Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-09-18
'FRONT.'. 4. Bauum'a Unpublished Memoirs
Tovy Barnun,,s Father Disposed Of the Oh


rromP. I. Banums Unpublished Memoirs.
How Barnums Father Disposed of the Old
Horse,
My father, besides elng in the mercantile line
and ke, ming ile vlllnge tavefni also ran lrelght
wagon TO Norfolk, and kept small livery staOlt.
lie wos fond Of Joke, and had a sly, peculiar,
wnrcisl kink in his nature hch led him lte9uenl-
1, 10 turn oll some pretty cute tricks. On one
utra IO,i a young man named Nelson Beers. np.
plie,l To him for the use OF horse to ii TO Dam
bury, distance Oi three miles. Nelson was al
appn ntice IL the stuemnking business, nearly ont
Ol his time; WIS not Oyetslocked with BRAINS and
lived mile and a half east of our village. My
father thought II would he better for Nelson TO
make his short journey on lOul than to 5e at Tie
expense oil hiuug horse, but lie did moi tell him
81. We had an old horse nannd "BOb," That lnv-
lug reached an age beyOpd his teens, was TUNED
out in The bog lotneaT our house to die. lie was
literally Giving Skeleton, aud was much in
The same condition Ul liz Yankees nag, which
was so weak hSOwnet had In draw his last breath.
My father lheteloT,, Inreply TO Nelson's npplIca
ion, Told him that lie livery horses weie nil GU,
aud he had none AT home except famous race
horse" which lie was keeping IN low ilySh IN or
der 10 set hmm proper trim to win great race
soon TO come of.
"Oh do I,l me have him, Uncle Phille, that
wds my ratl vfS nrppllatun,l VIII ride hiln very
carefully aud not uiure linn IN lie lehs'i sau
Nelson Heels.
"Hc is too valuable an animal To risk in the
hinls Of young man like YOU" responded my
tail eT.
Nelson continued To- impOtlunc, nnd NY father
TO MAY on, until II was finally Osrced thai ihe
horse could Ue had on the condition that he should
i'm no case he rode faster than walk OF slow lTOl,
and that he should be Ted lOut quarts OF oats al
DnLbury. Nelson started on ms rUsln1le, looking
lur all the wOid as II lie was on mEsOn 10 the
''carnon crows" but lie lclI every incl man,
Tor hv amcled himself aSlrde Of The greatest Eace
horse IN The county, aud realized that great Te-
Sponlbily was resting upon his shoulders, Tor
tie last words OF my father to Inn were Mel
son, II any accident should happen To This aumol
while under your charge you could not pay The
lmlges in a life lDni OF hIpr"
Uld dob" was duly Dated AMI wnieted at Dam
bury, ard at Tie ,nd Ui several huns Mr. Beers
mounted him aud $ rlrd for Bethel. lie cOnciu.
died n take the "gre't p,stuTe" road home, that
being The mare OF n new road cut through Swaups
aud meadows, as q Slu Tier route Ia uut vlake.-
Nelson, Tor Tie uuuCe forgetting Ii S RESPONSE
biily. probably Iurl lie speed OF his face HI Use,
aud soon broke HIM down. Al al events, some
ihiHg occurred To weaken Oil BUb'S n,nuSi iOT
he came to a Sluui Sii, ami Nelson was lJTced 10
dSmUhnt Tie horse iremblel with weakness
nul Nelson ieeIS IT, mhlud with lnght, small
brook was running though The btg at the road
side, aud beers, thinking that perhaps his 'roce
horse" needed duuS, ted huu luln tile Slteam.--
Poor old Bob got Sluck IN Tie mud, AMI not having
strength enough to Withdraw rS leel, quietly clos
ed his eyes, aud like palIIafch rs he was, lie
dropped INTO The soft bed that was awaiting linn,
and gave up The ghost without Single Kick
M language eau describe the CONSERVATION Of
pror Bees. lie would not believe lhS eyes. lie
Tried To open those OF his horse, but II was no 81
lie pared his ear at lle mouth Of poor old "BUO,"
but TOOK ituwHy m uVet dlguuay, The breath had
C, ased. AT last Nelson, giUanlng as he thought OF
meeting my father, sud wondering whether etetnl.
~, add, u time, would he long enough for him 10
cara The value Of The horse. took the BRIDE from
the "drad head" aud unOucklng The glrIh, dIew
oil The saddle, aud placing II OH his own lack,
lrudged glOOmlly toward our Nillage.~
II was aLUui SuudOwn when my iatheT eSpled
his victim coming up The street with tie saddle aud
UTldle thrown across his shoulders, his lace wear
lng look OF lhe most complete dIspalr. My lain-
vr was ceTain that old ''liOb had departed this
life, aud ne chucked inwNrdly aud quietly, but
Instantly assumed a most serious countcnnnce.-
pO,I Beers approached more slowly and mourn.
fully than II liz was following dear friend 10 Tue
grave.
When e came within hniIing distance, my iath
eI called Ou:
"Wby, Beers, is it possible you have been so
careless as to lel that tUce horse run away iIOM
YOUR
Pmllr," uTOhled Nelson,
"Wurse than thnl Tue he has been stolen by
come Judge Of valuable horstS! Oh, what fool
WAS To enlrust lin TO uuybOdy!' eXClJiuled my
father with well Ivgn,d soHow.
"No he uint stolen, uncle phillle, SAID Nelson.
"Noi SlolenP well am plud ol that, Ior shall
recover lin again, but ~ here is hei am nfraiL
YOU have laIEed them.
"Wttsu lLan that" darwlcd lie unfortunate
Nelson
"Nvell, what is the maller2 wI,,re is Ie3--whal
ans himl asked my laliet
"On, can't tell you'll can't tell you! said
Beers with gTOan.
"But you mast tell me-" returned my father.
at will break yJur heart" pEOaned BverS.
"rU be sure II WIFI, II he IS seriously mjuIed,"
:cplich my nlher "uul wlete Is lie -
ale is dcai," said Bets, as lie ueTvrd himself
up for the announcement, and then closing his
eyes sunk into chair completely overcome with
hight.
My fathergav gTonn that sloTlcd Nelson 10
his feet again All the sensations of pain, CeS.
pair, horror, and intense agony were depicted to
Tie hle upon my Iather's counter" nee. =
"Oh, uncle Pmlle, uncle Phills, don't be too
hard with me. wouldn't have had IL happen for
al the world" SnId BteH.
"Yuu cOnuILyrr recumpense me lOG the horse"
replied my father.
al know II, know it, uncle Phille. can
Ohly WtTh lOI YOU rs luIb us IlNt' uuN you SUM-
nave my services I'LL you nrr satisfied, alter ny
apprenticeship IS fmshe,," returned Bees.
Allera S ont uue my lHll rb.cime cal %, and
although apparently not tvCOncied 10 his loss, lie
asked Nelson how much he supposed he ought to
1--WE Inn.
Il doni know am no judge OF the value Of
hlOui horses, but I have Leen told That they are
worth fortunes sometimes" replied Beers.
"Ard nine was the UtSlu tie world" sal my
father, can Insucll a perfect condition for run.
mns-nll bone aud suev."
40 yes, | saw That" SAID Beers, dcSpondinglv
but with haukneSs That showed he did net wish
10 de, ny The great claims Of the horse aml Ills
owner.
DWELL" said my father wi h q sigh, GAS have
no desire to gu To law Oh the subject, we had bet.
ter ny to agree on the value o. The horse. You
may mark on a slip Of paper what sum you tlink
you ought to owe me Tor him, and ,Ill DO the
Smnei We can item compare notes and see ho@
TAT we differ"
al will mark" said Beers, "bu:, Uncle PhilIe,
don't he too hard with me-"
al viii be as easy Us | can, and endeayOT TO
make some allowance !oT your sltualiOn," said my
fatheEl "Dul, Nelson, when think how valuable
that horse was, Of CourS must mark something in
lht. upIphbUThuDd of the amount of cash | COull