Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-04-21

81 ''O'iy III MS MS banuS, ana pfOuu am
to say, to his credit and my own benefit,
that he faithfully and honorably fulfilled
every trust confded to him. Other gen.
tlemen have been geuerous with me. Many
nave placed me under obligations which
must ever command my honest gratitude {:
but Mr.. johnson has transcended as nv
best friends know, the ordinary conception
OF even a best friends service. He has
been more than brother to me. Thou
sands and tens of thousands of dollars
have passed through his hands, for all of
which he has promptly and scrnpulously ac.
! counted 10 the uttermost farthinr. And
when, at last, l desired to remunerate him,
so far as pecuniary consideration could
recomponse acts which whole life of de.
votion cannot fully compensate, it was with
the utmost difficulty that induced him to
receive even nominal reward for his ser.
| vices. He has been above ALL a "friend
indeed" for he has been truly in every
sense, "frend in need"
Tou must not infer, from what I have
said, that | have completely recovered from
the stunning blow to which | was subject.
ed four years ago. | have lost more. in
way Of tens OF thouSands-yes, hundreds
of thousands-than | care to remember.
A valuable portion Of my real estate in
Connecticut however, has been preserved /;
and as feel all the ardor of twenty years
ago-and the prospect here is so hatterng
my heart is animated with the hope Of
ultimately, by enterprise and activity, OBJ
lterating unpleasant "reminiscences, and re-
trievng the losses Of the past. Experience,
too, has taught me not only that even in
the matter Of money, "enough is as good
as a FEAST" but that there are, in this world;
some things vastly better than the "al-
mighty dollar" Possibly l may contem-
plate, at times, the painful day when
said "Othello's occupation gone :" but
l shall more frequently cherish the memo
ry Of this moment, when am permitted
to announce that Richards himself again"
There is one other point on which l wish
to say Il few words. Many people have
wondered that man considered so acute as
myself should have been deuned into en-
barrassmcnts like mine, aud not a few have
declared, in short metre, that "Barnum
was a fool" can only reply that never
made pretensionS to the sharpness of a
pawn-broker, and l hope l shall never so
entirely lose confidence in human nature
as to consider every man a scamp by in
stinct, or rogue by necessity. ut is bet
ter to be deceived sometimes, than to dis
trust always" SC says Lord Bacon, and l
agree with him.
Experience is said to be hard school
master, but l should be sorry to feel that
this great lesson in adversely has not
brought forth fruits Of some value need
ed the discipline that this tribulation has
given me, and l really feel, after ALL that
this, like many othe apparent evils" was
only "blessing in disguise"
Indeed | may mention en- paSSant that
the very clock factory which | built in
Bridgeport for the purpose of bringing
one hundred workmen to the city, has been
purchased and quadrupled in size by the
Wheeler a. Wilson Sewing Machine Com
pany,' and is now filed with intelligent
New England mechanics, whose families
add two thousand 20 the population, and
who are doing a great work in building up
and identifying that lourishing city. SO
that the same concern which prostrated
me seems destined as a most important
agent towards my recuperaton.
/ am certain that the popular sympathy
has been with me from the beginning and
this, together with consciousness of rec
ttude, is more than an offset to all the vi
cissitudes to which have been subjected.
In my conclusion beg to assure you
and the public that my chief pleasure while
health and strength are spared me, will be
to cater for you and their healthy amusc-
ment aud instruction. In future such ca
pablites as possess will be devoted to
the maintenance of this Museum as popu-
lar place Of family resort, in which all that
is novel and interesting shall be gathered
from the four quarters of the globe, and
which ladies aud children may visit at all
times unattended, without danger of en-
countering anything of an Objectionable
nature. The dramas introduced into the
Lecture Room will never contain profane
expression, or vulgar aIluSion on the
contrary, their tendency will always be to
encourage virtue, and frown upon vice.
have established connections in Europe
which will enable me to produce here
succession of interesting novelties other
wise inaccessible. Although / shall be per-
sonally present much of the time, and hope
to meet many of my old acquaintances, as
well as form many new ones, | am sure you
will be glad to learn that have re-secured
the services of one of the late proprietors,
and the active manager of this Museum,
Mr.. John Greenwood, Jun AS he is
modest gentleman who would be the last
to praise himself. allow me to add that he
is one to whose successful qualities as a ca
terer for the popular entertainments, the
crowds that have often filed this building
may well bear testimony. But, more than
this, he is the uuobtruSive one to whose in
tegrity, diligence aud devotion, owe much
of my present position of self-congratula-
tion. Mr. Greenwood will hereafter act
as assistant manager of this establishment.
His late co-partner Mr.. Henry ID, Butler }
has opened the beautiful aud successful
Aquarial Gardens in Boston, aud our pat
rons will still be indebted to his taste and
skill for valuable additions to the Aquara.
Without going into further detail, will
simply say that the additions to the attrac-
tons of the Museum, will be constant and
numerous. Without alternating any portion
of our present talented Dramatic Corps, 1t
will be largely increased 1t will include,