The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-11
ONE OF BARNUM's FAKES.
Dan Eice's Story of the Imported
Gorilla.

Gorilla.
From the Eeto York Advertiser.
"BaPnum, the Snowman, who made more
money by the periodical destruction Of his
| great Accommodations of bric-a brac and
curioslties than any other man In his line OF
business, was never compelled to acknowl-
edge defeat but once" said genial Dan Rice
yesterday.
His first experience, as the great modern
| pEenix, was in 1865, when the American
Museum, corner Ann street and Broadway,
persisted. The site is now occupied by the
New York Herald.
He Immediately began prospecting for a
I new site, and the granite edliice, No $50
| Broadway, then called the Chinese build
| ings, struck his fancy. 1t was occupied at
the time by Van AmbeRg & Co., with their
| Golden Meuagerien A union Of forces
was the main idea which follows his fancy
Acting upon the thought, be sought the sole
manager and one of the proprietors of the
| show, Hyatt Frost, and laid his project be-
fore him. The idea impressed Hyatt favor
ably and contract was at once entered
| into, combining two shows. Barnum, who,
! had stored at different places various guam
! titles of museum material transferred it at
| once to Van Amberg's, and the gigantic
| combine was extensively advertised. excit-
|
| people.
The town was soon ablaze with pictorial
| descriptions of the wonders in possession Of
the great combination, the public excite.
ment was renewed, and the profits of the
establishment melted proprietors to new
ventures, gratifying to the public tastes or
| prevailing predictions, and also led TO an
Investment which made Barnum blush,
probably for the first time in his life.
Just previous to this continuation Man.
ager Frost had dispatched to Europe Mr..
Ferguson, one Of Van Ambergs most expe-
rienced and trusty agents, in search OF ami
NAL attractions and novelties. A letter was
received from London, England, informing
Frost that a large ape, AZ feet high, could
be secured, with the intlmation that he
could be exhibited in America for ''go-
rilla." Phineas I. eagerly grasped this idea;
orders were sent Ferguson TO bind the bars
gain and ship the animal at once"
But" said Manager Frost, "if sucn an
imposition be discovered it would ruin the
| reputation of the Van Amberg show"
"Ah," remarked the celebrity from the
wooden nutmeg state, "pll assume the en-
tire responsibility. I'll call it 'Barnum's
Gorilla, the first and only ever captured
alive"
Instructions and money were at once
mailed to the agent in London (the cable
then being thing OF the future. He was
directed TO purchase the brute, the entire
transaction to be secret. and get the London
papers interested to the greatest extent
possible in the purchase of gorilla" not
q specimen of which had ever been captured
alive. So successful was this done that on
receipt of the London papers here the New
York Sun printed the following:
"Barnum cannot be kept under or dis
heactened at the loss OF his museum, and
while the fire fend plays through his ia
nous resort an agent trsverses Europe in
II. IL.
celpt OF the information that, at an enorm-
Gus expense, the agent has secured a live
young gorilla standing feet In hight"
The animal mean while, from the moment
OF its purchase, was concealed from the
gaze of the curious Britain, although for
years it had been an inmate of a compart-
ment of the Geological Gardens, and had
cost the society and its subsequent Ameri-
can purchasers only nominal sum.
The paragraph from the Sun given above
was followed by many others in the differ
ent papers of the metropolis, until, by the
time the animal arrived via the Cunard
Line the public interest was excited to
the highest pitch. even to the point of offer
ing premiums for the first sight of the
gorilla"
A 4-horce animal den was prepared
for him and publicly exhibited, the police
made arrangements for the protection of
the people along the route should the brute
escape while being transferred from the
! docks at Jersey City TO the museum. An
extra posse was detailed to keep the crowd
back from in front of the museum, and to
warn the public of the immediate danger
should the gorilla elude its oustodians and
get out of its cage"
With much difficulty, because OF the
necessary c)ncealment OF the ape, the brute
was transferred from his apartments on
the vessel 70 his coach, his companion for
the voyage being that clever agent, Fer
| guSon. The den was locked and covered.
The property man of the museum had
furnished for this famous act a large OK
chain which the companion in the den rat
tied loudly and almost continuously during
the famous ride from the dock TO the
museum. The gorilla, by the aid of a
prod or TWO and the musical sound of the
chain, would below Justify, thus arousing
the curiosity and attention Of thousands,
who lined Broadway from Bowling Green
to Spring, aud Themes around into Mercer
and up to Prince street.
The famous Snowman was all this time
actively at work planning a reception
worthy 80 great natural curiosity. No
one had been allowed in the museum al
that day. and the announcement was con =
| spicuously displayed that the show would
not open until after the gorilla's cage had
been secured in the position assigned IL. The
entire block on Mercer street from Spring
to Price, was filed with people, eager 10
enter the show when the embargo was re,
! moved
At last the cry, ITS coming" led TO the
| clearing Of both street a ID sidewalk for
| several feet north and south Of the building.
for safety Of life and limb, it was given
out. Then canopy was run out from the
museum door and 10 a sufficient distance
! over the street 70 conceal the transfer from
van to building.
Loud cheers greeted the monster van as
1t rolled up, and in very few minutes the
! poor ape, unkempt and indisposed from the
fatigue OF his long voyage, was safely en-.
MEDICAL.