The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-04-25
PHlNEAS T. BARNUM,
Story of His Eighty-one Busy Years Begin.
ming In 1884.

'o"iii"ii, aiSd ldSl lueSudY, age
elghtY-one years. He was born {
Bethel, Conn.,, on July 5, 1896
~ His grandfather, Ephraim Barnum
was captain in the Revolutionar
War. In early life he had the ad
- vantages of a farmers boy. Durin,
the short time he spent at school h
al" distinguished himself by his arithme
tical abilities and what he calls chi
organ of acquisitiveness." The us,
D. OF this organ was to bring the pen
nv MES of all the other boys into his
+ pockets. AT the age of twelve he
became so wealthy that his father
kindly permitted him to buy his
own clothing.
,. His first visit to New York was
- made in January, 1927, in company
with farmer. They drove cattle.
They put up at the Bulls Head
}, Tavern. His pocket money was 81.
With this he first bought oranges,
then popgun, with which he shot
the barkeeper, and torpedoes, which
he discharged in the hall. He re-
turned to the shop and exchanged
the torpedoes and gun for a breast
i pin and top. This is memorable
as his first swap. He returned again
and exchanged the breastpin and
top for knife with two blades,
cork-screw and a gimlet and II
cents. This is memorable as his
second swap. He exchanged pair
OF stockings and two pocket hand
kerchlefs for other desirable things,
after which swaps became no longer
memorable. When he got home
again he was thoroughly spanked
by his mother. One of the iIlu5tra-
tlons shows little Phineas on the oc-
casion of his first and last visit to
piece OF utterly worthless land, dee
ded to him by his maternal grand
father, who was quite wag in his
! way.
AS he grew older he developed a
settled aversion to manual labor.
He also made his mark at the Bible
class. In 1926 he was a clerk in a
grocery store in Brooklyn. After f
that he was clerk IN a porter house. :
He never drank himself, however, 7
and always had Bible with him. $
He followed many different call
lngs, including that of lottery agent. t
n 1sao he married Charity Hallett, T
pretty tailofes5e Of Bethel.
HIS FIRST SHOW. II f
He edited newspaper called the "
ierald OF Freedom, and was fined Sa
nd imprisoned for publishing a Ba
bel. The popular reception which
e had on coming out of prison Ih
eems to have suggested to his mind sol
lat he was born to be a Snowman. ma
t any rate, he formed the deter gu
lnation to be one. Accordinelv, sib
1885, he purchased the right for
I ,ooo to exhibit Joice Heth, one of puc
e countless negro nurses of George hin
'ashington. Although her eyes An
I'd sunk SO deep into her head tha trie
ey couldn't be seen, and her toe. con
ills had grown to be an inch thick, Ma
e was quite garruIous and talked Ger
eely about "little George" be
ON A RAIL AT ANNAPOLIS. lore
For some time after that he had was Wa,
, exner;a,oas ' that
IN. 1t is interesting to note how u d, d,
rnum, who played practical Jokes - -
so large a scale, took one him ,,''ie !.
I. AT Annapolis, in Maryland, '"'
went out one Sunday in a new "s'' x
OF clothes. A practical Joker, e'i :
rner by name, associated with Ioiii :
, in the chou, h,,o;.ooo .-1, ~ .1 lord
wd that Barnum was the Rev. i'iat'
hram X. Avery, clergyman ac- WIN
tied on charge of murder, but was
arded with the utmost a1,ho,o.,sa lain,
he country Tba,, o5o tine
paratlon to lynch Barnum, in 'ig x +
ling to begin with the tar and Il
her nrocesS .co,a dian
lmon; stradle the rail, Ephram," nh
7 said. cessf
lie only saved his life by inducing lie
II to take him for moment be- cour:
Turner. His new suit was AFTER
led. He admits that it was a sreal
: time before he forgave Turner poih'
his joke. Wher
Conn
H. This
Camden, in South Carolina, Same
lg to the detection of a negro mann
'trel, he was obliged to do the carrie
himself, and says he was much in his
auded.
is pecuniary difficulties we're, OF tinent
Sc, frequent. His performers ran Amer
:, embezzled money, accused In
OF robbing, and made his life so tende,
t1ous that he resolved to be Cuba
ling Snowman no more. Iranis
kept an agency in New York hideo,
'eaiS rlctoflal illustrations OF imitati
Bible" and was very unsuccess- PaviI,,
THE MUSEUM.
ter that he bought the American VII
um, at the corner of Broadway - Il /.
Ann street, New York city, with -A'''ei
having no gold or silver. In OH I"
ion to large collection of curl. eAei Cis
S from foreign lands and all ooii9ell
of America, there was stage iiieil'