Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-11-08
LITTLE TOM THUMB.
WHEN THE FAMOUS MIDGET
WAS A CHILD.
The Lilliputian's Early Travels With p.
II. Barnum-He Had to Kiss the Ladies'
A Wonderfully Precocious and Hand
some Boy of Ten Years.

OA cAlllDltlOu dt IlS lob. LOUIS nOCel,
New Orleans, La, early in January,
1913.
He performed on long dining-room
table, where he could be seen to- adj
vantage, as he stood still or trod back
and forth, initiating, in appropriate
civil or military costume, various rer-
sons of distinction, as Frederick the
Great, the duke of Wellington and
Napoleon Bonaparte. His persona
tions of Napoleon under varying
conditions were particularly fine and
elected merited applause. .ealf
The closing act of the entertainment
was gracefully receiving and returning
the lip salutations of the numerous la
dies who presented themselves at the
table where his elevation placed his
mouth and theirs in suitable iuxtapo-
sition. AS the last one retired, APP
preaching, banteringly remarked,
"You enjoy a privilege beyond that of
common men in being allowed to kiss
so many women" He very naively,
and believe sincerely, replied: You
see have to kiss them all-the old
and ugly as well as the young and
handsome-so that | don't think reap
any great advantage on the WHOLE
| next saw him about week later
at the Washington house, Obra Pia
street, Havana, where he, his father
and mother, Barnum and myself were
fellow bOarders for six or eight days,
while he was on exhibition at the
Cuban capital Here | had an oppor-
tunity to study him closely and learn
his leading characteristics. He was
at this time just 10 years old, though
for effect, falsely represented as To-
This exaggeration evidently displayed
no great wisdom, for, while his dimin-
utivenesS was more wonderful for a
person of Is than one of 10, his at
tainments and performances were GER
tainly more remarkable for lad of 10
than of youth of 16.
The medals sold in connection with
the exhibitions, presenting on one side
a remarkably exact relief likeness of
the general, represent his weight
presume correctly-at fifteen pounds
My own careful measurement showed
his height to be twenty-five inches.
Soft yellow hair, well trimmed and
combed, sparkling blue eyes, fault
less face, fair complexion, rosy cheeks,
shapely limbs, body well set, though
manlille beyond his years, all conspired
to constitute him as pretty boy as |
ever beheld. Want of size seemed to
be his only defect. His manners We're
elegant, almost courtly as might have
been expected of a youngster who had
been caressed by all the sovereigns of
Europe. Taught in books, cultivated
by travel and versed in various Ian
guages, he appeared unusually accom-
plished for one so young. At table he
partOOk OF the savory viands with the
keen relish of one whose digestion was
perfect. He could maneuver the men
adroitly on the chessboard, and APP
peared to delight in the difficult game
as though a mere pastime.
One of his favorite afternoons
recreations was to ride along some of
the leading thoroughfares of Havana
in the shiny coach given him by
Queen Victoria, u dwarfed facsimile
of her own, drawn by two beautiful
bay Shetlands, the smallest that could
be procured, attached by glossy silver
mounted harness. The entire turnout
is said to have cost 81 800, and was
probably the most expensive present
ever bestowed on the Lilliputian. In
these excursions his driver always sat
in front, while his valet stood up
behind him, one q dwarf, the other a
boy employed for the purpose. A
crowd of the curious always thronged
the narrow sidewalks opposite the
tiny vehicle when passing.
His salary of $50 week and
expenses enabled him to lay
up snug little sum for use
in later life. His parents were
little past middle age and something
above the medium size, the father
weighing probably 10 and the mother
100 pounds. They were coarse coun-
try people, who. Notwithstanding their
advantages of European travel. con-
tinued to manifest much of the
rusticity almost inseparable from those
who have grown up without culture.
At the close of this "Reminiscences /
wish to state it as singular, and, to
me, unaccountable fact, that dwarfs,
after remaining almost Interchangeable
in size for many years, sometimes at a
later period increase to much greater
dimensions. Thus the famous Jeffrey
Hudson remained stationary at eigh-
teen inches from z to 30, though he
subsequently, attained the height of
forty-five inches.
The exhibitor of Charles S. Stratton
assured us that he had grown none
since reaching the age of 6 weeks, a
very creditable assertion, since chill
dren often weigh more than fifteen
pounds, even at birth Before his
death, at As, he measured forty inches
and weighed seventy pounds, while
his wife attained the same height and
weighed fifty pounds. VIII some
scientist explain this phenomenal
growth?
Barnum was quite an impressive
person. He wore a countenance so
very grave that, taken in connection
with his white cravat, should have
mistaken him, unknown, for clergy