, 1886-08-14
HOW TOM THUMB WAS FOUND.


Barnun's First Introdsstisn - ~ Greet
LAttzs xs.-Aa xsssssseass ChaA.i ss
Tin the man who was Tia means OF
Tom Thumb betAg found by p. T. Bar
num-" wAs the remark made by Mr..
Henry Folsom, Of South William street,
to . rsportsr the other seternooa. uf sa1n
@How soi" was the query Of the person
to whom this Information Wa vo~uchxafed.
well. I viii tell you how It came 20
paas." Ne Foho0i responded l-About
forty yeau ago ! knev > family named
stratton who LIVED In Bridgeport. Conn.
The heed ef the family was n tbs habit
Of INDUCING TOO 2frssly in liquor. Bono
people called him q hummer but, - FAR
cver knew, he was . quiet, ino3ensive
msa- He wns IN very poor condition
financially, and his family sometimes suf-
fered for tho want Of the nsccssaries of
LIE This man had . son, who was the
smAllest child Of hs age I ever saw In my
6ysazs Of ago It the ams. h WA 3 cum
ming youngster, and the wonder of the
neighboi hood IN which be lived This
small chap vas Charles 8. 6tratton. after
ward known ~ Tom Thumb" s3iyir,. y.
ABut how did Barnum md himf"
@Oh. Pn explain that to you presently.
There was . restaurant aud liquor saloon
in Bridgeport In those days. The proprist
tor had q trap door In the floor Of his
saloon that opened into . sort OF cellar
whsrs clans were kept. yThis establish
ment was situated On the docks, 70 that
boats loaded with clans could come
alongstde for the purpose Of dumping
their loads into the cellar aforesaid. A
large number OF men woo were engaged
in the clam business were In the habit OF
III E Ht.- -vA2 4$kAe
customers who came there to eat chowder
and to partaks Of the liquid refreshment
offered at the bar. The saloon became
known as the headquarters Of a class Of
happy-go-lucky men, Of whom tho elder
Stratton was one of the acknowledged
leading spirits. The elder Stratton often
brought his dwarfed boy into the saloon
to amuse the men who congregated there.
Nobody then had any idea that the little
fellow would ever be of much account. 1
was then acquainted with p. T. Barnum.
AT that time Barnum kept a small mu-
scum. His museum was such a one
horse affair that there vas not sufficient
income from it to keep its proprietor from
financial embarrassment.
One day Barnum asked me If l would
take the trouble the next time l visited
Bridgeport to go to his brother, Philo
INV VIM AiNVo thic, ahh Ooehih
the Snowman a loan Of $50. l Did the err
RAND as requested. Feeling interested in
Barnum's museum enterprise, / naturally
began to hin about ways and means of
helping him in his business. | said to him:
"See here, Barnum, there is a dwarf
named Charlie Stratton up in Bridgeport.
He isn't bigger than a pint of cider. 1t
seems to me that it would be a good idea
for you to get him for your museum
Thank you for the suggestion returned
Mr.. Barnum, and I'll go up to see the lit
tie chap Barnum accordingly went to
Bridgeport and saw Charlie Stratton. He
was greatly pleased with the dwarf, and
forthwith resolved to bring him to New
York and place him on exhibition. 1t was
not a difficulty task TO make a bargain
with the elder Stratton, who was de-
lighted at the prospect OF making a little
money without having to work for 1t.
Well, to mak a long story short, Charlie
STATIONS name was changed to Tom
Thumb. and he was exhibited as the
smallest and most wonderful dwarf on
the face of the globe He was a great at
traction for the museum, and 1t was not
long before the proprietor began to realize
the fact that Ton Thumb was a trump
card People came from far and near to
visit the liliputian wonder. n-New York
Star.