Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-06-04

p. T. BARNUM.
HIM, and there are very few Americans
who do not feel that they owe him Il
certain debt Of gratitude for brighten
ing their lives or the lives of their
children.
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born in
Bethel. Ct, July 5, 1910. His father,
PHO Barnum, was q tailor, a farmer, a
country merchant and sometimes o
tavern keeper.
Mr.. Barnum's father died when
Phineas was Is years old and left his
family in very poor circumstances.
The lad was obliged to get trusted for
the pair of shoes he wore to his fathers
funeral. He literally began the world
with nothing, and was barefooted at
that. Young Barnum developed dis
tase for manual labor, and was en-
ployed as clerk in Il country store.
Ina period Of political excitement
Mr.. Barnum wrote a number Of com.
munications to Il Danbury pa per, viii oh
were refused publication, and he estab-
lished a paper Of his own, the Herald
of Freedom, the first number Of which
appeared Oct. 10, 1881. Lacking that
experience which induces caution, and
without dread of consequences, he FREE
Of libel, and three times in three years
he was prosecuted. The last was q
criminal prosecution, brought against
| him for stating in his paper that IL man
in Bethel, prominent IN church, had
been guilty of taking usury Of an or.
| phan boy. The truth OF the statement
was proved, but he was convicted, SEN
fenced to fine of 800 and imprison-
ment in the common Jail for 60 days.
Mr.. Barnum sold out his paper after
an editorial career OF three years, and,
disposing of his interest in Bethel,
moved to New York literally to seek
his fortune. For time he kept u
small private boarding house, and in
1885, over fifty years ago, began his
long and successful career as a shove
man by the exhibition Of remarka BILE
negro woman, said to have been 100
years old and to have been the nurse
of Gen Washington.
One bitterly cold morning early IN
1868, rs he sat by the tireside looking
at the morning paper, he read Bar
NUNS museum totally destroyed by
fire." By the burning of 1ranistan and
two museums he lost *1, 100000 He
and retired from business. But after
so active life he was not content to
long remain idle, and in 1901 organ
lied great show enterprise, combin-
ing museum, menagerie, caravan,
hippodrOme and circus, which was ex-
hibited with much profit, though at
| great expense. He also purchased the
| building and lease on Fourteenth street,
| New York, known as the Hippothea.
iron, and established show for tho
employment of 200 of his people
who would otherwise be idle in
winter. Four weeks after its
Inauguration ne was in New Or
leans, and while reading an account OF
the flooding of his SHOW grounds in that
city telegram reached him announc.
ing the burning OF the New York estab-
lishment, by which he lost nearly
$500, 900. He returned to New York.
and, with his never-failing pluck, was
on the road again the next spring with
"Barnum's Travelling Worlds Fair"
whose expenses were 5000 a day; and
his name has ever since been connected
country has seen, one marked feature
Of which was the transportation to
America from England of the famous
elephant, Jumbo, whose bones are now
set up at Tufts College, to which in
stitution they were presented by Mr..
Barnum.
In 1S49 came the Jenny Lind tour, in
which Mr.. Barnum achieved one of the
greatest successes in managerial work
known in the history of amusement
undertakings. The Swedish nightin.
gale gave ninetytive concerts under
his control, the total receipts of which
were $712, 1914, or an average OF
7.496. 43 per night. The next year Mr..
Barnum started travelling museum
and menagerie.
Offers of assistance came from fal
and near, but Mr.. Barnum would no,
accept them, and courageously begar
to fight for fortune once more. HI
took Tom Thumb and went abroad
where he renewed his former successes
Mr.. Barnum was q Repu blican. HI
was elected four times to the Legisla
ture, and once to the mayoralty o.
Bridgeport, his supporters not being
confined at all to party lines. however
and did yeoman service in all his pub
lie offices.
He lectured under the auspices o.
the Redpath Lyceum Bureau Of Boston
in 1875, on 1.-The World and How t.
Live in it" and wrote one or tive
works of fiction. Besides giving
thousands of dollars worth OF land tt
Bridgeport for park purposes. he CAV,
$50. 900 Of land for cemetery, and i,
his native town of Bethel he erected
fountain at q cost of $780, ESQ.
Mr.. Barnum had catered to the limo
cent amusement of millions of people
, and he said: ITO my eyes tho handsom
, est picture in all the world is an ARA,
, Of young and smiling faces such as
, have seen day after day and night afte
!, night beneath the shelter Of my tents
> To my ears the sweetest music is tn
clear, ringing laughter of the childre
! as they give vent to their joy In m
l show"
I The great snowman lost several 10,
( tunes, but. as he himself often said, h
could not have lost them if he had nc
first been successful in winning then