The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-20

younger, but what's the usel have as much
money as can properly use. and am Increasing
IL all the time shall leave my children and
grandchildren more than will be good for
them"
You have executed cast-iron will" said.
"Yes; there is so much contesting Of wills on
the ground of incompetency, that / have done
what could to prevent it. / provided that IN
any legatee makes contest he shall by that act
forfeit his bequest, and / left 800 900 to the
executors to fight any contestant Then / had
three physicians witness my will, who made
oath that was of sound mind"
AT this point New Haven mad been reaehedl
the talk turned on the physical and scientific
progress OF these modern days Barnum's mind
is awake to every new invention. and he believes
Ia new Things rather more than in old. He thinks
tnere is no limit to the human mastery of the
forces OF nature, and says the chief reason why
ne would like to live to the next century is to see
what progress will be made by that time. when
the electric motor shall have superseded the
steam locomotive. land perhaps / shall live
he said, for our show partnership doesn't exnire
till 1899, and why should II
when man reaches the three score and ten
though his mind runs much backward to the
days of his youth. In passing school .house
this morning and seeing the children focking
out. thought of an incident that occurred sixty
years ago in a Bethel school. The teacher
Lauren P. Hickok, threw ruler at my head
during some of my mischief -marking lodged
was pretty girl in the next seat She was hurt
and angry. He went around and picked up his
ruler and quietly apologized to her, telling her,
however, to save his dignity, that she could ap-
ply it to some other time, when she deserved it
didntnotice them especially after that, out they
must have made up, fer they were married short
ly after. He became Professor Hickok of
Andover and he and Eliza are, believe, still
living In that old town."
In conclusion, just as the whistle announced
Bridgeport asked what Mr.. Barnum did with
beggars.
Charity is becoming organized, said ne, $50
that it is no longer necessary to launch money
into the air without knowing what is
to become of it. as it may have
been in London when Dickens wrote the Christ
mas Carol There are now institutions whose
business it is to investigate appeals and relieve
want. 10 these l refer almost all applicants. /
have no time to investigate, and | do not indulge
in promiscuous charity, which generally makes
as many beggars as it relieves. Thousands of
such letters remain unanswered; and as Waldo
mere, my residence, is so equipped with burglar
alarms that nothing can be touched that ought
not to be without stirring up nest of police,
feel pretty secure against being robbed"
We left the cars at Bridgeport, and separated
he for Waldemere on the west and to find a
friend with whom had business. Next morn
ing he took me out riding Yes riding not
'driving'-at any rate didn't drive
Bridgeport has doubled since was there last
and from being the fourth city in the State, has
l.
we rode, about the talk with Barnum on the
way down from Newport. Hes remarkable
character" he commented. He is making more
money this year than he ever did before IN one
Yea year rant e. gets $500 s2SeOo year as
and Houston, in New York. He will get $50, 900
in rents here, and as much more in the rise of
real estate here. Everything he touches turns
to greenbacks Even his greatest schemes of
benevolence have poured money into his pochet
thap xCOr of
swamp land for park which had been recovered
from the sea by dyke, on the west of town.
Then he naturally and prudently bought all the
adjoining land and cut it up into town lots This
der. He owns nearly two hundred cottages, and
has helped workingmen build as many more.
He has lost money enough to make Cresus
SICK He sunk 500 900 in Waterbury manufact-
uring; Jerome got into him $500 000 Two
other sharpers cost him $50, 900 each. He has
lost at least million dollars in fires for he
never was half insured. He has given away al
most as much he has lost, including two fine
parks. which Bridgeport would now hardly put
price on. Yet he makes money, and is million
aire This end of Bridgeport has been
so much made by Barnum that it ought to be
called BarnunvIe or Phineasia, something
suggestive. There was a great old graveyard
up here Barnum got bill through the Legis-
lature authorizing him to remove the dead to q
cemetery He gave thousands of new lots
and superintendent the transfer, cleared out the
Olu burial SFOullu ana cut StreetS through 1t,
and 1t is now one of the most attractive spots in
the city-tha6 street over there, with prim
cottages the whole length. That's the winter
headquarters of the monagerie-that heap\of
big buildings over yonder. Shall we drive
around there?"
In three minutes we had arrived at the high
board fence, and high broad gate was opened
by the only man on the premises want to
come INF" he said. Nothing here but twelve
elephants, sick lion, a kangaroo. half-a-dozen
dygo anA f0rz fhanf lie
walked In and saw the elephants
and very tame, kept for draft purposes in the
winter ''This here, said the man, pointing to
ring for horses. and a revolving derrick run
ming around overhead, lis the mechanic. You
see the wall of the ring is heavily padded. This
is where riders practice on untamed horses.
The rope at the end of this derrick
is buckled around the riders waist,
you see, and then he mounts and
goes it. A man standing here pushes
the mechanic around to keep the end of the
crane directly over the horse. so when the rider
is thrown. as he is occasionally, he doesn't fall to
the ground and get hurt, but is suspended in the
air by the rope See! It's great institution,
this mechanic is and has saved lots of bumps
climbed a rickety stair to the attic, and there
was the wreck and rubbish of an old museum
lay figures, lyings1n all attitudes, smashed
calculating machine. now incacuable an auto
matte brass band, now fully blown and to blow
no more till the last trump, old swords from
Bunker Hill and Waterloo, military coat in
broken glass case, pelican become the prey of
moths, wooden Napoleon with a crystal optic
missing and MISUNDERSTANDING Queen Anne
with mouses nest in her hustle. It was sad
sight, and so depressing that | invountarily
whistled that lively snatch from the ''Mikado,"
'fTt-willow."
1t was enough. I felt that had found out al!
l could about p. T. Barnum in one day, unless 1
called at 'Waldemere" w. A. CRoFFUT.
The HumOr of the ,Japauesa
Philadelphia Press.