The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-08-23
History of Barnum's Museum.

inside and out, to our cltlZeuS, than tue
;l.Iook;pr, unsainIy, rambling structure
m tho corner Of Broadway and Ann
streets known as the American Museum,
where for more than twenty years MIR.
Barpun has furnished the public with
wonderful variety Of amusemcnts.-
Here he has exhibited all the remarkable
curiosi,ics which money and enterprise
could procure, or ingenuity invent. A
model Of Niagara falls, operated by q
steam engine the Fcejec mermaid made
| of the head and body Ola monkey and the
tail Of a fish the diorama of the rcmov.
al of the remains of Napoleon 1, from
St. Helena to Paris The Happy Family,
tho "What is It?' tho Lightning Cal.
culator, the hippcpotamus, whales, alli'
Gators baby shows, dog shows, prize
poul,ry, and ten thousand other objects
of curiosity, formed at various times the
objects Of popular attraction, and achicy'
cd for Mr.. Barnum success which prob
ably exceeded his most sanguine cxpcc-
tations.
The American Museum was product
Of slow and gradual growth. Mr.. Bar
mum commenced his varied and extensive
career as Snowman in 1888, when. he
exhibited Joyce Ele;h, the reputcd nurse
Of Gen. Washington. 1t was slender
and prccarous capital; but even at the
beginning Of his career, Alr. Barnum
showed himsclra master Of his profession.
| lie advertised far and wide, in city and
country papers, and people Aockcd from
all quarters to have glimpse of the
homcly old black woman. The iortu.
nate Snowman soon made enough out Of
his speculation to organize 4 travelling
show. But his ambition reached to
greater heights. lie had long cherished
the design Of establishing in New York
museum which should be worthy Of a
metropolis, grow with fts growth, and
become. in time, one Of its chief orna.
mcn,s, and unique among places OF pop
ular resort.
The sale of Scuiders Museum in 1911
sayc the cnlcrprisiuG Snowman the op.
portunity he had looked for. lie bought
the collection. made it tpopular, drew peo'
pie into it in crowds, and paid for it
within a year. About the same timo he
succeeded in securing the contents Of
| pcarlc's Museum. The two collections
combined formed the nuclcus Of the
! American Museum, to. which he has ad-
lcd new features year by year, up to the
very day its destruction by fire. With
all his enterprise and good fortune, Mr..
Harnum was obliged to struggle against
adverse circumstances and the disadran.
taees cntaiicd. by poverty. AS, an in.
stance OF this, it may be stated that the
! Negotiations for renting the Museum
were i, one time in danger Of falling
through, from the inability of the cucr.
sctic young Snowman TO offer the owner
Of the premises the necessary suretles
and references. In this emergency he
applied to Mr.. Moses Y. Beach, who
was at that time proprietor Of the Sun,
and that gentleman went security for
! him, and thus enabled him to establish
! his business or 4 secure basis.
! From this time onward, Mr.. Barnum )
! life as $hown,dn was one Of uubrokcn
and unprecedented success. The ill.ad.
viScd speculation in the Connecticut
clock manuiactorv cost him collossol
fortune, which he succeeded 10 rctriev-
ing at his old profession. The halls Of
his museum were always crowded, from
the hour Of opening to the hour of clos.
ing, by lhrongs not always select but nj.
ways curious and interesting. The collcc.
tions Of animals, living or stuffed ofcu'
riosi,ics from iar.of and strange coun.
tries, from ages older than the flood,
were the special delight Of iuquiSitivc
youths. The " Lccturc-room" was one
Of its most attractive features. Here the
moral drama" was daily exhibited, to
the great cdiliaation Of certain class
whose tender consccnces shrunk from
the contaminations Of a regular theatre,
and whose lamentations over its dcstruc'
ton will be sincere and deep. Here
Tom Thumb began his cventful public
career, and here Miss Lavinia Warren,
now his wife, Miss Minnie Warren and
Commodore Nut, made their first ap.
pcarancc before the world.
Uu,il his engagement with Jenny
Lind gave him a European notoriety,
Mr.. Barrum's fame was confined to the
United States. That episode in his ca
rcer, taken in connection with tour
through Europe with Tom Thumb, made
his name familiar on both sides of the
Atlantic as the Prince Of Sbowmcn, and
added greatly to the prestige Of his mu-
scum. The Swedish Nightingale hon.
ored the place with her prcsence--not
as performer. but as spectator-and
tho Prince Of Wales did not think it be.
meath him to submit the curiousIy
crowded halls to the favor Of his royal
inspection. lie pronounced the Muse
um big thing" and doubtless enjoy
cd his stroll there vastly better than the
tour Of the institutions.
Mr.. Barnum constantly lubored to
keep his museum up to the times, adding
daily 70 the collections Of fcuriosities, and