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A UNIQUE STORY OF A MARVELLOUS CAREER. LIFE OF Hon. PHINEAS T. BARNUM. —— COMPRISING HIS BOYHOOD, YOUTH, …
By JOEL BENTON.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. IN THE BEGINNING.Family and Birth—School Life—His First Visit to New YorkCity—A Landed Proprietor—The Ethics of Trade—Farm Work andKeeping Store—Meeting-house and Sunday-school—"The One ThingNeedful."
CHAPTER II. EARLY YEARS AT BETHEL.Death of his Grandmother and Father—Left Penniless andBare-footed—Work in a Store—His First Love—Trying to buyRussia—Uncle Bibbin's Duel
CHAPTER III. BUSINESS LIFERemoval to Brooklyn—Smallpox—Goes Home to Recover HisHealth—Renewed Acquaintance with the Pretty Tailoress—FirstIndependent Business Venture—Residence in New York—Return toBethel—Anecdotes
CHAPTER IV. TRYING MANY VENTURES.Visit to Pittsburg—Successful Lottery Business—Marriage—FirstEditorial Venture—Libel Suit—Imprisonment andLiberation—Removal to New York—Hard Times—Keeping a BoardingHouse
CHAPTER V. BEGINNING AS A SHOWMAN.Finding His True Vocation—The Purchase of Joice Heth—Evidenceas to Her Age—Her Death—Signor Vivalla—Visit toWashington—Joining a Travelling Circus—Controversies withMinisters—The Victim of a Practical Joke
CHAPTER VI. INCIDENTS OF A CIRCUS TOUR.Beating a Landlord—A Joke on Turner—Barnum as a Preacher and asa Negro Minstrel—A Bad Man with a Gun—Dealing with aSheriff—"Lady Hayes"—An Embarrassed Juggler—Barnum as aMatrimonial Agent
CHAPTER VII. HARD TIMES.Advertising for a Partner—"Quaker Oats"—Diamond the Dancer—ADishonest Manager—Return to New York—From Hand to Mouth—TheAmerican Museum
CHAPTER VIII. THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.Advertising Extraordinary—A Quick-witted Performer—NiagaraFalls with Real Water—Other Attractions—Drummond Light
CHAPTER IX. INCREASED POPULARITY OF THE MUSEUM.The American Flag and St. Paul's—St. Patrick's Day—The BabyShow—Grand Buffalo Hunt—N. P. Willis—The First Wild West Show
CHAPTER X. GIANTS AND DWARFS.Science for the Public—Mesmerism Extraordinary—Killing off aRival—The Two Giants—Discovery of "Tom Thumb"—Seeking OtherWorlds to Conquer—First Visit to England
CHAPTER XI. TOM THUMB IN LONDON.An Aristocratic Visitor—Calling at Buckingham Palace andHobnobbing with Royalty—Getting a Puff in the "CourtCircular"—The Iron Duke—A Great Social and Financial Success
CHAPTER XII. IN FRANCE.Arrival in Paris—Visit to the Tuilleries—Longchamps—"TomPonce" all the Rage—Bonaparte and Louis Phillipi—Tour throughFrance—Barnum's Purchase
CHAPTER XIII. IN BELGIUM.Presented to King Leopold and the Queen—The General's Jewelsstolen—The Field of Waterloo—An Accident—An ExpensiveEquipage—The Custom of the Country
CHAPTER XIV. IN ENGLAND AGAIN.Egyptian Hall and the Zoological Garden—The SpecialRelics—Purchase of the Happy Family—Return to America
CHAPTER XV. AT HOME.Partnership with Tom Thumb—Visit to Cuba—Iranistan, his FamousPalace at Bridgeport—Barnum's Game-Keeper and the Great GameDinner—Frank Leslie
CHAPTER XVI. JENNY LIND.A Daring Venture—Barnum's Ambassador—Unprecedented Termsoffered—Text of the Contract—Hard Work to Raise the GuaranteeFund—Educating the American Mind to receive the Famous Singer
CHAPTER XVII. ARRIVAL OF JENNY LIND.First Meeting with Barnum—Reception in New York—Poems in HerHonor—A Furore of Public Interest—