Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-10-04
APARTNER OF sARNUM,
heath of George a. wells of Bridg
port, the ORIGINAL Advance Agent.

heath of George a. wells of Bridge
port, the ORIGINAL Advance Agent.
BRIDGEPoRT, Oct. 3.-George A. Wells,
proprietor of the George hotel, Black Rock,
and the st. Marc hotel, Fairfield, died
yesterday. Had he lived until the 18th of
next December Mr.. Wells would have been
seventy six years old. He had been ill for
the past three months with a complication
of kidney and heart troubles. He is sur
vived by two daughters. Mrs. W. w. Hsr-
raj and Mrs. William Miller, three grand
sons, the children of Mr.. and Mrs. Harral,
and Mrs. Miller, and brother, Edward
Wells, of the firm of Wells & French of
this city. He leaves an estate estimated
from 500, 200 to $3.50, 900. The funeral
will be held from the late residence of the
deceased, Black Rock, tomorrow after
noon, at 2:30 O'Clock.
Mr.. Wells was at one time, due to his
business connections with the late P. 7.
Barnum and the late Tom Thumb, one of
the best known figures in this country.
He was possessed of vigorous, unique
personality, which he carried into his
various enterprises and which helped him
would have failed. While Barnum was yet
young man he saw in Wells many of the
qualities inherent in himself, mingled with
others, which convinced the afterwards
worlds greatest Snowman that his path
and that of the man who died yesterday
lay closely together. The result was
semi partnership which proved to the
great financial advantage of both.
The Bridgeport Farmer says: Gin 1852
Mr.. Wells undertook for Mr.. Barnum the
management of Catherine Hayes, concert
singer, who under his peculiar tutelage
secured much renown. Miss Hayes was
| really very fine singer, but rather young,
| and before being taken up by Barnum and
Wells comparatively unknown. At that
| time the gold hunters of California had
drawn the attention of the whole civilized
| world to the FL Dorado of the west, and
| fabulous tales were circulated in regard to
| the lucky finds of the forty-niners. Mar
| velous stories were told of the lavish man
ner in which the miners disburdened them
selves of their easily acquired gold, and
| California became the Mecca of theatrical
managers who could afford the long and
expensive trip across the prairies and
mountains. Wells resolved to try for
some of that gold with his new star. The
| troupe came and saw and conquered, and
the miners unlosded their nuggets of gold
in patronizing the troupe.
| Perhaps the thing which served to make
him best known was his guidance of Tom
Thumb on the lilliputisn's first visit to
Europe. Although as dwarf Tom Thumb
rightly Charles Stratton-was fgurstive-
ly speaking a giant compared to the midg-
cts now parading on the museum boards.
under the Barnum-Wells management he
was the most profitable dwarf ever exploit.
ed before the public. Mr.. Wells took the
later combination of which Stratton was
the star all over the United States and
Canada, and also toured Europe, where
he sdroitly managed to secure al
invitation for the combination tt
appear before Queen Victoria. Befor,
starting on the tour he had engineered tn,
marriage of Tom Thumb and Mics Lavini,
Warren of marlborough, Mass. The com
bination included Commodore Mutt, VIII,
was even smaller, but less celebrated, thai
Tom Thumb, and Minnie Warren, beau
, tiful dwarf, sister of Mrs. Tom Thumb
and who afterward married Commodor
, Mutt. The profits of the tour were eno1
nous.
In 1850 he undertook the duties of ad
vance agent for the famous Jenny Lind
brought to this country at that time by MI
l | Barnum. The phenomenal success whic
, | attended that venture Is matter of fami
. | lar history.