— Nathaniel Wheeler, J. C. Loomis, Glen.
Noble and others — were greeted with special and prolonged cheers ; while the many happy
hits should have been heard to be properly appreciated. The following is an outline of
KB. BARNUM'S SPEECU.
" YOUR HONOR THB MAYOR, NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS: I offer yon my most profound
thanks for this spontaneous expression of your esteem. No words of mine can express the
debt of gratitude which I owe you.
"Among all the toils and pleasures, the vicissitudes and successes of an active and
eventful life, this day and this occasion will ever stand out a red letter day on the calendar
of my history. It will be cherished by myself, my children and my children's children,
with feelings of joy and thankfulness.
" It is no trifling thing for a man of" the world, of active temperament and positive ideas,
to have so lived as to have won the esteem and confidence of the general public ; but it is
an honor inestimable to become an exception to the divine maxim, ' A prophet is not without
honor save in his own country and his own house,' and to-be thus honored by a multitude
of my most prominent and substantial neighbors, among whom I have lived for more than
thirty years. And daring that period I have received nothing but unvaried kindness from
the citizens of Bridgeport. In my wanderings I have always left our beautiful city with
regret, and ever returned to it with renewed pleasure, for in this my home I am always sure
of meeting smiling faces and warm hearts.
"I only wish, gentlemen, that I better deserved your compliment. Others sitting at thii
table merit and receive your approbation. We have here gentlemen who have introduced
manufactures and capital into Bridgeport, without which it would have still been a mere
country village. These gentlemen, for their energy and liberality, command the gratitude
of their neighbors, and I trust, at no distant day, they will receive tangible evidence thereof.
" East Bridgeport owes its existence, in a great measure, to Gen. Wm. H. Noble. It wa«
his original conception, and all its streets were opened under his supervision.
•' Our respected fellow citizen Captain John Brooks was the first president of Mountain
Grove Cemetery, and he aided materially in its formation.
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND JTEIGHBOBS. 297
• " **.°,n I?*™88 c> Loomt8 was one of the most ardent advocates for the esUhllahr»i«nt ni
8ea-8ide Park and my efforts in that direction were warmly sustJned by H^nNaThaniel
to^iamT' Vn™nclf' Wood' Ks<1" Uon' Wm- D" BishoP- "ad others Xm I hav"e not time
" When we speak of the material prosperity of Bridgeport, we remember with m-atitnda
WheneTere AwSZ?^'1 ^T^' tO,Wh°m T "etn^bted forTe^tabU^me'Sfof thJ
hithJ , H ^i wrC°ii8 manufactol;les hel-e. and who was also instrumental in bringing
ither the noble Ehas Howe, Jr. and many other enterprising business men. Scores of
others might be mentioned who have contributed largely to the present position of the mos
thriving city in New England ; and pur citizens can never be too grateful for the liberality
and energies of our principal capitalists and business men.
' I should have declined the honor of this dinner, and been content with the privilege of
receiving your invitation had I not felt that this occasion might perhaps encourage other.
in cultivating a spirit of liberality, a spirit of improvement in fact a '" • •• •
jged my opinic...
" When I started for Europe last autumn, 1 said to my poor wife I did not expect to see a
more pleasant locality than Waldemere— and I did not. Indeed, I fully believe it is one of
the most duliguUul and healthy residences ou the face of the earth
•'This shore around Bridgeport has long been celebrated for its 'fine and peculiarly invig-
orating air. It has been remarked that there has been during the last forty ye:irs as there
is to-day, an unusual number of persons living here whose ages range from ei"hty-five to
nmety-tive and even one hundred years and upwards. I could recall the names of scores of
such persons within my recollection, and many such are now living here This is in a
great degree, attributable to "OZONE," which scientific experiments have demonstrated
exists iii larger quantity in the air of Bridgeport than in that of any other locality on this
continent.
" General Noble has put me in a reverse position to the man who received a scratch on
the face, and when he heard his lawyer depict his terrible injuries to the jury, burst into
tears and declared he had no conception how shockingly he had been injured.
" If I have done what the general has so generously stated, it is because I could not help
it. Having taken Bridgeport as my life-long residence, I could not help doing all in my
power to add to its beauty and its prosperity. I had a pride in the place of my selection
and had no desire to expend my money elsewhere : consequently I felt a pleasure in laying
out new streets, raising valleys and lowering hills, erecting houses and factories and
Inducing capitalists and manufacturers to come among ua.
" I felt like the old darkle who was sued by a man. Before the morning of the trial
arrived the plaintiff withdrew his suit and paid the cost. But the old darkie went to court
and insisted upon having a trial. The judge told him the suit was withdrawn.
4 ' Nebber mind dat,' exclaimed the ancient African, ' call de case, call de case, I want to
hear how 'em roar 1 '
" And so with me. If I conceived that a new street, a new building, or the planting of *
few hundred trees would improve things, I was anxious to ' call de case and hear how 'em
roar.'
" The advice of the Irishman in the scrimmage at Donnybrook Fair was : ' Wherever you
see a head, hit it.'
" That is the way I feel ; whenever I see a swamp-hole or a bit of salt meadow, I want to
hit it.
" Some persons present will remember that when I built Iranistan, a large brook crossed
Fairfleld avenue between Iranistau and the homestead of Ira B. Wheeler. Travelers
•topped to water their horses in that stream. A salt-meadow swamp set up close to the
Bouth side of Fairfleld avenue and boats came up to the street. When I bought the swamp,
filled it up. and turned the stream into a large stone sewer, Col. Hall sued, or threatened to
sue me, lor obstructing navigation ! That entire swamp meadow is now solid ground.
" Now, some say that when I make improvements, I do it with an eye to future profit. I
am glad to acknowledge that this is generally true. I have certainly made some expensive
improvements, which I felt sure could never repay me, but I am glad to have it understood
that mine is usually a profitable philanthropy. I have no desire to be considered much of a
philanthropist in any other sense. If by helping those who try to help themselves, I can do
it without ultimate loss, the inducement is all the greater to me ; and if by improving and
beautifying our city, anil adding to the pleasure and prosperity of my neighbors, I can do BO
at a profit, the incentive to ' good works ' will be twice as strong as if it were otherwise.
" I don't believe much in the doctrine that teaches persons to sit still, suck their fingers
and be fed, clothed and lodged by the charity of others ; I believe in teaching people to be
active, industrious, economical and temperate. Above all, I believe in teaching the doctrine
of honesty as taught by Ralph Waldo Emerson, when he said that it is impossible for one
man to rob or injure another without, at the same time, robbing and injuring himself more
than anybody else. I believe in teaching that all wrong-doing and all violations of nature's
laws cause us to lose our self-respect, our manhood and the confidence of mankind, so that
it is impossible to gain anything thereby, hence that honesty is. as Franklin sold, the best
'podcy,' and that right in any shape is always the best ^policy. And those who do right
and try to help themselves do not generally ueed free gifts from others. King David tri'ly
298
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
said he had ' never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging bread.' Therefore,
I want it to be understood, that when I make improvements I am benefiting the community
by giving employment to working people.
"But there is a funny side to my improvements and experiences in Bridgeport. When I
first settled here I knew nothing about making new streets, erecting buildings, laying out
pleasure grounds, etc.
"I had traveled considerably, and picked up some knowledge of human nature, and that
was all. Hence, in making 'improvements,' I made many ludicrous blunders. I had
bought up during several years numerous parcels of land west of Fairfleld avenue, and it so
happened that a low piece of salt meadow lay between two pieces of my upland. Thinking
that at some future time I might want that salt marsh filled up, I called on Deacon Silliman,
the reputed owner, and told him he had a piece of salt meadow I wished to buy.
" ' I have no salt meadow to spare,' said the deacon. ' Well, I'll let you have another
piece in exchange. I only want yours so as to connect my two pieces of land,' I replied.
' I don't know which salt meadow you mean,' said the deacon. ' Jump into my wagon and
I will show it to you in ten minutes,' I answered, and away we went. Arriving at the spot
I pointed out the coveted piece of marsh . ' Why, Mr. Barnum, you have owned that salt
meadow these three years 1' exclaimed the astonished deacon. I was always vexed that
the deacon did not give me a quit-claim for twenty-five dollars ; the joke would have been
worth that.
" On another occasion I was in the Island of Ccba. I went to a nursery there, admired
the young palms, bananas, India rubber plants, indigo and coffee trees, &c., and having no
special knowledge of such things, but desiring to enrich the conservatories of Iranistan
with every rare plant and flower, I purchased a lot of these shrubs and then gave the
nurseryman an order for flower seeds, which were to include everything which he had that
was rare. He made Pie up over a hundred packages of seeds, at an expense of some fifty
dollars. When planted in the grounds of Iranistan, I found I had purchased seeds of cat-
nip, pennyroyal, inullen, daisies, and lots of weeds common to us, but quite ' rare ' to the
Havana nurseryman.
"And so on my late visit to Europe, with a desire to beautify the grounds of Waldemere,
I engaged the best gardener in the Crystal Palace Gardens at Sydenham, and sent him to
America. I looked over the various rare plants, with which these grounds abound, and made
numerous selections for Waldemere. On placing them in my grounds, my neighbors dis-
covered 'dusty miller,' and several other common plants among my supposed choice
varieties.
" But, gentlemen, I will not detain you ; I cannot tell yon how glad I am to meet you, nor
can I sit down without saying how grateful I am for the kindness and delicate forethought
you have shown in deferring on this occasion to my public advocacy of teetotalism for
thirty years. I trust our natural faw of spirits will keep us jolly, and hope that somehow
or other you will manage to do what I always desire my patrons to do, viz.: ' Get the worth
of your money."
Mr. Barnum sat down amid prolonged applause, and when that had subsided and the
band had played an appropriate air, George Mallory, Esq., chairman of the Dinner Committee,
announced the next regular toast, "The Municipal Government of our City ; may Wisdom
guide and govern the deliberations and acts of its council, and Ability and Honesty the
execution of its laws.
XATOR R. T. CLARKE'S SPEECH.
After responding directly to the toast, Mayor Clarke said :
" When I first came to Bridgeport, something more than twenty years ago, I used to take
an occasional walk alter bank hours into the country. I enjoyed the fields, the quiet, the
almost complete solitude of the uninhabited regions through which I strolled. The scene
would be enlivened now and then by the flight, part play and part fear, of some squirrel
bounding along a stone wall. Next there would come a glimpse of civilization in some cow
getting her living in a five-acre lot of daisies and sorrel, bounded by a moss-grown and
venerable rail fence ; and once in a while aboriginal scenes would re-appear in an encamp-
ment of New Milford or Kent Indians, who had strayed for a few weeks away from home.
Where did I go for these walks of mine ? Not very far. That was East Bridge-port when
I first came here. There were the houses of a few old residents on ' the Point.' The rest
was mainly fields, and as much country as Tashua is to-day ; and it is a fact that I have
more than once seen Indians encamped in the woods which were in those days near the
east end of the present railroad bridge.
"The change from that time to this is very much like a dream. I need not tell you to
n'hose enterprise it is that we are mainly indebted for that change. We have him here
with us as the guest of the evening. I will not enter into those particulars which have and
will be, no doubt, thoroughly discussed by the eloquent speakers to whom we are to have
the privilege of listening. I will but say, in a word, that no one can compare Bridgeport as it
was with Bridgeport as it is, without an impulse of gratitude towards that genius of indus-
try, sagacity and boldness in whose honor this meeting is given, and that there can oe in
the years to come no impartial history of Bridgeport written which shall leave out the name
of P. T. Barnum."
Mayor 'Jlarke was liberally applauded, and " when the tumult dwindled to a calm " h*
announced the next toiist, "The Manufacturing airl Commercial Interests o'
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. *yo
tnd called upon Hon. Nathaniel Wheeler to respond. He was received wHh a very
flattering burst of applause, and after some pithy and appropriate remarks about the growth
of the city and Its manufactures, he continued :
" When manufacturers visited Bridgeport with a view to locating here, our distinguished
guest mot them in a cordial and generous manner, and would say to them, 'If you wish to
locate here, take my lands for a site.' It was this generous and far-seeing policy that
brought to our city numerous manufacturing establishments. Among them may be men-
tioned that of Blias Howe, that of Schnyler, Hartley & Graham, the Hotchkiss establishment,
and many others, and thus our town grew up to be a city of shops, stores and residences.
You have seen the stranger coming in from all directions as to a place inviting for business
enterprise, because there was thrift, life and spirit in Bridgeport.
" And to-day our city offers to business men the greatest inducements of any place in the
land. (Applause.) It is near New York, and yet sufficiently in New England to command
the best class of mechanics and artisans. And I am happy to note the effect of bringing
this class of men to our town. And I will add, that whenever strangers have come here, or
mechanics have come here, they have always been met by open-handed encouragement from
our guest. The products of Bridgeport go into every family on the continent/and to every
continent on the earth, and are stamped with words indelibly, ' Manufactured at Bridge-
port, Conn.' Yon cannot find a town or village but has Bridgeport represented in it by one
of the most useful instruments ever devised by the skill of man. Go to Mexico, or South
America, yes, even to the homes lining the remote tributaries of the La Platte, and you will
find it doing its duty and saving labor to the poor female of the country. Go to Asia and
you will find it ; and even in China and Japan.
" I wish to have it understood that our guest laid the foundation of all this business, and
I am glad to be here to honor him and sound his praise. We did not come here to examine
some wonderful specimen of human longevity, or with a curious eye to view some wonder-
ful product of the sea — (Mr. Barn 11111 — ' Mermaid 1 ' Laughter.) — we came here to honor the
man who has honored Bridgeport and laid the foundation of her prosperity, and has always
given to Bridgeport ' more than her money's worth.' " (Applause.)
Mayor Clarke then announced the next regular sentiment, " The Press," to which Mr.
G. C. Waldo responded as follows :
" We have to-night heard how the great energy, perseverance, indomitable will and spirit
of Mr. Baruum have contributed to his success ; but one great element of that success has
not been mentioned. No one knows better than P. T. Barnum the value of printer's ink 1
He values it and uses it, and without it he might to-day have still been a wandering show-
man, exhibiting from town to town, instead of the great chief and head he undoubtedly is,
of all men in his business ! (Applause.) Mr. Barnum himself will tell you that ! (Mr.
Barnum, interrupting, 'Yes, without printer's ink I should have been no bigger than Tom
Thumb 1 ') Mr. Barnum thoroughly understands the value of judicious advertising, and if
yon would succeed as he has, 'go and do likewise! "' (Applause.)
Mr. Morris, of the New York Times, then said:
" Mr. Barnnm represented the energy and enterprise of the American race, and the better
side of those qualities, too. He went abroad with his money to purchase what was valuable
there, but more valuable here, and would bring him an increase on his investment in turn.
He was the thrifty, enterprising and indomitable Yankee, and illustrated the characteristic
and distinctive element of the American mind, lie knew the value of printer's ink, and
of the men who made printer's ink the vehicle of news and information. Mr. Barnum
owed much to the editorial fraternity, and they in turn were indebted to him for liberality
and courtesy. The editorial profession had always been ready to aid any honest enterprise,
and herald whatever was worth heralding. The press of New York acknowledged Mr.
Barnum the greatest showman of the world, and one of the most truly philanthropic. In
behalf of the members of the New York press, he thanked Mr. Barnum for the kindness
and courtesies extended to them, and expressed a wish that one so ready to assist his fellows
might live long to enjoy many such occasions, at which he hoped ,to be present. (Applause.)
The next sentiment was "Our Homes," to which Dr. C. E. Sanford responded as follows:
"Our homes, models of refined taste, surrounded with nature's loveliest adornments;
pleasant to behold, pleasanter to know, pleasantest to possess. I thank you, Mr. Chairman,
for inviting me to respond to such a sentiment. Next to my profession, I love my home,
AMONG MY FKIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
Iranittan, built it when he was abroad, and surrounded it with all the loveliness of nature
and art. I can well imagine how other matrons and other households, stimulated by such
an example, have built more wisely and spent more time and eil'ort in beautifying and adorn-
ing their homes. After the trial byjire and by time came Lindencroft ; less pretentious, but
perhaps not less beautiful in its chaste simplicity, and last of all she fashioned Waldemere:
and we shall never gaze upon its rounding slope of sun-kissed lawn with its rich borders of
bright, fragrant flowers, upon its mounds of moss-grown stone and shell, its wooded park
and its wave-washed shore (only the rim of our fair park between) without remembering
her to whom I believe this community are indirectly so deeply indebted for so much that is
beautiful about our homes. The contagion of example is intense and eil'ective, and 1 can
readily see how it spread from these houses which your wealth erected and her taste
adorned, to others less pretentious — spread, because the loving heart and the fervent mind
of woman IB always ready for such an influence. And just here, Mr. Bariium, in the name
of the citizens of Bridgeport and of strangers who may visit here, I desire to thank you for
again throwing open to the public your beautiful grounds at V aldemere, your latest and
perhaps your best model of a charming home. It has been well said ' that he who causes
two blades of grass to grow where but one has grown before is a public benefactor.' If
this is true, he who converts a New England cow-pasture into an almost perfect paradise
of loveliness, and then lets down the bars and says to all man and womankind, ' come in
and enjoy this with me,' shall at least receive our warmest thanks.
"Mr. Barnum has always been a good feeder, but by no means a high liver, and herein is
one great secret of his health. Good, plain, substantial food, und plenty of it; for the solid
physique, with the constantly worked Drain and nerve and muscle, must needs nnd plenty
of good blood with which to replenish. I remember very well one summer when I was
frequently at his house, Mr. BaruuuTs dessert, day after day, was cold boiled rice and milk.
Very simple and very nutritous. No irritating stimulants; no dyspeptic pastry. Show
him the reasonableness and healthfulness of taking a given food or drink, it would be
tried; of denying it and it was 'passed.'' And with all respect to Mr. Baruum's unselfish-
ness ! just here I imagine, lies the foundation of his anti-rum and anti-tobacco principles.
He made up his mind, saw, felt and was convinced it was an injury to him, and, presto, he
would have none of it. So he has been the foe of rum and tobacco, and he believes they
are his and the foes of all mankind. He says they break down, they weaken, they destroy.
So he fights them, especially the former, with lance well held in rest, and with his well-
known vigor and zeal.
"But, sir, you have always shown your love for us by spending your money freely in our
midst. Your open grounds at Waldemere ' ao passing fair,' will prove a rapid education in
the love of the beautiful."
Next in order came " The City of Hartford " responded to by David dark, Esq., of that
city. Mr. Clark said :
" To show you how he is appreciated in Hartford, I will tell you what a citizen said of
him: 'If he had been a citizen of Hartford, it would have been the capital of the State
twenty years ago, and a city of one hundred thousand inhabitants. (Applause.) Instead
of being at the head of sloop navigation, the ocean steamers would have arrived at her
ports by some Suez canal that he would have constructed.' I only have to say that I hope
Mr. Barnum will send that man a ticket to his Roman Hippodrome. (Laughter and cheers.)
Twenty-six years ago I visited Bridgeport, but saw the elements of success were wanting,
out since then her advancement has been excelled by no town in the State, which is in a
ereat degree owing to the energy and public spirit of your distinguished fellow-townsman.
For this he is entitled to great credit, and this honor is justly due him, and his memory will
always be cherished by those who know the story of his good deeds. Shakespeare made
Mark Antony say that ' the evil men do, lives after them, while the good they do is often
interred with their bones.' That might do for that generation, but henceforth it is the good
men do that will live after them." (Applause.)
Mr. Clark sat down amid applause, and the Chairman announced the " Town of Danbury,"
responded to by the Hon. D. P. Nichols, of that place, who thanktl the committee for the
compliment to Danbury, and closed with the wish that Mr. Barn.im might live long to
-vbeuelit the city of his adoption, and honor the place of his nativity.
Mr. Nichols received hearty applause.
Next on the programme was a poem by Judge S. B. Sumner. It was splendidly delivered,
kept the company in a roar of laughter, and is one of the happiest ell'orts th.it Judge Sum-
ner has ever produced. \Ve are pleased to be able to lay it before our readers, and can
assure them that it is simply " perfect of its kind," but needs the Judge's excellent delivery
to be properly set out. Round after round of applause greeted every happy hit, and com-
pelled a temporary suspension of the reading.
JUDOB 8. B. BUHNER'S POEM.
"I'm no pianist ; ue'ertheless a pcean I must sing,
This night in honor of our guest, the famous Money-King ;
The man who keeps informing us that poverty's a blunder.
And rolls up wealth before our eyes, while we look on *nd wonder.
MY FH1ENDS AN JO N JSJ.GHBOJW. 301
" There's no such thing as ciphering the gauge of such a man;
To-day it's business in New York — to-morrow in Japan;
One day beneath the sea, to flud some learned, lovely shark,
The next, way off on Ararat, for pieces of the Ark I
" Sometimes he calls for quarter, with the giant Fe-Fo-Fum;
And then again he captures us with General Tom Thumb;
One day in Bridgeport, staking out new streets across his farm,
The next, in Windsor Castle, with Victoria on his arm;
u One day upon the prairies, looking out lor freaks of nature ;
The next, in Hartford, speech-making before the legislature ;
One day the Bearded Woman ; next, the Mermaid with her comb ;
And now the Hippopotamus, and now the Hippodrome.
14 To-day recalling from the deep, oblivious shades of death,
And so rejuvenating and rejoicing old Joice Heth ;
To-morrow, showing all at once, the wondrous Twins of Siaiu,
And Jnlius Cesar's boxing-gloves, and fish-pole used by Priam.
'One day the fiery element his big Museum slashes,
But next day, lo 1 it rises as a Phoenix from its ashes ;
And while the croakers shake their heads, and dubiously figure.
The Crocodile gives broader smiles, the show keeps growing bigger |
"I never, NEVBB, saw his like ; and so I might as well
Give o'er at once the vain attempt all his exploits to tell ;
It's all recorded— read of all— on everybody's shelf;
1 Biography of P. T. Barnum, written by himself.'
"There's not a journal round the world, whose columns haven't know n ' im
Nor board fence, on whose superflce bill-posters haven't shown him;
No savage or philosopher, no Gentile. Greek or Roman,
But knows of this ubiquitous, inevitable showman.
"But 'showman' though he style himself, we know the word but telU*
A vulgar fraction of what force within his manhood dwells ;
An orator of wide repute, a poet and a preacher,
An author and an editor, a student and a teacher !
"A wit of ever-ready fund within his storehouse ample;
Of Temperance, alike renowned Apostle and example :
Philanthropist, with human kind not merely sympathetic,
But generous and bountiful, and grandly energetic.
"And last — hjino means least— of all ; and that is why we come
Thus heartily to welcome him— a lover of his home !
A home that proudly crowns to-day a whilom barren waste,
The triumph and the marvel now of fine asthetic taste 1
"But prouder monument for him: within the city's bound,
Full many a score of happy habitations may be found.
Whose owners will not soon forget the prudent head that planned
The homes they ne'er had builded but for Barnum's helping hand I
"Oh, when the leaf of human life is turning sere and yellow,
One's best reflection can but be, that he has served his fellow ;
How many a man had been a wreck, whose fate had quite undone him
If Barnum hadn't raised, and put wheels under him, and ' run ' him '
"Now, if our fellow citizen had been a sordid hunks,
Who hoarded all his treasures in old stockings and in trunks,
We simply should have set him down a flinty-hearted sinner,
Instead of voting him a • brick ' and complimentary dinner.
"And so we wish it understood, and thoroughly inferred,
These testimonials of esteem— we mean them, every word,
We toast not wealth, nor simply brains, but, as we proudly can,
The qualities that always make ttie hero and the man.
'Long life and health to him and his, to do and gather good,
And when at last he shall be called to cross the Stygian flood,
Surviving friends, with tearful eyes, beholding him embark,
Shall place his statue, I predict, within the Sea-side Park ;
AMOKO MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOUR.
"And every ooy wno looks thereon, the record shall review,
And learu what steady Yankee pluck and industry can do;
And as our city grows apace, an ever crescent fame,
As halo, shall surround her pristine Benefactor's name.
" And meanwhile, he'll be ransacking the Universe for ' stars,'
And lav a cable through the air from Jupiter to Mars,
And institute a comet-race, on some tremendous wager,
And case up Taurus, Scorpio, the Whale, and Ursa Major t
" And niro the Twins — oh, Gemini 1— to manage a balloon.
Ana make an exhibition of the old man ill tie moo-; ;
And in the vast arena, pit the Sickle of the Lioi.
Against the vaunted sword and belt of arrogant Orloj
" And, finally, discovering the brink of Hades' crater,
Put out the conflagration with his Fire Annihilator ;
Exorcise from the^neighborhood, the 'cussed' imps of evU,
Nor rest, till he has raised, reformed, and then — ENGAGED — the Devil I '
When quiet hud been restored, Mayor Clarke announced " The Bar and Bench,' to which
the Hon. J. C. Loomis eloquently replied. His remarks commanded marked attention and
appreciative and hearty applause. "The Veterans of the Show Business" was then
announced by the chairman, and was responded to by Mr. Fordyce Hitchcock, of New
York, who alluded to his management for Mr. Barn urn of the old Museum for many years,
and who said:
" It has ever been the endeavor of my friend to avoid everything calculated to offend the
most delicate taste or mislead the mind of the young (Applause.) But it is said Barnum
is a grand humbug. I ask if any went into his Museum that did not get his money's worth.
I have traveled over Europe and found no place that compared with Barnum's old Museum.
And that institution saved many young men, who sought it instead of goiiig into dens of
vice. If that is being a humbug, let us all learn to be humbugs." (Applause.)
The chair then announced that the lateness of the evening compelled a shortening of the
programme, and that the Rev. Dr. Hopper would respond to the toast "The Clergy"' as the
last sentiment of the evening.
DR. HOPPER'S SPEECH.
" MB. MAYOR AND GENTLEMEN: I am glad that I have the pleasure of being present on
this occasion. I desire to add my little quota to the interest of the hour. I bring all of
which my nature is susceptible, for I am in entire rapport with the object of the meeting.
It seems to be nightly befitting that the clergy should be represented at this banquet g'ven
in honor of our esteemed guest, and I am glad that the custom which onci- prevailed in
old England of dismissing the clergy to an ante-room after the sitting of grace, does not
prevail in this country, but that with impunity they may sit through the entire feast, par
taking of the choicest viands, sharing even in the offering of genial t&'ists. It is propei
that we should be present at this time for many reasons. In the first place, our honored
Iriend has always taken kindly to the clergy, ever ready to manifest a genuine and tangible
sympathy for them in their sacred mission. Mr. Barnum, during his long and eventful liie,
has fastened, as with hooks of steel, to his broad nature many of the clergy of every
denomination, who are among his truest and most devoted friends. Among this number
are the distinguished Drs. Chapin, Cuyler, Thomas, Emerson and others, who. had circum-
stances permitted, would have gladly been personally present, and brought floral wreaths
as expressions of their sincere sympathy and affection for the man. And many of the
profession, who have fallen upon sleep, resting from life's conflicts, could they leave their
quiet graves, or celestial homes, would be here and vie with us in our offerings. Let us
believe, as it is not inconsistent with our holy faith, that unseen they are bending over us.
" It is befitting that we should speak, because I think our friend may have been'originally
designed for the church. I don't know that he ever himself harbored such a thought, I
only judge from his youthful reply, as a Sunday-school scholar, to the question implied in
the words of Christ to Martha, * One thing it iieedfulS I quote the closing paragraph:
' The one thing needful,' says the young preacher, ' is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
follow in his footsteps, love God, and obey his commandments, love our fellow-man, and
embrace every opportunity of administering to his necessities. In short, the one thing
needful is, to live a life that we can always look back upon with satisfaction, and be enabled
ever to contemplate its termination with trust in Him who has so kindly vouchsafed it to
us, surrounding us with innumerable blessings, if we have but the heart and wisdom to
receive them in a proper manner.' Noble sentiment for a youth I Surely, here is a minister
In embryo. I could wish that with a sanctified lile, he had elevated himself to this noble
calling. No doubt but that he would have been greatly successful. With his fine
mesmerism, how lie would have electrified the people; what a spiritual showman he would
have made ; how he would have exhibited the menagerie of the heart, in which ferocious
beasts, in the form of fiery passions, prey upon the suul. And with his genial love and
trust in mankind, seeing ever the good in the midst of degrading vices, how lovingly he
AMONG MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. 303
-
It is befitting that the clergy should here have a voice, because our friend, in addition
to the great interest winch he has always taken in the secular affairs of our city, has never
foiled to generously assist the churches in the days of their weakness and poverty
He doubtless saw that the growth and prosperity of his favorite city would largely
depend upon the elevating influence of Christian sanctuaries. In almost every church book
In the city is recorded at different times a liberal subscription from Mr B
"And I here acknowledge the generous aid, pecuniarily, which he rendered to the church
over which I have the honor to preside, in the days of her feebleness
"So, then, I say again, most emphatically, it is highly befitting that the clergy have a
voice at this festival.
" In closing, please, friend Barnum, accept our kind congratulations and offerings of sincere
friendship. As the years with you roll on towards the deep sunset may you find the
evening of life serene and beautiful, and your faith in God and love for humanity increase
HS the shadows longer grow."
Mr. George Mallory begged leave to offer, as a final sentiment, the following, one in which
an could join: "May the Hag at Waldemere long continue to float over that dwelling
indicating, as it does, that its owner is 'at home.' ^ (Applause.)
Three cheers were then called for by Mayor Clarke in honor of P. T. Barnum which
were given with a rousing will, and the company dispersed at about one o'clock.
Among those present who would have been called upon to speak, had not the lateness of
the hour prevented, were the Rev. E. W. Maxey. the Rev. Edwin Johnson, the Rev. D O
Fen-is, the Rev. Father Synott. the Rev. Dr. Richardson, the Rev. N. L. Briggs, and others'
It must be a matter of congratulation to Mr. Barnum that this entire movement was so
spontaneous, and that no effort was needed to make it a grand success. There was a
balance in the hands of the committee of fifty dollars, which was given to the Bridgeport
Orphan Asylum.
[From the Republican Standard (Editorial), July 3, 1874.]
P. T. BARNUM.
The press and the people of Bridgeport united in an ovation to P. T. Barnum, Thursday
evening, in acknowledgment of the honor due him for the public improvements he has
inaugurated and pushed through in this city, with unceasing energy, for the past thirty
years. To the press he acknowledges his obligations for success in life. It has given him
fame, so far and wide that his uame is familiar to every eye that can read and every ear that
can hear, while almost every pocket has contributed to his store of wealth. Without the
press, he says he would to-day " be a pigmy no bigger than Tom Thumb," instead of being
at the head of his profession. If the press is thus the father of P. T. Barnum, it follows
that it is the grandfather of East Bridgeport and all other public improvements wrought
out by his hand. It is to be hoped, therefore, that East Bridgeport will hold its grand-
father in all due honor and reverence.
We have always admired the public spirit of P. T. Barnum. He is accustomed to work
with herculean energy and enthusiasm to acquire his money, and then he shows the same
zeal in spending it, and to this characteristic Bridgeport is indebted for all those public
Improvement* inaugurated by 1iim. We admire the way and manner in which he works out
his plans. Instead of sending petitions to the Common Council, having committees appointed
to examine and report, advertising for hearings, ordering the street commissioners to do the
work, then make assessments, having appeals to the board of review, and all that, he merely
tells " Dave Sherwood " to open a street here, fill tip a swamp there, dig down this hill,
blast out that rock, build houses, &c., and the work is done and he is ready for the next one,
before he even could get a petition through the Common Council. It may be very true that
he does all these things for the sake of making more money thereby, yet this fact by no
means lessens the obligations of Bridgeporters to him, but they might well pray for a dozen
more such men who have sufficient intelligence to perceive that their own personal interests
can be best advanced in making public improvements.
As a specimen of his style of working for himself and the public combined, we may refer
to his straightening and extending State street. Formerly State street beyond Park avenue.
turned at an angle north-westerly. He caused a change in its direction, widening it, filled
up a swamp in his own land and made a good firm road across it, moved one lariie block of
houses, and spent some $12.000 in the operation, thus making a fine public improvement
which will be beneficial to the city as long as the city lasts. All this he did without calling
for aid outside ot his own pocket. But in doing this he saw that the street when extended
beyond would greatly enhance the value of his property and yield hi;n a rich return, perhaps
at no distant day. This is his usual mode of working, and though private interests may
prompt his action, yet he so works in all his improvements that the public shares very
largely in the accruing advantages. Any city is blessed which has su-h intelligent persona
Whose motto is "to do good and make money " without being so »ellish as to refruiu from
304 AMONG MY FBIEND8 AND NEIGHBORS.
any work beojnee they do not get all the good that comes from their venture. It to for sncb
deeds that the citizens of Bridgeport have worthily honored Mr. Barnum.
The American Register, published in Paris, in its issue of July 11, 1874, speak-
ing of this dinner, says:
The press, the pnlpit, the bench and bar were all liberally represented. It may seem
strange to Europeans that such distinguished men should accept invitations to a dinner in
honor of a common showman, as Mr. Baruum is too often called ; but their surprise will
cease when we tell them what that gentleman really is. True, he is> a showman, but he is
also a man of considerable personal acquirements, of great public spirit, and a good citizen.
Ue is an excellent representative of the indomitable strength and energy of our young nation.
Moreover, he is a man of great generosity, and knows how to spend money as well as to
make it. By this we mean that he spends it in a way which tends to the public good. There
are very few men who have ever known Mr. Baruum who would not have been pleased to
join in a dinner given to him, and since we were not able to be present on the occasion, we
are happy to pay our tribute in another form to that liberal-minded and large-hearted man
LINES
IC3S1CSTED BY A DRIVE TO P. T. BARNUJt'S PLACE (WALDEMERE) AT SKA-SIDE PARK, BRLIM*
PORT, CONN., PIVB TEARS AFTER ITS COMPLETION.
FAIR Waldemerel Thou gem of art and nature,
Glorified by breath of June like emerald
Iii diamond setting 1 With thy rich robe
Of verdure and sparkling waves
Of ocean dancing round thy
Borders— glancing and Hashing in the
Sunlight, meet setting for a spot
So fair! The stranger's eye
Ilesteth upon thee as some surprising
Scene of marvelous beauty, bursting
Upon the gaze with all thy ease
And grace of architecture,
Adorned with fountain, statuette and
Floral vase, each in its favorite niche
In favored Waldemere—
Well chosen spot!
By sea-side murmuring — and well
Combined its mansion of palatial
Structure, rearing its grand
Proportions with many varied
Turrets, in graceful dignity,
Floating aloft, its silken banner
Waves from crowning tower,
Bearing its owner's monogram
On its proud silken folds.
• • • * * *
No need in statue bronze of stalwart
Indian, with springing wolf at feet
And tomahawk in hand.
To guard thy entrance, fair Waldemere,
For who would mar such scene
Of beauty, made for the eye to
Feast upon? Who could defile thy
Precincts, or with evil wish to
Harm thee, while witli inviting
Aspect such harmony of art and
Nature greets the human vision?
Dark and unlighted be the
Heart, which ruthlessly would violate
Such type of Paradise.
Farewell, sweet Waldemere:
I ne'er may look upon thy face again.
But I will leave the token of a stranger's
Benediction, for the ray of happiness
And sunshine thou hast unconscious
Shed upon the traveler's heart.
H. E. a.
BIUDOEPOKT, June, 1874.
CHAPTER XLIX.
HIPPODROMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL.
IN July, 1374, immense canvas tents were made of sufficient capacity to accjom
modate all my great Roman Hippodrome performances. These tents, with the
expense of removing the whole Hippodrome establishment to Boston for a three
weeks' exhibition, cost me nearly fifty thousand dollars. During the three weeks'
exhibition in Boston, the tents were crowded each afternoon and evening with
the most delighted audiences. Excursion trains on all the railroads leading to
Boston brought thousands of visitors to the Hippodrome every day, and the Boston
and New England papers, secular and religious, without exception, were loud in
praise of what all acknowledged to be by far the most gorgeous, extensive, instruc-
tive and expensive traveling exhibition of which we have any record.
From Boston the entire Hippodrome was transported by railroad to Philadel-
phia, where a success was achieved fully equal to that in Boston. The Hippo-
drome afterwards visited Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, everywhere
drawing immense crowds, and opened again in my great Hippodrome building in
New York, in November, where, for several months, it afforded a treat to the
American public that will probably not be witnessed again in this generation. I
am confident that nothing less than my reputation for forty years as a liberal
caterer for public instruction and amusement, would have brought a paying
response to my efforts. The great religious community aided mostly in sustain-
ing this hazardous enterprise.
In the autumn of 1874 I married again. My second wife is the daughter of my
old English friend, John Fish, Esq., whom I have embalmed in the thirty-second
chapter of this book, under the title of "An Enterprising Englishman." We
were married in the Church of the Divine Paternity, Fifth Avenue, New York,
oy my old and esteemed friend, the Rev. Dr. Chapin, in the presence of members
of my family and a large gathering of gratified friends. After a brief bridal
tour, our wedding receptions were attended at Waldemere.
In December, 1874, His Majesty, David Kalakau, King of the Sandwich Islands,
visited New York. I invited the king and his suite to attend the Hippodrome,
which they did on the afternoon of December 26th. During the entire perform-
ance I was seated by the side of the king, who kept up a pleasant conversation
with me for a couple of hours. I took occasion to remind him that this was by no
means the first time I had had the honor of "entertaining " royalty, as he would
see from my book — a handsome presentation copy of which he had accepted from
me on Christmas day. He expressed himself highly delighted with my enter-
tainment, and said he was always fond of horses and racing. Some twelve
thousand persons were present, and when the exhibitions were about half finished
they called loudly ' ' The King ! The King ! " Turning to me, His Majesty inquired
the meaning of this. I replied : " Your Majesty, this vast audience undoubtedly
wishes to give you an ovation. This building is so large that they cannot dis-
tinctly see Your Majesty from every part, and are anxious that you should ride
around the circle in order that they may greet you."
305
306 HIPPODROMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL.
The king looked surprised, and presently the audience commenced cailiug " The
King | Barnum I Barnum 1 The King 1 " At that moment my open barouche
was driven into the circle and approached where we were sitting.
" No doubt Your Majesty would greatly gratify my countrymen," 1 remarked,
"if you would kindly step into this carriage with me and ride around the circle."
The king immediately arose, and, amid tremendous cheering, he stepped into
the carriage. I took a seat by his side, and he smilingly remarked, sotto voce :
" We are all actors."
The audience rose to their feet, cheered and waved their handkerchiefs as the
king rode around the circle, raising his hat and bowing. The excitement was
indeed tremendous. The king remained till all the performances were finished,
and expressed himself as greatly pleased with the whole entertainment. A
prominent New York paper, in speaking of this event, said :
" Of course Americans see no Impropriety in King Kalnkan's responding to the public call
to show himself to the multitude by riding around the Hippodrome ring. Had ;m American
President or other distinguished American gentleman thus responded, it would have been
considered as quite the thing in this republican country. To Europeans, however, it will
look very different. They will be astonished that any man on earth would have had the
presumption to propose making a show of a living monarch, albeit his kingdom may not be
the most extensive in the world, and we confess that, in our opinion, the only human being
on the footstool who would have the temerity to show up a king is our worthy countryman,
Phineas T. Barnum."
I trust that King Kalakau saw no " temerity " in my proposition. At all events,
he seemed to enjoy his reception, and so did I, and, as they say in whist, "the
honors are easy."
It is said that " It never rams but it pours." and just at this time I was visited
by a shower of royalty and nobility. The King of Hawaii had scarcely left
New York before I received an invitation to breakfast with Lord Rosebery at the
Brevoort House, Fifth Avenue. Lord Rosebery is a prominent member of the
British Parliament, where he sits as Baron Rosebery. The invitation stated that
his Lordship would sail for England on the twenty-seventh of January, and that
having seen most of our country, and its "lions," he did not like to leave •without
having an interview with Barnum. I accepted the invitation. The breakfast
came off at ten o'clock in the morning of January 26th, and I need scarcely say
that it was a most dainty, delightful and recherche affair. Only one gentleman
besides his Lordship was present. I found my host a very intelligent gentleman.
He had been in America once before, and he seemed well "posted" in regard to
our country and its institutions. He said he had read my autobiography, and
had witnessed with amazement and delight the scenes at my Roman Hippodrome.
These enhanced his desire to see "the man who was so celebrated throughout the
world for the magnitude and perfection of his enterprises as a caterer for public
gratification."
I accepted the compliment as gracefully as I could, and we were soon convers-
ing socially without restraint on either side. Lord Rosebery is a good story-teller,
and, what is still more pleasing to a loquacious old traveler like myself, he is a
capital listener. While discussing the luxurious meal, we interchanged amusing
anecdotes and personal experiences, some of mine so tickling bis lordship's keen
sense of humor that, more than once, he pushed back his chair from the table
and gave vent to his hilarity in hearty, unrestrained laughter.
After a couple of hours we parted, exchanging photographs and autographs.
His lordship expressed himself highly pleased with the interview, and politely
added that he hoped to meet me in England, whenever T shall carry out my
intention of taking a great show to that country.
HIPPODROMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL. 307
In March, 1S75, the nomination for Mayor of the city of Bridgeport was ten-
dered me by a committee from the Republican party, but I declined until assured
by prominent members of the opposition that my nomination was intended as a
compliment, and that both parties would sustain it. Politically, the w ty is largely
democratic, but I led the republican ticket, and was elected, April 5th, by several
hundred majority. On the twelfth of April the newly elected Common Council
held its first meeting, on which occasion I delivered the following Inaugural
Address:
GENTLEMEN OK THE COMMON COUNCIL :
intrusted as we are, by the votes of our fellow-citizens, with the care and man-
agement of their interests, it behooves us to endeavor to merit the confidence
reposed in us. We are sometimes called the "fathers of the city." Certainly our
duty is, and our pleasure should be, to administer the municipal government as a
good and wise father conducts his household, caring for all, partial to none. No
personal f eelings should dictate our official acts. We are not placed here to gratify
personal or party resentment, nor to extend personal or party favor in any
manner that may in the remotest degree conflict with the best interests of our
city. As citizens we enjoy a great common interest. Each individual is a mem-
ber of the body corporate, and no member can be unduly favored or unjustly
oppressed without injury to the entire community. No person or party can afford
to be dishonest. Honesty is always the best policy, for " with what measure ye
mete it shall be measured to you again."
A large portion of this honorable body are now serving officially for the first
time, and therefore may not be fully acquainted with the details of its workings ;
but we are all acquainted with the great principles of Justice and Right. If we
fail to work according to these eternal principles, we betray the confidence placed
in us, and this our year of administration will be remembered with disappro-
bation and contempt.
Let us bring to our duties careful judgment and comprehensive views with
regard to expenditure, so that we may be neither parsimonious nor extravagant,
but, like a prudent householder, ever careful that expenses shall be less than the
income.
Our city is peculiarly adapted for commercial purposes ; it should be our care
therefore to adopt such measures as tend to promote trade, manufactures and
commerce. Its delightful and healthy locality makes it also a desirable place of
residence. We should strive to enhance its natural beauty, to improve our streets
and, with moderate expenditure, to embellish our parks, by which means we
shall attract refined and wealthy residents.
As conservators of the public peace and morals it is our duty to prevent, so far
as possible, acts which disturb one or the other, and to enforce the laws in an
impartial and parental spirit.
The last report of our Chief of Police says : " 'Tis a sad and painful duty, yet
candor compels us to state that at least ninety per cent, of the causes of all the
arrests during the year are directly traceable to the immoderate use of intoxi-
cating liquors, not to speak of the poverty and misery it has caused families
which almost daily come under our observation."
In the town of Vineland, N. J., where no intoxicating drinks are sold, the over-
seer of the poor stated in his annual report that in a population of 10,000 there
was but one indictment in six months, and that the entire police expenses were
but seventy-five dollars! per year, the sum paid to him, and the poor expenses a
308 HIPPODROMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL.
mere trifle. He further says : " We practically have no debt, and our taxes are
only one per cent on the valuation." Similar results are reported in the town of
Greeley, Colorado, where no liquors are sold.
Our laws license the sale of intoxicating drinks under certain restrictions on
week days, but no man can claim the right under such license to cause mobs,
riots, bloodshed or murder. Hence no man has, or can have, any right by license
or otherwise to dispense liquors to intoxicated persons, nor to furnish sufficient
liquor to cause intoxication. Our duty is therefore to see that the police aid in
regulating to the extent of their legal power a traffic which our laws do not
wholly prohibit. Spirituous liquors of the present day are so much adulterated
and doubly poisoned that their use fires the brain and drives their victims to
madness, violence and murder. The money annually expended for intoxicating
drinks, and the cost of their evil results in Bridgeport or any other American
city where liquor-selling is licensed, would pay the entire expenses of the city (if
liquors were not drank), including the public schools, give a good suit of clothes
to every poor person of both sexes, a barrel of flour to every poor family living
within its municipal boundaries, and leave a handsome surplus on hand. Our
enormous expenses for the trial and punishment of criminals, as well as for the
support of the poor, are mainly caused by this traffic. Surely then it is our duty
to do all we can, legally, to limit and mitigate its eviL As no person ever became
a drunkard who did not sincerely regret that he or she ever tasted intoxicating
drinks, it is a work of mercy, as well as justice, to do all in our power to lessen
this leprous hindrance to happiness. We should strive to exterminate gambling,
prostitution and other crimes which have not yet attained to the dignity of a
"license."
The public health demands that we should pay attention to necessary drainage,
and prevent the sale of adulterated food. The invigorating breezes from Long
Island Sound, and the absence of miasmatic marshes serve to make ours one of
the most healthy cities in America. Scientific experiments made daily during
the whole of last year have established the fact that our atmosphere is impreg-
nated with OZONE, or concentrated oxygen, to an extent not hitherto discovered
on this continent. No city of the same size in America, is so extensively known
throughout our own land and in Europe as Bridgeport. It should be our pleasure
to strengthen all natural advantages which we possess as a city by maintaining a
government of corresponding excellence.
A plentiful supply of pure water is necessary to the health of a city. Experi-
ence has proved that the city should own and control the Water Works, or require
the Water Company to furnish a regular and reliable supply sufficient for the
wants and necessities of the people. I invite your most serious and disinterested
consideration of "the water question."
The custom of selling fruits and vegetables by measure tempts to fraud, and I
earnestly recommend that the practice of selling these products by weight be
adopted in this city .
Every employee of the city should be strictly held to perform the duty assigned
and to earn the money paid him. We should support no drones.
All condemned prisoners should be kept continually employed, and thus made
to contribute to their own support, and the expenses incurred by their wrong
doing.
HIPPODBOMIOAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL. 309
As cleanliness Is conducive alike to health and morality, I recommend that we
stablish one or more floating baths, a portion of which might be free, and the
rest subject to a small charge, which would nearly or quite cover the expense of
the whole.
As the city at certain periods is obliged to borrow money on which it pays
interest, I advise that at seasons when the city treasury has a surplus, we shall,
as is customary in other cities, place this money where it will draw interest until
needed.
It is painful to the industrious and moral portions of our people to see so many
loungers about the streets, and such a multitude whose highest aspirations seem
to be to waste their time in idleness or at base ball, billiards, &c.
No person needs to be unemployed who is not over fastidious about the kind of
occupation. There are too many soft hands (and heads) waiting for light work
and heavy pay. Better work for half a loaf than beg or steal a whole one.
Mother earth is always near by, and ready to respond to reasonable drafts on her
never-failing treasury. A patch of potatoes raised "on shares " is preferable to
a poulticed pate earned in a whisky scrimmage. Some modern Micawbers stand
with folded hands waiting for the panic to pass, as the foolish man waited for the
river to run dry and allow him to walk over.
The soil is the foundation of American prosperity. When multitudes of our
consumers become producers ; when fashion teaches economy, instead of expend-
ing for a gaudy dress what would comfortably clothe the family ; when people
learn to walk until they can afford to ride ; when the poor man ceases to spend
more for tobacco than for bread ; when those who complain of panics learn that
" we cannot eat our cake and keep it," that a sieve will not hold water, that we
must rely on our own exertions and earn before we expend, then will panics cease
and prosperity return. While we should by no means unreasonably restrict
healthy recreation, we should remember that "time is money," that idleness
leads to immoral habits, and that the peace, prosperity and character of a city
depend on the intelligence, integrity, industry and frugality of its inhabitants.
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper of July 24th, contained a picture entitled
" His HONOR P. T. BARNUM, MAYOR OF BRIDGEPORT, PRESIDING AT A MEETING
OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THAT CITY." The editor's remarks are as follows :
Mayor Barounrs message was a model of brevity and practical thought. Having at the
beginning of his official career declared war against the whisky dealers, he next proceeded
to open the struggle. For twenty years the saloons had been kept open on Sundays, and it
was declared impossible to close them. Mr. Barnum has all his life acted upon the quaint
French aphorism that "nothing is BO possible as the impossible." He gave notice that the
saloons must be closed. A select committee of citizens volunteered to aid in collecting
testimony in case the sellers should disregard the proclamation, and leave the latch-string
to their back doors displayed on the outside. Although the doors were open, the keepers
refused to sell except to personal friends. The committee-men stood opposite the saloons,
and took the names of a dozen or so who were admitted. The next morning the saloon-
keepers were arrested, and when they found their " friends " had been subpoenaed to appear
as witnesses, they pleaded guilty and immediately brought out their pocket-books to pay
the judicial " shot." This plan effectually broke up Sunday traffic in liquor, thus insuring
a quiet day for the citizens, and greatly accommodating the saloon-keepers, the best portion
of whom really favor a general closing on Sunday.
His next reform was directed against a private gas corporation that had been lighting the
streets at a flgure that he deemed exorbitant. A contract was made with a Boston portable
gas company, by which the cost of keeping the city bright at night was reduced one-half.
But the most striking of all was his action against the water-works corporation, of which
he was, with one exception the largest stockholder. He denounced the management severely
for not keeping good faith with the city under the charter giveu it, and appointed a com-
mittee of investigation. A report was submitted with a recommendation that the corporation
be sued and deprived of its local privilege if It did not immediately conform to the letter of
its agreement, and Mr. Barnum promptly concurred in the recommendation. Hn also
appointed a Retrenchment Committee, through the investigation of which he expects to
•Heel a still further reduction of local expenses.
310 HIPPODROMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL.
This Is good work for two months, and the citizens have a grateful appreciation of this
new phase of his joking propensities. Although now sixty-five years of age, the same
patient industry that has made him the prince of entertainers, marks all his official actions.
He ia honest, impartial, laborions ; far-seeing, judicious and sanguine. Care finds as firm a
resting-place upon him as water does on a duck's back.
By nature an organizer of men and systems, he in his own best executive officer. No one
knows so well as he how men may be best governed, and no one can so pleasantly polish on
the rough sides of mankind. Successful beyond the usual measure as an intelligent, courte-
ous and considerate showman, he has already prored himself the most acceptable of mayors.
During my administration as Mayor, I had occasion three times to veto cer-
tain propositions of the Common Council.
At the dawn of the second century of our national existence I issued the
following proclamation, and was glad to see that my suggestions were patrioti-
cally and enthusiastically carried out by my constituents :
MAYOR'S OFFICE, BRIDGEPORT, CT., Dec. 30, 1875.
To THB CITIZENS OF BRIDGEPORT:
The experiment of a people governing themselves has been tried on this conti-
nent for a huudred years. During this period, and under this rule, we have
grown to such proportions, prosperity and power, as has never been attained in
a century by any nation under monarchical government. As a nation we owe
unbounded gratitude to the Fathers of the Republic who by toil, sacrifice and
blood, planted the seed of this great and free nation.
As citizens of one of the most prosperous, delightful and healthy cities in
Puritan New England, I know you will rejoice to recognize in some befitting
manner the beginning of the second century of our great and noble Republic.
I recommend, therefore, that a national salute be fired, the bells of our city be
rung for half an hour, beginning at midnight of Friday, and that Saturday, the
birthday of our centennial year, be celebrated with even greater demonstrations
of joy and enthusiasm than marks our anniversary of American Independence.
Especially do I request that the national emblem shall adorn our public buildings,
and that all citizens shall display the American flag from their residences and
places of business.
P. T. BARNUM, Mayor.
My Hippodrome, in 1875, was transported by rail throughout the United States,
going as far east as Portland, Maine, and west to Kansas City, Missouri It
proved a tolerably successful season, notwithstanding the depressed state of
finances generally.
It gives me pain to record that our aeronaut, Professor Donaldson, having
made his daily balloon ascension on Thursday, July 15. from our Hippodrome
grounds at Chicago, was uever heard from afterwards. He took with him Mr. N.
S. Grimwood, a reporter of the Chicago Journal, whose body was found in Lake
Michigan a few weeks afterwards. Prof. Donaldson was doubtless drowned
during the terrible storm which occurred on the night of the ascension. He was
a man of excellent habits, clear brain and steady nerve, fearless, but not
reckless, and respected by all who knew him. His last was his 138th ascension.
A couple of newspaper extracts, which are but a fair specimen of hundreds,
will give an inkling of the enthusiasm with which my latest amusement enterprise
was greeted throughout the entire country:
HIPPODROMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL. 311
[From the Providence (£. I.) Journal, May 13, 1875.]
Phineas Taylor Barnnm's Great Roman Hippodrome arrived yesterday as per announce-
ent, and after a parade through the streets, that awakened everybody to a sense of Us
magnitude, gave two exhibitions on the Federal Street Common, which not only called
[ether the largest audience ever seen in this city, but furnished them with such
amusement and excitement as are rarely offered, and gave the most thorough satisfaction.
[From the Troy Daily Press, June, 1875.]
P. T. Barnum Is probably the only man in the world who can keep together such a
-?tr°J?s show an,d make it pay, as visited Troy yesterday. There were two perform-
ances began, so that those who were late were obliged to stand or go away. Hundreds
were turned away, because there was not even standing room. It is safe to say that twenty-
flve thousand people witnessed the pageant. People from the surrounding country for
thirty miles came on the cars, on horseback, and in wagons. The blockade of vehicles of
every description for a quarter of a mile around the tents was unprecedented in this city
Everybody was pleased. Thousands, we might say, were so well pleased with the after-
noon performance that they staid on the ground until evening and went in again. Some
had lunches with them, and spread themselves out on the grass and waited for night. The
programme is too long to mention in detail. But there are scores of Interesting and thrill-
ing acts which should be seen by everybody. Those who did not see the great show here
yesterday missed an important event in their lives.
About the middle of June I visited Niagara Falls with Mrs. Barnum and
several friends, including Misses Pattie and Julia Hutchinson, of Southport,
England, former neighbors of my wife, who were our guests during the summer.
Leaving our friends at Niagara, my wife accompanied me to Akron, Ohio, where
my Traveling World's Fair was to exhibit. On our arrival, the night before the
show was to come, the Mayor of Akron waited on us. We were invited to a
• concert (where, in response to loud calls, I gave a short speech), and were after-
wards serenaded at the hotel. The next morning I was escorted to Buchtel Col-
lege by its noble-hearted founder, Mr. J. R. Buchtel, and an old friend, Rev. D.
C. Tomlinson. The students would not let me off without a speech. I gave
them a few off-hand remarks which I hope may prove beneficial to some of my
auditors. Returning to Buffalo we rejoined our friends, whom we left at Niagara,
and there, too, I met the Hippodrome, which remained a couple of days. Early
on the morning of the second day I despatched a special train to Niagara Falls
with some hundreds of our Hippodrome company, to whom I was glad to give
this first opportunity of seeing the great Cataract. Our band accompanied them,
crossed the Suspension Bridge to Canada, playing " God Save the Queen " and
"Yankee Doodle," and returned to Buffalo in time for the afternoon exhibition.
In July I visited the Hippodrome at Chicago and St. Louis, being ten days absent
from home. I spent most of the summer at Waldeinere, looking after the
interests of the city, and enjoying the season heartily with my family and
friends. Our clam-bakes, picnics, charming country rides, weekly concerts in
Sea-Side Park by our two best city bands, and numerous other pleasures in this
most healthy and delightful locality, were extremely enjoyable, and caused the
time to fly much more rapidly than we wished.
[From the Baltimore Saturday Night, March 6, 1875.]
BAKNUM AND HIS BOOK.
On last Siiiidiij night a rather novel lecture, both as to theme and handling, was delivered
by Henry Hikert, Esq., at the hall of the Turn Verein Vorwaerta on Kayette street. The
large hall was crowded with ladies and gentlemen, belonging largely to the more educated
and refined class of Germans, and the audience lias ing acquaintance with the orator through
(he medium of several lectures delivered last year anticipated an instructive and agreeable
312 HIPPODBOMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL.
entertainment. We are pleased to agree with the German daily papers of our citj in the
statement that the expectations of all who were present were more than realized.
Mr. Hilgert took for his text " Barnum and his Book."
After an interesting introduction of his subject, in which he dwelt with caustic severity
upon the weakness of those who run into hasty judgment of men and their works without
really knowing anything about them, the lecturer said : "As I know of no book which is
better adapted to become a thoroughly instructive and agreeable guide through life, for the
youths of our country, than the record and experiences of the exemplarily industrious,
intelligent, strictly honest and moral citizen, Phineas Taylor Barnum, I will devote my to-
day's address to him and his book." Charity Barnum, the showman's first wife, was very
pighly spoken of, and recommended to the ladies as a wife, mother and companion worth
imitating.
Mr. Hilgert, after giving some of Barnnm's anecdotes, which, by the way, he rendered to
perfection, gave a graphic description of Barnum's career as a merchant, editor, showman,
legislator and public lecturer, and in all was his enthusiastic panegyrist. In the description
of Barnum's seven years' hard work to pay off over half a million dollars indebtedness
incurred by indorsements for the Jerome Clock Company, the speaker waxed warm and
eloquent, and called forth applause that testified fully to his ability as an advocate.
After explaining Barnnm's manly behavior in great pecuniary catastrophes, and after
giving a graphic description of Barnum's suffering in Hamburg, in 1873. upon the arrival
of the news of the death of his beloved wife, Mr. Hilgert concluded his lecture with the
following words :
" I have perhaps detained yon longer than you anticipated, and certainly longer than 1
should have done if I had been able to compress the abundance of interesting material into
a smaller compass, and, at the conclusion of my address, I give you my thanks for your very
close attention, and I pray you to recommend the good citizen, Phineas Taylor Barnum, to
your children as an exemplary man. When you give one of your daughters away in matri-
mony, advise her to imitate Charity Barnum; when your son leaves home to try his luck
upon the ocean of life, give him Barnnm for a guide ; when yon yourself are in trouble and
misery and near desperation, take from Barnum's life and teachings consolation and new
courage, and, after you all have received instructive enjoyment from Barnnm's mind, heart,
and actions, join me in the wish that the old gentleman in bis new matrimony may find
many joyful and happy days."
The applanse, which during the lecture on several occasions was loud enough, was almost
deafening at its conclusion.
During the autumn of 1875, under the auspices of "The Redpath Lyceum*
Bureau," in Boston, I delivered about thirty times a lecture on "The World and
How to Live in It," going as far east as Thomaston, Maine, and west to Leaven-
worth, Kansas, and including the cities of Boston, Portland, Chicago, Kansas
City, &J. When finished, the Bureau wrote me as follows: "In parting for a
season, please allow us to say that none of our best lecturers have succeeded in
delighting our audiences and lecture committees so well as yourself."
On November 28, and following days, I offered all my show property at auc-
tion. This included my Hippodrome and also my " World's Fair," consisting of
museum, menagerie and circus property. My object was to get rid of all surplus
stock, and henceforth to have but one traveling show, which, as ever, should be
as good as money and experience could make it. To this end my agent bid in all
such property as I could use, and now I am properly prepared for our Centennial
year. My traveling show consisted of Museum, Menagerie and Circus of im-
mense proportions, and I introduced patriotic features that gave the people a
Fourth of July celebration every day. My establishment traveled in three
trains of railway cars. We took along a battery of cannon, and every morn-
ing we fired a salute of thirteen guns. We introduced groups of persons cos-
tumed in the style of our Continental troops, and supplemented with the Goddess
of Liberty, a live eagle and some first-class singers, who, with a chorus of several
hundred voices, sang the "Star Spangled Banner" and other patriotic songs,
accompanied with bands of music and also with cannon placed outside our tents,
and fired by means of electricity. We closed our patriotic demonstration by
singing "America" ("My Country, 'Tisof Thee"), the entire audience rising and
joining in the chorus. At night we terminated our performances with fire-works,
in which thrilling revolutionary scenes were brilliantly depicted. Our grand
HIPPODROMIOAL, HYMEffEAL AND MUNICIPAL. '313
street procession was a gorgeous and novel feature. It began to move when the
salute was fired, and I depended upon the patriotism of each town we visited to
add to the effects of our National Jubilee by ringing of bells at the same time. My
assistant managers were my son-in-law, Mr. Kurd, and Messrs. Smith Brothers.
June and Bailey, late proprietors of the European Menagerie and Circus, which
I purchased entire and added to my other attractions. My official term as Mayor
expired April 3, 1876. I peremptorily refused a renomination, preferring to
travel a portion of the time with my grand Centennial show, and meet face to
face the millions of friends who, during the last year, have been ay generous
and I trust gratified patrons.
The last meeting of the Common Council under my administration was held
Friday evening, March 29. The Bridgeport Farmer of the next day said:
The desks of the members and reporters were each adorned with a beautiful bouquet,
presented " with the compliments " of the Mayor, and this raising of municipal business to
a higher level was evidently appreciated by all present. It was a novelty, but then Mayor
Barnum made a name by the introduction of novelties.
The New York Daily Graphic of March 80 read:
Mr. P. T. Barnnm, Mayor of Bridgeport, has uttered his valedictory message. The docu-
ment is very much like the man. lie disapproves of the reports of the Chief of Police and
Clerk of the Police Commissioners because they declare that liquor saloons and brothels
cannot be closed, and he even reproves the latter for his " flippant manner " of dealing with
the subject. Barnum must have his joke or two, withal, and he can no more subsist with-
out his fun than could a former Mayor of this city. He ventures to allude in this solemn
document to the management of the New York and New Haven Railroad Company as " the
good bishop and his directors ; " makes a first-rate pnn on the names of two citizens ; and
says to the Aldermen, "And now we have, like, the Arabs, only to ' fold our tents and
silently steal away.' congratulating ourselves that this is the only stealing which has been
performed by this honorable body." Mr. Barnum's administration in Bridgeport has been
mild, but characterized by firmness and independence. His trouble with the Jews was of
short duration, for he is most respectful towards all theologies. He has not been able to
carry out his extreme temperance views ; but he has made a very good Mayor of a city for
whose prosperity he has labored for half a lifetime.
The following extract is from the Bridgeport Leader of April 5:
We do not know of anyone connected with the city government of last year who was
more pleased in being relieved of the cares of office than our late Mayor, P. T. Barnum.
That Mr. Barnum could have been re-elected Mayor this year, had he not, months ago,
emphatically declared his intention to retire at the close of his official term, has always
been our firm conviction, and, aside from this, that he was about the only one of the
Republican party who could be.
He retires from office voluntarily, commanding the respect of his constituents, and fa<
better appreciated for those sterling qualities of rigid independence and honest desire to
serve the city, irrespective of all other considerations, than any Mayor we hav« had for
years.
Prom the Bridgeport /Standard of March 30:
Mayor Barnum's Message, printed on the first page of to-day's paper, will repay perusal,
as he says many things and makes sundry suggestions which if heeded will be for the
benefit of the city. There is no candid man who will not be pleased with more or less of
his suggestions, since they are not the clap-trap of a politician, but the utterances of an
old citizen of Bridgeport, who has the best interests of the city at heart, and sincerely
desires its best prosperity in all things.
Gen. Noble, on moving the printing of the Mayor's Message, said :
" I think it due to the Mayor and to his office to say here that, however much member*
jf this Council may have differed from the Mayor on the subject-matter of his messages,
no one who has read them will hesitate to accord to them very marked ability and thor-
ough study of their topics. The message on the subject of the ordinance amendment,
which proposed to subject the Police Commissioners to the resolves of the Council, I do
not think could have been more clearly, tersely or exhaustively presented by any gentle-
man well learned in th» law." .
14
314 HIPPODROMICAL, HYMENEAL AND MUNICIPAL.
The usual congratulatory resolution, complimenting the Mayor on his faithfulness, and
expressing the high opinion of the Council for him, was passed by a unanimous rising vote,
and the meeting adjourned.
My successor, a Democrat, was elected by a majority of six hundred votes.
NOTE. — During the forty years that I have been a manager of public amuse-
ments, the number of my patrons has been almost incredible. From a careful
examination of my account-books for the different exhibitions which I have
owned and controlled, I find that more than eighty-two millions of tickets, in tho
aggregate, were disposed of, and numerous exhibitions which I have had at
various times are not included in this statement.
The traveling exhibitions which I managed during the six. years preced-
ing my purchase^of the New York American Museumj in 1841, were
attended by 1,500,000 persons.
The American Museum which I managed from 1841 to 1865, when it was
destroyed by fire, sold 37,560,000 tickets.
My Broadway Museum, in 1865-6-7 and 8, sold 3,640,000 "
My Philadelphia Museum, 1849, 1850 and 1851, sold. 1,800,000
My Baltimore Museum, sold 900,000 "
My traveling Asiatic Caravan, Museum and Menagerie im 1851-3-3 and 4,
sold 5,824,000 "
My great traveling World's Fair and Hippodrome, in 1871-3-3-4-5 and 6,
sold 7,920,000 "
By other traveling exhibitions in America and Europe, sold 2,200,000 "
General Tom Thumb has exhibited for me 34 years, and sold 20,400,000 "
Jenny Lind's Concerts, under my management, were attended by 600,000 persons.
Catharine Hayes' 60 Concerts in California, under my contract, sold. . . 120,000 tickets.
Thus, my patrons amount to the enormous number of 82,464,000
Of course, eighty-two millions of different individuals have not visited my va-
rious exhibitions, for many persons visited my Museums, etc., scores and some
undoubtedly hundreds of times. But, taken altogether, I think I can, without
egotism, say that I have amused and instructed more persons than any other
manager who ever lived. In addition to the eighty-two millions who have
visited my public exhibitions, I may add that I have delivered over seven hun-
dred public lectures, which were attended in the aggregate by 1,300,000 persons.
My first autobiography, published in 1851, reached a circulation of 100,000 copies,
besides which two separate editions were published in England, one in Germany
and one in France. These, in the aggregate, had probably more than a million of
readers. Of my autobiography, " Struggles and Triumphs," published in 1869,
and written up to 1877, 240,000 copies have been printed in America, and a dif-
ferent edition in London, all of which I estimate have had two millions of readers.
It will thus be seen that "Barnum" has occupied so much public attention for
forty years, that the fact need not be wondered at (and it is a fact), that in 1870
a letter mailed in New Zealand, and addressed simply " Mr. Barnum, America,"
came as direct to me at Waldemere, in Bridgeport, Conn., as it could have done
if my full address had been written on the envelope. P. T. B.
CHAPTER L.
FOBEIGN AND DOMESTIC.
IN December, 1876, I received a second invitation from Lord Rosebery to
breakfast with him in New York. On parting with his lordship in lS7i, Vs
warm expressions of pleasure at having met me, and his assurances that he
hoped and intended to renew our acquaintance, left no room for embarrassing
misgivings on this occasion. Our meeting at the Brevoort House was very
cordial. His lordship took me in his brougham to the New York Club, and
there I first learned that our breakfast companions were Martin Farquhar
Tupper and the chief editor of a prominent New York daily paper. Mr. Tup-
per and myself had held a correspondence previous to his leaving England, and
the author of "Proverbial Philosophy" was apparently delighted at the unex-
pected meeting of his "dear friend Barnum." The occasion was an exceedingly
enjoyable one, and if, as is said, laughter aids digestion, I am confident that
three of the quartette were not troubled with dyspepsia after that delicious and
recherche meal. Since his marriage with Miss Rothschild, I have received a
letter from Lord Rosebery, in which he makes pleasant and witty allusion to
that never-to-be-forgotten breakfast. The transatlantic friends of this brilliant
nobleman are pleased to know that he has been recently chosen Lord Rector of
the University of Aberdeen.
In 1876 I accompanied my Great Show as far East as Halifax, Nova Scotia,
where we exhibited early in August. While in the Dominions of Her Majesty
Queen Victoria, we changed our song and chorus of the Star-Spangled Banner
to God Save the Queen, with decidedly good effect. The Show proceeded West
to Illinois. The financial result of the traveling season (1876) was satisfactory.
In the autumn of 1876 I wrote a book of fiction, founded on fact, entitled " The
Adventures of Lion Jack ; or, How Menageries are Made. " It was a real boys'
book, and I dedicated it to the boys of America. It was published by Carleton,
of New York. Sampson, Low & Co. , of London, also published it. Many copies
have been sold in both countries. The London Times, in its weekly edition, March
23, 1877, gave " Lion Jack " a favorable notice in a third of a column. It is sold
in my traveling show, as well as by Carleton & Co.
Among many other valuable additions to my traveling show of 1877 were six
beautiful and remarkably trained black Trakene Stallions from Germany. My
agents, Bailey and June, after scouring Europe in search of novelties, purchased
them at large figures from James Myers, proprietor of the Great American
Circus in Paris. They formed a novel and pleasing feature, and, with other
startling novelties, aided to secure to me a still more profitable season than that
of 1876.
On the llth of April, 1877, my family were stricken with a heavy sorrow in
the sudden death of my daughter, Pauline T. Seeley, at the age of thirty-one
years, leaving a husband and three children. This blow would have been insup-
portable to me did I not receive it as coming from our good Father in Heaven,
who does all things right.
315
316 FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
In July, 1877, I sailed for England, with my wife, in the Cunard steamer
Russia, both of us arriving home eight weeks later in the Scythia of the same
line. At the request of the captains and passengers, I gave a lecture on each
steamer for the benefit of the Seamen's Orphan Institution in Liverpool. I also
gave my lecture on "The "World, and How to Live in It," several times in the
Royal Aquarium Theatre, London, in Alexandra Palace, London, Southport
"Winter Gardens, and in Bolton. I likewise lectured on Temperance in Hawk
stone Hall, London, at which the celebrated Rev. Newman Hall presided ; and I
gave a similar lecture in Hengler's Circus building, Liverpool The London
Entracte, the London Sporting and Dramatic Neivs, and several other metro-
politan papers, published illustrations of my appearance in the forum, and
numerous London journals gave favorable notices of my lectures. I was glad
to meet many of my old friends in England after an absence of eighteen
years. I have nearly as many personal friends in London as in the city of New
York. In the latter city the boys often hail me in the streets and ask me ques-
tions about the show, and a similar occurrence took place on this last visit to
London. As I was one day coming out from my hairdresser's, near Regent
street, where it was known I went every day, a bevy of lads called me by name
and inquired if it was true, as they had read in the papers, that I was going to
bring over my Great Show from America.
The immense 'patronage which my own country bestows on my efforts is all
that keeps me from taking my big show to Europe, where my name is as well
known as in America.
The London (England) Wwld, a very popular weekly, of which Edmund
Yates, the novelist, is editor and proprietor, has a specialty in each of its issues
headed "Celebrities at Home." In this department have appeared sketches of
' Lord Beaconsfield, Gladstone, Tennyson, Carlyle, John Bright, Spurgeon, etc.
General Grant is the only American who has been selected for portraiture besides
myself. The editor obtained • from some person in Bridgeport, probably an
Englishman, the following sketch, which he published in March, 1877. My
neighbors generally say it is a truthful representation of me and my surround-
ings " at home." but I think the writer has made the picture too flattering:
CELEBRITIES AT HOME.
P. T. BARNUM.
A stranger in America, happening to alight at Bridgeport, a thriving city of some twenty-
five thousand inhabitants, beautifully situated on the shore of Long Island Sound, within
sixty miles of Xew York city, might be surprised to find that it owes much of its pros-
perity to the business tact and energy of its most prominent citizen, Phineas Taylor Barnuin.
Ask any inhabitant of this third city of the State of Connecticut who built those rows of
cottages, reminding an English traveler of those built by the more philanthropic manu-
facturers at home, and the answer comes, " Barnum." Ho\v is it that so manv operatives)
possess homes of their own ? Again the answer. " Barnum helped them." Who planned
your Mountain Grove — one of the most beautiful cemeteries in America ? " Barnum
started it, and thus did away with an old, neglected buryingrgronnd, that used to be in the
heart of the city." And your lovely Sea-side Park ; who originated that ? " Oh, Barnum,
of course ; he gave some of the land, begged and bought the remainder, and never rested
until the park became what it is— the greatest ornament and blessing of our city." Yon
may go on with the catechism, ad libitum, and will find that this "showman " has been a
zealous worker in, and generally prime mover of every public improvement. That his fel-
low-citizens appreciate his efforts is apparent, for they elected him mayor, twice sent him
to represent the town in the State Legislature, nominated him for the United States Congress,
and, on one occasion, within the last few years, on his return from a visit to England, over
two hundred of the most substantial citizens of Bridgeport gave him a complimentary din-
ner, " in honor of the liberality and energy in private enterprise ; in promoting the indus-
tries and public improvements of Bridgeport, and the genuine philanthropy" of their
popular fellow-townsman.
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. 3L?
Mr. Barnnm, when at home, is in great request. Pew temperance meetings are consia
ered complete unless he is a prominent speaker ; few church bazaars expected to succeed
unless he opens them with a humorous speech, which seldom fails to open hearts and
The youngest urchin can point the way to Sea-side Park, and there, standing on
. slight eminence, looking down on the park and across its narrowest part to the waters of
lie sound, over whose surface steamers, yachts, and every variety of water craft are con-
tinually passing, stands Waldemere, from whose cupola floats a silken flag bearing the well-
known monogram, P. T. B., whenever the king of showmen is at home. Walderaere—
woods by the Sea— so named by its owner's friend, Bayard Taylor, is a naturally beautiful
border the drives from gateway to porch. The house itself is not easily described, being a
curious but pleasant melange of Gothic, Italian and French architecture and decoration,
presenting a front a hundred and sixty feet long to the water, whereby most of the rooms
command a very charming view. On entering one is pleasantly struck by the spaciousness
of hall and rooms. One can breathe as freely in-doors as out. Nothing is small or con-
tracted. The house is furnished luxuriously but not ostentatiously ; taste as well as wealth
being evident in the arrangement of every room. Pictures of high merit hang on tinted
walls and stand on easels. Chinese vases of quaint and wonderful design guard the fire-
places ; busts and statuettes fill nooks and corners ; capacious bookcases fail to hold the
latest works ; -while mantels and etagers hold costly bric-a-brac in artistic confusion. Many
of these ornaments abound in interesting reminiscences for the "great showman " and for
his friends. On a pedestal in a place of honor, stands a marble bust of Jenny Lind, whose
original contract with P. T. Barnum hangs framed in one of the halls, the signatures of
Jenny Lind, Sir Jules Benedict, Giovanni Belletti and P. T. Barnum, compelling us to pause
for a moment before it. A corner bracket in a cosy sitting-room holds a small Parian
Bacchus— a Christmas gift from the Swedish nightingale to Mr. Barnum, in good-natured
ridicule of his firm temperance principles and practice. In an etagere in this same pleasant
room lie dimpled marble models of Tom Thumb's hand and foot taken when his size waa
smallest and his fame greatest. One cannot spend half an hour inspecting Waldemere
without discovering that Mr. Barnum is a firm believer in cleanliness either for its relation
to godliness or for its own merits. The mansion is intersected with a very network of
waterpipes— there being scarcely a room that has not its bath-room and lavatory attached.
There are rooms bearing the" names of distinguished guests who have occupied them. A
spacious bed-room, with hangings and furniture of pale green and white, is known as the
" Greeley room." for here Horace Greeley had reposed. Two pleasant rooms are associated
with the memory of the sister poetesses, Alice and Phcebe Cary. Doubtless there will
sometime be a "Twain room," for the humorist is a frequent guest at Waldemere.
Mr. Barnum's second wife is a young English lady of culture, the daughter of an old
friend of his in Lancashire. The good taste displayed in the ornamentation of Waldemere
is due to Mrs. Barnum, who is highly appreciated by the best families of Bridgeport as a
charming hostess, an intelligent and agreeable conversationalist, and a kind neighbor and
friend. Mr. Barnnra's daughters regard her as a treasure added to their enjoyment, and to
their father's happiness and comfort. As for Mr. Barnum himself his round full face beams
with extra smiles when he is near her. He never seems quite so happy as when listening
to her playing opera music on the grand piano, riding at her side in the family landeau to
and from church, in Sea-side Park, or on the numerous pleasant avenues in the vicinity of
Bridgeport.
Mr. Barnum's library, or, as he calls it, "work-shop," is an imposing octagonal room fur-
nished and paneled with cherry, birch and maple woods. Opening on one hand is a lava-
tory, and on another a room where his private secretary works within call. At a large and
much littered desk, with papers strewn ankle-deep around his chair, Mr. Barnum spends
nearly every morning of his life communicating with his agents in every land — often in-
terrupted by some employe desiring orders, or by some friend or stranger asking advice
or more substantial help, but never laying down his pen, which is traveling rapidly as
ever ere the door has closed behind the visitor. He is economical of his time, never
wasting or submitting to be robbed of a moment of the hours set apart for business.
Woe to the adventurer or visionary who intrudes at this time. He is weighed, found
wanting and dismissed in two minutes. These long mornings, and a short time de-
voted on the arrival of each mail to answering the letters they never fail to bring, these
hours over — the keen but conscientious man of business, the head of so many under-
takings — enjoys himself with as much apparent freedom from care as the workman who
has just pocketed a good week's wages. If Mr. Barnum, when working, dislikes to be
interrupted, Mr. Barnum, when enjoying himself, is even less tolerant of business intru-
sion. The intruder may desire to purchase valuable land and come with the money in his
pocket ; he is none the less decisively told to "come in the morning." The personal ap-
pearance of P. T. Barnum will interest those who may not have seen the man nor his
portrait Tall, portly, erect, in spite of his sixty-seven years of hard work and several
fortunes earned and lost, and won ;ig;iin, witli a high forehead, gray hair curling crisply
around a bald head, with a firm, decided step and voice, he is very different from the
popular conception of a showman— as indeed his social standing upsets the general idea of
a showman's natural and proper status.
318 FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
In the spring of 1877 I offered $10,000 for the return of the kidnapped Charley
Ross to his afflicted parents. But though my offer was published far and wide
on both sides of the Atlantic, all efforts for his restoration proved unavailing,
In August, 1877, I visited Des Moines, and proceeded west with my show as
far as Council Bluffs, Iowa, and thence to my cattle ranch in Colorado. I gave
temperance speeches in Denver and Greeley, and also gave my lecture on " The
World, and How to Live in it," in the former city and at Colorado Springs.
In November, 1877, I was elected to represent Bridgeport in the General As-
sembly of Connecticut. My majority was 212, although the political party with
which I am identified is usually 700 in the minority. It was a personal sacrifice
to me to leave my home to help make our State laws at Hartford, but I did not
feel at liberty to refuse the demand upon my services, and I endeavored to fulfill
my duty as a citizen of the Commonwealth without undue exertions party-wise.
The Speaker, Hon. Chas. H. Briscoe, offered me the choice of chairmanship of'
half a dozen standing committees. I told him that on the two former occasions
when I was in the Legislature I was Chairman on Agriculture (having plowed
with an elephant), but I should now prefer to be one of the Committee on Tem-
perance. He appointed me chairman of that committee. "We succeeded in get-
ting several favorable changes in our liquor laws, yet, like Oliver Twist, we
asked for more. During the winter I gave a number of lectures in the vicinity
of Hartford. Among numerous social gatherings which I attended in that city,
I remember none more pleasant than a dinner given to half a dozen of his friends
by Governor Hubbard. The Republican party had a majority in both Houses,
and of course carried such measures as they desired. There was, however, one
exception. At our party caucus, when it was announced that a nomination was
to be made for a Republican Superintendent of the Public School Fund to super-
cede the Democratic incumbent, who was acknowledged by all parties to be an
honest, intelligent and capable person, I insisted that no change should be made.
I reminded the members of the caucus that the position was a responsible and
important one; that a large amount of the State's money, held as a sacred trust,
was under the control of the present incumbent, Mr. Miles; that mortgages
were being foreclosed, and several complicated law suits were before the courts,
the details of which Mr. Miles thoroughly understood, and that, although I did
not know that gentleman and never saw him, I should insist upon his re-appoint-
ment. But, as is usual in politics, ardent members were anxious to serve the
party, and a new nomination was insisted on. I declined to vote, and when the
name of the new nominee was subsequently presented in the House I opposed it,
giving my reasons, and appealed to the honor of my brother Republicans to not
let partisan feelings conflict with the general interests of our State. Of course
I was strongly opposed, but when the final vote was taken by yeas and nays I
had the gratification of seeing over twenty Republicans stand up for "civil
service," and Mr. Miles was again appointed. I have never seen that gentleman
to this day, but I feel that the Commonwealth of Connecticut was a gainer by
his re-appointment.
In April, 1878, my great traveling show opened for a fortnight at the Ameri-
can Institute building, in New York, and then proceeded to Philadelphia.
The show, as usual, was transported through the country on nearly a hundred
railway cars of my own, preceded a fortnight in advance by my Magnificent
Advertising Car, carrying press agents, the "paste brigade," numbering twenty,
and tons of immense colored bills, programmes, lithographs, photographs, elec-
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. 319
trotype cuts, etc., to arouse the entire country for fifty miles around each place
of exhibition to the fact that "P. T. Barnum's New and Greatest Show on
Earth," with its acres of tents and pavilions could be reached by cheap excur-
sion trains on certain days specified in the bills and advertisements. The show
went East to Bangor, Maine, and West to Illinois, reaching New York and
opening at Gilmore's Garden in October, for seven weeks to crowded houses.
In the summer of 1878, I expended some twenty thousand dollars in the pur-
chase and reclamation of a large tract of salt marsh adjoining Sea-side Park
and the grounds of Waldemere on the west. This marsh has been inaccessible
from time immemorial, annually producing plentiful crops of mosquitoes. The
times were hard, many laboring men in Bridgeport were suffering for want of
employment, and although it was evident I should never be reimbursed for half
my expenditures, I could see that the improvement would be a great public ben-
efit, and remembering the dykes in Holland which I had so frequently seen with
astonishment and admiration, I determined, as I told my neighbors, to " cheat
my heirs, " by expending a good sum pro bono publico. I built this dyke straight
across a channel which let in the tide- water every twelve hours and covered an
immense tract of low salt meadow. I made the dyke seventy feet wide at bot-
tom, and of sufficient width on the top to form a fine street leading from one of
our city avenues to the beach on Long Island Sound. This gives nearly a mile
high and dry front on the salt water connecting with Sea-side Park. I propose
to make a present to the city of this "water" front, 150 feet in width, which
will give them as an extension of their already beautiful Park, a delightful
additional boulevard for carriages and promenade on the very edge of Long
Island Sound, where the plashing salt waves may be seen, heard and enjoyed for
all time. Mayor Morford (of opposite politics from myself) in his message to
the Common Council of Bridgeport, characterized my proposition as a "liberal
offer," and said, " the Barnum Boulevard, in connection with the Sea-side Park,
adding nearly a mile to the present park-drive, would be the finest improvement
of the kind on the Atlantic Coast."
The Bridgeport Leader of May 1, 1878, in referring to this enterprise, said :
It is one of the peculiarities of Mr. Barnum, that he is always undertaking some kind
of a public improvement which uo one else would think of, and besides this he does it at
his own expense. When he takes hold of any great work which at the least will require
years of waiting before any return can be hoped for to recompense for the original outlay,
it is reasonable to believe that pecuniary gain is not the sole object of these undertakings.
It is not too much to say that no six men, living or dead, have done more for Bridgeport
than the " Great Showman," and, although we do not doubt that could the books be bal-
anced, that he has virtually sunk at least more than a quarter of a million of dollars in
improving the city, he is still as anxious as ever to leave the impress of his enterprise upon
the most unpromising portions of the place. The building of the dyke from the western
terminus of Short Beach northerly to the western end of South avenue, promises the least
pecuniary return of the money invested of any of the enterprises Mr. Barnum has entered
into. Yet we know of no work which promises in the end to add more to the attractive-
ness of the place than this. ..
It will be those who will people this section in the future who will recognize the wisdom
and foresight of the man who had nothing to gain save the notable ambition of " leaving
the world' better for having lived in it," and did not hesitate to take upon himself the
expense and the risk of beginning a work of which every year's delay is an irreparable
' Tlie^roa'd contemplated to be constructed from the west end of Sea-side Park to Mr.
Barnnm's dyke, when completed, will give Bridgeport one of the handsomest drives by the
sea shore on Long Island Sound.— Bridgeport Leader, Nov. 13, 1878.
320 FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
Colonel O. B. Hall, a quaint old neighbor of mine, hitherto unsuspected of any
poetic tendencies, thus expressed his admiration of my achievement :
TO P T BAENTJM.
Had you but lived in days gone by,
When Captain Noah sailed above
The tops of trees, and mountains high,
With relatives, and beasts and dove.
You could have saved that great expense,
In building arks and catching beasts,
By making dams and dykes and fence,
And many millions saved at least
Of souls that found a watery grave
While swimming round the Ark, and plead
With Noah, to take them in and save
From being numbered with the dead.
He did not care a dam or dyke to make,
To stop that flood which spread so wide ;
To Ark ! to Ark ! he said, betake,
We'll on the ocean gayly ride.
Well stored lockers in the Ark
With sweetmeats, wine and solid grub,
When he and kin did quick embark.
With haste and speed, on board his tub.
One of each sex of beasts that roam,
Likewise did board his pitchy boat,
All others left to their sad doom,
When that old craft did rise and float.
You could have dammed that rising tide,
And saved unnumbered human souls,
By stopping sea from spreading wide,
Which covered earth above the poles.
But as it was, no one could live
On earth, through that calamity,
When Heaven ope'd its riddling sieve,
Through which was pour'd a mighty sex
The fish were pleased to hear it pour,
And see the angling lubbers strive
To find a floating plank or door,
On which to ride and keep alive.
But you, more wise, have done a deed
To stay the water's tide o'erflow,
Where cussed 'skeeters used to breed,
On those salt meadows down below.
Ozone, that pure and healthy air,
Will soon embalm that sea of grass,
» And Heavenly zephyrs free and fair,
Will linger o'er it ere they pass.
It soon will be like Eden's land,
Where flowers bloom and fig trees grow,
And yon, like Adam, have command,
Of this fair garden down below.
Those railroad ties will stand as guard,
To keep the flowing tide aback,
Protecting safely "boulevard "
As driveway for a carriage track,
Where " lads and lasses blithe and gay,"
Can ride with pleasure o'er the pave.
And bless that man who, in his day,
Redeemed that place from under wuve.
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. 321
The Bridgeport Standard of Nov. 2, 1878, says :
Hori,. P. T. Barnum is known all the world over as a Bridgeport man, and he has done
as much, or more for the place, regardless of party or sect, than any man living. The
people of Bridgeport have honored him with their confidence and it has never been
abused.
In November, 1878, I consented, much against my will, to accept another
nomination to represent Bridgeport in the General Assembly of Connecticut. I
was re-elected by a majority of several hundred votes. My opponents on the
Democratic ticket were Hon. W. D. Bishop and Hon. Nathaniel Wheeler.
The Manchester (England) Examiner and Times published an editorial article
coupling my name with those of the British Ministry, to which I replied as
follows :
To the Editor of the Examiner and Times, Manchester, England :
SIR : In your issue of the 3d instant you make mention of me as " the late Mr. Bar-
num." For the benefit of numerous friends in Great Britain, who have not before heard
of my being classed amons< the " lates," I beg to say that my age is among the sixties,
and tliat, having been a teetotaler for thirty years, I am robust in health, and maintain
the same vigor I possessed at forty. I am proprietor of the most extensive Museum,
Menagerie, World's Fair and Hippodrome that ever traveled, being run at an expense of
$3.000 (or £600 sterling) per day, and my highest ambition, professionally, now is, to pay
to the British Government one hundred thousand dollars (£20,000) for the priviledge of
exhibiting alive, for five years, its "while elephant," King Ketowayo, the captive Zulu.
I shall be glad to receive, by an early mull, a note of acceptance from my friend Lord
Beaconsfleld, who so kindly mentioned me in his "Lothair."
Truly yours,
P. T. BARNUM.
WAKDEMERE, BRIDGEPORT, CONN., November, 1879.
CHAPTER LI.
THE GKEAT ALLIANCE.
BERGH VANQUISHED — TRANSFORMATION SCENE— BABY ELEPHANT — THE GREAT ALLIANCE—
WINTER QUARTERS OF THE GREAT BARNUM-LONDON SHOW — VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF
DEATH— FOUR PULLMAN CAR LOADS OF EDITORS— TORCH-LIGHT PROCESSION AND GRAND
OPENING — TESTIMONIALS FROM GARFIELD AND ARTHUR — MY VOYAGE TO EUROPE —
PRESENTATION OF FOUNTAIN TO BETHEL; ALSO, "THE BARNUM BOULEVARD" AND
DYKE TO THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT — ANOTHER BABY ELEPHANT— " JUMBO," THE
GREATEST OF THE GREAT — VALEDICTORY.
IN 1879 and i860 the show under the same management was very successful.
I introduced the firing of Zazel from a cannon. This has since been the princi-
pal feature of other shows, as has also the tattooed Greek whom I first intro-
duced to the American public in 1876. While exhibiting in the Rink in 1880, I
had a business encounter with Henry Bergh, Esq., which created much interest
and excitement in the arena and in the newspapers. A New York daily paper
gave the following faithful account of the affair :
The controversy between P. T. Barnum and Henry Bergh, which has occupied public
attention for a few days, was ended yesterday in favor of the veteran showman. It will be
remembered that Mr. Bergh compelled Mr. Barnum to discontinue the act of the fire-horse
Salamander, on the grounds of cruelty to the animal and danger to the audience. Mr.
Barnum, with an eye to a stupendous advertising scheme, and doubtless with a wish to
assure his patrons that everything had been done to secure their safety, challenged Mr.
Bergh to meet him in the circus ring on Monday afternoon and to reply to his explanations.
Yesterday the vast American Institute Building was unable to accommodate the crowds who
clamored for admission. Shortly after the opening of the show Superintendent Hartfield,
of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty *o Animals, entered in command of seven of
his officers. Police Captain Gunner, who originally made the report that caused Mr.
Bergh's interference, was also on hand with a posse of twenty policemen, who were
assigned positions around the ring. At the conclusion of the barebark horsemanship of
Orrin Hollis, Mr. Barnum entered the arena amid an outburst of applause. When this had
subsided, Mr. Barnum beean his speech and said : •
" LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I have been catering to the public for forty-eight years, yet I
am here to-day expecting arrest by this large force of police, and imprisonment and trial by
ajury of my countrymen. The patent fact is just this: Mr. Bergh or I must run this show.
Mr. Bergh has published that I have endangered the lives of my audiences. Long before
he was known to society, I was a subscriber to a society in London, similar to the one of
which he is chief, and of which Queen Victoria was a patron. It was I who called the
attention of the Mayor of the city to the necessity for such a society here, and I am, in
Bridgeport, what Mr. Bergh is here. I know more about animals than he knows. They
are taught and governed only by kindness. The fire-horse. Salamander's performance has
been witnessed by the Emperor of Germany. Prince Bismarck, Queeu Victoria, and many
of the most prominent people in Europe, and he, like other animals, being valuable, self-
interest demands protection and proper treatment. In this performance not a hair of the
horse i* singed.
" * Years ago,' continued Mr. Barnum, ' Mr. Bergh demanded that I should furnish the
rhinoceros with a tank of water to swim in, when such a proceeding would have killed it.
I explained to Mr. Bergh the nature of the animal and its requirements, and he troubled
me no further. In 1866, during my absence from New York, Mr. Bergh frightened my
manager into sending the snakes to New Jersey to be fed, objecting to their being supplied
with live toads and lizards, although it was explnined to him that, while they were only
attracted by living food, they crushed and killed it before swallowing. On my return I
ordered them to be fed with live frogs in order to preserve their lives.
"'I hold in my hand,' said Mr. Barnum, 'a letter from Mr. Bergh, dated "Rooms of
Society, No. 826 Broadway, Dec. 11, 1866," from which I will read an extract :
" I am informed that several live animals were recently thrown into the cage with your
boa constrictor to be devoured ! I assert, without fear of contradiction, that any person
who can commit an atrocity such as the one I complain of is semi-barbarian in his in-
stincts * * * It may be urged that the reptiles will not eat dead food. In reply to
this I have only to say— then let them starve; for it is contrary to the merciful providence
322
THE GREAT ALLIANCE. 323
of God that wrong should be committed in order to accomplish a supposed right. But I
am satisfied that this assertion is false in theory and practice, for no living creature will
allow itself to perish of hunger with food before it— be the aliment dead or alive On the
ixt occurrence of this cruel exhibition this society will take legal measures to punish the
perpetrator of it. (Signed)
HENRY BERGH, President."
" I sent a copy of this letter to the elder Prof. Agassiz, and received the following auto-
graph letter in reply. It is too rich to keep longer from the public :
P. T. BARNUM, ESQ. : CAMBRIDGE, Feb. 28, 1867.
Dear Sir: On my return to Cambridge I received your letter of the 15th January I do
know of any way to induce snakes to eat their food otherwise than in their natural
manner— that is alive. Your museum is intended to show the public the animals as nearly
as possible in their natural state. The society of which you speak is, as I understand for
the prevention of unnecessary cruelty to animals. It is a most praiseworthy object but I
think the most active members of the society would object to eating lobster salad
because the lobster was boiled alive, or refuse roasted oysters because they were cooked
alive, or raw oysters because they must be swallowed alive. I am, dear sir, your obedient
servant, L. AQASSIZ.
" On March 4, 1867, 1 inclosed Prof. Agassiz's letter to Mr. Bergh, from whom I demanded
an apology for bis abuse, and an acknowledgment of his mistakes as to snakes eating dead
food. Three days later Mr. Bergh replied, acknowledging the receipt of mine. He then
wrote as follows :
"Your letter contains a threat to give my letter to the public unless I write you a letter
for publication, stating that since reading Prof. Agassiz's letter to you I withdraw my
objections, etc. In reply to this I have to say that the hastily written note to which you
refer was not intended for publication."
" ' Hastily written, indeed,' commented the great show king, ' calling my acts atrocities and
me semi-barbarous in my instincts.' He then proceeded with the letter:
"I am convinced of the necessity of laboring more assiduously in the cause of protecting
the brute creation in order, to counteract the unhappy influence which the expressions of
that distinguished savant (Prof. Agassiz) are calculated to occasion. I scarcely know
which emotion is paramount in my mind, regret or astonishment, that so eminent a
philosopher should have cast the weight of his commanding authority into the scale where
cruelty points the index in its favor.
HENRY BERGH, President."
"He detailed other obstacles which Mr. Bergh had thrown in his way, and intimated
that if he (Berj*h) would stick to his own business, that he (Barnnm) would run his own
show, and conform to the laws as decided by a jury of his countrymen. In conclusion Mr.
Barnum said : ' I now expect to be arrested, but if I should be. I shall place a hoop of fire
around Henry Bergh that will make him warmer than he has been in the past, and probably
than he ever will experience in the future.'
" The effort was received with tremendous cheering. The horse Salamander was then
brought into the ring by Prince Nagaard, its trainer, and the fire hoops were lighted. Mr.
Barnum ran his hand through the blaze, and then stepped through the flaming circle, hat
in hand. Ten clowns performed a number of ludicrous antics through the hoops, and then
the horse passed through without showing any signs of fear and without singeing a hair.
Mr. Barnum had not yet finished the illustration, however, for he requested Superintendent
Hartfield to walk through the still blazing hoops. Without hesitation he did so, and he got
more applause than Mme. Dockrill in her four-horse act. Superintendent Hartfield then
stated that his superior, Mr. Bergh, had evidently made a mistake in the matter; that there
was neither cruelty nor danger in the performance, -iiul that the society had no cause for
action. Amid the wildest excitement and cheers for the plucky Barnum, Capt. Gunner,
looking somewhat crestfallen, withdrew his officers, and the show went on. Salamander
again went through his tricks last night without interruption.
Although I was forced to resent his ill-advised interference and mistaken
accusation, this episode did not impair my personal regard for Mr. Bergh and
my admiration of his noble works.
In the spring of the same year, 1880, 1 erected on the principal street of Bridge-
port a fine building for business purposes. It was built behind a board screen or
casing the full height of the structure. Its purpose was to protect the workmen
and enable them (time being an object) to work regardless of inclement weather,
but when, the work being finished, the screen was removed in the night-time,
and early risers saw, instead of unsightly boards, a handsome building of brick,
with granite and terra cotta ornaments, and a fine statue of America gazing
benignly down, from her alcove in the second story, on the wondering and ad-
miring crowd below, I was suspected of having planned a very effective trans-
formation scene.
324 THE GREAT ALLIANCE.
So late as 1880, no traveling show in the world bore any comparison with my
justly -called " Greatest Show on Earth." Other show-managers boasted of own-
ing shows equalling mine, and some bought of the printers large colored show-
bills pictorially representing my marvelous curiosities, although these managers
had no performances or curiosities of the kinds which they represented. The
cost of one of their shows was from twenty thousand to fifty thousand dollars,
while mine cost millions of dollars. Their expenses were three hundred to seven
hundred dollars per day, while mine were three thousand dollars per day.
The public soon discovered the difference between the sham and the reality, the
natural consequences of misrepresentation followed ; the small showmen made
little or nothing, some went into bankruptcy each season, while mine was
always crowded, and each succeeding year showed a larger profit.
My strongest competitors were the so-called "Great London Circus. Sanger's
Royal British Menagerie and Grand International Allied Shows." Its managers,
Cooper, Bailey & Hutchinson, had adopted my manner of dealing with the
public, and consequently their great show grew in popularity.
On the tenth of March, 1880, while in Philadelphia, one of their large ele-
phants, Hebe, became a mother. This was the first elephant born in captivity,
and the managers so effectively advertised the fact that the public became wild
with excitement over the "Baby Elephant." Naturalists and men of science
rushed in numbers to Philadelphia, examined the wonderful ' ' little stranger "
and gave glowing reports to the papers of this country and of Europe. Illus-
trated papers and magazines of this and foreign lands described the Baby Ele-
phant with pen and pencil, and before it was two months old I offered the lucky
proprietors one hundred thousand dollars cash for mother and baby. They glee-
fully rejected my offer, pleasantly told me to look to my laurels, and wisely
held on to their treasure.
1 found that I had at last met foemen " worthy of my steel," and pleased to
find comparatively young men with a business talent and energy approximating
to my own, I met them in friendly council, and after days of negotiation w«
decided to join our two shows in one mammoth combination, and, sink or swim,
to exhibit them for, at least, one season for one price of admission. The public
were astonished at our audacity, and old showmen declared that we could never
take in enough money to cover our expenses, which would be fully forty -five
hundred dollars per day. My new partners, James A. Bailey and James L.
Hutchinson, sagacious and practical managers, agreed with me that the experi-
ment involved great risk, but, from the time of the Jenny Lind Concerts, the
Great Roman Hippodrome and other expensive enterprises, I have always found
the great American public appreciative and ready to respond in proportion to
the sums expended for their gratification and amusement.
This partnership entered into, we conceived the idea of building a monster
emporium or winter quarters to accommodate all our wild animals, horses,
chariots, railroad cars, and the immense paraphernalia of the united shows, in-
stead of distributing the same in different localities. We inclosed a ten-acre lot
in Bridgeport adjacent to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
In this inclosure we erected an elephant house one hundred feet square, kept
heated to the temperature naturally required by these animals. Here thirty to
forty elephants are luxuriously housed and trained to perform in a circus-ring
in the center.
THE GREAT ALLIANCE. 335
In another large building the lions, tigers and leopards, which require a differ-
ent temperature, are lodged and trained. Still another accommodates the camels
and caged animals. The monkeys have roomy quarters all to themselves, where
they can roam and work their mischievous will unrestrained. The amphibious
animals, hippopotami, sea-lions, etc., have in their inclosure a huge pond
heated by means of steam pipes, where the elephants are permitted their great
enjoyment, a bath. A building three hundred feet long covers eight lines of
tracks where the cars are stored, and these tracks are all connected by switches
with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. In a circus ring
exclusively for the purpose the riders, acrobats, etc., practice in the winter, so
as not to lose their hard-won skill and suppleness. The chariots are all placed
in one huge store-house, and are run into position by the larger elephants, which,
standing behind the chariots, put their heads against them, and, with wonderful
intelligence and docility, push them in place at the direction of their keeper.
The elephants are always called into requisition when a car gets off the switches,
and indeed they do all the heavy work of the winter quarters. A nursery de-
partment maintained for the reception and careful tending of new-born animals
adjoins the office of the veterinary surgeon. The harness, paint and blacksmith
shops are all immense and distinct. The accommodations include stabling for
seven hundred of our best horses, and store-rooms for canvas, tent-poles and in-
numerable properties. Editors and artists flocked to see the quickly-famous
winter quarters, and well-illustrated articles appeared in leading periodicals.
The public also were anxious and curious to see the workings of this city of
wonders, but were reluctantly denied admission, as visitors deranged the neces-
sarily strict routine of the establishment, and were themselves in no little dan-
ger, many of the wild animals which are perfectly tractable when alone with
their keepers, being permitted to leave their cages and frolic at large in their
respective buildings. The signs which designate the different buildings are
visible from all trains passing through Bridgeport.
In November of 1880, while in New York on business, I was suddenly attacked
by an almost fatal illness, and laid for many weeks between life and death,
unconscious of the tender solicitude shown me by countless good friends in this
country, and the cable messages of inquiry that came thickly from others in
foreign lands ; the knowledge of all which will be ever a bright and grateful
memory. Dr. Chapin, then on his death-bed, sent a messenger daily ; reporters
besieged the house at all hours, and contributed bulletins of my progress or
relapse to all the principal New York papers ; while the Associated Press kept
the remoter public informed by telegraph of my condition. When strong
enough I went to Florida, to recuperate in that delightful climate, returning in
April to take up my old avocations with the old zest, and little less than the old
strength.
The Barnum & London Circus opened in New York March 18, 1881, heralded
by a torchlight procession through the city on Saturday night, March 16th,
which was witnessed by more than half a million of people and pronounced the
most brilliant display ever seen in America. A New York paper thus described
it:
326 THE GREAT ALLIANCE.
The street parade Saturday nigm was the grandest pageant ever witnessed in our
streets, and fully met the anticipations of the thousands of spectators thronging the entire
route. The whole equipment and display was magnificent, without a single weak feature
to mar the general effect. The golden chariots, triumphal and tableau cars were more
numerous, more ponderous, more elaborate and gorgeous in finish than any other establish-
ment has brought here ; the cages of wild animals were more numerous than usual, many
of them were also open, and their trainers rode through the streets in the cages of lions,
tigers, leopards, hyenas and monster serpents. There were cars drawn by teams of ele-
phants, camels, dromedaries, zebras, elk, deer and ponies. And there appeared in the
grand cavalcade three hundred and thirty-eight horses, twenty elephants, fourteen camels,
jet black dromedaries, a large number of ponies, zebras, trained oxen, etc., also three hun-
dred and seventy men and women. The cavalry of all nations was represented in the
various uniforms worn, mounted upon superb chargers, and the costumes throughout were
brilliant and beautiful. Music was furnished by four brass bands (one composed of gen-
uine Indians), a caliope, a fine chime of bells, a steam organ, a squad of Scotch bag-pipers,
and a company of genuine plantation negro jubilee singers.
Electric and calcium lights illuminated the whole. "Windows were sold in New
York, along Broadway, for five dollars, eight dollars and ten dollars, from which
to view the pageant. So certain were we that this great street pageant and the
marvellous combination of novelties to be produced throughout the season,
would totally eclipse any former show enterprise, that on Saturday, March 26th,
we brought, in drawing-room cars, from Washington, D. C. , and Boston, and all
the principal cities on those routes, the editors of all the leading papers. These
gentlemen, nearly one hundred in number, witnessed the torchlight procession
Saturday night, and our opening performance at the Madison Square Garden
Monday night, March 28th. They were lodged at hotels at our expense, and by
us returned to their homes on Tuesday ; a very costly piece of advertising,
which yet yielded us a magnificent return in the enthusiastic editorial indorse^
ments of so many papers of good standing, whose representatives had seen our
show and exclaimed as did the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, "The half
was not told me."
The following extract from the New York Herald of March 29th will give
some idea of the variety and excellence of our attractions for 1881 :
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN-BARNUM'S CIRCUS AND SHOW.
The management at Madison Square Garden have redeemed their promise to give the
public one of the best arenic exhibitions in connection with a menagerie that ever has been
witnessed in New York. Long before the doors were opened they were besieged by
anxious hundreds, and at a quarter past eight o'clock there was scarcely a seat to be ob-
tained in the vast edifice. It was stated by one of the proprietors that about nine thousand
persons were present, and fully three thousand who could not be accommodated were
refused admission. The spectacle can therefore be better imagined than described. Indeed
it was worth the price of admission alone to see the immense crowd and note the intense
interest exhibited by all classes present, from the representatives of wealth ;tnd fashion,
who were there in large numbers, to the little arabs to whom a circus is a paradise. The
arrangements for the convenience of the audience were in every way complete. Each
individual was provided with a chair, so th.it all crowding was avoided, while an ample
supply of ushers promptly and without confusion conducted the holders of tickets to their
respective places. Everything was new and clean, from the costumes to the sawdust. No
bad flavors disturbed the nostrils ; electric lights made the auditorium as bright as day ;
the ventilation was good and a strong force of police were present to preserve order had
their services been required. The only drawback to the performance w;is that the spectator
was compelled to receive more than his money's-worth ; in other words, that while his
head was turned in one direction he felt that he was losing something good in another.
Three rings were provided, marked on the programmes as Circle No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3;
the equestrianism taking place in the two outer rings and the central space being reserved
more especially for what are technically known as "ground acts." The display began with
the usual 'pageant, in which a vast number of rich' dresses and handsome animals were
exhibited, after which there was a general introduction of the most notable curiosities,
including General Tom Thumb and lady, Chang, the Chinese giant, the bearded woman,
the American baby elephant, giant horse, ox, a pair of giraffes broken to harness, and other
features. Six common plow oxen were next shown, after which followed extraordinary
performances on horseback, gymnastic and athletic exercises, juggling, wire-rope walking,
trapeze-flying and other attractions •' too numerous to mention." Among the most inter-
esting portions of the performance were the military drill and other feats by twenty trained
elephants, the balancing by a Japanese family and the extraordinary jumping of the group
of leapers who ended the programme. The clowns wpre exceptionally good and one or two
quite original. Altogether the show is well worth seeing.
THE GREAT ALLIANCE. 327
Very early in the traveling season of 1881, we enlarged our already immense
tents three different times, and yet so great was the multitude that attended our
exhibitions — many coming on excursion trains twenty, thirty and even fifty
miles — that at half the towns we visited we were unable to accommodate all who
came, and we turned away thousands for want of room. In every town we were
patronized by the elite, and frequently the public and private schools, as well as
manufactories, were closed on "Barnum Day, "school committees and teachers
recognizing that children would learn more of natural history by one visit to
our menagerie than they could acquire by months of reading.
In Washington President Garfleld told me he always attended my shows, and
when Secretary Blaine said, " Well, Barnum ! all the children in America are
anxious to see your show," the president smilingly added, "Yes ! Mr. Barnum
is the Kris Kringle of America."
Sir Edward Thornton, the British Ambassador, secured seventy-five seats at
one of our exhibitions in Washington, and the next day wrote me a letter in
which he said, "I certainly consider it the best organized and most complete
establishment of that kind that I have ever visited, and that it is the most in-
structive and enjoyable." General Sherman wrote, " I say without hesitating
that it surpasses anything of the kind I have seen in America or Europe."
I received the autographic indorsements of President Garfield, Vice-president
Arthur, Secretary Blaine, McVeagh, Roscoe Conkling, Hunt, Secretary of the
Navy, Robert T. Lincoln, T. L. James, Senators Frye, Salisbury, Lamar and
Platt of Connecticut, Gov. Hawley and most of the foreign ambassadors, cabi-
net ministers and United States senators. The furore which my show never
fails to excite everywhere was tersely and wittily expressed in a notice posted
up in a factory in a town which we visited last season. " Closed on account of
the greatest interference on earth."
The immense patronage which my own country bestows on my efforts is all
that keeps me from taking my big show to Europe, where my name is as well-
known as in America.
For years showmen have asserted that I did not own my show ; others assumed
to be my relatives and representatives. Determined to put down these false
assertions and assumptions I sued the Philadelphia Sun for $100,000 damages in
April, 1881, for saying that I merely hired out my name. The publisher, con-
vinced of his error, retracted the statement and apologized. I withdrew the suit,
having obtained all the redress I desired. In May, 1881, the desire to acquire,
for my show-season of 1882, attractions which only my personal negotiations
could secure, I revisited England, sailing in the " Scythia." After four pleasant
weeks I returned in the " Gallia," successful in the object of my journey and
invigorated by that finest of all tonics, a sea-voyage. Desiring to aid in beauti-
fying the village of Bethel, it being my birth-place, from which a busy checkered
life has never alienated my interest, I presented to my old companions a bronze
fountain eighteen feet high, made in Germany; the design a Triton of heroic
size, spouting water from an uplifted horn. It was a gala day for Bethel, the
streets and residences were decorated with flags and bunting, a procession of
police, fire companies with their engines, bands of music, citizens and invited
guests in carriages, etc., paraded the town, and they formed in line around the
square, newly adorned by the fountain. All of which was described, and the
fountain illustrated in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper of .Sept. 3, 1881.
From a grand stand many speeches were made, and as my old friends would not
328 THE GREAT ALLIANCE.
permit me to be merely a listener and looker-on, and as reminiscences of the old
days presented themselves thickly in my mind, in wide and often amusing con-
trasts to the customs and conditions of to-day, I addressed them.
" My Friendt : Among all the varied scenes of an active and eventjul life, crowded with
strange incidents of struggle and excitement, of joy and sorrow, taking me oHen through
foreign lands and bringing me face to face with the king in his palace and the peasant
in his turf-covered hut, I have invariably cherished with the most affectionate remembrance
the place of my birth, the old village meeting-house, without steeple or bell, where in its
square family pew I sweltered in summer and shivered through my Sunday-school lessons
in winter, and the old school-house where the ferule, the birchen rod and rattan did active
duty, and which I deserved and received a liberal share. I am surprised to find that I can
distinctly remember events which occurred before I was four years old.
" I can see as if but yesterday, pur hardworking mothers hetcheling their flax, carding
their tow and wool, spinning, reeling and weaving it into fabrics for bedding and clothing
for all the family of both sexes. The same good mothers did the knitting, darning, mend-
ing, washing, ironing, cooking, soap and candle making, picked the geese, milked the cows,
made butter and cheese and did many other things for the support of the family.
" We babies of 1810, when at home, were dressed in tow frocks, and the garments of our
elders were not much superior, except oa Sunday, when they wore their "go-to-meeting
clothes" of homespun and linsey-woolsey.
" Rain water was caught and used for washing, while that for drinking and cooking was
drawn irom wells with their "old oaken bucket" and long poles and well sweeps.
" Fire was kept over night by banking up the brands in allies in the fire-place, and if it
A'ent out one neighbor would visit another about daylight the next morning with a pair of
tongs to borrow a coal of fire to kindle with. Our candles were tallow, home-made, with
dark tow wicks. In Bummer nearly all retired to rest at early dark without lighting a can-
dle except upon extraordinary occasions. Home-made soft-soap was used for washing
hands, faces and everything else. The children of families in ordinary circumstances ate
their meals on trenchers (wooden plates). As I grew older our family and others got an
extravagant streak, discarded the trenchers and rose to the dignity of pewter plates and
leaden spoons. Tin peddlers who traveled through the country with their wagons supplied
these and other luxuries. Our food consisted chiefly of boiled and baked beans, bean por-
ridge, coarse rye bread, apple sauce, hasty pudding eaten in milk, of which we all had
plenty. The elder portion of the family ate meat twice a day— had plenty of vegetables.
fish of their own catching, and occasionally big clams, which were cheap in those days, and
shad in their season. These were brought from Norwalk and Bridgeport by fish and clam
peddlers. Uncle Caleb Morgan of Wolfpits or Puppytown, was our only butcher. He
peddled his meat through Bethel once a week. It consisted mostly of veal, lamb, mutton
or fresh pork, seldom bringing more than one kind at a time. Probably he did not have
beef oftener than once a month. Many families kept sheep, pigs and poultry, and one or
more cows. They had plenty of plain substantial food. Droves of hogs ran at large in the
streets of Bethel.
" When one of the neighbors wanted to feed his hogs he went out in the street and called
• Pig,1 which was pretty sure to bring in all the other hogs in the neighborhood. I remem-
ber one man, called ' Old Chambers,' who had no trouble in this respect, and he was the
only one excepted from it. He had a peculiar way of getting his hogs from the general
drove. When he wanted them he would go out into the street and shout Hoot ! hoot !
hoot ! At this cry all the hogs but his own would run away, but they understood the cry
and would stand still and take the meal.
"Our dinners several times each week consisted of "pot luck," which was corned beef,
salt pork and vegetables, all boiled together in the same big iron pot hanging from the
crane which was supplied with iron hooks and trammels and swung in and out of the huge
fire-place. In the same pot with the salt pork, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, beets, carrots,
cabbage and sometimes onions, was placed un Indian pudding, consisting of plain Indian
meal mixed in water, pretty thick, salted and poured into a home-made brown linen bag
which was tied at the top. When dinner was ready the Indian pudding \rasjirft taken from
the pot, slipped out of the bag and eaten with molasses. Then followed the "pot-luck.'1
I confess I like to this day the old-fashioned " boiled dinner," but doubt whether I should
relish a sweetened dessert before my meat. Rows of sausages called " links " hung in the
garret, were dried and lasted all winter.
" I remember them well, and the treat it was when a boy, to have one of these links to
take to school to eat. At noon we children would gather about the great fire-place, and
having cut a long stick w-onld push the sharpened end through the link, giving it a sort of
cat-tail appearance. The link we would hold in the fire until it was cooked, and would
then devour it with a keen relish.
" There were but few wagons or carriages in Bethel when I was a boy. Our grists of
grain were taken to the mill in bags on horseback, and the women rode to church on Sun-
days and around the country on week days on horseback, usually on a cushion called a pil-
lion fastened behind the saddle, the husband, father, brother or lover riding in front on the
saddle. The country doctor visited his patients on horseback, carrying his saddle-bags
containing calomel, jalap, Epsom salts, lancet and a turnkey, those being the principal aids
in relieving the sick. Nearly every person sick or well was bled every spring.
s
BRONZE FOUNTAIN PRESENTED TO MY NATIVE TOWN.
THE GREAT ALLIANCE. 320
" Teeth were pulled with a turnkey, and a dreadful instrument it was in looks, and terri-
ble in execution. I can remember that ouce I had a convenient toothache. Like many
other boys I had occasions, when school was distasteful to me, and the hunting for birch or
berries, or going after fish were more of a delight than the struggle after knowledge.
Tuis toothache struck in on a Monday morning in ample time to cover the school hour. I
was in great pain, and held on to my jaw with a severe grip. My mother's sympathetic
nature permitted me to stay at home with the pain. My father was of rather sterner stuff.
He didn't discover I was out of school until the second day. When he found out I had the
teethache, he wanted to see the tooth. 1 pointed out one, and he examined it carefully.
He said it was a perfectly sound tooth, but he didn't doubt but it pained very much, and
must be dreadful to bear, but he would have something done for it. He gave me a note to
Dr. Tyle Taylor. Dr. Tyle read the note, looked at the tooth, and then, getting down the
dreadful turnkey, growled, " Sit down there, and I'll have that tooth out of there, or I'll
yank your young head o!f." I did not wait for the remedy, but left for home at the top of
my speed— and have not had the toothache since.
" I remember seeing my father and our neighbors put through military drill every day by
Capt. Noah Ferry in 1814, for the war with Great Britain of 1812-15.
" My uncles, aunts and others, when I was a child, often spoke about ravages of Indians
from which their ancestors had suffered, and numbers of them remembered and described
the burning of Danbury by the British in 1777.
" One season I attended the private school of Laureus P. Hickok (now Prof. Hickok), in
which his sweetheart, Eliza Taylor, was also a scholar. One day he threw a ruler at my
head. I dodged, and it struck Eliza in the face. He quietly apologized and said she might
apply that to some other time when she might deserve it. He and his wife are still living
in Andover, Mass., a happy grey-haired old couple of eighty or more.
" Eliza's father, Esquire Tom Taylor, sometimes wore white-topped boots. He was a
large, majestic-looking man, of great will-force, and was considered the richest man in
Bethel. Mr. Eli Judd was marked second in point of wealth. Every year I took twelve
dollars to Esquire Tom Taylor to pay the interest on a two hundred dollar note which my
father owed him. I also annually carried four dollars and fifty cents to Eli Judd for interest
on a seventy-five dollar note which he held against my father. As these wealthy men
quietly turned over each note filed away in a small package till they found the note of my
father, and then indorsed the interest thereon, I trembled with awe to think I stood in the
presence of such wonderfully rich men. It was estimated that the richer of them was
actually worth three thousand dollars !
"Esquire Tom made quite a revolution here by one act. He got two yards of figured car-
pet to put down in front of his bed in the winter, because the bare board floor was too cold
for his feet, while he was dressing. This was a big event in the social life of that day, and
Esquire Tom was thought to be putting on airs which his great wealth alone permitted.
" When I was but ten years old, newspapers came only once a week.
" The man who brought us the week's papers came up from Norwalk, and drove through
this section with newspapers for subscribers and pins and needles for customers. He was
called Uncle Siiliman. I can remember well his weekly visit through Bethel, and his queer
cry. Oncoming to a house or village he would shout 'News! Newsl The Lord reigns!'
One time he passed our school-house when a snow storm was prevailing. He shouted :
'News! News! The Lord reigns — and snows a little.1
"It took two days, and sometimes more, to reach New York from Bethel or Danbury.
My father drove a freight or market wagon from Bethel to Norwalk. Stage passengers for
New York took sloop at Norwalk, sometimes arriving in New York the next morning, but
were often detained by adverse winds several days.
" Everybody had barrels of cider in their cellars and drank cider— spirits called " gump-
tion." Professors of religion and the clergy all drank liquor. They drunk it in all the hat
and comb shops, the farmers had it at hay and harvest times. Every sort of excuse was
made for being treated. A new journeyman must give a pint or quart of rum to pay his
footing. If a man had a new coat he must " sponge " it by treating. Even at funerals the
clergy, mourners and friends drank liquor. At public veudues the auctioneer held a bottle
of liquor in Ins hand and when bidding lagged he would cry " a dram to the next bidder,"
the bid would be raised a cent and the bidder would take his dram boldly and be the envy
of most of the others.
"The public whippingpost and imprisonment ior debt both flourished in Bethel in my
youthful days. Suicides were buried at cross-roads. How blessed are we to live in a more
charitable and enlightened age, to enjoy the comforts and conveniences of modern tunes
and to realize that the world is continually growing wiser and better.
" I sincerely congratulate my native village on her character for temperance, industry
•and other good qualities.
"And now, my friends, I t;ike very great pleasure in presenting this fountain to the town
and borough of Bethel as a small evidence of the love which I bear them and the respect
which I feel for my successors, the present and future citizens of my native village.
Our Great Barnum-London Show closed its season at Newport, Arkansas,
November 12, 1881, from whence it came direct to its Winter Quarters, at Bridge-
port, arriving on the morning of November nineteenth. The entire show trav-
eled,' during the season of thirty-three weeks, 12,266 miles. Bay City, Michigan,
was the furthest point north which the Show visited. Bangor, Maine, the
further east ; Galveston, Texas, the furthest south, and Omaha, Nebraska, the
furthest west.
CHAPTER LI I.
TWO FAMOUS ELEPHANTS.
On February 2, 1882, " Queen," one of my twenty-two elephants gave birth to a
young one at our " winter-quarters " in Bridgeport. The event had long been an-
ticipated and thoroughly published throughout America and Europe. Scientists,
all over the country, had been informed that the period of gestation being
known to be about twenty months, a "Baby Elephant" might be expected
early in February. The public press, naturalists, college professors and agents
of zoological gardens in Europe were on the qui vive, and when the interesting
event was imminent it was; telegraphed through the associated press to all parts
of the United States, and about sixty scientists, medical men and reporters
arrived in time to be present at the birth. The next morning more than fifty
columns of details of the birth, weight and name of the Baby Elephant appeared
in the American papers, and notices cabled to London and Paris appeared in the
morning papers. As this was the second elephant ever born in captivity, either
in America or Europe, it created a great sensation. Its weight was only one
hundred and forty-five pounds at birth. We named it "Bridgeport," after the
place of its nativity and of my residence.
We opened our Great Show for the season of 1SS2 on Monday, March 13th, in
Madison Square Garden, New York City, having given an illuminated street
pageant the preceding Saturday evening, which eclipsed all similar exhibitions
ever witnessed in America. The fame of the "Baby Elephant" had created
quite a furore in the public mind, and from the very first night of opening, our
efforts were crowned with success totally unprecedented in the show business.
Day after day, and night after night, we turned away multitudes for want of
room.
' ' Jumbo," the largest elephant ever seen, either wild or in captivity, had been for
many years one of the chief attractions of the Royal Zoological Gardens, London.
I had often looked wistfully on Jumbo, but with no hope of ever getting posses-
sion of him, as I knew him to be a great favorite of Queen Victoria, whose
children and grandchildren are among the tens of thousands of British juveniles
whom Jumbo has carried on his back. I did not suppose he would ever be
sold. But one of my agents, who made tho tour of Europe in the summer
and autumn of 1881 in search of novelties for our big show, was so struck
with the extraordinary size of the majestic Jumbo that he ventured to
ask my friend, Mr. Bartlett, Superintendent of the Zoological Gardens, if he
would sell Jumbo. The presumption of my agent startled Mr. Bartlett, and at
first he replied rather sarcastically in the negative, but my agent pushed the
question and said, "Mr. Barnum would pay a round price for him." Further
conversation led my agent to think that possibly an offer of $10,000 might be
entertained. He cabled me to that effect, to which I replied : "1 will give ten
thousand dollars for Jumbo, but the Zoo will never sell him." Two days after-
wards my agent cabled me that my offer of $10,000 for Jumbo was accepted, I
to take him in the Garden as he stood. The next day I dispatched Mr. Davis by
steamer to London, with a bank draft for £2000 sterling, payable to the order of
330
TWO FAMOUS ELEPHANTS. 331
the Treasurer of the Royal Zoological Gardens, London. From that time an ex-
citement prevailed and increased throughout Great Britain which, for a cause so
comparatively trivial, has never had a parallel in any civilized country. The
council and directors of the Royal Zoo were denounced in strong terms for having
sold Jumbo to the famous Yankee showman, Barnum. The newspapers, from
the London Times down, daily thundered anathemas against the sale, and their
columns teemed with communications from statesmen, noblemen and persons of
distinction advising that the bargain should be broken at all risk, and promising
that the money would be contributed by the British public to pay any damages
which might be awarded to Barnum by the courts. It is said that the Queen
and the Prince of Wales both asked that this course should be adopted. . I re-
ceived scores of letters from ladies and children, beseeching me to let Jumbo
remain, and to name what damages I required and they should be paid. Mr.
Laird, the ship-builder, wrote me from Birkenhead that England was as able to
pay " Jumbo claims " as she was to pay the " Alabama claims," and it would be
done if I would only desist and name my terms. All England seemed to run
mad about- Jumbo; pictures of Jumbo, the life of Jumbo, a pamphlet headed
"Jumbo-Barnum," and all sorts of Jumbo stories and poetry, Jumbo Hats,
Jumbo Collars, Jumbo Cigars, Jumbo Neckties, Jumbo Fans, Jumbo Polkas, etc.,
were sold by the tens of thousands in the stores and streets of London and other
British cities. Meanwhile the London correspondents of the leading American
newspapers cabled columns upon the subject, describing the sentimental Jumbo
craze which had seized upon Great Britain. These facts stirred up the excite-
ment in the United States, and the American newspapers, and scores of letters
sent to me daily, urged me not to give up Jumbo.
The editor of the London Daily Telegraph cabled me to name a price for which
I would cancel the sale, and permit Jumbo to remain in London :
LONDON, February 22.
P. T. Barnum, ff. Y.:
Editor's compliments ; all British children distressed at Elephant's departure ; hundreds
of correspondents beg us to inquire on what terms you will kindly return Jumbo. Answer,
prepaid, unlimited.
LESARGE, Daily Telegraph.
I cabled back as follows :
NEW YORK, February 23, 1882.
To Letarge, Daily Telegraph, London :
My compliments to Editor Daily Telegraph and British Nation. Fifty-one millions of
American citizens anxiously awaiting Jumbo's arrival. My forty years' invariable practice
of exhibiting the best that money could procure, makes Jumbo's presence here imperative.
Hundred thousand pounds would be no inducement to cancel purchase. My largest tent
seats 20,000 persons, and is filled twice each day. It contains four rings, in three of which
three full circus companies give different performances simultaneously.
In the large outer ring, or racing track, the Roman Hippodrome is exhibited. In two
other immense connecting tents my colossal Zoological collection and museum are shown.
* * * * * wishing long life and prosperity to British Nation and Telegraph
and Jumbo, I am the public's obedient servant,
P. T. BARNUM.
This dispatch was published in the London Daily Telegraph the next morning,
and was sent by the London Associated press to the principal newspapers through-
out Great Britain, which republished it the following day, giving the excitement
an immense impetus. Crowds of men, women and children rushed to the " Zoo "
to see dear old Jumbo for the last time, and the receipts at the gates were aug-
mented nearly two thousand dollars per day. A " fellow " or stockholder of the
Royal Zoo sued out an injunction in the Chancery Court against the "council-
lors " of the Zoo and myself to quash the sale. After a hearing, which occupied two
days, the sale was declared valid, and Jumbo was decided to be my property..
332 TWO FAMOUS ELEPHANTS.
The fateful day arrived when Jumbo was to bid farewell to the Zoo, and then
came the tug of war. The unfamiliar street waked in Jumbo's breast the
timidity which is so marked a feature of elephant character. He trumpeted
with alarm, turned to re-enter the Gardens, and, finding the gate closed, laid
down on the pavement. His cries of fright sounded to the uninitiated like
cries of grief, and quickly attracted a crowd of sympathizers. British hearts
were touched, British tears flowed for the poor beast who was so unwilling to
leave his old home. Persuasion had no effect in inducing him to rise, force was
not permitted, and indeed it would have been a puzzle what force to apply to so
huge a creature. My agent, dismayed, cabled me, "Jumbo has laid down in
the street and won't get up. What shall we do '. " I replied, " Lot him lie there
a week if he wants to. It is the best advertisement in the world." After
twenty -four hours the gates of his paradise were reopened and Jumbo allowed
to return to his old quarters, while my agents set to work to secure him by
strategy. A huge iron-bound cage was constructed with a door at each end
and mounted on broad wheels of enormous strength. This, with the doors
openj was backed up against the door entrance to Jumbo's den, and the wheels
sunk so that the floor of the cage was on a level with that of the elephant's. A
passageway was thus formed through which Jumbo must pass to reach the
outer air. After much hesitation, he was persuaded to follow nis keeper, Scott
through this cage to take his daily airing. For several days this ruse wa:
repeated, then, as he entered the cage, the door behind him was swiftly closed,
then the door in front of him, and Jumbo was mine.
On account of the national interest manifested in "Jumbo," we presume the " British
Lion " is for the time forgotten ; and we therefore suggest the above as the most appropri-
ate coat-of-arms for England.— London Fun.
Meanwhile Jumbo came up in Parliament, where the President of the Board
of Trade was questioned in regard to precautions being taken to protect the
passengers on shipboard. Mr. Lowell, our American Minister to the Court of
TWO FAMOUS ELEPHANTS. 333
St. James, in a speech given at a public banquet in London, playfully remarked,
"the only burning question between England and America is Jumbo." The
London Graphic, Illustrated News, Punch, and all the London papers published
scores of pictures and descriptions of Jumbo, in prose and poetry, for several
weeks in succession.
On the morning of his capture, March 25, 1882, the wheels of his cage were
dug free of the ground, twenty horses attached, and in the comparative silence
of the following night, Jumbo was dragged miles to the steamship, Assyrian
Monarch, where quarters had been prepared for him by cutting away one of
the decks. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals hovered over
Jumbo to the last, and titled ladies and little children brought to the ship
baskets of dainties for Jumbo's consumption during the voyage.
After a rough passage he arrived in New York, in good condition, Sunday
morning, April 9th, and next day was placed on exhibition in the menagerie
department of our Great Show where he created such a sensation that in the
next two weeks the receipts in excess of the usual amount more than repaid
us the $30,000 his purchase and removal had cost us. Being a little wearied
after the excitement of this achievement, and knowing well that there is no
rest and recuperative like a sea voyage, I sailed with my wife in the City of
Rome, for Liverpool, the latter part of May. We spent most of our time at
the home of my wife's parents in Lancashire, making brief trips to London,
visits made pleasant by the social attentions of old friends. I was present at
the dinner given by Mr. Henry Irving, the eminent actor, on the stage of his
Lyceum Theatre, June 25th. About seventy gentlemen of note were present,
including Lord Lytton, the Lord Mayor Sir Julius Benedict, Dion Boucicault,
etc. The banquet was enlivened by speeches, and much humor and repartee.
The Lord Mayor jocosely asked me what countryman I was. I replied, "A
Yankee." Augustus Sala, whose ready wit is proverbial, immediately said, " I
can prove that Barnum is more English than American." "How is that ?"
asked Mr. Henry Irving. " Because his better-half is English," was the famous
editor's reply.
I also attended, by special invitation, a grand Military Tournament at the
Agricultural Hall, at which the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke of
Cambridge, and other members of the Royal Family, were present. My seat
was located within a few feet of the Royal box. During the entertainment,
some sixty of the Royal Life Guards, mounted on their jet-black steeds, gave
what is called the ' ' Musical Ride," consisting of an ingenious and exciting series
of marches, countermarches, evolutions and figures, not unlike those presented
in the ' ' grand entrees " of my circus rings. The large area of the Agricultural
Hall gave space for elaboration. When I was pointed out to the Prince of
Wales and the Duke of Cambridge, they rose and gave me a good stare, and
then smilingly conversed. I fancy that, remembering my success in securing
"Jumbo," these royal personages were wondering whether I contemplated
coming down with a swoop and carrying the Royal Life Guards off to America '
The success of the Great Show during the season of 1882 is well and briefly
chronicled in the following extract :
334 TWO FAMOUS ELEPHANTS.
[From Harper's Weekly, November 4, 1882.]
Few persons, ontside of those immediately engaged in its management, have any idea of
the vast amount of labor and money required to run a first-class circus. Mr. Barnum,
having recently fallen into the hands of the interviewers, has given to the public press
some points concerning his "Greatest Show on Earth " that are of curious interest. For
instance, a single item of expenditure amounts to a snug fortune, viz., that of wintering the
animals and their keepers, trainers and attendants, and getting matters into shape for the
spring opening. Last year, said the veteran showman, this cost nearly a quarter of a
million dollars, and that during a time when not a dollar was being earned. But large as
it is, the cost of wintering is a mere "flea-bite" to that of securing fresh novelties. For
this purpose scores of agents under large salaries are sent around the world every year to
gather up the best of all that is new, regardless of expense. This year men have gone on
these errands to fur-away countries where no show agent ever before appeared. To meet
the necessities of but one of these agents $70,000 were recently deposited with Messrs.
Brown Brothers & Co. One of the most costly ventures was the Jumbo affair. The fig-
ures are not given, but the round outlay is said to have been enormous. Another impor-
tant item this year was the printing, which cost $175,000 exclusive of newspaper advertis-
ing. The gross receipts of the season- of thirty-one weeks were a million and three-
quarters of dollars. The receipts in New York were nearly $60,000 per week. In Phila-
delphia, $69,115.85 were taken in. six days, four of which were rainy, auU iu Boston a single
week rolled iu §74,051.03.
CHAPTER LIII.
THE WHITE ELEPHANT.
On the 9th of August, 1S83, ' ' my wife and I " made our usual summit- trip to
Europe, being mot, as always, by my father-in-law, John Fish, who. on this
occasion, said, "Mr. Barnum, I am always glad to see you set your foot on
English soil, for I really believe that every voyage you make across the Atlantic
adds a year to your life."
"Then I will hereafter make two trips a year," I replied, which set my mat-
ter-of-fact English father-in-law to practicing arithmetic, in order to discover
how long I should live if I became purser of a steamship, and made a dozen
trans- Atlantic trips a year !
Among the pleasantest of our fellow-passengers on the Adriatic, I count Sir
Charles Lees, then Governor-General of the Bahamas, sometime prominent rep-
rasentative of the British government in Africa and Asia. I had with me
several agents, on their way to these countries to secure natives for my Ethno-
logical Congress. The knowledge of strange tribes and races which Sir Charles
had acquired during long residence in foreign countries, he not only obligingly
imparted to them, but gave them letters of introduction which were of much
service to them in Siam, Burmah, India, etc., and placed me under further
indebtedness by introducing me to the Foreign Office in London. Though our
busy hours may prevent our exchanging the visits we so faithfully promised
each other, I shall always retain the pleasantest memory of this genial, cultured
Englishman, and the conversations and stories with which we abbreviated the
voyage. Touching Mackey, the California millionaire, he told a story that lost
none of its point because of the deliberate, dryly humorous manner of narrating.
Mackey, he said, was present on one occasion when Sir Charles, as the Queen's
representative, opened the Parliament at Nassau, with much bravery of ermined
robes, and due observance of ceremonies. In his speech, he spoke of the govern-
ment debt as amounting to £60,000. Afterward, Mackey said, "Is that really
all you owe ?"
" That is all," replied Sir Charles.
" Well," said the money king, with a comical smile, " Ihave a devilish r;oo<l
mind to give you a check for it ! "
In the summer of 1883 my little friend Tom Thumb died of apoplexy. He
was at the time of his death a portly little man, of middle age, and iu prosper-
ous circumstances. His widow, the charming little Lavinia, of Chapter
XXXVII, has since married again, and is now known as the Countess Magri.
In November I had the pleasure of entertaining at Waldemere Mr. Matthew
Arnold, on the occasion of his lecturing in Bridgeport.
The official accounts of the show at the end of the traveling season gave much
cause for congratulation. The expenses for the season amounted to $1,034,000,
or more than $6, 000 for each of the 176 exhibition days, out of which six per-
formances were lost. A glance at some of these records of receipts will show
where we get enough to pay $6,000 a day and still have sufficient to make a very
satisfying division of profits at the end of the season. Take the six days in
Philadelphia: April 30tb, $8,416.75; May 1st, $12,000.15; May 2d, $16,382.15;
May 3d, $17,187.25; May 4th, $16,064.80; May 5tb, $10,053.10— aggregating a
335
336 THE WHITE ELEPHANT.
grand total of $80,130.20 from that city alone. Out of Chicago, in the ten days,
from June 4th to June 14th, both inclusive, the show took $119,172.30. Then
take the single day's receipts into notice : Detroit, $15,538.10; Cleveland,
$14,763.20; Pittsburgh, $14,376.20; Cincinnati, $14,133.65; Toronto, $13,864.80;
Hamilton, $13,451.50; Toledo, $13,372.25; Baltimore, $13,352.05; Washington,
$13,294.90 ; Louisville, $12,937.75, Montreal, $15,896. T5; Brooklyn, $13,732.00.
I was the recipient of a very novel compliment at Christmas. Lal>ouchere,
M. P., the publisher of London Tmth, dubbed his Christmas number " Barnum
in Britishland," and every line was devoted to imaginary interviews of P. T.
Barnum with the most prominent Britishers, beginning with a hob-nobbing
tete-d-tete with the Prince of Wales. It was a witty hit (done up in rhyme) at
the foibles, follies, customs, fashions and sharp practices supposed to exist in
Britishland. The sale reached a third edition, and exceeded by many thousands
that of any previous season. The gratuitous advertisement was highly appre-
ciated by me.
The New York Sun, about the same time, published the following :
Under the moral influence of a great illuminated motto— " Whatsoever ye would that
men should dp to you, do ye even so to them " — in his luxuriously furnished parlor at
Waldemere, his country seat near Bridgeport, the reporter found the venerable showman,
P T. Barnum. Plump, ruddy lively and active, the veteran looked as if he had juggled
away a score, at least, of his seventy-four years. " But I'm getting pretty well on in
years." he said, " for I was born on July 5, 1810."
•'What is your actual present physical condition ?" the reporter asked,
" I don't positively know, without trying, whether I could turn a somersault or not, but
the chances are that I could, at least, as well as ever. At all events, I never was better in
my life. I eat well, sleep well, and enjoy the most perfect health. Perhaps to maintain
this condition I should walk more than I do, but I walk some, and go out riding every day
twice. All the disease I have is old age, and my neighbors say 1 should not plead that, for
I'm as young as most men of sixty. The sickness I had in New York three years ago,
when the doctors gave me up, was the only one 1 had in many years, and seems to have
renovated me— given me a new lease of life."
" What have besn and are the personal habits that have conduced to such a good result? "
1 Primarily, regularity ; secondarily, abstinence from things that tend to shorten life.
Sometimes, when neighbors do not come to me I go out to them in the evenings and play a
game of whist, and occasionally I go to the theatre, but as a rule I am in bed by 10 o clock
every night. All my work, directing my personal business, conducting my correspondence,
and communicating with my partners, I do in the forenoons, getting through it in time for
a drive before my dinner, which I take in the middle of the day. After dinner I am
accustomed to doze for three or five minutes. If I just lose consciousness that long I am
as much refreshed as If I had slept for hours. After that I take another drive. In the
evening an hour's reading, a few games of cribbage or whist, or a little music fills up the
time until my hour for retiring I am always up by 7 o'clock in the morning."
"How long have you maintained such regular habits? "
'' AR far as practicable since 1847, when I became a teetotaller, although when I was a
traveling showman my hours were necessarily not so good."
"Did you drink much prior to 1847? "
" Well, I wouldn't have allowed anybody to tell me so. but when I look back over that
time I know now that I did. When I built my magnificent Oriental country seat Iranistan.
I was proud of the house, but ten times prouder of my wine cellar than of anything else I
had. I was not in the habit of dvinking distilled liquors, but every day at dinner took my
bottle of champagne, or its equivalent in other wines or malt liquors. I did no business
after noon, and my mother-in-law used to say sometimes t .at I was ' heady' after dinner
I felt quite offended by the suggestion, and threatened to go back to whisky if it was
repeated, for I really considered myself quite a temperance man, since I drank only wine,
and thought my after-dinner feelings were due to overeating rather than drinking. But
I got the Rev. Dr. Chnpin to come up to Bridgeport and deliver a temperance lecture, for
the subject of which he took 'The Moderate Drinker,' and I saw myself in quite a new
light. I realized for the first time the bad example I was setting, and when I went home
that night was so worried that I could scarcely sleep. The next morning I had my coach-
man knock the necks off all the champagne bottles I had in my cellar, so i:e five or six
dozen ; the port and other medicinal wines I gave away in cases of sickness, and the
liquors I returned to the dealers. That was the end of my drinking. As young bumblebees
are biggest when they are first hatched, so I was, in the first heat of my conversion, an
enthusiast on the subject of teetotalism. I went all over Connecticut and New York
delivering free lectures on the subject, and even went out to Wisconsin, stumped the State
at my own expense, and at least helped to carry it on a temperance platform."
" You shut oft' on tobacco also? "
THE WHITE ELEPHANT.
s&i&mx&ssssa
time to buy and hold on for a raise
dld y°U take the *"»"• *> call a concha of
""1 * " CaS6 °f Prank Le8lle
me estate to make the ILtht. As a measurn nf M*.,.*!/. . T -?ii' ; • ' " lllen s° an" apply
s^^-iSKsS&^^^S^1^
that they believed me to be of souad mind J 688 my Wl11' but make oath
••Independent of the donations you have made to advance your own landed interest-
yon have given largely solely for the public good, have y< u not * "
.»F,o» the fl"i j^l V,1 utho ??urse of the interview, Mr. Barnum spoke with manifest
reluctance " I think," he said. " that it is not a becoming thing jn me to recapitulate what
my good fortune has enabled me to do for my friendl and neighbors, forso I deem al
Br dgepor There ivr« doubtless many among them who, h ,d they been equally ancrasfe
In having the means to dispose of, would have been at least as liberal as I have been I
had been lucky, and naturally wished those about me to have some share in my Inck It
will all be told when I am gone. In this matter I should, for once, prefer to drop the
showman and not seem to be • blowing my own horn.' "
V Let me speak for him," interpolated a friend who was present, " as I believe I can cor-
rectly, so far, at least, as the main things deserving of mention. Many years ago he and
his then associate, Gen. Noble, donated to the City of Bridgeport, Washington Park a
beautiful grove surrounded by churches and fine residences, which the city would not sell
now for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then he, individually, gave the city £70000
worth more of land for park purpose?, on condition that the city is bound to foreVer
maintain it as a park, and always to have a free bathing ground on Its front. In the City
Cemetery he gave several thousand dollars' worth of lots for a burial plot for the Grand
Army of the Republic; as much more for the Fire Department of Bridgeport; three
thousand single graves for poor people, on condition that they should be scattered all over
the cemetery, not located in any one place together, where the ^pot might come to be
known by the opprobrious name of Potter's Field, and the further c ndition that the very
poor shall be buried for nothing, and in no case shall more than $-2 be charged, instead of
the ordinary rate of $7. In addition to all that, he gave some $50,000 worth of land for the
cemetery. In his native town of Bethel, a few miles from here, he erected a fountain that
cost him $10,000 in Berlin, and with 'lie fitting up and ground about it, represented *20 000
at least. He gave "
"There! There! Stop!" interposed Mr. Barnum. "No more of that. To sit here
and listen to you going on in that way makes me feel as if you were reading my
obitflary aloud."
338 THE WHITE ELEPHANT.
To add to the attractions of " The Great Combined Show " during the season
of 1884, my agents in Africa and in India and other parts of Asia, among whom
were Messrs. J. B. Gaylord, Charles White, and Thomas H. Davis, after many
months residence in those lands, procured a number of additional ethnological
specimens for exhibition in my " Grand Congress of the Nations." These nov-
elties included specimens of the follow ing tribes, namely: Nubian warriors,
Zulu chiefs, Afghans, Hindus, Todas Indians, and Singing and Dancing Nautch
Girls of India. A preliminary private exhibition of these ethnological rarities
was given to members of the press and of the clergy in Madison Square Garden,
New York, on the afternoon of March 15, 1884, which was attended with the
customary success. In the evening of the same day they were introduced to
the public as part of the Great Show.
The particular additional feature, however, by which the season of 1884 was
made memorable, was the exhibition for the first time in any civilized country
of that rare and beautiful animal, which for ages has been recognized in Siam.
Burmah, and other Buddhist countries as the " Royal Sacred White Elephant."
This absolutely unique curiosity was accompanied by a Burmese orchestra and
a retinue of Buddhist priests in full ecclesiastical costume, the sacred animal
being surrounded by the same attendants and the like paraphernalia as during
the performance of religious ceremonies in his native country. The priests
were also supplied with documents, under the royal seal, attesting the sacred
character of the beast, and with the royal bill of sale executed by King Thee-
baw's Master of Elephants, and also bearing the king's seaL
L n nl my a^eut first visited Bangkok, the capital of ISiam, and there saw the
king's " Sacred White Elephants/' I had supposed that they were literally white,
instead of technically so. Those who had not seen these animals, nor read
authentic descriptions of them, had the same idea as mj^self. When, therefore,
my Sacred Elephant arrived in London, a large portion of the public, having
expected to see a milk-white elephant, were disappointed. The f olio wing article,
which I clip from the New York Tribune of Feb. 17, gives the facts in the case:
P. T. Barnum and his partners have dispelled a wide-spread popular illusion, that the so-
called sacred white elt-pliants of the kings of Siam and Bunnah either are, or ever were,
literally white. They ^ay they have secured as perfect a specimen of this aniuinl as exists
anywhere, and they do not claim that it is •' white" in the strict sense of tisat word,
yet, it is the same ppecies, and exact counterpart of those white sacred elephants wor-
shiped for centuries by the Buddhists. Up to this time, no European monarch has ever
been able to procure '• a sticred white elephant," or even get it into a Christian country, and
in that Barnura has succeeded.
A rival showman, -who labored under the " popular " illusion, had a common
elephant painted milk-white, and so exhibited it for a time as a genuine specimen
purchased in Siam. Two leading New York illustrated papers, early in 1882, were
deceived into publishing pictures of this '• pure white :'-washed animal as a gen-
uine Sacred White Elephant from Siam. The owner of this imposition soon
announced that it had suddenly died. It was simply •un-dyed ! And thus
another proof added to millions which have preceded it, demonstrates that
truth will always triumph over falsehood.
In his own land the white elephant is huld in the utmost veneration ; and as
the people believe that if one of them leaves their country his departure will be
the signal for dire calamities to them ; and as, moreover, any person who is
instrumental in sending one out of the country without the royal permission is
liable to the penalty of death, the difficulty of procuring one for exportation has
hitherto been so great as to have proved insurmountable. As, however, it has
THK WHITE ELEPHANT. 330
ever been my aim to bring together under our tents, utterly regardless of cost,
the real marvels of this wonderful earth, I determined, if possible, even at the
cost of half a million dollars, if necessary, to procure a curiosity which centuries of
unsuccessful endeavor had seemed to prove utterly unattainable. Unfortunately,
just as my agents seemed on the verge of success, they were doomed to disap-
pointment. A white elephant purchased by them in Siam many months before
Toung Taloung was obtained, was poisoned on the eve of its departure by its
attendant priests rather than that it should fall into the hands of profane Chris-
tians. Finally, however, after three years of patient persistence, and the
exercise, on the part of half a score of our shrewdest agents, of wonderful tact,
diplomacy, and untiring energy, often at the peril of their lives, and the outlay
of a quarter of a million dollars, our efforts were crowned with victory. We
now possessed and regularly exhibited the first arid only animal of the kind that
ever had been seen or that probably ever will be seen in a Christian land. So
enormous were the dificulties which had to be conquered in order to get this only
genuine White Elephant out of Burmah, that I am satisfied no other successful
attempt to export one will ever again be made.
The Royal Sacred White Elephant, Toung Taloung, was purchased at Man-
delay, in Burmah ; and having been brought away under the royal warrant of
King Theebaw, was shipped from Rangoon, in British Burmah, in the steamship
Tenasserim, on December 8, 1883. After passing through the Suez Canal, and
touching at Malta, it arrived safely at Liverpool, England, on January 14, 1884.
Thence it was taken to London, where it was exhibited for several weeks at the
Royal Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, receiving the indorsement of many
eminent scientists, prominent among whom was Professor W. H. Flower, Presi-
dent of the London Zoological Society and Curator of the Royal College of
Surgeons. On March 13, 1884, it was shipped in the steamer Lydian Monarch
for New York, and at that city it arrived on the 28th of the same month. On
the 31st a special private exhibition of it was given to several hundred natural-
ists, scientists, Eastern travelers, scholars, leading physicians and clergymen,
editors of New York and other papers, and other persons, whose closest scrutiny
I invited, but who none of them doubted that the animal was what ho was
described to be, namely, a genuine white elephant from Burmah. Many cer-
tificates of his genuineness, now in our possession, were given by such eminent
authorities as Colonel Daniel B. Sickles, late Minister to Siam ; Colonel Thomas
W. Knox, the only American to whom the King of Siam has ever presented the
Order of the White Elephant; Mr. Edward Greey, author of "The Golden
Lotus ; " Mr. David Ker, Siamese correspondent of the New York Times ;
Frank Vincent, Jr., author of " The Land of the White Elephant," and many
As might have been anticipated, as a consequence of the exhibition of so
unique a curiosity, not to speak of the other novelties, the tour of the " Greatest
Show on Earth," during the season of 1884, was quite as successful as any pre-
vious one. The Show visited the principal cities of the United States as far east
as Lewiston, Me. , and as far west as Kansas City and Omaha.
It is worthy of special remark that with regard to the genuinenes of the
Sacred White Elephant, which has been the subject of so much discussion, every
c'aim made in behalf of Toung Taloung has been substantiated by subsequent
events The Siamese Weekly Advertiser, a paper printed partly in English and
partly in Siamese, and published at Bangkok, the Siamese capital-where the
King and his Court reside-in its issue of March 7th, 1885, prints the following
editorial :
340 THK WHITE ELEPHANT.
WHITE ELEPHANT.— It is stated that a White Elephant has been obtained at Pratabaung
and will be sent to Bangkok as speedily as p-ssible. There will doubtless be the usual
pompous demonstrations in connection with bringing it to Bangkok, conferring on it a title
and giving it a home in the vi'-inity of the p tlaee. Foreigners naturally are surprised that
such eminent honors should be conferred upon an animnl, by no mean* wkite, though per-
haps a shade or two lighter than the ordinary elephant in some parts of the body.
The same paper, in its issue of April 18th, 1885, speaks as follows of the pre-
sentation of the elephant above referred to :
On the 3d instant. His Royal Highness Somdetch Chowfah Mahamalah Bamrahp Parapako
conducted a male elephant into tie Palace for presentation to His Majesty the King of
Siam. His Majesty graciously accepted the animal and presented a sum of money and sun-
dry articles of clothing to be given to Tepan. the mother, and her son. Ayaungtoh Karens,
the owners of the elephant. The Siamese officials who brought the elephant to Bangkok
were honored with an audience of His Majesty and were the recipients of suitable presents
also.
Certainly the King of Siam ought to be accepted as good authority on the
subject of white elephants, and here we have an account of his receiving with
highest honors and rewards a " White Elephant," which in sacred attributes
and required peculiarities of marking would have no comparison with ours.
And this is supplemented by more recent proof from Burmah, which in the
Autumn of 1885 was conquered by Great Britain. The correspondent of the
London Daily Standard, who entered Mandelay, the Capital, with General
Prendergast's army, says :
I saw King Theebaw's Sacred White Elephant close by in a magnificent palace of his own.
The only white about him is two small dirty spots, almost imperceptible.
The Manchester (Eng.) Mail says :
Barnnm's Sacred White Elephant, exhibited in London last year, appears to have been
whiter than King Theebaw's.
King Theebaw's "White Elephant died soon after his royal master's over-
throw, aud the New York Commercial Advertiser, commenting on the fact,
says :
Mr. Barnum's White Elephant was, after all, whiter than him of Mandelay.
The tour of the Great Show during the summer of 1884 was marked by an inci-
dent which is worthy of note heft. The authorities of a thriving New England
town, at which we were advertised to appear, demanded an exceptionally exor-
bitant sum as a license fee. Though our advance agent demurred to the impo-
sition, the authorities, thinking no doubt that we would submit to it rather than
pass by a town where the receipts for a day had averaged $10,000, were immov-
able. They reckoned without their host, however. We at once changed our
plans, cancelled the date for their town, and announced instead that we would
give the intended exhibition at a smaller town twelve miles off.' The merchants,
hotel-keepers and other business men of the larger town offered us four times
the amount of the license-fee demanded if we would adhere to our original pur-
pose and exhibit there. We, however, were immovable in our turn, and
declined to change our plans a second time. On the day of the exhibition we
ran a large number of excursion trains to the smaller town ; the other town
was nearly deserted ; and the day's receipts for the exhibition were not $10,000,
but $12,760.
Another incident, of a widely different character, by which the year 1884
was marked as a bright spot in my calendar, was the opening of the Natural
History Museum of Tuft's College, near Boston, of which admirable educa-
tional institution I was a trustee at its foundation. The want of a natural
THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 341
history museum had long been felt, and some time ago my friend, President E.
H. Capen, made an appeal to me to supply the need. To this appeal I responded ;
and the outcome has been the erection of a large and handsome stone structure,
partially furnished with a fine collection of natural history specimens and
other curiosities interesting and useful to students. The building was completed
in the spring of 1884, and it was formally inaugurated at the Commencement
exercises of the college, held on the 10th of June in the same year. The name
of the founder had been kept a secret, but it was then publicly announced by
President Capen in the course of his address.
The event was described by the Christian Leader of June 26th as follows:
There had been great curiosity in regard to the donor whose great heart had added to
the group of buildings on College Hill the elegant structure in stone, to be known as the
Natural History Museum. When, as the tone of the President's address eliminated one
after another till it was clear that PHINEAS TAYLOR BAHJTUM was the man, the applause
became a shout, and for what seemed many minutes the throng testified their gratitude for
the magnificent gift— of a character BO exactly accordant with the spirit of the donor— in
every articulate and muscular form In which an enthusiastic people know how to manifest
their joy. It will hereafter be our great pleasure to put Mr. Barnum into the category of
Tufts, Packard, Walker and the Goddards. It was the feature of the day, aud it made the
day most memorable in the history of Tuft'a College.
President Capen's address on the occasion was as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : I had hoped to have the supreme felicity of introducing to
you here and now the founder of the Natural History Museum. He made some weeks ngo
an engagement to he present, but within a few days has been obliged to cancel it. There
has been a great deal of cariosity during the past year to know the n«me of our generous
l-enefactor. A good many guesses have been ventured, but very few of them, so far as I
know, have come near the mark. Our friend Is ono who has taken a deep interest in this
college from the start. His name is on the original list of its trustees with CuarJe* Tuft
and Silvauus Packard and Oliver Dean and Thomas A. Goddard. He begun life in pov-
erty, but by nn energy and a spirit of enterprise almost unequaled, even in this country,
and in the face of difficulties that would have appalled most men, he has conqaere'd pov-
erty and secured for himself a place among the men of princely fortune. Ho had no such
educational advantages as the young men of this college enjoy. Even the lads in our pri-
mary schools get better training than he received. But by dilligent use of his opportunities,
by studious habits and an active brain he has not only stored his mind with varied and
useful knowledge, but, as you shall presently see, has become the master of a vigorous and
idiomatic style of English which would put many a college man to shame. Tnrough all
his life he has been a man of unbounded public spirit. In the city of his adoption he is, by
unanimous consent, the foremost citizen, pouring out his money like water for every spe-
cies of public improvement. I doubt if a single New England city has his superior in this
respect. He is a man of pure life, who has taught temperance by precept and example to
young and old alike. He is a man of positive religious convictions and deep religious life,
the friend for many years of the venerable Dean of Tuft's Divinity School, the Itev. Dr.
Sawyer, and the parishioner and life-long friend of the lamented Chapiu. He has been
prominently identified with the Church to which his laith has allied him, and promoted its
enterprises by generous contributions. In his business he has sought to combine popular
amusement with popular education. He has searched all climate*, from the frozen polar
regions to the blazing tropics, regardless of pecuniary cost, that he might secure specimens
of the rarest of living creatures for exhibition. Years ago he built up in the city of New
York a museum, which the late Professor Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution, charac-
terized as one of the most important educational institutions in this country. And now, in
the latter end of his varied and useful lite, he has chosen this college in which to create an
instrumentality in which his name may be perpetuated, aud the work to which his best
energies have been devoted may be carried forward on a scientific basis forever. Five
years ago I took occasion to call his attention to this subject, and again some fourteen
months since I renewed the suggestion. The response was almost instantaneous. From
that moment until now the work has been'pushed forward with an energy that is electric.
The sum of $35,000 lias been set apart for this object, which is ample f r the erection of the
building, for partially furnishing it with specimens, leaving a fund f<>r its care and main-
tenance. I have received the following letter, which I am sure you will be glud to hear,
am which, in the absence of our friend, I will venture to read:
342 THE WHITE ELEPHANT.
E. n. Capen, D.D., President Tuffs College, College Hill, Mass.:—
Mr DEAR MR. PRESIDENT— It is with unfeigned regret that I find it impossible to attend
the Commencement exercises at Tuft's, as promised. Often have I wished to be with you
on these annual occasions, if for no other reason than to mark by my presence the deep
interest I take and have always taken in an institution the prosperity of which I have
watched with no small degree of satisfaction and pride. But a busy life ha-i invariably
brought with it duties which have deprive:!, from time to time, the realization of my desire
to visit College Hill in Jane. Planning with more than usual foresight (as I hnd imagined)
to be with you this year, and believing that the time had come wh"n I could in person
extend my congratulations to the faculty and the students, I find I mu«t forego even this
visit. But if absent in the flesh, I am with you in spirit, and my thoughts will wander to you
in your rejoicings of commencement on the 18th instant. Deprived in my own youth of
rare educational advantage?, I have learned to appreciate their worth and to take solid
delight in every evidence of greater enlightenment and progress. I nev^r see an urchin
plodding his way unwillingly to school but I contrast the meagre facilities of sixty years
ago with the present wealth of instrumentalities within the reach of every American boy
and girl. And so, when I hear tlie common pchool-bell rii g, I bless the day which no
longer sees my valid reason tor ignorance in this country. I have always declared that I
took more pleasure in paying my school-taxes than any other ; for education often tends to
lessen vice und crime, as well as to secure to its recipients reputation, honor and success.
I may be pardoned, Mr. President, if on this occasion I assert that my interest in the
higher education of the day has ever been constant and profound. Had my earlier advan-
tages been greater I might have achieved more; but looking back on a long an<l eventful
career, I confess, in no boasting vein, that I have conscientiously labored to elevate and
ennoble public amusements which p!ay no small part among the educational agencies of
the times. How successful I have been in blending healthful and moral instruction with
recreation it is not for me to state, but the satisfaction experienced in my life-work has
been in itself a reward altogether apart from and superior to any golden harvest I may
have reaped. Not that I am insensible to the latter, fir it is because of it that I am able,
under the provi fence of a Good F ther, who has blessed me all my life, to do somewhat
for Tufts in the foundation of the Barnnm Museum of Natural History.
lam happy in the thought that this Museum will be another factor in the work of the
college, helping it on in its high career of usefulness. I have for many years past decided to
do something for an institution the growing exi-ellence and thoroughness of which must com-
mend it to the lovers of knowledge everywhere. And now that the decision ha* been
made, and the Museum Building erected, I hope the college may possess for many decades
to come, facilities sufficient to inspire its students to investigations in a branch of science
which so wonderfully reveals in varied form the infinite wisdom and power of the Creator.
But I am afraid this letter exceeds all bounds, und should it be read on Commencement
Day it will be considered irksome. And yet I cannot close witho t assuring you. Mr.
President, the officers, teachers, patrons and students of the collige, of my strung faith in
the brilliant future of Tuft's. I be.ieve, irom what I know of the sacrificing spirit and
intellectual standing of its facul y, that the possibilities within i's reach wiil be attained,
and that it will become an educational centre fostered and nourished not only by men of
brains, but also by men of fortune. It augurs well for tue future of any cause when peo-
ple of means are ready to give generously in its behalf. The history of most denomina-
tions to-day reveals the fact that there is more giving than formerly, and with it corres-
ponding prosperity. Whilst feeding the Churches, let us not neglect to foster the colleges,
but endeavor to give them such prestige and position as shall enable them to exercise the
most salutary influence and do the very best work. Hoping that others may do much more
than I have, and that all will feel a pleasure in contributing according to their means, I am,
my dear Mr. President, .Respectfully yours, P. T. BARNUM.
After reading the Jetter, President Capen said: " I give you the health of the
Pounder of the Barnum Museum of Natural History. May his life be prolonged.
May he have prosperity and success. May his declining days be crowned by
domestic happiness and inward peace."
The audience arose and greeted the sentiment with heart and voice. It was
an ovation.
When General Grant became financially embarrassed in 1884 he was specially-
anxious to secure Mr. W. H. Vanderbflt in the sum of $150,000, loaned to him
under peculiar circumstances— the noble-hearted General and his.wife made over
to him all their personal property, including the valuable trophies and mementos
presented to him not only in America but by monarchs, princes and other
admirers during his celebrated trip around the world.
Recognizing the fact that people everywhere would feel interested in seeing
these trophies, and that I could by exhibiting them in a most elegant and suit-
THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 34'}
able manner throughout the civilized world gratify millions of persons of taste
and appreciation, while I could afford to compensate General Grant so liberally
for the privilege as to assure him a fine income, I wrote to him the following
letter and sent it by special messenger :
NEW YORK, January 12, 1885.
To General U. S. Grant, twice Pi-esident of the United Slates, etc.:
H(ft»<>RED SIR : The whole world honors and respects you. All are anxious that yon
should live happy and free from care. While they admire your manliness in declining the
large »um recently tender**! yuu by friends, they still desire to see you achieve financial
independence in itn honorable manner. Of the unique and valuable trophies with which
you have been honored, we all have read, and ull have a laudable desire to see these evi-
dences of love and respect bestowed upon you by monarchs, princes and people through-
out the globe. While you would confer a great mid enduring favor on your l'ell<>w-men and
women by permitting them to see these trophies you could also remove existing embar-
rassments in a most satisfactory and honorable manner. I will give you one hundred
thousand dollars cash, besides a proportion of the profits, if I may be permitted to exhibit
these relics to a grateful and appreciative public, and I will give satisfactory bonds of half
a million dollars lor their safe-keeping and return.
These precious trophies of which all your friends are so proud, would be placed before the
eyes of your millions of admirers in a manner and style at once pleasing to yourself and
satisfactory to the best e'ernents of the entire community. Remembering thnt the memen-
toes of Washington, Wellington, Nnpoleon, Frederick (he Great and many other dis-
tingui-'hed men have given immense pleasure to millions who have been permitted to see
them. I trust you will in the honorable manner proponed, gratify the public and thus incul-
c ite the lesson of honesty, perseverence and true patriotism so admirably illustrated in
your career.
I hare the honor to be truly your friend and admirer, P. T. BARNUM.
I called at General Grant's residence soon afterwards, and was politely received
by him, his wife, and son, Colonel Frederick Grant.
I ?aid to the General, after our greeting. " General, since your journey around
the world you are the best-known man on the globe."
"No, sir," replied the General, "your. name is familiar to multitudes who
never heard of me. Wherever I went, amorg the most distant nations, the fact
that I was an American led to constant inquiries whether I knew Barnum."
Proceeding to the business on which I had called, the General informed me
that the trophies were no longer under his control, as Mr. Vanderbilt, after
refusing to take them, out of respect to the General, had finally accepted them
on condition that after General Grant's decease they should be lodged in some
safe public place in Washington, where all could see them.
" After all, Mr. Barnum,'' said General Grant, "under the present arrange-
ments, everybody who visits Washington can see them."
"Yes, General," I replied, "but millions of persons who will never visit
Washington will regret that I had never brought these historical relics where
they would see them."
I shall always believe, regardless of any profit (or loss) which might have_
accrued to me, that my plan was one creditable to all concerned, and that it is
to be regretted that it was not carried out.
I was reminded of General Grant's assurance of my name being known to the
ends of the earth, when a few weeks later I received a letter addres'sed to "Mr.
Barnum, America," and posted in Noulmein, British Burmah, on January 15 h.
It had been stamped seven times on its face and ba^k, and bore the marks of the
Post Office of Bombay, Brandisi,%ie "Sea Post Office," and the Post Office in
New York, whence it was transmitted to Bridgeport. The envelope contained
two letters in the Burmese language, to the attendants on the White Elephant.
The Daily Standard remarked :
The lact that the address was simply "Mr. Barnum, America." goe« to show that our
fellow-townsman ii the Mr. Barnum, not only of the United States, or North America, but
of the world.
CHAPTER LIV.
ALICE.
•
Our Great Barnum-London Show opened its season at Madison Square Garden,
New York City, Monday, March 16th, 18&5, and closed at Newburg, N. Y., Sat-
urday, October 24th, whence it was shipped directly to Winter Headquarters,
Bridgeport, Conn. In the course of 192 days, exclusive of Sundays, it traveled
8,471 miles and exhibited in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, Ver-
mont, and the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario, Canada. The net profits were
larger than those of the previous year.
The first event of note during the season — and a most lamentable one —
occurred at Nashua, N. H., on Saturday afternoon, July 18th, when "Albert,"
a very large and treacherous Asiatic elephant, attacked James McCormick, one
of the keepers, inflicting internal injuries, which resulted in death the next day.
For this, and to prevent further possible loss of life, Albert was sentenced to
death, and executed in a ravine in the suburbs of Keene, N. H., on Monday,
July 20. After he had been chained to four large trees, and the location of his
heart and brain marked with chalk, thirty-three members of the Keene Light
Guard were marshalled in line at sixteen paces, and, at the word of command,
discharged a volley into the huge culprit with such accuracy of aim that he fell
dead, without a struggle. Albert was worth $10,000. His remains were pre-
sented to the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C.
On Tuesday, Sept. 15th, at St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, occurred a univer-
sally announced and regretted tragedy, by which the Show suffered a great and
irreparable loss. At about 9 o'clock on the evening of that day, Jumbo, the
biggest, noblest, most famous, popular, and valuable of beasts, was killed.
While being led along the main line of the Grand Trunk Railway to his car, an
unexpected special freight train rushed upon him. There was no time for
escape, and the locomotive struck Jumbo with terrific force. The engine was
badly broken and derailed, and Jumbo's skull fractured and internal injuries
inflicted by his huge body being crushed between the freight train and a train of
show cars standing on an adjacent track. He died in a few moments.
The dwarf clown elephant, " Tom Thumb," had a leg broken, but has since
recovered, retaining only an interesting little limp as a souvenir of his narm\v
escape.
The death of Jumbo was cabled all over the world, and, for the time, almost
monopolized public attention, both at home and abroad. I received hundreds
of telegrams and letters of sympathy. The London Pall-Mall Gazette, one of
the leading English newspapers, referred editorially to the event as follows:
Mr. Bnrnnm has. of course, been interviewed resecting the death of Jumbo, and tne
great showman, with that peculiar repose in faith which is one of his strongest character-
istics, keeps f>n believing th;it Jumbo's death may prove a trump card yet. " The loss is
tremendous, "nay* Mr Ha'num, "but- such :i trifle never disturbs my nerves. Have I not
lost a nvllion dollars by fires. :md half as much by other financial misfortunes? but long aijo
I learned that to those who metn riant and try to do rizht, there are no such things as real
misfortunes. On the other hand, to such persons, all apparent evils are blessings in
dl«zuise."
344
ALICE. 345
My first thought was of the many thousands who were counting on seeing the
giant beast, the largest living creature in the world.
Fortunately, in the case of Jumbo, science achieved a substantial victory over
death. Professor Henry A. Ward, the distinguished head of Ward's Natural
Science Establishment at Rochester, N. Y.. was for many months engaged in the
labor of preserving Jumbo's form, and also preparing his skeleton for exhibition.
This great work has been successfully concluded, and the public can now look
upon Jumbo as majestic and natural as life, while beside him stands the
prodigious framework of massive bones which sustained the vast weight of his
flesh.
So many letters have been received by me from all parts of the world, asking
the exact size of the lamented Jumbo, that I am impelled to print the measure-
ments made by Professor H. A. Ward.
JUMBO'S SIZE.
Neck— Smallest circumference 11 feet, 6 inches.
Body — Circumference at shoulders 16
Circumference at middle 18
Circumference at hind legs 17
Forelegs — Circumference of leg 3 feet above sole of foot 3 10
5^ " " " .. 5 7
Hind legs— "2 " " " .. 3
"4 " " " .. 4
Length of tail 4
Length in all 14
Height to shoulder 12
Weight _ 7 tons.
Soon after Jumbo's death I succeeded in purchasing from the Directors of the
Zoological Society's Garden, London, the great African Elephant " ALICE," for
sixteen years the companion and so-called " wife " of the great Jumbo. Alice',
it will be remembered, was so sorrowfully excited when my agent attempted to
remove Jumbo, February, 1882, that her groans and trumpetings frightened the
wild beasts in the great " Zoo " into such bowlings and roarings as were heard a
mile away. When Jumbo was killed the English newspapers called Alice
" Jumbo's widow," and several of the illustrated weeklies gave pictures of her
wearing her "widow's cap."
Alice joined the Greatest Show on Earth in the early days of her widowhood,
and was exhibited side by side with the skeleton and stuffed hide of Jumbo.
This pathetic juxtaposition did not apparently affect her spirits. The dead
Jumbo and the living Alice were among the most interesting features of the
show season of 1886, both at the Madison Square Garden, from April 1st to
April 24th, and in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia,
Virginia. Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wis-
consin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina and
North Carolina. The show, as usual, was larger and better than ever before,
and its financial success proportionate. This was the first visit of the great show
to the Southern States, where it was received with the greatest enthusiasm. It
visited, during its season of 1886, 21 States and 144 cities, traveled 10,447 miles,
and gave 344 performances. Its longest single run was from Springfield, Mo. , to
Memphis, Tenn., 285 miles.
In pursuance of my custom of visiting my Great Show at such places as are
railroad centers, where I know thousands will come in by excursion trains. I
346 ALICE.
last year met the show at Erie, Pa. I did not make myself known (for I like to
mingle with the crowd incognito, and get information and pleasure listening to
the various remarks, and especially criticisms, about the different details of the
show) but seated myself among the audience, surrounded by the country people.
It was a great satisfaction to witness their delight at the various exhibitions
brought into the arena. One old farmer and his wife, who sat on the seat in
front of me, attracted my attention.
" ' I declare, Sally,' says the man, 'I ain't seen a circus since I was twenty-
one. I neyer did think it possible to do such wonderful things as I have seen
here to-day.'
" ' I have never,' replied Sally, ' seen a circus since I was a gal. But I was
determined to see Barnum's, I had heard so much about it. It certainly beats
all I had ever dreamt of.'
" 'After all,' said the husband, ' there is one thing I would give more to §ee
than the whole show, and that is Barnum himself.'
, "' Well, perhaps you may see him,' replied the wife, ' they say he sometimes
goes with his show.'
" ' I hope I will get a look at him,' said the husband.
After a while, a young rider about three-and-twenty years of age, a perfect
athlete and equestrian, came into the ring, riding four bare-backed horses. They
were very spirited animals, aud they went through their various evolutions
with such perfection and celerity as to bring repeated thunders of applause.
Presently the youthful rider turned a somersault, alighted upon his head, and in
that position, with his heels in the air, rode several times around the ring. All
were wondering at this extraordinary feat, when my old farmer friend jumped
to his feet, wild with excitement, swung his hat in the air and exclaimed, ' I'll
bet five dollars that's Barnum. There ain't another man in America who can
do that but Barnum.' I did" not disabuse his mind. He felt that he had gotten
his money's worth, and I was satisfied.
During the six weeks of the exhibition in New York. I was a constant visitor
in the afternoons and an occasional one in the evenings, at which latter times
I renewed many old acquaintanceships. When it was not possible to attend
both, I always gave the preference to the afternoon^performances, so as to meet
as many as possible of my little friends and patrons, to whose amusement and
happiness it is such a pleasure to minister. To me there is no picture so beauti-
ful as ten thousand smiling, bright-eyed, happy children; no music so sweet as
their clear ringing laughter. That I have had power, year after year, by pro-
viding innocent amusement for the little ones, to create such pictures, to evoke
such music, is my proudest and happiest reflection. Often, as I walked through
the Madison Square Garden, I was the recipient of spontaneous bursts of ap-
plause and clapping of little hands from the multitude of children present.
These incidents are among the pleasantest of my life and never to be forgotten.
The show left the city for its annual traveling season and traveled through
the following states, first going to Brooklyn, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Dela-
ware, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Rhode Island, back to New York State, through Canada, then into New York
State again, Pennsylvania, and lastly New Jersey, closing the season in Hoboken,
on October 22, 1887. It was a most satisfactory season financially, although not
quite as extensive as formerly. In its travels the show visited 175 cities, covering
over 10,500 miles of territory and meeting with but few accidents, and none of
ALICE. 347
auy consequence. From Hoboken all the animals and material were safely
transported to the winter quarters at Bridgeport.
At the close of the season, Messrs. Hutchinson, Cole and Cooper, feeling a
desire for more leisurely lives than the terms of our partnership permitted, and
being possessed of fortunes large enough to gratify all reasonable tastes, with-
drew from the firm, with my free consent, and the show property was housed
for the winter with myself and Mr. James A. Bailey as equal partners and pro
prietors, and under the name of the Barnum & Bailey Show.
The sad news of Jenny Lind's death in London November 2, 1887, news
which flashed across the world awakening universal sorrow and regret, appealed
peculiarly to me. It was not only that the dead songstress was associated with
one of the most successful business enterprises of my life, and one of which I
am particularly pleased, but from the time of our first association I conceived
for the woman and the artist a warm regard which was not impaired by any
subsequent events. Her impulses were always good, and if the somewhat
abrupt termination of her engagement with me was not in keeping with the
fine sense of justice which ordinarily regulated her actions, the blame must rest
on her interested advisers, not on Jenny Lind.
In the years that have passed since then we have each held ourselves ready to
do the other any friendly service possible, and have taken a mutual pleasure
in recalling the many humorous and pathetic incidents of our concert season.
I remember the glorious voice of the Nightingale, not alone in the raptures of
unrivalled singing, but low and soft, with pitying tender words, as she sought
to comfort one in trouble; or ringing out in the hearty laughter of blithe and
vigorous young womanhood. From my very heart came the words of sympa-
thy I sent to her devoted husband, and from his, I am sure, came the message
he cabled from Malvern, England, where he had just laid the body of his
worshipped wife :
P. T. BARNUM, New York :
Fully appreciate your condolences, coming from one who well knew my
beloved wife, and was always remembered by her with sincere regard.
OTTO QOLDSCHMIDT.
So dies away the last echo of the most glorious voice the world has ever
heard.
CHAPTER LV.
THE CHURCH AND CIRCUS.
YEARS ago no two institutions were more actively antagonistic than the
Church and Circus. The former waged fierce and uncompromising war against
the latter, the Methodist Church going so far as to make it a part of their dis-
cipline that attendance at a circus entailed forfeiture of membership. That the
Church should ever tolerate, patronize or even recognize as an educator the
circus was a possibility that probably entered into the dreams of no man but
myself, and perhaps no man but myself believed it possible to organize a circus
which should respect the Church and all pertaining to it.
In those days the circus was very justly the object of the Church's animad-
versions. Its spectacular attractions consisted principally of six to ten entree
horses, with riders ; two fairly good equestrians, whose standing feats on horse-
back were made on a broad pad saddle; half a dozen apprentice boys, who rode
more or less (and rather less than more) and joined in flip-flaps, hand-springs
and, in the afterpiece, " The Tailor of Tamworth " or "Pete Jenkins," in which
drunken characters were represented and broad jokes, suited to the groundlings,
were given. Its fun consisted of the clown's vulgar jests, emphasized with still
more vulgar and suggestive gestures, lest providentially the point might be lost.
Educational features the circus of that day had done. Its employees were
mostly of the [rowdy element, and it had a following of card-sharpers, pick-
pockets and swindlers generally, who were countenanced by some of the circus
proprietors, with whom they shared their ill-gotten gains. Its advent was
dreaded by all law-abiding people, who knew that with it would inevitably
cause disorder, drunkenness and riot. It will scarcely be believed that it was
the custom of most of Rich circuses to engage in advance the firemen of the
town they proposed to visit to help to protect the circus company against possi-
ble attacks of the rabble, who were apt to be belligerently indignant when too
outrageously victimized. Some circus proprietors paid no salary to their ticket-
sellers, but let them cheat it out of their customers by giving them short change
in the rush and excitement which usually prevailed around the ticket wagon.
THE MISSION OF THE CIRCUS.
Every one in these enlightened days concedes that human nature imperatively
demands amusement and recreation. The childish mind to which all the world
is yet fresh and interesting and the jaded, brain of the adult call with equal
insistence for " something new and strange." Granted the necessity of amuse-
ments and the desirability of their being morally clean and healthful and instruc-
tive, the provider of such entertainments is a public benefactor and may
reasonably ask for his wares the countenance of the Church.
The so-called circus of to-day, with, I regret to say, some exceptions, is a
widely different affair from that of the past. When under proper management
it is decorous and orderly in operation and composed of features which appeal
to all ages, classes and conditions. While modestly submitting to bear the
generic title of circus, a genuine tent exhibition under thit name must com-
THE CHURCH AND CIRCUS. 349
prise a menagerie and museum, the accumulating of which necessitated a
diligent searching of the whole earth at an incredible pecuniary outlay. In the
proper circus of to-day the athlete demonstrates the perfection of training of
which the human body is capable. His feats of strength and graceful agility
pleases the understanding as well as the eye, and if the average small boy does
stand on his head and practice turning " hand-springs " and "flip-flaps" with
exasperating persistence for three weeks running after going to the circus his
physique will be all the better for it. The juggler shows the marvelous precision
and nicety of touch which can be acquired by patient practice. In the real
circus of to-day the intelligent lover of horse-flesh will find the finest specimens
of the equine race trained to do almost anything but talk. There the scientific
mind is attracted by such strange examples of mechanism as the talking machine,
an ingenious duplicate of the structure of the human throat, giving forth under
manipulation a very human, if not very sweet, voice. The ethnologist finds
gathered together for his leisurely inspection representatives of notable and
peculiar tribes, civilized and savage, from far distant lands— types which other-
wise he would never see, as they can only be sought in their native countries at
the risk of life, and at an expenditure of time and money possible to very few.
The menagerie of wild beasts, birds and reptiles — comprising every curious
specimen of animal life from the denizens of the torrid African jungle to those
of the Polar regions — form a study that will impart more valuable information
in two hours than can be obtained from reading books on zoology in a year.
MORALITY OF EMPLOYEES.
The morality of a genuine circus troupe compares favorably with that of any
equal number of any other profession or trade. Many of them are educated
and intelligent; most are loyal to strong family affections and to such domes-
ticity as is attainable while traveling, For the rest, they are obliged to behave
well. The circus proprietor has a more complete jurisdiction over his employees
than any pastor over his congregation. Would any clergyman dare to punish
profanity by fine and drunkenness by expulsion ? which is exactly what the best
type of circus proprietor can do and does. He has the whip hand, and retains
during the season a proportion of the employee's salary, which he receives at
the end of the season if his record is good, not otherwise. Business interests
compel strict discipline, and who shall say that the employee who is compelled
to behave well is not, at the end of the season, somewhat the better for eight
months of compulsory sobriety, civility and orderly living ?
The best circus of to-day is not a fair mark for the Church's hostility, and
while the circus has advanced in merit, the Church has no less grown in toler-
ance. In my capacity of circus proprietor I have been the recipient of many
flattering and amusing amenities on the part of the Church. As, for instance,
when on Sunday evening, May 21, 1882, I entered the Church of the Messiah,
New York City, Rev. Robert Collyer, pastor, and quietly took a back seat only
to find the keen clear eyes of the preacher fixed upon me, and to hear his reso-
nant voice announce, "I see P. T. Barnum in a back pew of this church, and I
invite him to come forward and take a seat in my family pew. Mr. Barnum
always gives me a good seat in his circus and I want to give him as good in my
church." I thought the reverened gentleman had the courage of his convictions
to a most unusual degree, and I was grateful to his congregation for the gravity
with which they listened to this very remarkable "pulpit notice "and made
350 THE CHURCH AND CIRCUS.
way for me as, with some embarrassment, I took the prominent seat so peremp-
torily indicated.
Again, last summer, a few days before my great show was to visit St. Albans,
Vt., I received a letter signed by the clergy of that town reminding me that my
organization was to arrive among them on Sunday morning early, and asking
that I would give orders that none of the paraphernalia, wagons, etc., should
be in transit between the railroad depot and the show grounds during the hours
of divine service. I was punctilious in seeing that their very reasonable request
was respected. Being in St. Albans myself that Sunday, I received, with my
company, printed invitations to attend a prominent church. I, at least, went,
and heard a very good sermon, and the preacher did not take the occasion to
decry the calling I represented, as happened to Miss Emma Abbott recently.
SPEAKING IN CHURCH.
I will not say whether I think it was well or ill advised of her to rise in
meeting and combat the ungenerous strictures of the preacher, but I did the
same thing myself (after the benediction was pronounced) under the same
provocation, in Lenox, Mass. , fifty-one years ago, and had a most attentive and
sympathetic audience, as I doubt not Miss Abbott did. Many prominent clergy-
men have written me the most cordial expressions of their approbation of my
circus and of their personal pleasure in attending it. I append three of the
most notable and characteristic :
I should like, if I had time, to Tisit your gigantic combination once a week daring the
whole season, for there is so much to see that no one could do the matter justice in less
Yours, HENRY WARD BEECHER.
NEW YORK, January 15, 1878.
MT DEAR BARNUM : It gives me great pleasure to express my sincere opinion, that in
the entertainments which you have lurnished for the public, your patrons have always
received a full and profitable money's-worth, and that they are fitted not only to amuse, but
to instruct, and are certainly free from anything that can be in the least objectionable to
any refined or religious person.
I remain, truly yours,
E. H. CHAPIN.
BROOKLYN, January 13, 1878.
MT DEAR OLD FRIEND : " The King never dies." This old maxim of royalty seems to
apply to you as the King of Exhibitors and Caterers, not merely to the public amusement,
but to popular instruction.
Millions of -'little folks" may consider yon their benefactor in affording them innocent
gratification. I have several times taker my children to your Museums, Menageiies and
Exhibitions, and have not observed there anything profane or impure. I especially thank
you for your allegiance (btv h in your practice and in your business) to the principle of total
abstinence from all intoxicants.
With a thousand good wishes, and with kindest regards to your family, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
THEO L. CUYLER.
The religious press has been no less kind and complimentary :
The Examiner and Chronicle said :
Barnum's Great Show is well worth everybody's seeing. It is not too much to say that
it is the greatest exhibition of its kind in the world.
The Christian at Work said :
We have visited Barnum's Great Novel and Instructive Exhibition. Amusement is
necessary to us all — and when we can combine instruction and amusement, as in tliH case,
we see no rtaMon why we -houW not be gratified in this respect, aud our children us well.
THE CHURCH AND CIRCUS. 351
The Methodist said :
Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth, which we have visited at the American Institute iu
this city, is entirely worthy of public patronage. It is amusing, interesting and instructive.
The Christian Union said :
The delighted public has once more an opportunity of enjoying that Great Moral and
Instructive Exhibition which Mr. P. T. Barnum has for a generation or two, and for a very
moderate money consideration, innocently pleased and educated amusement-loving America.
The Independent said :
Barnum claims that his show is the Great Moral and Instructive Exhibition— and Barnum
tells the truth. All the world says so.
Perhaps my experience has been exceptionally fortunate, but I am convinced
that the Church and my circus, at least, are to-day on very good terms.
A secular recognition of my Great Show as an educator — a recognition of
which I am very proud— is contained in the following letter :
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.
UNDER THB DIRECTION OP
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
WASHINGTON, May 1, 1882.
DEAR MR. BARNCM : Will you do us the favor to allow Mr. Clark Mills to make a face-
mask of your countenance from which to prepare a bust for the National Museum, to be
placed in our series of representations of men who have distinguished themselves for what
they have done as promoters of the natural sciences.
Very truly yours,
P. T. BARNUM, ESQ. SPENCER BAIRD.
And my generous foe, Mr. Henry Bergh, the well-known and respected presi-
dent of " The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals " with whom I
have had several tilts, as recorded in these pages), said in a letter to a New York
paper in the summer of 1885, " I regard Mr. Barnum as one of the most humane
and kind-hearted men living. * * * He manages an exhibition which, in
view of its vast magnitude and amazing excellence of details, has no equal in
the world."
CHAPTER LVI.
MY FIFTH GREAT FIRE.
ON November 20, 1887, I was again, and for the fifth time, a heavy loser by
fire. About ten o'clock on that night fire broke out in the great animal building
of the winter quarters at Bridgeport, Conn., and in spite of strenuous efforts to
subdue the flames it was entirely consumed, and so rapidly that there was not
time to rescue the animals. Of the herd of thirty-four elephants thirty escaped.
One lion, Nimrod, a fine specimen and great favorite, was led out by his keeper.
With these exceptions, the entire menagerie perished in the flames. An immense
quantity of properties, canvas tents, poles, seats, harness, etc., stored in the
second story was also destroyed.
Many thrilling incidents of that night will long remain vividly in the memory
of those who witnessed them. A terrified spectator, who did not realize that
the released lion would obey the restraining hand of his keeper, tangled in his
mane, shot at the beast, which, startled, broke away, outstripped his pursuers
and entered a barn some distance from the scene of the conflagration. There
he attacked a cow and calf, whose cries brought their owner, a Mrs. Gilligan.
Mistaking the lion in the dim light for a huge dog, she stoutly belabored him
with a broom-stick, saying, " Shoo! shoo! " The lion kept on making a meal of
the cow and calf, but growled such a vigorous objection to being interrupted
that the widow retreated precipitately, crying, " A bear ! a bear! " A neighbor
caught up his gun and ran to her assistance, and, little recking what noble game
he was slaughtering, through the window of the barn he shot the trapped king
of the forest dead.
The elephant, "Grade," rushed into the Sound, where she was found next
morning swimming exhaustedly. She died of cold and exposure while being
towed to shore. The white elephant determinedly committed suicide. Liberated
with the rest of the elephants, he rushed back into the flames. Driven out
again and again, each time he returned until the keepers were forced to abandon
him to his fate. In the fiercest of the flames he was seen wildly thrashing his
trunk in the air, then with one loud cry fell and was seen no more. The fire
approached in a weird and picturesque way a very large portrait of myself
painted on the end of the building overlooking the N. Y., N. H. & H. Railroad.
For many minutes the picture glowed intact in an unbroken frame of flame.
As a strong force of water was suddenly turned into the fire hose, the great
coils swelled and writhed and leaped along the ground, and many of the excited
on-lookers fled in horror, and told honest stories of the huge boa constrictors that
were wandering about seeking whom they might devour. At two o'c lock in the
morning the telegraphic despatch telling the dire news reached my rooms at the
Murray Hill Hotel, New York, and was received by my wife, who is authority
for the following story :
"I rousfd Mr. Barnum, who turned on his pillow just enough to focus one
eye at me as I stood shivering in the chill morning air.
'"What is it?' said he.
352
MY FIFTH Q11EA.T FIUK. 353
" ' A telegram,' said I.
" ' What about ?' said he.
" ' I'll read it to you," said I.
" ' BRIDGEPORT, Nov. 21, 1887.
' To P. T. BARNUM, Murray Hill Hotel :
1 ' Large animal building entirely consumed. Six horses in ring barn burned,
together with entire menagerie except thirty elephants and oce lion.
" ' C. R. BROTHWELL.
' ' I am very sorry, my dear,' said he calmly, ' but apparent evils are often
blessings in disguise. It is all right.'
" With that he rolled back into his original comfortable position and, I give
you my word for it, in three minutes was fast asleep."
The loss by this fire was $250,000. Insurance, only $31,000. Many people
thought I would be deterred by this disaster from ever collecting another men-
agerie. Some even surmised that I would give up the show business altogether.
But I am not in the show business alone to make money. I feel it my mission,
as long as I live, to provide clean, moral and healthful recreation for the public
to which I have so long catered, and which has never failed to recognize most
generously my efforts. Mr. Bailey was as little dismayed as myself. From all
parts of the world dealers in wild animals and our own hunters telegraphed,
cabled and wrote what they had to offer us. Eleven days after the fire I found
Mr. Bailey intently reading a pile of telegrams and letters, and making mem-
oranda. To my inquiry as to what he was doing, he coolly remarked, "I am
ordering a menagerie." "What! all in one day?" I ejaculated, somewhat
surprised. "Certainly," he replied, "I know from these telegrams just where
we can get every animal we want, and in six hours we shall own a much finer
menagerie than the one we have lost. "
Apropos of this fire it is a strange coincidence that four of the most famous
elephants the world ever saw, elephants which contributed very largely to the
reputation and prosperity of my show, have all come to untimely ends. The
baby elephant, a most amiable and popular little creature, died April 12, 1886,
at the tender age of four years, in the very spot where he was born. Jumbo
was killed by a locomotive, and the white elephant and Alice perished tragically
in the burning of the Winter Quarters.
The following petition, started without my knowledge, was signed by the
mayor, three ex- mayors, bank presidents and cashiers, and more than one thou-
sand of our principal citizens, including all our chief merchants and prominent
business mer, and I have not heard a dissenting voice :
To MESSRS. BARNUM & BAILEY :
Gentlemen— The undersigned citizens and business houses of Bridgeport learn
with regret that a proposal has been made to remove the Winter Quarters from
this city. We respectfully request that such proposal be not entertained by you,
but that the Winter Quarters will still remain in this city.
We should consider it a great injury to our city to have you remove, and
trust that you will favorably consider our request to remain.
Bridgeport, Conn., Nov. 23, 1887.
Nearly every newspaper in the world will probably publish an account of my
last fire. The hundreds of copies already received from every part of the U nited
States and Canada express sympathy for my losses and admiration for the
354 MY FIFTH G Ft HAT FIRE.
determination on my part to "die in harness," and hand down to future genera-
tions "The Greatest Show on Earth," unimpaired in magnitude and merit. I
am proud to say that the most powerful and influential newspaper in the world,
The London Times, of November 22, 1887, devotes an editorial of more than a
column to a complimentary sketch of my career, in which it recognizes mine as
an institution of " definite educational value." The Times describes me as "the
genial showman, favorably known in both hemispheres," and among other
pleasant things also says :
" It would not be easy to forget the promptitude and energy with which one
disaster after another was repaired as soon as sustained, with which the loss of
some central object of interest was made good by the discovery of another, and
the way, in short, in which many of the qualities which adorn a general or a
statesman were displayed, in no insignificant degree, in an undertaking so hum-
ble as the conducting of a show. * * * Madame Jenny Lind, who probably,
notwithstanding her magnificent voice, owed a large measure of her popularity
in America to Mr. Barnum's management, always bore testimony to the absolute
integrity and honor of his dealings with her. * * * We confess to a very
friendly feeling for Mr. Barnum, and trust that his menagerie will soon rise from
its ashes, and that the catastrophe by which it has been dispersed may furnish
the means of rendering the successor still more attractive than the original."
My well-beloved City of Bridgeport, at this writing the second in the state,
bids fair soon to become the first in population, as it has long been in enterprise.
Important factors in its almost unprecedented growth and prosperity are its
beautiful position on the shore of Long Island Sound and its desirable location
with respect to the railroads. On the direct line of the Consolidated R. R. from
New York to Boston, via Hartford (tapping the Boston & Albany R. R. at
Springfield, Mass.), also via New London & Providence ; it is also the terminus
of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Railroads, both of which lines pass through
fertile valleys, whose inexhaustible water-power feeds innumerable manufac-
tories. Eighty -two passenger trains and thirty-five freight trains arrive in the
Bridgeport depot every twenty-four hours, and three steamboats ply daily
between New York and Bridgeport, besides freight steam propellers. There is
also daily steamboat communication with Port Jefferson, L. I.
From the time I first settled in Bridgeport, forty years ago, when its inhabi-
tants numbered only six thousand, I have been, by public and private enter-
prises, closely identified with its growth. For nearly forty years I have been
opening streets, planting trees, filling swamps, making docks, and erecting
houses and factories in Bridgeport. As those persons who own the houses they
live in are generally the best citizens, since they feel the responsibilities of
householders and taxpayers, I sell them lots on credit, and build them small,
convenient houses, my condition being that they shall furnish one-third of the
cost of the houses alone, repaying the rest in easy installments, covering a
period of ten or a dozen years, if they desire it.
The Bridgeport Hospital was inaugurated November 11, 1884. His Excellency
William B. Harrison, Governor of the State, and the Mayors of all the cities in
Connecticut were among the numerous distinguished guests, including promi-
nent physicians from New York and elsewhere. A banquet, music and speeches
occupied four hours. As president of this noble institution I made the opening
speech and congratulated the audience on being present at this dedication of a
MY FIFTH GKEAT FIRE. 355
Church, the "Church of Good Works," where the Good Samaritan stood far
above priest or levite, and where persons of all creeds could worship in harmony
and love.
On the 16th of December, 1884, the Mayor and Common Council of Bridge-
port passed a vote of thanks for one thousand dollars placed by me in the City
Treasury for the purchase annually of two gold medals to be presented to the
two students in the ' ' Bridgeport High School " who shall write and pronounce
the best two English orations.
The corporation known as the " Bridgeport Hydraulic Company," of which I
was president, was unable, in consequence of the rapid growth of the city, to
furnish that "abundant supply of pure water" which its charter required,
without obtaining it from some other source than the Pequonnock River.
By acquiring the rights of Mill River, a stream of great volume and purity,
and bringing it through very large pipes some eight miles into the city, Bridge-
port has now a water-power whose natural force throws a stream over the tops
of its highest buildings, and thus renders the use of fire engines unnecessary.
This great blessing will largely enhance the growth and prosperity of our
beautiful and thrifty city. Prominent among our finest buildings is the Sea
Side Institute, erected by Drs. I de Ver and Lucian Warner, as a club-house for
the fifteen hundred women employed in their corset factory. Perfectly ap-
pointed, with parlors, music-rooms (two Stein way pianos), sewing-rooms, bath-
rooms, restaurant, class-rooms, library, a great hall accommodating six hun-
dred people (with stage, etc.), this Institute is as unique in elegance as it is
in purpose. Mrs. Cleveland, wife of the President of the United States, paid
to the Warner Brothers' generous gift the fitting and graceful tribute of
signifying her willingness to open the Institute in person. The occasion was a
•*most enjoyable one for the working women, every one of whom Mrs. Cleveland
took by the hand, and for the few guests invited, among whom were my wife
and myself. Excellent speeches were made by the Rev. Drs. Collyer and
Taylor, of New York, and the formal opening of the Institute was greeted
with an appreciative enthusiasm well merited by the founders.
The beautiful Sea-side Park in Bridgeport, whose beginning twenty years
ago I described in Chapter XLV., has now become the most lovely Park which
lies on Long Island Sound. On several occasions it has been enlarged by valu-
able land fronting the Sound presented by me. My last gift of thirty acres at
the West end, on which, including the Dyke and original purchase money, I
had expended more than fifty thousand dollars, extends the Park boundary to
a creek, which in the near future the City of Bridgeport will bridge, thus
extending the shore drive to Fairfield, Southport, Westport and Norwalk, a
distance of fourteen miles. At an expense of $90,000 I filled up forty-five acres
of low, marshy land, owned by me, adjoining the Park, raising it six feet.
This expensive improvement has materially enhanced the beauty of the Park
and will be a great public benefit.
As I close this volume I am more thankful than words can express that my
health is preserved, and that I am blessed with a vigor and buoyancy of spirits
vouchsafed to but few ; but I am by no means insensible to the fact that I have
reached the evening of life (which is well lighted, however), and I am glad to
356 MY FIFTH GREAT FIRE.
know that though this is indeed a beautiful, delightful world to those who
have the temperament, the resolution, and the judgment to make it so, yet it
happily is not our abiding-place ; and that he is unwise who sets his heart so
firmly upon its transitory pleasures as to feel a reluctance to obey the call when
his Father makes it, to leave all behind and to come up higher, in that Great
Future, when all that we now prize so highly (except our love to God and man)
shall dwindle into insignificance.
WALDEMERE, BRIDGEPORT, CONN., 1888.
POSTSCRIPT.
Appended is the first proclamation of the new firm of Barnum & Bailey :
AN OPEN LETTER.
WALDEMERE, BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Dec. 1, 1887.
Rising, Phoenix-like, from the ashes of my fifth great fire, which only served
to illuminate my path of duty as the American people's champion amusement
provider, I have taken into equal partnership my energetic and experienced
friend and former associate, JAMES A. BAILEY. We have enlarged and vastly
improved The Greatest Show on Earth, which we propose to establish as a per-
manence, with a reserve capital of several millions of dollars. We also intend
at an early date to establish in all our principal cities great museums of natural
and artificial curiosities, to which will be added a spacious lecture room for
scientific experiments and historical lectures, panoramas, pantomimes and light
entertainments of a pleasing and general nature. The Barnum & Bailey Show
will present to this and future generations a WORLD'S FAIR and a moral SCHOOL
OP OBJECT TEACHING, of unexampled variety and superior excellence, more
amusing, instructive, comprehensive and vast than was ever before seen or
dreamed of. It is the pride of my declining years that I am able to give, as the
result of my long life of experience and determined effort, that innocent and
educational diversion which everyone concedes that human nature imperatively
demands.
The public's obedient servant,
PHINEAS T. BARNUM.
MR. BAILEY'S POLICY.
In re-entering the amusement field by becoming Mr. P. T. Barnum's equal
and sole partner, and assuming the personal management of the great combined
exhibitions bearing our names, I respectfully avail myself of the opportunity
afforded to briefly and plainly state the basis upon which they are organized,
the principles upon which they will be conducted, and the policy that will,
under all circumstances, be rigidly enforced and adhered to.
I have returned to the show business to stay, so long as my health and life
are spared, and to do my full share, in not only placing and maintaining the
Great Barnum & Bailey World's Fair of Wonders upon a far higher, broader
and more liberal plane than was ever attained by any similar enterprise, b»t
to continually enlarge its possessions and strengthen its popularity.
MY FIFTH GREAT FIRE. 357
The partnership is not a temporary, but a permanent one, equally binding
upon both partners, their heirs, administrators, executors, or assigns ; and the
death of either of them will in no wise affect the existence and continuation of
the show.
It is not an experiment, but a solid, established business enterprise, whose
name and character are continuous and permanent.
It will never, under any circumstances, or at any time or place, be divided,
and the malicious circulators of libels or slanders to the contrary will be prose-
cuted and punished to the full extent of the law.
It will be honestly advertised.
The whole of it will always be exhibited in every place, large or small,
wherever it is advertised to appear, and in no place will a single feature or act
be omitted.
The magnificent free street pageant will never be anywhere curtailed by the
omission of a single attraction.
Its menagerie and museum tent will never be taken down at night, until
after the conclusion of both the circus and hippodrome performances.
The afternoon and evening performances will invariably be equally complete,
perfect and satisfactory, and, under no circumstances, will the evening perform-
ance be, in the slightest degree, abbreviated, cut, or neglected ; but each and
every act thereof will be presented according to the printed programme.
The convenience and pleasure of its patrons will be specially considered.
It will be a place which an unattended child can visit with perfect safety.
Its employees will be required to deal fairly and courteously with all, and to
answer all proper questions intelligently and politely.
No peddling will be permitted under its tents.
No camp-followers, street fakirs, gamblers, or disreputable or intoxicated
persons will be tolerated on its grounds.
Everything in the slightest degree calculated to offend or annoy its patrons
will be absolutely prohibited. Morality, purity and refinement will be the rule
without exception.
I shall always be present to investigate any complaints and to strictly
enforce the above regulations, and all others that may be necessary to protect
both the public and our own good name.
JAMES A. BAILEY.
UCSB LIBRARY
University of California
SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388
Return this material to the library
from which it was borrowed.
UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY 'FACILITY
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan
Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Open
Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11