The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-07-21
GEN. TON THUMB.
A Sketch OF the Distinguished
IdlliPutian, and His Marriage.

wood Stratton, better known as
tom Thumb" was born in Bridge
port, Conn, January 4, 1888. His
parents were people of ordinary
stature and physique, and not over
burdened with the good things of
this world. Little" Stratton, as he
was known, was most prec0cious
youth, and at a very early age was
able to talk in a most sensible man
ner. In November, 1913, p. IT. Bar
nun, in one of hiscperiodical trips
to Bridgeport, had his attention
called to little Stratton, and he soon
made an engagement with his par
ents to allow him to show the boy,
for which they received So week.
He made his first appearance
as Gen. Tom Thumb on
Thanksgiving Day, December s.
1912, and so popular did he become
with the public that Barnum re-.
engaged him at 81 a day for a year.
General Thumb made his first trip
across the ocean, being taken to
England by BarDum, who wished to
test the curiosity of people On the
other side of the Atlantic. His first
appearance was at the Princess
! Theatre, but he was Withdrawn
after showing three days, and a
series Of private recitations were
held by him to which the editors of
! the papers and many Of the nobility
attended. AT the first reception ac-
corded him by the Queen the Gene.
raj received two royal commands,
and from that time there was no one
from the Queen or Duke of We'll
lingt0n down that the general did
not have the hoGor of being intro
du3ed to. From England the gen
eral went to Belgium, France and
Germany, and as he had said himself
Had been introduced to all the
crowned heads" The trip ended in
February, 1871 His trip
to Cuba was a most sue
cessfuI one and even among
the Cubans was considered phe-
nomenally small man, though at
that time he was but nine years old.
The trip was made down through
this country to the Gulf of Mexico,
and lasted until May, 1913. Nine
years latter, or in 1857, General Tom
Thumb again went to Europe in
company with ColGena Howard,
the child actress, and eXtravagant
presents were made him by the
people in every grade of life. On
his return to this country, he was
shown at different places. About
that time he met Lavinia Warren, a
lpretty little miss four years younger
than himself, and between the two
a strong attachment sprung up that
lripened into love, and on February
10, 1868, the pair were made man
and wife. The announcement that
the wedding was to take place in
this city caused great excitement.
intention to make the cere-
mOny unusually brilliant. By
same means he managed to have
The wedd ng at Grace church and
The Rev. DR.. Willing, of Bridge
lport, Conn.,. officiated. On the
morning of February 10, 1868, the
church was crowded by the most
distinguished citizens of the United
States, senators and statesmen com
ing from distant states to be pres
lent. The streets around the Metro
/ politan Hotel and the route up
Broadway to the church were
crowded with people. At noon the
procession started up from the
hotel to the church, where Mr..
| BaTnum was present attending the
arrangements.
About 1915 Mr.. George w. Nor
gan played a wedding march, and
| the procession entered the church.
The bride woe an expensive dress
Of rich white satin, ornamented
with one deep founce Of point ap-
! plique. Her hair was arranged in
front in double rolls, and braided in
the back so as to form the out
spread wings Of a butterfly, Dia-
mOnds were her ornaments.
Tom Thumb wore a coat and
trousers of fine broadcloth and had
q waistcoat of white silk, well en-
bToidered. Commodore Mutt was
| the best man and Miss Minnie War
rem was the only bridesmaid. She
wore a white slip with an allusion
underdress pulled and ornamented
with small pink and moss roses.
When the bridal pair entered the
church an old gentleman with a
CHEEKY voice remarked: "Take care
Of her Tom" The order to the
guests respecting full dress was not
observed by every one. A large
number of ladies were present in
evening costume; few wore the
ordinary walking dress, and all had
on white kid gloves. The bridal
couple went to Europe on their
wedding tour. Gen. Thumb was a
famous yachtman, and his greatest
pleasure was a good whole sail
breeze. His outdoor life and the
incidental exercise caused him to
, grow taller and st0uter. When first
shown he was twenty.six inches
tall and weighed nineteen pounds
!, His growth was very slow, and
when he arrived at the age OF
twentY-fcur years he was but thirty
two inches tall.-C0IrieT-J 0uTf1GL
Word was received from Ogden
last evening that two Eastern play
-, l,.x5 o'-riuad nor cnnpiaI engage