Daily globe., 1883-07-20
GEN. TOM THUMB.
4 !Skctch of his Career.

able to talk in a most sensible manner
In November, 1912, P. T. Barnum, in one
of his periodical trips to Bridgeport had
his attention called to little Stratton, and
he soon made an engagement with his pa
rents 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, Dec. s, 1912, and so
popular did he become with the public that
Barnum reengaged him at 81 a day for
year.
HIS FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE.
General Thumb made his first trip across
the ocean, being taken to England by Bar
mum, who wished to test the curiosity of
people on the other side of The Atlantic.
His first appearance there was at the Prin-
cess Theatre, but he was Withdrawn after
showing three days, and a series of private
receptions were held by him to which the
editors of papers and many mobility at
tended. Mr.. Everett, the American min
ister to the Court of st. James, then made
endeavors to have General Thumb shown
before the Queen, and was, after many
trials, successful. At the first reception
accorded him by the Queen the General re-
ceivea two Royal commands, and from
that time there was no one from the Queen
or Duke of Wellington down that the Gen
eral did not have the honor of being in
troduced to. From England the General
went to Belgium, France and Germany,
and as he had said himself, had been in
troduced to all the crowned heads" The
trip ended in February, 1847.
HIS TRIP TO CUBA
was most successful one and even among
| the Cubans was considered phenomenal
ly small man, though at that time he was
but little more than nine years old. The
| trip was made down through this country
| to the Gulf of Mexico, and lasted until
May, 1S46. Nine years later, or in 1857,
| General Tom Thumb again went to Europe
in company with Cordelia Howard, the
child actress. Everywhere he went he was
admired, petted, and extrayagant presents
were made him by people IN every grade
of life. On his return to this country he
was shown at different place. About that
| time he met Lavinia Warren, pretty lit
tie miss four years younger than himself,
and between the two a strong attachment
sprung up that ripened into love, and on
Eebruary 10, 1868, the pair were made
man and wife.
IN LATER YEARS
the General grew lager aud soon became
unfit to be classed with he smaller dwarfs
like Admiral Dot anG others. He had &C.
cumulated large fortune and de-
voted much of his time to managing the
shows of other dwarfs and was fond of
giving them pointers on their ms6s-up
and general behavior.
| AS A YACHTsMAS
| General Thumb WAS a IT ous Yachts
man and his greatest pleasure vas a good
wholesale breeze. His outdoor life and the
| incidental exercise caused him to grow
taller and stouter. Indeed ne often times
| iocularily remarked that me would soon
be able to do the giant act"
He was one of the most remarkable
dwarfs ever born. His form and face were
perfect in their symmetry at the time he
was first shown to the puolc and that, to-
gether with his na urailT winning ways
made him jump into popularity at once
| When first shown he was twenty six inches
| tall and weighed nineteen pounds. His
growth was very slow an2 wnen Re had ar
rived at the age of twenty four years he
was but thirty-two inches tall.