42 chapters
11 hour read
Selected Chapters
42 chapters
CHAPTER I. IN THE BEGINNING. Family and Birth—School Life—His First Visit to New York City—A Landed Proprietor—The Ethics of Trade—Farm Work and Keeping Store—Meeting-house and Sunday-school—"The One Thing Needful."
CHAPTER I. IN THE BEGINNING. Family and Birth—School Life—His First Visit to New York City—A Landed Proprietor—The Ethics of Trade—Farm Work and Keeping Store—Meeting-house and Sunday-school—"The One Thing Needful."
Among the names of great Americans of the nineteenth century there is scarcely one more familiar to the world than that of the subject of this biography. There are those that stand for higher achievement in literature, science and art, in public life and in the business world. There is none that stands for more notable success in his chosen line, none that recalls more memories of wholesome entertainment, none that is more invested with the fragrance of kindliness and true humanity. His career w
21 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER II. EARLY YEARS AT BETHEL.
CHAPTER II. EARLY YEARS AT BETHEL.
In August, 1825, the aged grandmother met with an accident in stepping on the point of a rusty nail, which shortly afterwards resulted in her death. She was a woman of great piety, and before she died sent for each of her grandchildren—to whom she was devoted—and besought them to lead a Christian life. Barnum was so deeply impressed by that death-bed scene that through his whole life neither the recollection of it, nor of the dying woman's words, ever left him. The elder Barnum was a man of many
9 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER III. BUSINESS LIFE.
CHAPTER III. BUSINESS LIFE.
In the fall of 1826, Oliver Taylor, who had removed from Danbury to Brooklyn, induced Barnum to leave Grassy Plain, offering him a clerkship in his grocery store, which offer was accepted, and before long the young man was intrusted with the purchasing of all goods for the store. He bought for cash, going into lower New York in search of the cheapest market, frequenting auction sales of merchandise, and often entering into combines with other grocers to bid off large lots, which were afterward d
11 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IV. TRYING MANY VENTURES.
CHAPTER IV. TRYING MANY VENTURES.
About this time Barnum, with a Mr. Samuel Sherwood, of Bridgeport, started for Pittsburg, where they proposed to open a lottery office. On reaching New York, however, and talking over the scheme with friends, the venture was abandoned and the two men took, instead, a pleasure trip to Philadelphia. They stayed a week, at the end of which time they returned to New York, with exactly twenty-seven cents between them. Sherwood managed to borrow two dollars—enough to take him to Newark, where he had a
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER V. BEGINNING AS A SHOWMAN.
CHAPTER V. BEGINNING AS A SHOWMAN.
Barnum was now satisfied that he had not yet found his proper level. He had not yet entered the business for which nature had designed him. There was only a prospect of his going on from this to that, as his father had done before him, trying many callings but succeeding in none. He had not yet discovered that love of amusement is one of the strongest passions of the human heart. This, however, was a lesson that he was soon to learn; and he was to achieve both fame and fortune as a caterer to th
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VI. INCIDENTS OF A CIRCUS TOUR.
CHAPTER VI. INCIDENTS OF A CIRCUS TOUR.
At almost every place visited by the travelling company, some notable incident occurred. At Hanover Court House, Virginia, for example, it was raining so heavily that they could not give a performance, and Turner therefore decided to start for Richmond immediately after dinner. Their landlord, however, said that as their agent had engaged three meals and lodgings for the whole troupe, the whole bill must be paid whether they went then or stayed until next morning. No compromise could be made wit
18 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VII. HARD TIMES.
CHAPTER VII. HARD TIMES.
Looking around now for some permanent business, Barnum at last resorted to the expedient of advertising for a partner, stating that he had $2,500 to invest, and was willing to add his entire personal attention to the business. He was immediately overwhelmed with answers, the most of them coming from sharpers. One was a counterfeiter who wanted $2,500 to invest in paper, ink, and dies. One applicant was a sedate individual dressed in sober drab; he proposed to buy a horse and wagon and sell oats
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VIII. THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.
CHAPTER VIII. THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.
With great hopes for the success of his project, Barnum entered upon the management of the Museum. It was a new epoch in his career, he felt that the opportunity of his life had presented itself—in the show business, to be sure, but in a permanent, substantial phase of it. He must pay for the establishment within the stipulated time, or forfeit all he had paid on account. A rigid plan of economy was determined upon, his wife agreeing to support the family on $600 a year, or even on four hundred
11 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IX. INCREASED POPULARITY OF THE MUSEUM.
CHAPTER IX. INCREASED POPULARITY OF THE MUSEUM.
The fame of the American Museum rose higher and higher. It is doubtful if any place of entertainment ever attracted such enthusiastic crowds. It was the first place visited by strangers in the city. The small Lecture Room had been converted into a large and beautiful theatre, and in it many afterward celebrated actors and actresses made their first appearance; Sothern, Barney Williams, and the charming Mary Garmon. On holidays there were lecture performances every hour. The actors kept on their
10 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER X. GIANTS AND DWARFS.
CHAPTER X. GIANTS AND DWARFS.
Barnum would never submit to being outdone by a rival. In "poker" parlance, he would "see him and go one better." His chief competitor now was Peale, who was running Peale's Museum, and proudly proclaiming it to be a more scientific institution than Barnum's. Thus, he said, he was catering to a higher class of patrons. "Science, indeed!" said Barnum. "I'll give him science to his heart's content!" Mesmerism was then a great novelty, and Peale was given exhibitions of it. He had one subject on wh
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XI. TOM THUMB IN LONDON.
CHAPTER XI. TOM THUMB IN LONDON.
The first public appearance of Tom Thumb in London occurred soon after the arrival of the party there, at the Princess's Theatre. A short engagement only had been made, but it was exceedingly successful. The spectators were delighted, the manager overjoyed, and Barnum himself pleased beyond measure. This brief engagement answered his purpose, in arousing public interest and curiosity. That was all the shrewd showman wanted for the present. Accordingly, when the manager of the theatre urged a ren
13 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XII. IN FRANCE.
CHAPTER XII. IN FRANCE.
Barnum having returned from a preliminary trip to France, in which all arrangements, even to starting the first paragraphs in the Paris papers were made, now went back accompanied by Tom Thumb. They reached Paris some days before the exhibition was opened, but on the day following their arrival, a special command reached them to appear at the Tuileries on the next Sunday evening. At the appointed hour the General and his manager were ushered into the presence of the King, the Queen, the Count de
4 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIII. IN BELGIUM.
CHAPTER XIII. IN BELGIUM.
The day after the arrival of the party in Brussels they were summoned to the palace. The king and queen had seen the General in London, but they wished their children and the distinguished people of the court to have the same pleasure. After a delightful visit they came away, the General, as usual, laden with gifts. The following day the exhibition opened, and from the first was crowded by throngs of the best people in the city. One day, in the midst of the exhibition, it was discovered that the
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIV. IN ENGLAND AGAIN.
CHAPTER XIV. IN ENGLAND AGAIN.
In London the General again opened his levees in Egyptian 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
10 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XV. AT HOME.
CHAPTER XV. AT HOME.
One of Barnum's principal objects in returning to America at this time was to insure the permanence of his "American Museum." He had a lease of the property, which had yet three years to run. But he wanted to make sure of it after that term had expired. Mr. Olmsted, the former owner, was now dead, and It was not certain that the new proprietor would renew the lease. If not, another home for the great show must be secured, and Barnum decided that in that event he would buy land on Broadway and er
10 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XVI. JENNY LIND.
CHAPTER XVI. JENNY LIND.
The next enterprise undertaken by Barnum was an entirely new departure. It was justly regarded by him as bold in its conception, complete in its development, and astounding in its success. To the end of his days he looked upon it with pride and satisfaction. Probably it did more than anything else in all his career to give him a permanent and supreme position in the esteem of the public. This enterprise was the bringing of Jenny Lind to America for a concert tour. Miss Lind, often called the "Sw
13 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XVII. ARRIVAL OF JENNY LIND.
CHAPTER XVII. ARRIVAL OF JENNY LIND.
Jenny Lind sailed for America on Wednesday morning, August 21, 1850. She was accompanied by Messrs. Benedict and Belletti, Mr. Wilton, her two cousins, and three or four servants. She also brought with her a piano for her use. Mr. Barnum had engaged the necessary accommodations for the company on the steamship Atlantic, and their departure from England was an event of great public interest. In America their coming was looked upon much as the visit of a royal personage would have been. It was exp
37 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XVIII. CONTINUED TRIUMPH.
CHAPTER XVIII. CONTINUED TRIUMPH.
All of Barnum's inventive powers were called into play effectually to advertise his song-bird. Biographies of Jenny Lind were circulated. "Foreign correspondence" raved over her talents, narratives of her benevolence filled the papers; her pictures and her name were seen everywhere. So when she made her first appearance, it was before an audience already wrought up to a high pitch of enthusiasm in her behalf. Never before, or after for that matter, was any singer so lauded by the press. The foll
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIX. HAVANA.
CHAPTER XIX. HAVANA.
Soon after arriving at Havana, Barnum made a discovery. The Habaneros, not accustomed to the high prices which opera tickets command in the States, had determined that they would force Barnum to lower the admission fee. This the manager refused to do, and it soon became evident that although they attended the concerts, they were not disposed to show the singer the least favor. It was, therefore, with much inward trepidation that Barnum watched the curtain rise on the first concert. The following
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XX. THE TRIALS OF AN IMPRESSARIO.
CHAPTER XX. THE TRIALS OF AN IMPRESSARIO.
The concerts at Natchez and Memphis were extremely successful. The sixty-first concert was given in St. Louis, and on the morning of their arrival in the city Miss Lind's secretary came to Mr. Barnum, commissioned, as he claimed, by the singer, and told the Manager that as sixty concerts had already been given, Miss Lind proposed to avail herself of one of the conditions of the contract and cancel the engagement next morning. Much startled by this sudden complication, but outwardly undisturbed,
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXI. CLOSING THE GRAND TOUR.
CHAPTER XXI. CLOSING THE GRAND TOUR.
Five concerts were given at St. Louis, and then they went to Nashville, Tenn., where the sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh of the series were given. At the latter place, Jenny Lind, accompanied by Barnum and his daughter, Mrs. Lyman, visited "The Hermitage," where Barnum himself had years before seen "Old Hickory" Jackson. While there, the prima donna heard, for the first time in her life, wild mocking birds singing in the trees, and great was her delight thereat. They spent the first of April, 1851
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXII. A FEW SIDE ISSUES.
CHAPTER XXII. A FEW SIDE ISSUES.
The great showman did not allow even so great an enterprise as the Jenny Lind concerts to monopolize his attention. In 1849 he planned the formation of a great travelling show, combining the features of a museum, a menagerie and a circus. In this he associated with himself Mr. Seth B. Howes, who was already a noted and successful showman, and also Mr. Stratton, the father of Tom Thumb. In order to procure a supply of novelties for this show they chartered the ship "Regatta," and sent it from New
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXIII. SOME DOMESTIC ENTERPRISES.
CHAPTER XXIII. SOME DOMESTIC ENTERPRISES.
In the summer of 1853 Alfred Bunn, formerly manager of Drury Lane Theatre, London, arrived in Boston. He was then one of the most notable figures in the theatrical world. It was he who had made the first engagement with Jenny Lind to appear in London. She had been induced to break this engagement, however, through the solicitations of Mr. Lumley, of Her Majesty's Theatre, with the result that Mr. Lumley had to pay to Mr. Bunn heavy damages for the breach of contract. Barnum and Bunn had never me
11 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXIV. THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY.
CHAPTER XXIV. THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY.
In the year 1851 Mr. Barnum had purchased from William H. Noble, of Bridgeport, Conn., the undivided half of his late father's homestead—fifty acres of land on the east side of the river, opposite the city of Bridgeport. Together they bought the one hundred and seventy-four acres adjoining, and laid out the entire property in regular streets, and lined them with trees. A beautiful grove of eight acres was reserved for a park. This they intended for a nucleus of a new city, to be known as East Br
6 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXV. THE WHEAT AND THE CHAFF.
CHAPTER XXV. THE WHEAT AND THE CHAFF.
But while misfortune reveals a man his foes, it also shows him his friends. Barnum was overwhelmed with offers of assistance, funds were declared at his disposal, both for the support of his family and to re-establish him in business. "Benefits" by the score were offered him, and there was even a proposition among leading citizens of New York to give a series of benefits. Every one of these offers Barnum declined on his unvarying principle of never accepting a money favor. The following correspo
19 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXVI. IDLENESS WITHOUT REST.
CHAPTER XXVI. IDLENESS WITHOUT REST.
ANNOYING PERSECUTIONS OF CREDITORS—SUMMER ON LONG ISLAND—THE BLACK WHALE PAYS THE BOARD BILL—THE WHEELER & WILSON COMPANY REMOVE TO EAST BRIDGEPORT—SETTING SAIL FOR ENGLAND. In the summer of 1855 Barnum had sold the American Museum to Messrs. John Greenwood, Jr., and Henry D. Butler. They paid nearly twice as much for the collection as it had originally cost, giving notes for nearly the entire amount, securing the notes by a chattel mortgage, and hiring the premises from Mrs. Barnum, who
5 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXVII. A PROSPEROUS EXILE.
CHAPTER XXVII. A PROSPEROUS EXILE.
Years ago Barnum had known Albert Smith in London as a dentist, literary "hack," occasional writer for Punch and various magazines, etc., not achieving notable success in any of these undertakings. He now found him the most eminent and successful showman in the city, occupying Barnum's old quarters in Egyptian Hall. The chief attraction of his show was a panorama of Mont Blanc, accompanying which he gave a lecture, descriptive of the mountain and relating his own experiences in climbing it. When
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXVIII. HOME AGAIN.
CHAPTER XXVIII. HOME AGAIN.
Barnum made in his life many voyages across the Atlantic, but none, perhaps, pleasanter than this. On every such trip he got under rest and relief from his multitudinous business cares and arduous labors; and he always contrived to organize plenty of merry-making among his fellow-passengers. On this occasion he felt in uncommonly good spirits because he was so rapidly retrieving his well-nigh fallen fortunes. The feature of the voyage was a series of mock trials, in which a judge was selected, j
10 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXIX. THE ART OF MONEY GETTING.
CHAPTER XXIX. THE ART OF MONEY GETTING.
Seeing the necessity of making more money to assist in extricating his affairs from financial disorder, Barnum went back to England, taking with him Tom Thumb, whom he exhibited in all the principal places of England, Scotland and Wales; this was early in 1858. The tour was a profitable one, and the money, as fast as it came in, was remitted to his agents and assignees in America. At the suggestion of some of his American friends In London, Barnum next appeared on the lecture platform. The subje
35 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXX. AN ENTERPRISING ENGLISHMAN.
CHAPTER XXX. AN ENTERPRISING ENGLISHMAN.
The morning after the lecture in Manchester a gentleman named John Fish called at the hotel where Barnum was staying. He said that he had attended the lecture the evening before, and added that he was pretty well acquainted with the lecturer, having read his autobiography. He went on to say that he was joint proprietor with another gentleman in a cotton-mill near Manchester, "although," he said, "a few years ago I was working as a journeyman, and probably should have been at this time had I not
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXI. AT HOME AGAIN.
CHAPTER XXXI. AT HOME AGAIN.
In 1859, Barnum returned to the United States. During his trip abroad he had secured many novelties for the Museum, the Albino Family, Thiodon's Mechanical Theatre, and others. These afforded him a liberal commission, and he had beside made considerable money from the Tom Thumb exhibitions and his lectures. All this, his wife's income, as well as a large sum derived from the sale of some of her property, was faithfully devoted to the one object of their lives—paying off the clock debts. Mrs. Bar
11 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXII. THE STORY OF "GRIZZLY ADAMS."
CHAPTER XXXII. THE STORY OF "GRIZZLY ADAMS."
The famous old American Museum was now the centre of Barnum's interests, and he devoted himself to its development with such energy as never before. His enterprise in securing new curiosities, and his skill in presenting them to the public in the most attractive light, surpassed all previous efforts. To his office, as to their Mecca, flocked all the "freaks" of the land, and all who possessed any objects of rare or marvelous nature. Foremost among these visitors was one veteran frontiersman, who
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXIII. BUILDING A CITY.
CHAPTER XXXIII. BUILDING A CITY.
It was now about five years since Barnum had had a settled home. The necessities of his business combined with the adversities of fortune had kept him knocking about from pillar to post. Sometimes they lived in boarding-houses, and sometimes they kept house in temporary quarters. Mr. and Mrs. Barnum were now alone, two of their daughters being married and the third being away at a boarding-school. Mrs. Barnum's health was much impaired, and it was desirable that she should have a comfortable and
5 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXIV. GREAT YEAR AT THE MUSEUM.
CHAPTER XXXIV. GREAT YEAR AT THE MUSEUM.
The year 1861 was notable in the history of the American Museum. Barnum heard that some fishermen at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river had captured alive a fine white whale. He was also told that such an animal, if packed in a box filled with sea-weed and salt water, could be transported over land a considerable distance without danger to its life or health. He accordingly determined to secure and place on exhibition in his Museum a couple of live whales. So he built in the basement of the bui
32 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXV. GENERAL AND MRS. TOM THUMB.
CHAPTER XXXV. GENERAL AND MRS. TOM THUMB.
In 1862 Mr. Barnum heard of an extraordinary dwarf girl named Lavinia Warren, who was living at Middleboro, Massachusetts, and sent an invitation to her and her parents to visit him at Bridgeport: they came, and Barnum found her to be a very intelligent and refined young lady. He immediately made a contract with her for several years, she agreeing to visit the Old World. He purchased a splendid wardrobe for her, including many elegant dresses, costly jewels and everything else that could add to
26 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXVI. POLITICAL NOTES.
CHAPTER XXXVI. POLITICAL NOTES.
While he had always taken an active interest in politics, it was many years before Barnum consented to run for any office. In 1852 he was strongly urged to submit his name to the State Convention, as a candidate for the office of Governor, and although the Democratic party (to which he then belonged) was in the ascendancy, and the nomination was equivalent to election, he still refused. In 1860 his political convictions were changed, and he identified himself with the Republican party. During th
28 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXVII. BURNING OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.
CHAPTER XXXVII. BURNING OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.
On the 13th day of July, 1865, when Barnum was speaking in the Legislature at Hartford, against the railroad schemes, a telegram was handed him from his son-in-law and assistant manager in New York, S. H. Hurd, saying that the American Museum was in flames and its total destruction certain. Barnum glanced at the dispatch, folded and laid it in his desk, and went calmly on with his speech. At the conclusion of his remarks, the bill which he was advocating was voted upon and carried, and the House
19 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXVIII. POLITICAL LIFE.
CHAPTER XXXVIII. POLITICAL LIFE.
During his legislative career Mr. Barnum made many new friends and pleasant acquaintances, and there were many events great and small which tended to make the session memorable. Barnum was by no means an idle member. On several occasions, indeed, he took a most conspicuous part in debates and in framing legislation. 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 wor
14 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XXXIX. FIGHTING A NEWSPAPER
CHAPTER XXXIX. FIGHTING A NEWSPAPER
After the destruction of his museum by fire, Barnum determined to open another and still finer establishment. It would not be on the old site, however, but further up town. The unexpired lease of the two lots at Ann Street and Broadway he proposed to sell; and he quickly had numerous offers for it. This lease still had about eleven years to run, and the annual rental was only $10,000; and there was a provision that, in case of the burning of the building, the owner was to spend $24,000 in aiding
10 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XL. BRIDGEPORT.
CHAPTER XL. BRIDGEPORT.
A remarkable feature of Mr. Barnum's life was his loyalty to the place he had chosen as his home, and his devotion to its interests. He had great faith in Bridgeport, and worked unceasingly to justify it. He looked far ahead, saw the prospective growth of the place, and laid broad plans of preparation for the future. Apart from his great services in laying out East Bridgeport, he was the author of the improvements on the water-front known as Seaside Park. The idea of such a thing occurred to him
7 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XLI. HONORS AND ADULATIONS.
CHAPTER XLI. HONORS AND ADULATIONS.
In the autumn of 1874 Mr. Barnum married the daughter of his old English friend, John Fish. The wedding took place in the Church of the Divine Paternity, Fifth Avenue, New York, and after a brief bridal tour, they returned to Waldemere. In December, 1874, David Kalakau, King of the Sandwich Islands, visited New York, and with his suite was invited to attend the Hippodrome. During the performance Barnum sat beside the King, who kept up a pleasant conversation with him for two hours. The King expr
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
SOME REMINISCENCES OF P. T. BARNUM
SOME REMINISCENCES OF P. T. BARNUM
My first recollection of Mr. Barnum goes back to the period of my small-boyhood, when he came to the country village near my home to lecture upon temperance. I still remember the animation of his discourse on that occasion; its humor and its anecdote; and, with what absorbing interest the large audience sat out the hour and a half or more which the speaker so well filled. In describing the drunkard and the illusions which master him, he showed a keen perception of human nature; and, in every par
23 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter