Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-11-17
nsrnum's speech on Isumbus..
DELIVERED AT STAMFORD ON THE occA-
SION or rnx AGRICULTURAL FAIR.

II seems to be most unfortunate
circumstance that should be selected
to speak on humbug. as looking on
the ladies'. whose profession il pecu-
liarly is. I find il hard TO express my
self in their presence. Every thing is
humbug. except our Agricultural So
ciety-that alone is not.
Humbug is generally defined de
ceit or imposition" A burgler who
breaks into your house, forger who
cheats you Of your property. or a ras-
cal, Is not humbug; humbug is
An imposter; but in my opinion the true
meaning Of humbug is management
tactic take an old truth and put in
il an attractive form.
But no humbug is great without
truth at the bottom. The woolly horse
was reality. He was really born
with a woolly 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 i849.
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 thechance
for the woolly horse.
Il was duly announced that after
three days chase upon the borders Of
the River ella, an animal had been
captured by the quartermaster Of Col.
Fremonts party, who partook in sin
gular degree of tho nature Of the buff
falo, antelope and camel. This story
was So far true. that was the quar-
termaster who captured him, and /
charged quarter for the sight. The
picture outside the exhibition depicted
the animal as jumping over ledge Of
rocks: now IL the animal had really
leaped, rs shown in the picture. he
must have passed over n space Of Eve
miles. To have believed that he could
have survived such leap would have
been the grossest humbug.
But Col. Benton, who understands
no humbug but his own, arrested my
scheme, and prosecuted me for obtain.
ing money under false pretcnses, as tie
horse was not what II proiesscd to be
but think wrongly. Us the people who
saw IL were satisfied. and they got III,
worth OF their money.
Now the scientific humbug should
know the precise moment TO act as
did. or the world would never hav,
been blessed with sight at the WOOL,
horse.
When the woolly horse arrived from
Connecticut. he was put ina stablenea
Lovejoy's Hotel. One OF the board
ers who came 10 see him recognized
him rs an animal he had seen n
Bridgeport. "t;ood heavensl" h,
cried. II have seen that. animal be
fore; IL els really an extraordinar,
humbug:" He took up a friend from
che same hotel, and after he had seel
che animal, let him into the secret, an,
in succession thirty.seyen persons wer
carried up. all Of whom took the hum
bugging in good humorexceptthe las
man.
i have not the vanity to call my
selfa real scientific humbug. ! am on
ly an humble member Of the profes
sion.
Ny ambition 10 be the Prince G
Humbugs will resign. but l hope III
public will take the will for the deed;
can assure them that il | had bee
ableto give them all the humbugs
thought OF. they would hive been an
ply satisfied.
Before I went to England with Tor
Thumb. | had skeleton prepare
from various bones. II was to hay
been made 10 feet high; i, was to ha,
been buried year or so in Ohio, an
then dug up by accident, so that n
public might learn that there were o
ants Of old. The price Twas to pay Il
person who proposed 70 put the skel,
ton together was 10 have been %
dollars.
But finding Tom Thumb more su,
cessful than | bought. | sent word n,
to proceed with the skeletan. NJ
manager. who never thought as higl
~ Of the scheme rs il deserves
sold the skeleton for so. or rs do
lars.
Seven years sferwsrd receive
from the South an account Of cigar
tic skeleton that had been found. A,
companying il were the certificates
scientifc and medical men as to Il
genuineness. The owner asked $50