Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1854-11-09
BARNUMs SPEECH ON HUMBUGs
Delivered at Stamford on the occasion Of The
agricultural FAIR.

1t seems to be most unfortunate circum-
stance that should be selected to speak on
Humbug as looking on the ladies', whose
profession it peculiarly is, l find it hard to
express myself in their presence. Every
thing is humbug; the whole state is humbug,
except our Agricultural Society-that alone
is not.
Humbug is generally defined "dcceit or
imposition" A burglar who breaks into
your house, forger who cheats you Of your
property, or rascal, is not humbug; a
humbug is an imposter; but in my opinion
the true meaning of humbug is management
tactic take an old truth and put it in
an attractive form.
But no humbug is great without truth at
the bottom. The wooly horse was reali-
ty. He was really born with a wooIly coat.
| 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 at this time, in lS49, Col. Fremont and
his party were reported 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 woody horse.
1t was duly announced that after three
days chase upon the borders of the River
Gila, an animal had been captured by the
quartermaster 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 was myself the
quartermaster who captured him, and
charged quarter for the sight. The pic
ture outside the exhibition depicted the ami
mails as jumping over ledge of rocks; now
if the animal had really leaped, 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 grossest humbug.
But Col. Benton who understands no hum
dug but his own arrested my scheme, and
prosecuted me for obtaining money under
false pretenses, as the horse was not what
it professed to be; but think wrongly, 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 did, or the
world would never have been blessed with
sight Of the wooly horse.
When the woolly horse arrived from Con-
necticut, he was put in stable near Love
lioy's Hotel. One of the boarders who come
to see him recognised him as an animal e
had seen at Bridgeport. Good heavens" ,"
he cried, 81 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-seyen per-
sons were carried up, all of whom took the
humbugging in good humor except the last
man. 49,
have not the vanity TO call myself real
scientific humbug. l am only an humble
member of the profession.
My ambition to be the Prince of Hum
bugs l will resign, but hope the public will
take the will for the deed; can assure then
that if / had been able to give them all the
humbugs have thought of, they would have
been amply satisfied.
Before | went to England with Ton
, Thumb, had skeleton prepared from va
rious bones. 1t was TO have been made Il
: feet high; it was to have been buried yea
or so in Ohio, and then dug up by acciden
- so the public might learn that there wer