The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-11-04

|
The Charrcux well is in the middle of an
extensive plain, where not the most nsignfi-
cant hill is to be seen.
BARNUM'S SPEECH ON IlUMBUGS
| DELIVERED AT STANFORD ON TIE OCCASION
| OF THE AGRICULTURAL FAIR.
| 1t seems to be a most unfortunate crcum-
stance that should be selected to speak on
Ilumbug, as looking on the ladies, whose pro-
itssion it peculiarly is, find it hard to ex-
| press myself in their presence. Everything
| is humbug: the whole state is humbug, except
| our Agricultural S0ciety-that alone is not.
llumbuS is generally defined ''deccit or
imposition" A burglar who breaks into your
house, lorger who cheats you ofyour pro-
pcrty, or u rascal, is not humbug; Il lumbug
is an imposter; but in my opinion the true
meaning of humbug is management-tact-to
take an old truth and put it in an attractive
| form.
But no humbug is great without truth at the
bottom. The woolly horse was reality. He
was really born with Il woolly coat. l bought
him in Cincinnati for $500 and sent him on to
Connecticut, but for long time doubted
what should do with him, and feared that
he would die on my hands. Just ut this time,
in 1919, Col. Fremont and his party were re-
ported to have been lost among the Rocky
Mountains; the public were greatly excited,
but shortly news came that he was safe.
Now came the chance for the woolly horse.
1t was duly announced that after three
days chase upon the borders of the River
ella, an animal had been captured by the
quartermastcr Of Col. Fremont's party, who
partook in a singular degree of the nature Of
the buffalo, antelope and camel. This story
was so far true, that l was myself the quar-
tcrmastcr who captured him, and charged
quarter for the sight. The picture outside
the exhibition depicted the animal as jump
ing over ledge Of rocks; now if the animal
had lcapcd, as shown in the picture, he must
have passed over space of five miles. To
have believed that he could have survived
such leap, would have been the grosscst
humbug.
But Col Benton, who understands no hum
| bug but his own, arrested my scheme, and
prosecuted me for obtaining money unde
false prctcnces, as the horse was not what it
proitsscd to be; but think wrongly, as the
people who saw it were satisfied, and they
| got the worth of their money.
Now the scientific humLug should know
world would never have been blessed with a
sight Of the woolly horse.
| When the woolly horse arrived from Con-
| ncctiout, he was put in stable near Love
| Joys Hotel. One of the boardcrs who came
to sec him recognised him as an animal he
had seen at Bridgeport. "Good hcavens"
he cried, 81 have seen that animal before, it
| is really an extraordinary humbug." lie took
| up friend from the same hotel, and after he
had seen the animal, let him into the secret,
and in succession thirty-seven persons were
carried up, all of whom took the humbug
| gng in good hnmor except the last man.
have not the vanity to call myself a real
scientific humbug, | am only an humble mem
Der of the profession.
My ambition to be the Prince of Humbugs
l will resign, but hope the public will take
the will for the deed; can assure them that
| i'll had been able to give them all the hum
bugs have thought of, they would have been
amply satisfied.
Before went to England with Tom Thumb,
l had a skeleton prepared from various bones
1t was to have been made IL feet high; was
to have been buried a year or so in Ohio, and
then dug up by accident, so that the public
| might learn that there were giants Of old.
Price was to pay the person who proposed
to put the skeleton together was to have been
S225.
| But finding TEN Thumb more successful
than thought, sent word not to proceed
with the skeleton. My manager, who never
thought as highly of the scheme as it dcserv
ed, sold the skeleton for $50 or S75.
Seven years afterward received from the
South an account of Il gigantic skeleton that
had been found. Accompanying i: were the
certificates of scientific and medical men as
to the genuineness. The owner asked $780,
| 900 or $ 900 month; l wrote to him if he
brought it on l would take it if l found it as
represented, or would pay his expenses if not;
found it was my own old original humbug
come back to me again. of course refused
| it, and never heard of it afterward.