Evening star., 1946-12-22
Ola Circus Day,
By John CIoeett Proctor

amount of amusement for his con
ternporaries was P. T. Barnum. tn,
great Snowman.
Barnum was not a humorist, q
musician, q poet, or a writer ol
fiction of note, nor did he to an,
extent appear personally as per.
former, but he had genius fol
seeking out and producing for the
peoples pleasure exceptionally gooc
talent as we'll as freaks and curiosi.
ties, often at great trouble and ex.
pense.
True, at times he did deceive the
public, nor did he deny it. He is
credited as having said, "The people
like to be humbugged."
Generally, however, his deceptioni
If not genuine-were cleverly con-
trived. One tent sign read: "This
Way to the Ingress," and the other
This Way to the Egress," which
attracted crowds into one big tent
and then decoyed them outside
much to their astonishment. Ameri-
cans have always admired humor-
lists and those thus deceived were
responsible for passing the joke
along.
All this brought happiness into
the humblest of homes for q trifling
expense. After all, the great en-
tertainer was no different from many
other performers we might men
ton in not being averse to charging
for his services. He, at least, gave
the public its moneys worth.
Name Was Heralded
Throughout the World
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born
In Bethel, Conn, July 5, 1910, and
died in Bridgeport, Conn, April Z,
1881. Like thousands of lowly be-
ginning who accomplished much,
Barnum had hard shedding in early
life, and the usual amount of difi-
Guilty in acquiring an education. But
in his late years-and it is not
unreasonable to say-his name was
better known in the world than
that of any other American except,
perhaps, George Washington.
An illustration of this popularity
Is given in an interview between
Gen. Grant and Barnum, in which
the latter said: General, since
your journey around the world you
are the best-known man on the
globe" mo, SIR" the general is
said to have replied, your name is
familiar to multitudes who never
heard of me. Wherever I went,
among the most distant nations,
the fact that I was an American led
to constant inquiries whether I
knew Barnum."
Barnum first entered show busi-
ness in 1885, when he purchased
for $1,000 Joice Heth, who claimed
she was once owned by Gen. Wash
ington's father and that she nursed
the general when he was a baby.
Her reputed age at that time was
161 years, though a postmortem ex-
animation following her death, early
in 1886, indicated that she was not
nearly that old.
Balancing Expert Performed
Here for Barnum in 1886
Shortly after the great Snowman
obtained control of the venerable
Negress he started out on the road
with q juggler and equilibrist whom
he had picked up in Albany and
renamed Signor vivslla. Soon he
was on his way to Washington with
the signor and opened here on jan
uary is. 1886, to a house said by
him to have not exceeded $50.
Needless to say he lost money, since
he was not to receive anything for
vivalla's act until 500 had been
taken in at the box once. How
ever, Barnums impressions of
Washington at that time are worth
repeating. He says:
LAS this was my first visit to
Washington was much interested
in visiting the Capitol and other
public buildings. I also satisfied my
curiosity in seeing Clay, Calhoun,
Benton, John Quincy Adams, Rich
ard M. johnson, Polk and other
leading statesmen of the time.
Il was also greatly gratifed in
calling upon Anne Royal. author
of the Black Book publisher of
a little paper called Paul Pry, and
quite a celebrated parsonage in her
day. I had exchanged the Herald
of Freedom with her journal and
she strongly sympathized with me
in my prosecutions. She was de-
lighted to see me, and although she
was the most garrulous old woman
I ever saw, I passed very amusing
and pleasant time with her. Before
leaving her I manifested my show
man propensity by trying to hire
her to give q dozen or more lee
lures on government in the At
lantic cities, but I could not engage
her at any price, although I am
sure the speculation would have
been q very profitable one.
Circus Prospered Here;
Hugh Coyle an Associate
Il never saw this eccentric woman
again: she died at very advanced
age, october l, 1854, at her resi-
oence in Washington"
However, it was in Washington
that Barnum got his real start in
the circus business when he met
man named Hugh Coyle.
In Washington the streets were
often given over to the circus COM
panies, and it was on Louisiana
avenue (now thing of the past)
between Ninth and Tenth streets
that Barnum is said to have made