The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-08

4
Conn.,. July 5. isio His father was an Inn
keeper and country merchant who died in lscS,
leaving no property, and from the age OF Is to Is
the con was In business In various places, mart
at the time In Brooklyn and New York CITY.
Having accumulated little money, he returned
TO Bethel and opened small store. Here he
was very snccessfui. especially after taking the
ugeucy for a year OF . lottery chartered BY the
state for building the Groton monument, oppo-
site New London. When the lottery charter ex-
PRED he built . larger store In Bethel but
through bad debts the enterprise proved q fail.
ure, After his marriage In lisa he established
ana edited weekly newspaper entitled The Her
"a a Freedcm, aud for the free ex-
preston OF his opinions he was imprisoned sixty
days for libel. In 1854 he returned to New York.
his property having become much reduced lie
soon eftcrward visited Philadelphia, and saw
there on exhibition . colorcd slave
woman named Joyce ueth, advertised
- the nurse OF George Washington, r6l
years old. Her owner exhibited an ancient
looking, time-colored bin OF sale dated l7a7.
Hr. Barnum bought her fos 81 900, advertised her
exclusively, and his receipts soon reached 1850
eweek. Whiting year Joyce Heth died. and a
post-mortcm examination proved that the Wiz.
ginia planter had added about eighty wears TO
her age. Having thus acquired . taste Tor the
chow business, Nr. Barnum travelled through
the South with small shows, which were rener-
ally unsuccessful. In 1871, although without a
dollar OF his own. he purchased scudder's
American museum. named 1t Barnum's mu-
Ueuri, and. BY adding novel cugiositics and ad
yertising freely, he Was able to nay for il the
first year, and In ISIS he had added TO il two
other extensive collections, besides several
minor ones. In lsG he first heard of Charles S.
Strattcn, Of Bridgeport, Conn. then lcss than
Two feet high and weighing only six
teen pounds, who seon became known
10 the world, under Mr.. Barnum's direction. "A
General Tom Thumb. and was exhibited in the
United States and Europe with great success.
In lSf9 Nh. Rarnam. after long negotiations, en-
gagged Jenny Lind to sing in America for 40
nights at loo night, and a concert company
was formed to support her oniy ninety.fiye
concerts were givcns hut the gross receipts of
Shc tour In nine months of $50 and 1851 were
V7la,l6l, upon which Rsrnum made a large
profit In 1885. after being connected with many
enterprises besides those named. he retired 10 an
urIentai VITA IN bridgeport, which be built IN
1ss@ lie expended large sums in improying
that city, built UP the city OF East Bridgeport.
made siiies or streets, and thereon planted
thousands OF trces- lie ENCOURAGED manu!ac-
torcrx To resnose TO his new city which has
since been united with bridgeport Blu, in
iSse-ss, to encourage a large manufacturing
company 70 remove there, he becsyne 40
impressed with confidence in thcsr wealth and
certain snccess that he indersed their notes for
nearly N,ooooN. Tho company went into hank.
reptcy, wiping out Mr.. Barnum's property: but
he had settled fortune upon his wife. He
went TO England with Toa Thumb and lee.
tnrrd with success in Tendon and other En-
Elish eitics, returning In isss7 His earnings and
his wife's assistance enabled him TO emerge
from his financial misfernnes. and he ONCE
more took change OF the old museum on the
sosner OF Broadway and Ann street. and con-
nucted II With success till il was burned. on
July Is lshA Another museum which he
opened was also burned. He then, in the spriur
OF 1871, established a great travelling musean
aud msnaserse. Introducing rare equestrian and
athletic performances, which, after the addition
~ representation Of the ancient Roman hipno-
drosae races. the great elephant Iun.ba, ana
other novelties. he called ~. T. Rarnum,s
Greatest show on Earth." Mr. Rsrnum
has been four tines member 81 the
sooneetient legislature and mayor Of Bridge.
port. 70 which city se presented a pubic parS
HIS other bSaeiaesloas have been large and
numerous. among them stone museum build.
ins presented - TUFTS college, near Bes,oa.
AErs, Filled with siseclt1cus Of natural history
lie hss delivered hnnareds of lectures on tenn.
peFstsr and the practical affairs OF life lie has
published bis autobiography, "liumbugs OF sAe
World, st4ea JACK. . ssery, aud recently