San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-07


tionai popularity had turned the mu
scum into a gold mine. and the Ton
Thumb tour had yielded large capi
tai both to General Tom Thumb ant
to his promoter. -
The time had come for Barnun
to choose n residence, where at somt
time in the near future he could live
in the bosomsof his family and for
get the details of showmanship for
ever. 1t was always Barnum's in
tention to retire, and almost his last
words as he lay dying were an in
quiry about the days receipts at the
circus. Retirement to such q char
acter, fed on notoriety, was an i'm
possible as it would have been fol
Hercules to settle down as the in
structor of gymnasium.
Barnum and Mrs. Barnum select
ed Bridgeport, Connecticut, as
place to live, for Bridgeport is or
Long Island Sound, which gives II
an exquisite view across the waters
is in the state OF their nativity. and
Is only q short distance from New
York City, where Barnum's activi'
ties were always centered. He pur'
chased seventeen acres of land one
mile from the center of Bridgeport and
prepared to build.
Copied Kings Palace.
When he was in England, Bar
mum visited Brighton and was i'm
pressed by the Brighton Pavilion
the gorgeous memorial to his ex'
travagancc built by Queen Victoria's
wicked uncle. George Nv.
This was one of the first examples
OF Oriental architecture in England
and one of the most hideously un
comfortable buildings of which any
king could boast. Barnum engaged
a London architect to furnish him
with plans and drawings in the style
of the Brighton Pavilion; its spires
and minarets appealed to his spec
tacular imagination.
On one of his short trims to this
country from England. he began ne
gotiations with architects for the
erection of such n building on his
Bridgeport property. and while he
was touring the United States with
General Tom Thumb, "Iranistan.
the name he gave his Oriental pal
&. ace. was completed.
1t was combination of Bvzan'
tine. Moorish and Turkish architec'
lures. There were three stories
with broad piazzas and large arched
window-wavs. Minarets and spires
stood up all over the building in log
irrl but rrofuse STYLE. and domed
Conservatives at either end.
A large iron fence enclosed th'
extensive grounds. and fountains
were scattered lavishly about. Reir
deer. and elk pranced through the
park. The whole. Bnrnum assures
us. was built regardless Of expense
and he had no desire to nscertain
tho cost.
Hc had his moneys worth IN do
Emil. at Ieest. ard IL wrs nndouhtedlv
satisfying for him to live IN houst
that must have been constantly mis-
tnken for the museum. q
He admitted that i'll deciding upor
the type Of home he needed he con
/. sidered convenience and comfort and
had no desire for style, but he fell
that Il must at the same time be
unigue; IN this he had nm eye fol
of buildings of novel order might
OF my various enterprises" His
no one could pass "Iranistan" in thu
train without, at least, inquirins
what II was.
- "Elegant rs Steamboat"
: The interior was correspondence
ornate. A large winding staircase
(. probably something in the STYLE Of
those staircases which he had seer
abroad in the mansion of Baroness
Rothschild and the palace of Queer
Victoria. led up from the main hall
and along its luxurious way marble
statuary abounded.
The. panels of the drawing room
wallsS represented the four seasons
md the ceiling was white and gold
Pier glasses and Ihirrored folding
doors added to the drawing rooms
glnmor. The dining room walls were
richly paneled with figures repre-
senting Music, Painting and Poetry.
4 Chinese library with Chinese
landscapes in oils and Chinese fur
nitnre. where there was n tortoise
shell trble with brass trimmings
ad'oined the dining room.
The. walls in Barnum's private
study were brocaded with rich
orange satin, and adjoining the study
was a bath room. with shower OF
hot and cold water. An enthusiastic
New York visitor TO "Iranistan" said
that inside it was Gas elegant as a
steamboat"
Tn November. 1915. the family
novel in, and house-warminC Mt
which one thousand guests partici-
pated took place soon afterwards
Barnum stocked "Iranistan" with
fancy poultry and varied live stock
and In 1S4S he was elected president
Of the Fairfield County Agricultural
Society. where he often made home
Soon afterwards he was chosen
president Of the Pequennock Bank
End his prosperity became nm estab'
s1ished and recognized part of his
fame. In 1S40 Barpum extended his
activities to Philadelphia, where he
opened another museum.
Converted to Temperance.
When he first built "Iranistan
Barnum was proud of his wine eel
lars, but il was not long before be
was ashamed of them.
In the fall of 1917 he visited Sara
toga Springs with General Tom
Thumb. The New York State Fair
was in progress, and Barnum saw
SO much intoxication among men of
wealth and distinction that he was
constrained to think about his own
soul.
Seldom de we find a Prohibition
Set so frank and naive in his obiec'
tion to spirits as was Barnum. He
wrote in his autobiography u saw
so r,uch intoxication "nnng men oi