Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-09-23
TOM THUMB ABROAD.
THE FAMOUS DWARF'S VISIT TO ENG
! LAND IN 1874.


In St. Nicholas Mary Shears Roberts
recounts the successes Of the Famous
dwarf Tom Thumb. There have been
smaller dwarfs, but none brighter or
more intelligent than our tiny Yankee,
who was Aver more than three feet
tall. He was born in Bridgeport, Conn,
in 1882 or thereabouts, of poor but
honest parents" His real name was
Charles S. Stratton, and although his
relatives always called him Charley he
was known to the world at large as the
one and only General Tom Thumb"
Under the management Of Mr.. T. T.
Barnum our small hero travelled all
over and all around the earth, making
two colossal fortunes, one for himself
and one for his manager. On Jan. IL,
1874, he set sail for Europe to try his
destinations on kings and queens and
princes.
In those days a voyage across the
Atlantic was much more important
event than 1t Is now. and you may
rest assured that Mr.. Barnum made
great capital Of this 10 days journey.
The party consisted Of the manager.
the General" his parents, his tutor
and a French naturalist, and a brass
band escorted them to Sandy Hook.
This fact was duly heralded in the
London newspapers, to which was add
ed the statement that ION leaving New
York the dwarf was escorted to the
packet by no less than 10000 persons"
Soon after arriving in London Mr..
Barnum and his charge called at the
office of The Illustrated London News.
The first portrait of Tom Thumb taken
in England appears in that journal,
dated Feb "a. 1874. There are two
cuts. In the first he is seen standing
on chair by a table. which serves to
emphasize his diminutive size. The
second picture is very good and Is call
ed 'The American Dwarf at the Prin-
cess Theater." He is represented as
being on the stage before the footlights
parodying the walk and manners Of
Napoleon. Tom Thumbs performances
at the Princess theater made such a
"hit" that Mr.. Barnum next engaged
Egyptian hall, Piccadilly, whittier
thronged many visitors of rank and
fashion.
The American minister, the Hon. Ed
ward Everett, was very kind to his
countrymen. and it was at his house
that Mr.. Barnum met certain Mr..
Murray, master of the queens house
hold. On the day following one of the
Queens Life guards appeared before
Mr.. Barnum with note containing an
invitation from the queen to General
Tom Thumb and his guardian, Mr..
Barnum, to appear at buckingham
palace on a specified evening.
In retiring from the royal presence
Mr.. Barnum attempted to follow the
example set by the lord in waiting by
backing out. The gallery was of great
length. and the gentlemen with long
strides made rapid progress, but Tom
Thumbs short legs left him far behind
Or before. Seeing that he was losing
ground. he turned and ran few steps,
then resumed the process of backing"
Again losing ground, he repeated the
performance, to the great amusement
Of the royal spectators. The queen
soon sent another summons, and the
General" with his guardian. made a
second visit to the palace being re-
ceved in the yellow dra wing room. A
third visit was soon paid to Bucking-
ham palace, and this time the queens
uncle, Leopold, king of the Belgians.
was present and was greatly amused,
asking many questions, and Queen
Victoria, desiring the General to sing,
inquired what song he preferred.
yankee Doodle" was the prompt re-
ply. All present laughed heartily, and
her majesty said: THAT is Il very pref
ty song. General Sing it, if you
please" And he did.
The British public was now fairly ex-
cited. From March 20 to July 20 the
levees of the little "General' at Egyp-
tan hall were continually crowded.
One afternoon. attired in a court
dress, consisting Of handsomely en-
broidered velvet coat, short breeches,
white satin vest. white silk stockings,
pumps, wig, cooked hat and dress
sword, he went to Marlborough House,
the residence of Queen Adelaide, Wild
ow of William Nv.
"Why, General" said the queen
dowager. 81 think you look very smart
today" II guess I do" he answered
contentedly. Before he left the queen
took him up on her lap, saying: II see
you have no watch. Will you permit
me to give you one?" II should like it
very much" was the answer. And a
few weeks after he was again invited
to Marlborough House, where many
children Of the nobility were present,
and Queen Adelaide gave him a beau.
tiful but tiny watch and chain.
He received many other presents
from various people, and these were
all placed under glass case and ex.
hibited at the receptions. The Duke
Of Wellington frequently looked in up
on the little man, and on one occasion,
when the small General" with folded
arms and knitted brow, was strutting
up and down, initiating Napoleon, the
big general, Wellington, laughingly in