Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-21
NIT. Barnum Does it.
After Recalling a Former Victory Over FAr. Rergh He Sends Saaimander Through the Hoops of Fire.

Through tho Hoops of Fire.
 [From the New York Worldl
 Mir. Barnum announced in the World yester-
 day that he would exhibit the fire horse Sala-
 mander in spite of MT. Bergh and the Socis-
 ty for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
 also that he would be present at the perform
 ance to be arrested if necessary. A large
 audience gathered in the American Institute
 in the afternoon, and when the time came for
 Salamander to appear, MT. Barhum stepped
 into the ring. MT. Bergh was represented by Superintendent Hatfield. 'Ladies and gen tlemen," said MT. Barnum, II have been threatened with arrest if I should exhibit the frshorse Salamander. I have determined to do 80, and expect arrest and trial by jury Either Mr. Bergh or must run this show, and for the present intend to. Long before Mir. Bergh was known to society I subscribed to society like his, of which Queen Victoria was the patron, and proposed to the Mayor of this city to organize similar society. In addition to this am a member of the Bridgeport so- ciety. This same horse Salamander has been exhibited before the Emperor of Germany, Queen Victoria and all the prominent people of Europe, and not word has been said against him. He is too valuable animal to allowa single hair of his head to be singed. MT. Bergh in 1866 frightened my manager into sending his snakes to Jersey to be fed. But when I came back insisted that the snakes should have the toads and lizards before they St&rV6u- MT. DSTRQ WEOt9 abS6rb WltDOuG fear of contradiction that any person who can commit an atrocity suchas the one I complain of is semi-barbarian in his instincts. It may De urged that the reptiles will not eat dead food. In reply to this I have only to say, then let them starve, for it i5 contrary to the merciful providence of God that wrong should be committed in order to accomplish a right. But I am satisfied that this assertion is false. I sent a copy of Mir. Bsrgh's letter to the elder Professor Agassiz and received the following reply T do not know of any way to induce snakes to eat their food otherwise than in their natural manner, that is, alive The society of which you speak is, as I understand, for the prevention of un- necessary cruelty to animals. It is 8 most object, but I do not think the most active members of the society would ob feet to eating lobster salad because the lobster was boiled alive, or refuse roasted oysters be- cause they were cooked alive or roasted oys- ters because they must be swallowed alive | iuclosed Professor Agassizs letter to MT. Bergh. Mir. Bergh replied to me March z, 1867. He wrote: The hastily written note to which you refer was not intended for pub ication. (''Hastily written," calling my acts atrocities and me 'semi barbarian in my instincts, interpolated MT. Barnum.) I am of the necessity of laboring more in the cause of protecting the brute crsation in order to counteract the un- happy influence which the expressions of that distinguished savant Professor Agassiz) arc calculated to occasion. l scarcely know which emotion is paramount in my mind, re- srst or astonishment, that so eminent phil osopher should have cast the weight of his authority into the scale where crualty points the index in it's favor
 ''Now," continued MT. Barnurn, "unless I n arrested that horse is going through those hoops, and if I am arrested I'll endeavor to put the hottest hoop of fire about MT. Bergh that he has ever experienced.
 The band began to play and the fire horse dashed into the ring, his master cracking long whip and prepared to bs arrested. The ring g-master, who was also ready for dungeon cell, shouted Bring on the hoopsI :" Half dozen red coated at tendants ran in with the iron hoops around which cotton wick saturated with alcohol had been wound. They took their places around the ring and MT. Barnum stood ready to re- osive Superintendent Hatfield. The audience looked at him nnxiously, and while the clowns began their sports the ring master shouted n and the hoops fired. Mir. Hatfield stepped into the ring. Half the audience rose to see the arrest. Mir. Hatfield put his hand in the flame of one 3f the hoops, looked at it and took his seat again, and Salamander dashed through the blazing fireworks. Nr. Barnum announced hat MT. Bergh had withdrawn his opposition md that the performance would be given ev- sry night.
 Horace Greeley as Editor.
 From "Reminiscences of Charles T. Consdon in the
 Tribunel
 Something more, I am sure, should have been said of Mir. Greeley's quick literary sense. He was 8 man for whom 1t WAS a pleasure to work. You thought, as you wrote, of how he would like this sentence or hat illustration, md you were sure of kind, ! competent and catholic judge He did not always praise; indeed, he sometimes ound great deal of fault, but he did so upon principles which it was impossible to dispute, with an intelligence which commanded re- ;pcct, and according to universally accepted ,anons. He had one great merit as an editor he comprehended precisely what a leading .rticle should be- I do not mean to say that 1e had any peculiar notions; he preferred hat writer should be himself, say what he thought and say it in his own way. If he could not do this after fashion commanding .eaders and respect, MT. Greeley thought that he man had mistaken his vocation, and ad- 7issd him to try farming or some other more enterprise. An editorial writer, 1ealing mainly with the manager, had but lit happened to make a blundsr. Then he heard rom the little inside room, out of which the ,hief would issue in state of wrath worthy if the gods Thus it will be seen that, Who- ,ver might be the managing editor of the Tribune with whom we were mainly brought n contact, it was MT. Greeley who really gov ,rned and shaped the sheet. There were con- iderably long periods during which he did lot write at all Often he would be absent rom the office for several weeks. Then he would come back and for little while fill the whole editorial page; and again he would dis ppear. But he was always the editor of his ,wn newspaper, when he pleased to be. If he 0un6 if faEiOO a Hiranti0n 0f xvhioh hn did lot approve, there was trouble, and sometimes ore trouble, the particulars of which do not concern the public. More than once, espe- 'ially during the difficult ways of therebellion, le brought the Tribune round with sharp urn. In the mere matter of having his own way, there was never an editor-in-chief more positive and self-asserting. Considering how le impressed his personality upon the news paper. I do not so much wonder at the notion of some of his most ancient readers, that all he articles which were particularly brilliant nusthave been written by himself,