The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-13
Barnum's Private Congress.

On the 2-th Of September last met
nv partner-. aessr- Bailey L Huiehin
son. in NewYork. where VI matured
plans tor Systematic tours around the
whole world by qualified and reliable
agents in this eountry aud Europe. gong
among the unciviliEed a. well a. the
civilized races. aud e~krenilng almost iah
ulous amounts u; money IN cur ueilaif-
Some of our aye Mt VII be absent Tor
wears. On the 18th OF September We
i. ,patched out old agent Hon Joel +.
Warner. ex Mayor Of Lansing, Mich. by
the Cuuard steamer Gala, and the re
ceipr of Ne~>r-. Brown Brothers \ Co
shows So. 600 cash. and S55.OoU IN
United States bonds were deposited with
them for 500 IN drafts and letters Of
credit, all PAYABLE 10 the order OF our
agent, Mr.. Warner, who took with hun
vii lam Newman j. elh1it BtI abd
a celebrated traveller aud ingul-t III
fact i. a hundred thousand or even a
quarter OF million OF dollars l. bnt a
flea bite 10 the expenses Ut tins wonder
Jul show enterprise. Gu blll for prietlng
alone cost Us last Y ar SIS 90, besides
our and other advertising a.
all of our performers are the very best
that can be found. their combined sala
ries are simply incredible. The salaries
Of some of our assistant managers and
agents are 10000 each per season We
own every railroad car which makes up
onr three trains. including sleeping cars
and advertising cars. We estimate that
our expenses average fully $1,000 per
dav rain or shine, and yet we are TO
! get this all back by showlns under u
immense tents twice each day at the
same price Of admission as is charged
by c%ircu>es whose daily expenses are less
than $500. and whose whole outfits cost
from $1,000 10 perhaps 100000, and
one of the greatest wonders connected
with our ,Btcfprl>e j, that we show bus
one aay IN a pla q Gufln- tho who's Sc.
son, with lie exception of seven cites
and hat our whole city of tents. horses,
wild animals. fucn and women, and all
the psraphernalIa OF this immense show
are transported from 30 to 100 miles each
night. and We scarcely ever miss placing
our glittering cavalcade in the streets at
| nine o'clock of the ensuing morning.
Our tents are nearly always filled, and
about half the time we are obliged to
turn away applicants for want of room
We opened in New York at Madison
Square Garden on the 18th of March,
1882, and we closed our season at Ches
ter, Pa, Oct. IA, 1892, a period Of 81
weeks. Our receipts for the ir., two
weeks were Sl07 900 and the subsequent
weeks averaged about the same. In
Philadelphia we exhibited ut one week,
four DAYS of which it rainud: our re
ceipts we're 500 1855. In Boston we
received in six days Sl4,0Jl, and on s
i'll L. .,o = mo ,,.b ~ ~ 10
is. Our gross receipts for a season of
lS6 days are about a million and three
quarters of dollars, which is more than
the combined receipts Of rny three trav-
| cling shows inthe world. 1t has often
| been said to me: mir Barnum. it is re-
ported that you contemplate getting to
gether an chronological congress. Is that
SOP And | will now $ y that. although
| do not like to divulge details of our
future plans, for years | have contem-
plated bringing together several hundred
men, women and children, comprising,
as far as possible, specimens OF every
attainabie uncivillzed tribe. We are
now commencing the gathering of ma
tons, and hope ere long to show them,
and exhibit their habits, customs, cos
tunes, ETC., to a wondering world. |
regard 1t. ii successfully carried out, a.
the most instructive and interesting eX-
hibition that has ever been conceived. In
conclusion | will say that, notwithstand
ing the immense expenses Of our great
combination, the net profits at the end OF
the season run largely into the hundreds
Of thousands, and are greater bar those
of any FIVE or SIX shows combined that
ever travelled IN any country.
p. I. BARNUM.
Oct. l6, 1882.