The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-07-20
[From tie NeD York Mercury
Ancient atd Modern Humbags Of the World
BY P. T. BARsUM

| 1>OuuOH--O OcftbtlbSc <A't''Sf ONSR''5 0eS'-
ing
When | come 10 sit down earnestly 10
| fulfill my engagement with the editors OF
the Mercury, 10 write for them a series oi
articles upon The Humbugs Of the World .
I confess myself somewhat puzzled in re-
gard 10 the lrpe dehnnion OF that word
To be sure, Webster says that humbug- as
a noun, is an ''impositon under fair pre-
fences - and as verb, il is ''To deceive :
| TO :m pose onn Win all due Difference to
Doctor Webster, I submit, that, according to
present usage, this is not the only, nor even
the generally accepted definition OF that
Term.
We will suppose for instance, that man
With .fair preleucesn applies 10 whole-
sale merchant for credit OIL a large bill OF
goods His .'fair pretenresn comprehend
an assertion that be is moral and religious
man, member of the church, man OF
wealth. ETC., etc. Itturns out that he is not
worth dollar, bui is a base lying wretch,
an i'm posior sud cheat. he is arrested
and imprisoned for "oblaining property un-
der false pretences," or, as Webster says,
''fair pfetences' He is punished for bis
villsiny Tbe public do not call hnn
''humbus = they very properly term him
q swindIsr.
A man, bearing the appearance OF gen.
tleman in dress and manners, purchases
property from you, and with flair aprelen-
cesp obtains your confidence. You find,
when be has left, that he paid you with
counter rlsIl bank notes, or forged draft
This man is justly called 'iorger," or
''counterfelisr y and if arrested he is pun
ished az such but nobody thinks OF call
ing him "humbug."
A respectable looking man sits by your
side in an omnibos or railcar. He conver-
ses fluently, and is evidently man OF in
teligence and reading. He attracts your at
teulion by his ''isir pretences." Arriving
at yosr journeys end, you miss yoOr watch
and your pocket book. Your fellow pas
senger proves 10 be the thief. Everybody
calls him ''pick pocket" and notwiih-
standing his ''fair Prstences," not person
in the comnunuy calls him a 'shumbug"
Two ACTORS appear siars at two rival
theatres. They are equally talented, equal
Iy pleasing. One advertises himself simply
as a tracedian, under his proper name-the
olher boasts that he is prince, and wears
decorations presented by al The po,sntstes
of the world, including the King of The
Cannibal Islands" He is correctly set down
as ''humbug," while this term is never
applied TO the other actors. But II The man
who boasts of having received a foreign III
tie is m miserabe ACTOR, and he gets up a
gift enterprise and bogus enterainments,o ,or
preteuds 20 devote the proceeds o. his trag-
ic efforts TO some charitable object, without,
in fact, doing so-he is ;heH humbug in
the offensive sense of that word, Tor be is
an "impos,or under fair pretences."
Two physicians reside in one OF our fash
ionable avenues. They were both educated
in the best medical colleges each has
passed an examination, received his diplo-
ma, and been dubbed an NJ. D. They are
equally skilIfuI in the healing art. One
rides quietly about the city in his gig or
brougbam, visiting his patients with out
noise or clsmor-the other sallies out iC his
coach and iour, preceded by band Of mu-
sic and his carriage and horses are covered
with hsndbills and placards, announcing
his wonderful cures" The man is prop
erly called quack and humbug. Why +!
Not because he cheats or imposes upon the
public for he does not, but because, as gen.
orally understood, "humbug" consists in
putting on gIittering apPearaucss-out.s side
show--noyel expedieuts, by which TO sud-
denly arrest public attention, and attract
the public eye and ear.
Ciergymen, lawyers, or physicians, who
should resort TO such methods of attracting
the public, would not, for obvious reasons.
be apt 10 succeed. Bankers, Insurance.
agents, and others, who aspire 10 become
the cusiodians of the money OF their fellow
men, would require different species OF
advertising from this but there are various
trades and occupations which need only
notoriety TO insure success, always provided
that when customers are once attracted they
never fail TO get their moneys worth. An
hooest man who thus arrests public siten-
lion will be called .humbug." bui he is
10: a swindIer or an imposior. If, howev-
er, after attracting crowds of customers BY
his unique displays, man fooIishly fails 10
giye them foil equivalent for their money,
they never paironize him second time,
bui they very properly denouncs him as q
swindlsr, cheat. and '.impossor; J" they
do not, however, call hlp "a6mbus-" He
yisils, not because he sdvsrtises his wares