Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-04-08
Z. |. BARNUI DRAD..
fha Vstefan ShsImil Passes
Away Peacefully It Last.

! Mv PeaCeIaDy Il NM.
Iest 81 Ysals, Litsr nfty Yslrs Bsfar.
Tho Plhlt.
4 Remarkable Career Cloasd-skstoh
| Of His IAlo.
BHIDsEroRr. Conn, April 7.-Phiness
Taylor Bsrnum, the world renowned veteran
Snowman died peacefully At his home in
this city at s 80 O'Clock this evenipk. For
several days past his immediate family have
entertained grave fesrs FOR HE recovery,
but it was not until last evening when an
alarming change for the worse vas apparent.
At II last night Dfs. Hubbard and God.
frey, the physicians in regular attendance.
quickly perceived that his pulse weakened
more and the diff cult respiration and lover
temperature indicated that the action Of
the heart had become 90 feeble ss to pre-
ssge . collspse which vas the be.
gining of the end. During the period
Of Barnum's sickness Of over 81 weeks
in which he had been confined to the house
he has tl,wly but gradually become
weaker. The change last night. however.
was so percsptible that his family became
alarmed aud immedistely autographed his
daughter, who reached his bedside today
and was present his at death. During his 81
weeks of confinement he has been down
stairs but twice although sitting much of
the time, being cheerful and conversation
ally inclined.
After the change, shortly before mid
night, be seemed to suffer considerably,
and apparently realized that the end vAe
near ., band. He spoke to DR.. Hubbard,
his stter ding ply sician, aud said that 1t was
relief to him that he had adjusted all
his earthly affairs for the best a. he
thought best and that his life was surely
| clipping away. 1t was not the idea Of
death he so much dreaded but wished to be
spared needless suffering in hi, last
hours. During his lllness the physicians
had been care fal about administering NOR
phine or sedatives of any kind, through
fear that they might produce Interior i'll
effects. Last night Mr.. Bsrnum spoke Of
this and said that when all hope Was gore
he wished to be given sedatives which
would silsy his pain and make his passage
from this world to the next - peaceful as
possible. Mrs. Barnum has been an almost
constant attendant at the bedside of her
dying husband, and carefully watched
every perceptible change.
Those who have been about the death
bed and were present at the end tonight
were Mrs. Barnum, Mrs. David W. Thomp-
son of New York, Mrs. W. II. Bushtell Of
Denver. Colorado, his daughter, Clinton
B. Sealey. his grandson std principal heir,
Rev. I. B. Fisher, pastor of the church Of
the Redeemer, Of which the deceased was
member, also Mrs. George H.
Wilson, his granddaughter. Mr.. Bar
mum never rallied from the comatose state
which he entered this afternoon and dis d
apparently peacefully ard happy. Mr..
Bsrnum's sole ambition and desire Of late
wss that he might be spared to see the new
and handsome building which he recently
ordered built for historical and scientific
societies completed. The funeral will be
held probably from his late residence
Friday afternoon. Rev. Robert Collyer of
New York. a lifelong friend of Mr.. Bar
mum, will officiste. The remains will not
lay in state and will only be open to view
by the family, ia accordance with the de-
sire that Mr.. Bsrnum expressed some time
ago that ne wished bis friends to remem-
bsr him a. in life. The funeral will also
be plain and simpls IS possible and free
from pomp and ceremony.
Phineas Taylor Bsrnum was born in
Bethel, Conn, July 3, 1910. His father
was country innkeeper and 4 merchant
in small way. Phineas. from the sge Of
l3 to Is yesrs. was in many different busi-
ness. part of the time ia Brooklyn and part
in New York City, He gathered together
little money and came back to Bethel and
started little store. He took the agency
for lottery chartered by the state to build
the GrotoA monument. He failed in bust
ness in 1879, got married ard started
newspaper called The Herald Of Freedom.
1t was not long before he was in iail for
libel. In 1884 he brough. to New York a
colored woman, Joyce Heth, said to be I6i
years old and the nurse Of George Wash
ington. A post mortem showed she had
added 80 years to her age.
But Bafnum had got taste of the show
business and never thereafter forsook it.
He travelled through the South with
one-borse cifcuses, which we're gen
orally unsuccessful. In ls4l, with
out dollar of his own, he bought cut
Scudder's Museum, renamed it, and man.
aged to make it psy. He brought out
Charles s. Strs.ton (Tom Thumb), then
less shsn two feet high and weighing only l6
pounds.
He took the dTsr. through the United
5,ates aud Europe and msde money. But
i, was in l849, when he brought Jenny
I I'D .pl ksp ta =, in,
Garden. that he made national repdfa,i
for himsef. He paid her $1,000 night,
and the gross receipts OF q tour Of % con
ee,ts were SIP l6l.
He retired from business in 1856 and de-
voted his attention TO booming the town Of
East Bridgeport. In order to encourage a
manufacturing company 70 establish Itself
there he indo,sed their notes for nearly
81 600 600. Toe company failed ard
Bsrnum vent into bankruptcy. but he had
settled fortune upon his wife and he
started into the show business again.
He took charge Of his old museum once
more. 1t was then al III, corner of Broad
way and Ann street While there be as
tsnished the vestry of Trinity church by
asking t, stretch An advertising banner
from his museum to the steeple Of st
raul rhapei.
This was the flnes. specimen CT sublime
nsrre then known to the American people.
On July Is, 1865, the museum burned
down, and be got an Unlimited quantity OF
advertising out Of 1t By securing the publi-
csiiea of a most gau5y sccouns of the way
the orsng outssg ard the lion and o,he,
derizens Of the tropical forests took the
c,rfagrstion. He rebuilt it and again it
burned.
la 1871 he established . travelling
museum and added numerous features, like
the hippodrome and elephant races, to the
old circus. Never was . travelling shov 90
advertised, aud the country boys for weeks
p3red over his Advance Courier with more
interest than that given to any yellow
bat ked novel.
He used TO give temperance lectures
ftem the ring and was himself prominent
feature of the street parade.
Mr.. Barnum was tour times member of
the Connecticut Legislature and mayor of
Bridgeport. He presented that city with q
public park.
He also gave stone museum to Tuft's
college, near Boston. His autobiography,
several tines rewritten, and story called
Lion Jack" are among his literary
achievements.