The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-02-16

Fifty-five years ago, a friend named
Hill. with his wife and myself, Wien
on our way from Boston to Illinois
where We had secured some prairie
lands, arrived in New York early IN
4 the morning on the Fail river. bt.at
and finding that our train on the Erie
railroad did not leave until evening
we concluded to put in the day IN
Barnum's museum.
We were the first arrivals, but
while we were looking at TN ehappy
family in I large cage consisting OF
bald-headed monkey, a spotted dog
an Angora cat, owls, hen hawks
white rats. doves, squirrels, and a
hundred other such birds and ami
mails. living together in harmony and
peace, a large fieshy fine looking man
entered, and soon came along to
where We were, and remarked that
we were earl yvisitors to the museum.
replied that having 10 spend the
day in strange city. we thought We
could not put in our time more pleas
antly than in taking a look at the
Fiji mermaid and Barnun's other
hum Dugs, and that If we could get a
glimpse of Barnum himself. We
should feel that we had got our quar-
ter's worth
We noticed smile on the gentle
mans face and Il twinkle in his eye,
as he said to Us, that he was Barnum
and that no apologies were needed, as
the word humbug was not in the least
offensive TO him, and in fact, the
newspapers of the land telling of his
humbugs, had given him thousands
of dollars worth of free advertise
ments for his museum. He said that
he meant 10 have the best museum
in the country. and give everyone
that visited il his full moneys worth.
and that the newspapers telling Of his
humbugs gave their readers a great
curiosity 10 see and so through his
museum. when coming to New York.
For a sample he said he had five
acres at Bridgeport at the side of the
New Haven railroad and that when
the trains We're passing ne had a man
blowing the land with an elephant,
until that ground had been plowed
over at least twenty times. OF course
all the papers told of his working Gle
plants on his farm. He received so
many letters from farmers and agri-
cultural societies asking about the
advantages of elephants for farm pur-
poses that he had a printed reply 10
send out, stating that If a man had
a museum and advertised il was profit
able to pillow with elephants in sight
OF passing trains: otherwise it would
be losing venture.
AS 1t was not Barnums busy day.
and as he enjoyed telling people OF
and showing them the marvellous curl
osites that he had collected, ne went
around with us for half the forenoon,
telling us of his adventures, as we
passed along. He gave rs the full
history of his woody horse, SAYING that
he was freak of nature, and that it
was raised somewhere in Ohio. and
that he paid five hundred dollars for
II, the seller claiming it was found in
the Rocky Mountains by Fremont
when on his exploring expedition, and
brought back by him. Fremont
father-in-law, Thos. II. Benton. the
senator from Missouri. bought a
ticket to see the woody horse, and
then sued BarnUm and tried to en-
Join him from exhibiting the fraud
Barnpm pleaded his own case. and
bad the jury examine the horse. and
see that the wool had not been glued
on, as Benton claimed. and came out
ahead and went on with his show.
Barnum said he bought the Fiji
mermaid at a good price, il being
claimed to be genuine. but | must saw
that If the mermaidS sporting in the
waves presented no more pleasing