Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR SEPTEMBER TO- 1906

all the houses he and owned. They returned to
lunch. | asked her how she liked her ride, and she
replied 1t very pleasant; but it seems as if
you and Tom Thumb owned about all of Bridgeport
The General returned with his mother at five
The next evening, Sunday the General called
and after spending pleasant half hour, asked
to step into another room, and there announced
under promise of secrecy for the present his engage
men to Miss Warren The next morning he brought
very nicely written letter which he wished to send
to Lavinia's mother. He deputed his friend Mr.
George A. Wells to be the bearer and receive the
reply. On Wednesday, Mr.. Wells returned, saying
that at first Mrs Warren objected for she feared it
a contrivance to get her daughter married for
the promotion of some pecuniary advantage to me-
but hearing from Mr.. Wells that in case of the
rage l would cancel all claim upon her daughters
services, Mrs. Warren consented
In 1861 Mr.. Barnum had engaged bright, in
telligent little man named George Washington
Morrison Mutt. He named him Commodore Mutt
and exhibited him in the museum the $4,000
Mutt. During my levees at the museum, Mr.
Barnum learning that my sister, Minnie,
years my junior, was also of diminutive stature in
her to the CITY, and Mr.. Barnum, greatly pleased
with the beauty of her sweet face and faultless
FORM Immediately made a proposition for her
engagement, to which my parents willing to
accede, as she would be under my and super
vision. The idea had presented itself to Mr.. Barnum
that by reengagng General Tom Thumb, he would
be enabled, as he expressed it, Ito present to the
public quartet of the most wonderful intelligent
and perfectly formed ladies and gentlemen in min
iature the world ever produced"
Lilliputans as Wedding Attendants
THIS idea was carried out after my marriage; and
preliminary, that the public might have
a glimpse of us together, when arrangements
made for the wedding, Minnie was chosen as brides
maid, and the Commodore groomsman.
| will return to the events prior to the
rage, again quoting Mr.. Barnum: Of course, when
the approaching marriage announced it created
immense excitement. Lav1na'S leveeS at the
museum crowded to suffocation, and her photo
graphs in great demand. For several weeks
she sold than three hundred dollars worth of
her cartes-deaqsrte daily, and the receipts at the
over three thousand dollars day |
engaged the General to exhibit and assist her in
the sale of her photographs to which his picture
was added. | could therefore afford to give them
fine wedding, and did So
Mr.. Barnum frankly confesses that the questions
asked and the opposition raised in quarters to
this marriage became source of pecun1ary benefit
to him, by giving it such publicity that it increased
this which irreverent people might call free adver
Using he tried to defer the marriage, and that he
offered Mr.. Stratton and myself fifteen thousand
dollars to postpone marriage for one month and
continue the exhibitions at the museum
AS the General and myself were expecting to
marry each other, and not Mr.. Barnum and as, more
over, were neither of us marrying for money,
did not quite see that money offer any part
of the business; declined.
Mr.. Barnum further says that he had many appli-
cations for tickets of admission to the church to
witness the ceremony, offering as high sixty
sold Everybody in the church came by in
vitation, and thus the ceremony conducted
would be marriage OF people less before the public
Whatever Mr. Barnum's peculiarites, he would
violate the wishes of friends the sanctites of
a church ceremony.