Evening journal., 1910-07-23
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Time That P. 7. Barnum
Was Actually FIaObergaSted
By "HOIland."
By "HOIland."

Inc last man you'd ever expect to be
nabbergasted at anything was P. T
Barnum, who gloried publicly as well
as privately in the fact that his bust
ness was that of humbugging the
American people. Yet there came a
time In the course of his election to
congress In 1886 when the great show
man was actually so flabbergasted for
a rev moments that he was actually
stricken speechless
Some years before he became oh
sessed by congressional aspirations.
Mr. barnunn was engaged in the per
sonally delectable task of exploiting
Tom Thumb. To do this i'm the way
that he had planned he needed more
ready money than he possessed. and
looking about for a man who had II
and was wiling to lend il, he came
across the late Chauncey Goodrich. a
well-known Connecticut clockmaker
whose father had been clockmaker
before him-who had. in fact. invented
the famous Connecticut clock. so call
ed. To Mr.. Goodrich Mr.. Barnum gave
a series of demand notes to secure the
loan.
AS time went on II became known.
somehow. that Mr.. Barnum had ne
gotiated a loan of Mr. Goodrich and
had given notes for it, In tine, also.
Mr.. Goodrichs affairs so shaped them
selves that he would have been glad
TO demand payment of the notes. but
he refrained from doing so because Of
his friendship for the borrower and
his belief In Mr.. Barnum's intention to
take up the paper when he became
able. Thus the matter stood between
the two men and was known to many
of their mutual friends and acquaint-
ances at the time Mr.. Barnum was to
be given great send-off at a banquet
as the Republican candidate for Con-
gress against another Barnum of
totally different Nmake-up- the late
William II. Barnum. a wealthy iron
manufacturer who afterward became
a United tSates Senator from Connec-
ticut and chairman of the Democratic
national committee
The banquet in honor of the great
Snowman was great success. The
leading Republicans Of the district
We're there. and there we're also sew
eral leaders from beyond its bounds
Finally, the POSTMASTER called upon
our honored guest, our distinguished
| fellow citizen. that public spirited son
/ OF Connecticut whose name is known
all over the English speaking world,
and who is now our candidate for Con-
gress, TO make the speech he had
promised the banquet committee in
private he would deliver as the open
ing gun of his campaign.
Mr. Barnum rose and received the
tribute of applause that followed with
every evidence of complete inward and
outward pleasure Then his right hand
travelled to the inside pocket of his
coat-and came away empty, to be-
thrust into pocket after pocket with.
out result Into his hat Mr. Barnum
looked, and under the table and in his
chair. Then he gave a scornful shake
OF his head and cleared his throat
MY fellow citizens" he began, -
have prepared with care an address il
which / meant to express my obliga
tons to you for the honor you hav,
done me tonight, and also to set fortl
what in my opinion are the issues o
the campaign before us There is grea
work for our party to do now that thu
Union has been saved and reconstruc
ton begun. But my fellow citizens,
can't find my notes was sure'I hat
them with me. I must have mislail
them or left them at home"
For a moment Mr.. Barnum paused
In doubt perhaps, as to what to sa!
next. And in that moment, in a voicl
that carried to every corner of tn
banquet hail. the late Isaac II. Brum
ley, who afterward gained a nationa
reputation as a wit and humorist whili
an editor of the New York Tribune
sang out;
"Mr Barnum Chauncey Goodrich
has got your notes"
In an instant the banqueters we're II
an uproar; and as the shouts of laugh
ter surged about him Mr. Barnum ap
peared completely fabbergasted. Blu
only momentarily. for. with thai
Quickness Of resource for which hi
was noted. he turned to Mr.. Goodrich
made swift acknowledgment of hii
Indebtedness and announced his inten
ton of speedily taking up the notes
The incident became a campaign topic
the peoplf seemed to like Mr. Bar
NUNS frank public acknowledgment
that he was in Mr. Goodrich's debt
and although the district was normal
ly strongly Democratic, IL came with
Pin an ace, as the saying is. of send
ing a Republican to Congress.
II was In this same campaign tina
Mr.. Barnum was asked why he. mai
who made a profession of humbugginl
the American public and boosted of Il
wanted to go to Congress. Quick as
flash-came the reply:
If I can get elected to Congress
that will be the greatest triumph O
humbugging in all my career"
| Copyright, 1910, by f. J. Edwards
All rights reserved
On Monday Mr.. Edwards will tell O
''The Four Million Dollars that Tide
Spurned."