Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1854-12-06
miscellaneous.
"A DAY WITH ALBERT SMITH.
In his forthcoming autobiography, Mr.. P. T.
Barnum, relates the following: ~

In his forthcoming autobiography, Mr.. p. L.
Barnum, relates the following:
While in London, my friend Albert Smith,
who is jolly Companion, as well as witty and
sensible author, promised that when ! reached
Birmingham he would come and spend a day
with me in "sight-seeng," including visit
to the house in which Shakespeare was born.
Early one morning in the month of Septem-
ber 1874, the sun rose in unusual splendOr for
that country, finding my friend Smith and my
self on the box-seat of an English mail-coach,
whirling at the rate Of ten miles an hour over
the magnificent road leading from Birmingham
to Stratford The distance is thirty miles,
At little village four miles before reaching
Stratford, we found that the genius of the bard
of Avon had travelled thus far, for we noticed
sign over a miserable BARRIERS shop, "Shaks-
pcare hair dressing, good shave for ii penny.
In twenty minutes more we were set down at
the door of the Red Horse Hotel in Strattord
The coachman and guard were each paid halfa
crown as their perqusltes.
While breakfast was preparing, we called
for guide-book to the town, and the waiter
brought in book, saying that we should find in
il the best description eXtant OF the birth and
burial place of Shakespeare. | 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 CHANGING over
! MS humorous description of the place, dlscov-
cred 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 order
ed post-chaise for Warwick Castle. While
the horses were being harnessed, stage-coach
stopped at the hotel, and two gentlemen alight-
ed. One was a sedate, sensible-looking man !;
the other an adde-headed Top The former
was nd and unassumlng in his manners the
latter was all talk, without sense or meaning
IN fact. regular Charles Chatterboy. He evil
IDENTIFY had high opinion of hmselG and was
determined that all within hearing should I'M
understand that he was-somebody. Presently
the scdate gentleman said:
Edward, this is Stratford. Let us 60 and
see the house where Shakespeare was BORN"
5 "Who the devil is Shakespeare = asked the
sensible young gentleman.
r Our pOst-chalse was at the door we leapcC
INTO 1t and were off, leaving the "nice young
man to enjoy visit to the birthplace of al
; individual OF whom he had never before heard
e The distance to Warwick is fourteen miles,
i We went to the Castle, and approaching thu
Il door OF the Great Hall, were informed by
well-dresscd porter that the Earl Of Warwlcl
and family were absent, and that he was per
S United to show the apartment to visitors HI
l. introduced us SUCCESSFULLY into the " Red Draw
!, mg-Roum," The Cedar Drawing Room,
{" The Gilt Room 1.-THE State Bedroom,
: "Lady Warwick's Boudor," "The Compass
u ROOM" "Th2 Chapel" and " The Great Din
. ing Room." As we passed out of the Castle
II The polite porter touched his head Che OF cours
% lad no hat on it) in a style which spoke plalne
than words, =" Half crown each, If you please
gentlemen" We responded to the call, an
we're then placed in charge of another guide
W who took lis to the top of Guys Tower" 4
50 lh. bottom Of which he touched his hat shi
~ ling's worth and placing ourselves in charg
I Oi third conductor, an old man OF seventy,~
= proceeded to the Greenhouse to see the Wa
H. wick Vase. The old gentleman mounted
a. rostrum at the side of the vase, and commence
K, set speech, which We began to fear was i
., tcrminable; so tossing him the usual fee,
- lcil him in the middle of his GRAFTON.
'n Passing through the porter's lodge on o.
'se way out, under the Impression that we hi
.es seen all that was interesting, the old port
so informed us that the most curious things CO
nec;cd with the Castle we're to be seen in
NJ lodge. Feeling for our coin, we babe him pr
Tor duce his relics and he showed US a lot OF tru
,us perry, which, he gravely informed us, belong
, "a to that hero of antiquity, Guy, Earl OF w;
=. wick. Among these were his sword, SHE
" helmet, brcast-pate, walking staff, and tiltlr
the pole, each oil enormous size ; the horse arm
er- nearly large enough for an elephant, u lar
,er, pot which would hold seventy gallons, cal
rlv /" GUYS Porridge Pot" his fesh-fork, the s
:: of farmers hay fork, his lady's strips,
"a rib of mastodon, which the porter prctenC
ut belonged to the great "Dun Cow" which,
I ct cerding to tradition, haunted ditch Eoar G.
1T mi I'm,
-. was slain by the valiant Guy. The sw'
'c weighed nearly 200 pounds, and the arnor
lich Eoulds .., ..... +. -,.....
edit told the old porter that he was entitled togr
ave credit for having concentrated more lies tina
"A. had ever before heard i'll so small compass
., He smiled, and evidently felt gratiied by
~. compliment, .-t.-. -r.s<
inst al suppose" I continued, " that you h
-n-d told these marvellous stories so often, that
v Won, almost believe them yourself -, 80. -..,.
/, OIL Almost replied the porter with 2 grl
a satisfaction that showed he was Sup to snt
\, ~ and had really earned two shlllings.
= The Warwick races" were then con
~. off within half mile of the village.
~ al therefore went down and spent an hour
,'rs the multitude. 49, .1ta..s,H. saga....,.
There was very little betting or exclteT
,h;oh regarding the races and we concluded to
49,, tour through. the penny shows" the va
eV which lined one, side of the course for the
RIA lance of a quarter of q mile. On applyir
~. enter one van, which had large pictorial
P'o" Of giantesses, white negro, Alboni girls, lea
hree. pig, big snakes, etc., the keeper exclaim
fromd Come, MISTER you !, trg nun "nEt
tive kandali, the giant l9t anu yoe
seful- Tom Ihnnn no" can sou sn.ns -, Pay h'
Is, are than sixpencs9otagons = $ "a.
unday Nneo appear was eS eo' sa'i'
ny;c,s while in the showmen's vans seekin
;on - acquisitions to ray Museum in America,
New struck WIN 'ne sa.t p!t':.aS ~ ~ ~ ~
utt.sr viantesses each seven feet in heightnl
haJ Secting that aIeheat was hidden uiideI
x ' ~ irHby long dresses. which reached
:, '"''' floorsand thus rendered their feet nsyis