The Helena independent., 1891-04-08
PHINEAs TAYLOR BARNUM.
Eventful Career of the Celebrated Show
man of bridgeport.

Eventful Career of the Celebrated Show
man of Bridgeport.
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born in
Bethel, Conn.,, July 5, 1910. His father was
an inn-keeper and country merchant, who
died in 1925, leaving no property, and from
the age of 13 to Is the son WAS in business
in various places, part of the time in Brook
lyn and New York city. Having aocumu-
lated a little money he returned to Bethel
and opened a small store. In this venture
he was very successful, especially after
taking the agency for n year of a lottery
chartered by the state for building the
Groton monument, opposite New London
When the lottery charter expired he built a
larger store in Bethel, but through bad
debts the enterprise proved failure
After his marriage in 1929 he established
and edited a weekly newspaper called The
Herald of Freedom, and for the too
vigorous and free expression of his
opinions he was imprisoned for
sixty days for libel. In 1884
he removed to New York, his property hav-
ing become much reduced. He soon after
visited Philadelphia, and saw there on ex-
hibition colored slave woman named
Joyce Heth, advertised as the nurse of
George Washington. 161 years old. Her
owner exhibited an ancient looking. time
colored bill of sale, dated 1927. MIR. Bur-
mum bought her for $1,000, advertised her
extensively and soon his receipts reached
l,5Oo week. Within Il year Joyce Heth
died, and II post-mortem examination
proved that the planter had added about
eighty years to her age.
Having thus acquired q taste for the
show business Mr.. Barnum travelled through
the south with small shows, which were
nm Nlthnnuh
without u dollar, he purchased Scudder's
American museum. named it Barnum's
museum, and, by adding novel curiosities
and advertising freely, he was able to pay
for it the first year. and III lS4S he added to
it two other extensive collections,
he first heard of Charles S. Stratton, of
Bridgeport, Conn.,, then less than two feet
feet high and weighing only sixteen pounds,
who soon became known to the world, un-
der Mr.. Barnum's management, as Gen.
Tom Thumb, and was exhibited III the
United States and Europe with great suo-
cess.
In 1s49, after long negotiations. he en-
gagged Jennie Lind to sing in America for
$50 nights at $1,000 n night, and Il concert
company WINS formed to support her. Only
ninety-five concerts were given, but the
gross receipts of the tour i'll nine months of
lbso-b1 were $7l2,26l, upon which Mr.
those named, he retired to an oriental villa
in Bridgeport. which he had built in 1916.
He expended large sums Ill improving that
CITY. built up the town of East bridgeport,
made miles Of streets and therein planted
thousands of trees. BY too literally on
dorsing CONNIE ercial paper he lost his for
tune, but he had settled consider
able p operty upon his wife. >, he
then found England again with Tom
Thumb. Again he took charge of the old
museum, corner Broadway and Ann street.
In 1871 he established great travelling
museum and menagorie, introducing rare
equestrian and athletic performances,
which. after tho addition ora representa-
tion of the ancient Roman hippodrome
races, tho great elephant Jumbo and other
novelties, he called up. I. Barnum's Great.
est Show on Earth" which ia known of all
men, women and children.
MIR. Barnum has been four times mem
ber of the Connecticut legislature and
mayor of bridgeport. to which city he pre-
sentod II public park. His benefactions
have been large aud numerous. He has
delivered hundreds of lectures on tempsr-
ance and the practical affairs of life.