Washington telegraph., 1854-12-06
Barnum's Speech on Humbugs
DELIVERED AT STAMFORD. CONN.


1t seems to be most unfortunate cireum-
stance that l should be elected to speak on
Humbug, as, looking on the ladies, whose
profession it peculiarly is, l find it hard to
express myself in THEN presence Every
thing is humbug the whole State is hum
bug, except our Agricultural society-that
alone Is not
Humbug is generally defined deceit or
imposition 4 burglar who breaks into
YOUR house, a forger who cheats you out
of your property, or a rascal, is not
humbug humbug is an imposter but in
my opinion the true meaning Of humbg is
anagement-tact-to take an old truth
and pat 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 woolly coat |
bought him in Cincinnati for $500. and
sent him on to Connecticut. but for a log
time doubted what should do with him,
and feared he would die on nv hands
Just at this time. in 1S49, Col. Fremsnt
and his party were reported to have bten
lost among the Rocky Mountains; the plb-
lie were greatly excited but shortly news
came that he was safe. Now came he
chance for the woolly horse.
1t twas duly announced, that after three DAYS
chase upon the borders of the River Gila, an
animal had been captured by the quarter
master Of Gel Fremont's party. who partook
in singular degree of the nature of tie
buffalo, antelope and camel This story
was 50 far true, that [ was myself the quar-
termaster who captured him, and | charged
quarter for the sight. The picture out
side the exhibition depicted the animal as
jumping over ledge of rocks: now if the
animal had really leape6, 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 greatest humbug.
But Col. Benton, who understands no
humbug but his own, arrested nv scheme,
and prosecuted me for obtaining money un-
der false pretenceS, as the horse was not
what it profesSed to be; but I think wrong
y, as the people who saw it were satisfied,
and they got the worth of their money.
Now the scientific humbug should know
the precise moment to act. as I did, or the
world would never have been blessed with
the sight of the woolly horse.
When the woolly horse arrived from Con-
necticut, he was put in stable near Love-
joys Hotel One of the boarders who came
to see him recognized him as an animal he
had seen at Bridgeport. Good heavens y
he cried, L have seen that animal before
it is really an extraordinary humbug.' He
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 humbugging in good humor except the
last man.
| have not the vanity to call myself re-
al scientific humbug. am only an humble
member of the profession
My ambition to be the Prince of Hum
bugs will resign, but hope the public
will take the viii for the deed I can as
assure them that if | had been able to give
them all the humbugs I have thought of,
they would have been amply satisfied.
Before l went to England with Tom
Thumb. [ had skeleton prepared from
various bones. It was to have been made
eighteen feet high; it was to have been
buried year or so in Ohio, and then dug
up by accident, so that the public might
learn that there were giants of old The
price was to pay the person who proposed
to put the skeleton together was to have
been S225.
But finding Tom Thumb more successful
than thought, I sent word not to proceed
with the skeleton. My manager, who nev-
er thought as highly of the scheme as it de-
served, sold the skeleton for $50 or .S75.
Seven years afterward I received from
the South an account of a gigantic skeleton
that had been found Accompanying it
were the certificate of scientific and medi-
cal men as to the genuineness. The owner
asked $4,000, or 81 ,000-a month wrote
him if he brought it on l would take it if
| found it as represented. or would pay his
expenses if not I found it was my own
original humbug come back to me again !;
of course | refused it and [ never heard of
it afterwards