Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-11-18
Struggles and Triumphs, Or,
Forty YeNrs' IlecODleceAOMs OF
p. II. BafmuMl.

Written by himself. illustrated. 7S4
PIP. Hartford, Conn, J. B. Burr q
Co. 1869.
A work like this by r. T. Barnum,
filled with the incidents, struggles and
triumphs of his varied lite, and re-
cordng his shrcwd observations OF
';men and things" could not but be
intensely Interesting Pat no' s.'s
least notable fact about the book is,
that it is, or purports to lie, a revela-
ton of the authors real motives, and
his way Of looking upon things, which,
in his career, have been severely COM
mented upon by the public press, q
defense directly and by implication OF
himself against the false charges under
which he has suffered. 1t is only just
that every accused shall have a ''fair
trial" If he desires it, and surely no
witness can know more of the guilt
mess or innocence ofthe party charged
than he himself. And nowadays in
many States the interest OF a person
in the issue of q trial no longer dis.
qualities him as a witness therein. 1t
is just, then, that Mr.. Barnum should
be hoard in his own cause, and no
more than properly courteous that the
public should give him candid hear
ing. Mr.. Barnum always openly
avowed himself ready to cater in ev-
cry innocent way to the public love
Of the marvellous, and did SO, and the
candid reader in closing the book, will
be obliged to admit, we think, that
that has been "thc end Of his offending,
this and nothing more" And now
that Mr.. Barnum has retired from
public life, it is fitting that he should
come himself before the public IN the
character which he claims to be his
true one.
We append anextract from the work:
The trip, like most of the passages
which have made across the Atlantic,
was exceedingly pleasant one. These
frequent voyages were to me the rests,
the reliefs from almost unremitting
industry, anxiety, and care, and al.
ways managed to have more or less
fun on board ship every time crossed
the ocean. During the present trip,
for amusement and to pass away the
time, the passengers got up number
Of mock trials which afforded vast
deal OF fun. A judge was selected,
jurymen drawn, prisoners arraigned,
counsel employed, and all the formal
tiles of court established. have the
vanity to think that II my good fortune
had directed me to that profession !
should have made very fair lawyer,
for have al ways had great fondness
for debetc and especially tor the cross
examination of witnesses, unless that
witness was p. +. Barnum in exami-
nation under supplementary proceed
ings at the instance OF some note shaver
who had brought clock note at a
discount OF thirty-six per cent. In
this mock court, I was unanimously
chosen as prosecuting attorney, and as
the court was established expressly to
convict, had no difficulty in carrying
the jury and securing the punishment
OF the prisoner. A small fine was
generally imposed, and the fund thus
collected was gwen TO q poor sailor
| how who had fallen from the mast and
broken his leg.
After several of these trials had been
held: dozen or more OF the passen
gers secretly put their heads togethe,
and resolved to place the Snowman
on trial for his lite. An indictment
covering twenty pages was drawn up
by several legal gentlemen among the
passengers, charging him with being
the Prince Of Humbugs, and enumera
ting dozen special counts, containing
charges Of the most absurd aud rid