The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-06

CITY NEWS.
TALE OF A TRAVELLER
Career Of G.. D. Strong, Who as a
Boy, Charmed Birds Just
;s, for Fun.
Has Been With Barnum and Fore
paugh and Now He Joins
II Jabour.

What books might be written, could one
read Alright the life pages Of his every
day fellow travellers!
A stereopticon lecturer. a Minneap poll
tan, recently walked up to his operator at
the close of his lecture and said where
did you develop the sense which makes
you able to anticipate speakers ideas
and moods in the way you do? You are
q stranger to me. You can by no possi-
bility have known what I was to say, nor
what was my attitude to my subject, yet
your opera ting was like a magnificently
tempered accompaniment to a piece OF
music. How do YOU do it?'
II take 1t you chose your pictures to add
to what you had to say, and that you
hired me to manipulate them to that end.
The power to anticipate is the only power
that makes this possible. You're right in
saying it Is exactly the same ability that
makes good accompanist. But why
should 1t occasion comment? man
has unlimited gall to offer himself in
either capacity, unless he is perfectly sure
of his power to anticipate AS to how
got it,-maybe was born with it. maybe
the incidents of long life OF ups and
downs have taught 1t to me-.
The casual observer would have seen
nothing unusual in the man, but close
scrutiny would have discovered something
cosmopolitan about him, and a study Of
the deeplined, bronzed face. and the
kindly eyes, would have led to a belief
that the rather unusual remark might
have been expected
The lecturer, the operator and five other
choice spirits had by now reached a down.
town restaurant, and over the Bohemian
supper, the following is substantially the
story they got from the man.
Boy Bird Charmer
G.. D. Strong was Wisconsin boy, the
son Of a farmer AS a child he was fond
OF wild animals, especially birds. He
knew the names and could initiate the
songs Of most Of the birds in Wisconsin,
and he seemed to possess that subtle in
stinct which disarms the feathered song
sters Of fear. They would gather round
him In f1ocks, and now and then one would
become intimate enough to answer his
cry with song Of its own.
AS child, too. he wanted to see the
world Burr Robbins, the oldtime cir
Gus man, with his "calico horses" and his
magic lantern pictures of the Adam
and Eve class, gave him his first clue as
to how to manage it.
He lived near the lead mines and was
allowed to have the pickings. From these
he managed one season to save $14, with
which he bought sperm oil lantern and a
few slides Of the adam and Eve variety
and carried them on his back from school,
house to school house, where he exhibited
them, charging 10 cents admission. This
was his beginning Of a life of wandering
A little later his father was interested in
a circus and the boy became an all-rounG
performer but he always had his eyes
open for something new in the line of en-
tertainment.
About this time Peter Cartwright the
famous performer on musical glasses, be-
gan to be talked about, and in this line
the boy saw his opportunity. He fitted
himself out with; a set of musical glasses.
THEW - VII, a
glasses, but he made them So tuneful
that they paid his expenses turnout the
United States and Canada the West In
dies, South America and Europe, melted
him neat sum of money besides and
are now reposing peacefully in an old
trunk in the basement of his Minnea polls
home. 80
1t was while he was in Europe in 1879
that he developed the idea of two lines o.
work which led up to the heights Of pros
perity, and put him in touch with some
of the famous men Of the world In Lon
don he bought the stereopticon which hi
now uses, and with it and a sensat iona
series Of pictures which he called Fate
Morgana,' he returned to America If
1875 and entertained at the Centennia
with great profit and, afterward toured
the United States successfully
An Alliance with Barnum.
In Belfast the work of Professors Blk
and Logrania with trained birds had at
tracted his notice, and he conceived tn,
idea Of combining the work to canaries
While touring the country with Eat:
Morgana," he was training his canaries
and for three years he exhibited them a
watering places in the summer and a
poultry shows in winter The attention
OF P. T. Barnum was attracted to- MI
Strong. Mr.. Barnum suggested that
would be great charity if Mr.. stron,
would exhibit his birds for the benefit o
the Ladies' Aid Society of his (Mr
Barnum's) church in Bridgeport Conn
At the end of the performance Mr.. Bar
mum closed an engagement with MI
Strong, who was with the great circu
as side show for five years.
TN all my travels" said Mr.. Strone
Il have never come across anything tina
has interested me as Mr.. Barnum's SUI
perb powers of exaggeration did. He neve
missed a chance of bringing his friend