Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-03
-BARNUM.
The Story Of the Man with Five
Bricks.

From advance sheets of q book
written by Barnum, entitled "Strug-
giles and Triumph5 of Forty Years
R~ecollections," the following expert.
ence of the author is taken:
81 thoroughly understood the art Of
advertising, not merely by lea of
printers ink, which l have always
used freely, and to which 1 confess
myselfsO much indebted for my sue
cess, but by turning every circum-
stance to my account. 1t was my
mOnOmania to make the Museum the
town wonder and town talk. L often
seized upon an opportunity by in-
stinct, even before | had a very def
mite conception as TO how it should be
used, and il seemed, somehow, to ma
ture itselfand serve my purpose.
As an illustration, n morning a
stout, hearty looking man came into
my ticket office and begged some
money, | asked him why he did not
work and earn his living? He replied
that he could get nothing 10 do and
that he would be glad Of any job at a
dollar "A day. / handed him a quar-
ter of "A dollar and told him TO go and
IcluIu, anu L hOuAu CalPtOs MN II
light labor at a dollar and a half Il
day. When he returned Igave him
five common tricks.
Now" said /, Ego and lay a
brick on the sidewalk at the corner of
Broadway and Ann street; another
close by the Museum; a third diago-
nally across the way at the corner of
Broadway and Vesey street, by the
Astor House; put down the fourth on
the sidewalk in front of st. Paul'S
Church, opposite; then, with the fifth
brick in hand, take up a rapid march
from one point to the other, making
the circuit, exchanging your brick at
every point, and say nothing to any
one"
"What is the object Of this?n in
Quired the man.
NO NATTER l replied, 'all you need
to know is that il brings you fifteen
cents wages per hour. Ii is o bit of
my fun, and to assist me properly you
must seem 10 he as deaf as q post;
veal a serious cOuntenance; answer
no questions; pay no attention to any
one: but attend faithfully TO the work,
and at the end of every hour by st.
Paul'5 clock show this ticket at the
Museum door; enter, walking sol
EMMY through every hall in the
building; pass out and resume your
work.
With the remark that 1t was 'allone
to him, so long "a he could earn his
living the man placed his brick and
began his round. Half an hour alter
wards at least five hundred people
were watching his mysterious move
ments. He had assumed a military
step and bearing, and looking q sOber
rs a Judge he made no response what
ever to the constant inquiries as % the
Ofhis singular conduct. Atthe
end of the first hour the sidewalks in
the vicinity were packed with people
all anxious to solve the mystery. The
man, as directed, then went into the
Museum, devoting fifteen MINUTES to
a solemn survey of the halls, and af-
forwards returning to his round. This
repeated every hour till sum
down, and whenever the mar went in
to the Museum a dozen or more per-
sous would buy tickets and follow
him, hoping to crafty their curiosity
in regard to the purpose of his move
mentS. This was continued Tor sev-
eral days-the curious people who fol-
the man into the Museum o q
siderably more than paying bis
.wages-till finally the policeman, to
whom / had impaired my object,
complained that the obstruction OF the
by crowds had become so
serious that he must call in his brick
man, This trivial incident excited
considerable talk and amusement, it
advertised me; and it materially adj
vaneed my purpose of makinga lively
corner near the Museum"