Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-01-14
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
From the New York Tribune.
7. BARNUM AND HIS IRONS.

GENTLEMEN. lODSefFe, as cOilsttilG reduer
of your valuable paper, that in an editorial
paragraph of this morning, you allude some
what circumstantially to the multifarious ayo-
cations of Mr. p T. Barnum, of your city, and
of Iranistan, in this State, and seem to wonder
how a man, of even his restless instincts, can
successfully get through so much business.
1t as wonderful but you have not half sum-
med up to my knowledge, the irons in the
fire. handled and directed by Mr.. Bamum
nor half pictured the versatile applicability OF
what Eugene Sue would call his .'encyclopa-
deal organization Let me briefly give you
a synopsis of what know of his employments.
First. He owns Iranistan a sort of Moorish
palace near Bridgeport Connecticut, and per-
haps as pretty place of retreat for taste and
elegance, as you could mention. 1t cost about
$150,OOO and Mr.. B. resides there altogether
with his interesting family, going down to New
York by the railroad in the morning, and re-
turning before dark. In lranistan he cannot
keep less than twenty-five persons in his en-
ployment.
Secondly. He owns the American Museum >
in your city, and attends to its tremendous bust
ness through the fundamentally of Mr..
Greenwood his active and popular assistant
manager. In the Museum he has about seven
ty persons more employed
Thirdly. He owns Barnum's Travelling Me-
nagerie, comprising upwards of one hundred
and forty men and horses. He sent three
ships to Ceylon and Borneo in the Indian
ocean, to obtain wild animals. One was lost
on her return. The next brought the huge
elephants, &c., that compose this Menagerie
and the third is on her way with cargo of
rare curiosities.
Fourthly He has the Bateman children and
dramatic company at the st. James theatre
in London-a body of not less than fifty per-
sons now, all employed by him.
Filthy. He has the Chinese Family and
their attendants, now at the Albert Gate Lon
don, embodying ten persons more.
The hundreds of persons, besides, to whom he
directly and indirectly gives employment in
the way of writing, printing bll-posting, and
bill-distributing, painting, &c.. | do not include
in this enumeration.
Sixthly. He is now getting up an immense
panorama of the "World's Fair having sent
a corps of celebrated artists to London for the
purpose of sketching it on the spot, as well as
literary gentleman to prepare, in the Crystal
Palace ITSELF lecture upon its curious and
prominent features. The artists have been la
boring diligently for five months on the work,
and few days will probably find it ushered
before the public.
Seventhly. He is the general manager and
the active acorking Director of Phillips's Patent
Fire Annihilator Company for the United
States and is driving with his accustomed en-
ergy, that wonderful and most useful invention
to height of popularity truly unexampled.
Eighthly. He is, and has been for four years,
President of the Fairfield County Conn Ag-
ricultural Society, and gives himself $500 in
premiums at the ploughing match of the great
fair at Bridgeport next Thursday
Ninthly He is President of the Pequannock
Bank, at Bridgeport and now regularly at
tends its preliminary meetings. AS it is known
that he intends to throw all of his experience
and energy into the management of this insti-
tuition, it already enjoys a confidence and pop |
ularity in advance that speaks volumes.
Tenthly He is an Odd Fellow, a Son of
Temperance, member of the Temperance
Temple Of Honor, a Rechabite, and popular
temperance lecturer. assiduously attentive to
all the duties appertaining to all these positions
He not only nominaliy but practically devotes
himself to whatever he undertakes infusing
vitality and prosperity into every institution
and association with which he is connected, as
remarkable always as they seem inevitable |
His habits are exemplary to a marvel. He is
an early riser, bold, ardent, enthusiastic, and,
above all, indefatigably industrious. He es-
chews strong drink in every shape. He uses
no tea, coffee, or tobacco, but enjoys life hand
somely in every other respect being eminently
social and hospitable, fond of wit and ltera-
ture, excellent himself at a leu feSprit, and
relishing Jest and good story with the best |
of us In his political views he is patriotic and
liberal In his religious views he is especially
catholic in his maintenance of the principle
that every man has an unquestionable right to
the most perfect liberty of conscience.
He much admires the expression and prac-
tice Of this independence in others. no matter
what their creed or profession, and not only
insists upon enjoying the same freedom him
self but has, more than once, advocated this
truly republican and constitutional principle
with fearlessness and indomitability that
brought no little persecution on him on the
part of those bigots who, in their selfrighte-
BUSINESS believed that no religious pabulum can
be wholesome, unless las Hood says) Like
Otaheitan cooks, they first have chewed it.
He is really unostentatious generous to those
he believes to be deserving far more charitable
than most Of those who make such public pre-.
tensions to beneyolence and philanthropy and
has, perhaps, loaned and lost more money in
quiet efforts to aid modest merit in its exertons
to obtain living, than any other citizen, of the
same means, in this State.
In short Mr.. Barnum is a living illustration
Of the falsity Of Lord Bacons sentiment in re-
lation to "too many irons in the fire. since he
has and always had countless number in at
once, and was never known to "burn one Of
them, or get burnt" himself He was asked
one day the secret of his success when he
simply laughed and said Printers Ink"
He was an editor in early life, you know but
the real secret consists, in fact in his habits Of
rare sobriety, his indomitable perseverance, and
his tact in always securing the most capable
intellectual instruments for his enterprising pur-
poses by paying them the most generous price.
Mr.. Barnum's life has been written in
dozen languages They are all mere pictures