The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-02

How He Worked the "white Elephant"
Fake ON Barnum.
Anaconda Sfanda ard

Fake ON Barnum.
Anaconda Standard
Adam Forepaugh, whose death was
chronicled January "a. was second only to
Barnum in the show business OF the world.
He had not the Imagination Of Barnum, he
had not Barnum's faculty for exciting the
curiosity of the country and setting every
body a-talking about his wonders" Yet
he Vas shrewd, enterprising and success
full. He was . foeman worthy Of Bar
NUNS steel. as the owner Of the great
moral show" discovered when they clashed
arms in the memorable circus war of 1855.
Each Was making . speciality Of his white
lous expense to crack up his own sacred
ever brought out OF Asia, and 70 run down
and palpable fraud. . miserable imposition
Of whitewash, in short like IT. owners
conscience, . white sepulcher.
Forepaugh waited strategically until Bar
mum had mapped out his route for the
season and billed the towns. Then he cut
in ahead and went over the same route,
town by town, about . month in advance
of his great rival Now the white elephant
was Barnum's original idea and IL angered
him past endurance to 80 another walking
away with the credit Of IL, especially since
he knew that Forepaugh's white ele-
phant like his own. had acquired
its whitenes through the instru-
mentality of paint brush. He
foresaw that by the time his own show
came along in the towns in which it was
announced TO appear. white elephants
would be exceedingly stale. His knowledge
of human nature taught him that while the
white elephant excitement was at white
heat the masses would make Il . point to
20 and zee the first white elephant offered
for their inspection, and their curiosity be-
ing satisfied, they would care nothing for
subsequent white elephants. or II they
cared at al they would b prompted TO
scorn and deride them. much - . minstrel
joke that Is old and full Of sorrow.
Barnum therefore was ct his Wits
end. In his great emergency the first
thing he did was to quadrupls his al
ready large orders OF printers ink. In
the interior of New York state, where the
fight ragged hottest, he flied columns and
columns Of every Newspaper published.
Forepaugh did the same. Then Barnum sent
accomplished press agents to keep up with
Forepaugh's show day by day, work upon
the newspaper reporters and induce them to
express their honest sentiments touching
the imposition they saw before them.
This scheme was successful and presently
Mr.. Forepaugh's white elephant was being
raked fore and oft. Within two weeks il
was . standing joke. like the Inflated
McGinty. But as the people lost confid-
s~ "
they also lost confidence in ali white ele-
plants, Mr.. Barnum's included. The night
he showed in Syracuse. n Y, Mr.. Fore
paugh In his desperation tried an expert
mcnt which resulted so disastrously that
IL may be said to have settled the White
elephant business. A half dozen revolver
shots were fred outside the canvas close 10
where the elephant was standing within.
On examination holes we're found in the
canvas. and Forepaugh gave il out TO the
press and public that Barnum's agents had
tried to murder the sacred animal. De-
tectives. however, satisfied themselves that
the firing was done by one Of Forepaurh's
own men. At ths snd Of the season both
managers concluded that the war didn't
pay, and each season since then they chose
routes that would not clash with each
other. The term white elephant thus
crept into the English language.
While not the genius that Barnum n.
Adam Forepangh possessed high order
Of talent. and he prided himself on giving
the people good show. He amasssd =
great fortune from his circus. He treated
his employees with kindness and consider
alton. mingiing with them in person on
the circus ground. usually with his irons
ers in his top boots. He did even more
than Barnum 10 elevate the circus and
rive IL tone and respectahifitv