Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-25

---i45 in India
sand four hundred and eighty-seven miles, thirty
one thousand two hundred and sixteen miles by
sea, gave fourteen hundred and seventy-one enter
tainments in five hundred and eighty -seven differ
ent cities and towns in all climates of the world,
without, through accident illness, missing
single performance wherever announced.
In 1876, Mr.. Barnum invited to visit him at
Bridgeport After dinner he asked us into his
library as he wished to have private conversation
with us After little chat, he said, l feel that l
am OF no more use to you than the fifth wheel to
coach =; then, turning to Mr.. BECKER he continued
Although am part owner, you have been the
captain of the ship SO long, and / not rendering any
assistance even IN the working of the vessel that
feel as if had right to any share of the profit from
the voyages. | therefore resign my interest which
you may take and divide between yourself, the Cen
eral, and Lavinia. If at any time necessities should
arse whereby you may require my assistance, call
upon and l will freely aid you. | have long
thought of doing this
We all thanked him heartily. But" he con-
t1nued, don't thank me- You could easily have
thrown the old man overheard long ago, as thou
sands would have done; but honor YOU for your
friendship and fidelity to God bless you for
1t! and the tears stood in his eyes as he took
hands.
In the summer of 1873, my sister Minnie died at
our home in Middeboro And here l will refute a
general impression which meets me everywhere l
go; which is that Minnie married Commodore Mutt
This impression arose think, from the fact that the
Commodore was groomsman at the marriage of
officiated as bridesmaid. Then they were with
in our subsequent travels the United States
and Canada, and completed our quartet trip
round the world Minnie married Major Edward
Newell, little man. with whom she became ac-
quainted in New York He is in London
England, and has second wife Minne's grave is
the hillside in the beautiful cemetery of my native
town.
Continuing Their Travels
TT proved of the greatest trials of my life to
go again before the public without her, but it was
the life work marked out for me, and | resumed it
just Others resume their regular duties after an
overwhelming grief. Even now, l do not find it
easy to speak of it. All my other sisters and
brothers were of normal size, and hence she and |
in measure isolated from them and brought
nearer each other
The General and continued our travels with fiat
terlng success until 1881, when Mr. Barnum induced
by most liberal offer to travel with his Greatest
Show Earth" for that Although every
convenience and luxury that such life afforded
the withdrew and again resumed our
usual travel
An event happened January TO- 1883, the
remembrance of which has since cast a gloom
over my life, and indirectly the of change
in my future. aude to the burning of the Newhall
House in Milwaukee, with all its accompanying
horrors. My dearly beloved Mrs. Blocker the
only victim of our party. Although her husband
rescued her from the ames she was so badly injured
that she died twelve days afterward.
The General never recovered from the shock of
that terrible ordeal He died suddenly from heart
failure the following July.
After my husbands death, determined upon re-
firing to private life, but almost daily received let