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Barnum asked permission to speak first to a friend in the next wagon, after which, he said, he would give the man full satisfaction. The "friend" proved to be a loaded double barrelled gun, which Barnum leveled at the hog-driver's head, saying: "Now, sir, you must apologize, or have your brains blown out. You drew a weapon upon me for a careless remark.
When the merriment it occasioned had somewhat subsided, the Queen good-humoredly remarked, "that is a very pretty song, General, sing it, if you please." The General complied, and soon afterward retired. The Queen sent to Barnum a handsome fee for each of his visits, but that was only a small part of the benefits which his acquaintance with her brought to him.
The connection of Barnum with the Jerome Manufacturing Company of New Haven, and the failure of the Company have been the subject of much speculation to the whole world, and has never been clearly understood. Barnum claimed that he was cheated and swindled by this company, robbed of his property and name, and reduced to poverty.
"You buy the American Museum!" exclaimed a friend to whom he confided the scheme. "What will you buy it with?" "With brass," answered Barnum, "for silver and gold have I none." And buy it with brass he did, as the story of the transaction testifies. The Museum building belonged to Mr.
But the speculative Sanders, having lived like Barnum nearly his whole life, upon humbugs, made his last and greatest effort to humbug the American people, into the belief that the Southern people really desired peace, and that he Clay and Holcombe, although not regularly authorized by the Rebel government, still could speak for and influence the Southern people.
He has made half a million by exhibiting a little boy whom he took from Bridgeport and whom we never thought any great shakes until Barnum took him and trained him." Presently one of the other passengers told this man who Barnum was, and nothing more was seen of him. On another occasion, says Barnum, I went to Boston by the Fall River route.
"Phineas Taylor Barnum, born in 1810, at Bethel, Connecticut how serious and puritanical it sounds! would have died with a merely local reputation unless chance had favored him by putting in his way something to make a hit with. He stumbled across Charles H. Stratton, the famous, the immortal 'General Tom Thumb' of our childhood. Together they came to Europe and held 'receptions' everywhere.
Kate doubted, but handed over the money. The next day she was awaked from a nap on the parlor sofa by a most unearthly music. There was one bar of four notes, first and third accepted; bar second, a crescendo on a long swelled note, then a decrescendo equally long. "Why," she cried, "is that our little bull-calf practising singing? I shall let Barnum know about him. He'll make my fortune!"
Barnum aside and begged him for an invitation to stay all night, "For," said he, "I intend to ask her to marry me before the Commodore arrives." After tea Lavinia and the General sat down to play backgammon. By and by the rest went to their separate rooms, but Tom Thumb had volunteered to sit up for the Commodore, and persuaded Miss Warren to keep him company.
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.
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