The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-07-31
Barnum's White Elephant.
PRESS AGENT THoMAss ACCOUNT OF A
GREAT CIRCUS WAR.


David S. Thomas was for twelve
years press agent for p. +. Barnum' S
show, and prob bly, few who have been
connected with the great Snowman
have had better chance to see Mr..
Barnum in his daily life and business
career than Mr., Thomas.
81 was press agent for Mr.. Barnum
from 1872 until 1885, said Mr.. Thom-
as, "and during that time had prob
| ably more to do with Mr. Barnum than
any Of his other agents, for the reason
that kept right along with the show,
while the Others were usually ahead.
The great white elephant war in Phil
adelphia was one of the greatest things
that Mr.. Barnum ever had on his
hands. 1t was in 1889 and both Bar
mum and Forepaugh were billed to ex-
hibit in Philadelphia about the same
time. Barnum had a genuine white
elephant from Siam, and Forepaugh
had one he. advertised as the onlywhite
elephant in this country, but we knew
it wasn't genuine one. r5~.
"Well, the war waxed hot and fierce.
Mr.. Barnum gave us instructions to
carry it to the very end. Columns
weren't anything to US then; we pur-
chased whole pages of the newspapers,
and advertised all the time. Mr.. Bar
NUM- afterward told me that the news
paper bills for the three weeks amount
ed to $4,000, and l know that the bill
posting and other advertising came to
as much more. Philadelphia was Fore
paugh's home, but we made it lively
for him. We knew that his white ele-
phant was painted, and we sent over
to London for two boys who had done
the job. Our agent got them and ship
ped them over. Bill Durand, another
Of Barnum's agents. and myself went
down from New York in tugboat and
took the boys off on their arrival S,
that Forepaugh's men couldn't get hold
of them. We disguised them and took
them to Philadelphia. They were
about I6 or II years old, and made up
first class as a country boy and girl.
In this disguise they purchased their
tickets and went into the tent where
the so-called white elephant was. The
first chance they got when nobody was
looking they called 'Tiny THAT was the
name of the elephant), and it recogn-
lied them and struggled 10 reach them.
We took the boys right before notary
public and they both made affidavit to
having painted Tiny with two coats
Of paint over in London. The next
day we published the whole thing in
the papers and it made great sensa-
ton.
"Then Forepaugh's men trumped
up some horse doctor who certified
that he had scientifically examined the
elephant and that it was a genuine one
and not painted. We put detectives
on his track, and we soon found that
he was not doctor and that his only
diploma was one Of those bogus Buch-
anan affairs that he paid $a5 for. We
let this fly at the Forepaugh people.
"The white elephant business fell
through after a while, however. Fore
paugh took his out west and it was final
ly laughed and guyed at SO that he took
it out of his show. Barnum left his at
his headquarters in Bridgeport the
next year and never ran it on the road
again. l think it was burned in the
big fire at Barnum's quarters some
years ago. Barnum's elephant was
cream clored, but it was as white any
elephant from Siam. Forepaugh's
was agood deal whittier, but there was
no doubt but that his was painted. y
Neso Haven Register.