Chapter I: Front Matter

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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 York City--A Landed Proprietor--The Ethics of Trade--Farm Work and Keeping Store--Meeting-house and Sunday-school--"The One Thing Needful."

CHAPTER II. EARLY YEARS AT BETHEL. Death of his Grandmother and Father--Left Penniless and Bare-footed--Work in a Store--His First Love--Trying to buy Russia--Uncle Bibbin's Duel

CHAPTER III. BUSINESS LIFE Removal to Brooklyn--Smallpox--Goes Home to Recover His Health--Renewed Acquaintance with the Pretty Tailoress--First Independent Business Venture--Residence in New York--Return to Bethel--Anecdotes

CHAPTER IV. TRYING MANY VENTURES. Visit to Pittsburg--Successful Lottery Business--Marriage--First Editorial Venture--Libel Suit--Imprisonment and Liberation--Removal to New York--Hard Times--Keeping a Boarding House

CHAPTER V. BEGINNING AS A SHOWMAN. Finding His True Vocation--The Purchase of Joice Heth--Evidence as to Her Age--Her Death--Signor Vivalla--Visit to Washington--Joining a Travelling Circus--Controversies with Ministers--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 as a Negro Minstrel--A Bad Man with a Gun--Dealing with a Sheriff--"Lady Hayes"--An Embarrassed Juggler--Barnum as a Matrimonial Agent

CHAPTER VII. HARD TIMES. Advertising for a Partner--"Quaker Oats"--Diamond the Dancer--A Dishonest Manager--Return to New York--From Hand to Mouth--The American Museum

CHAPTER VIII. THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. Advertising Extraordinary--A Quick-witted Performer--Niagara Falls 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 Baby Show--Grand Buffalo Hunt--N. P. Willis--The First Wild West Show

CHAPTER X. GIANTS AND DWARFS. Science for the Public--Mesmerism Extraordinary--Killing off a Rival--The Two Giants--Discovery of "Tom Thumb"--Seeking Other Worlds to Conquer--First Visit to England

CHAPTER XI. TOM THUMB IN LONDON. An Aristocratic Visitor--Calling at Buckingham Palace and Hobnobbing with Royalty--Getting a Puff in the "Court Circular"--The Iron Duke--A Great Social and Financial Success

CHAPTER XII. IN FRANCE. Arrival in Paris--Visit to the Tuilleries--Longchamps--"Tom Ponce" all the Rage--Bonaparte and Louis Phillipi--Tour through France--Barnum's Purchase

CHAPTER XIII. IN BELGIUM. Presented to King Leopold and the Queen--The General's Jewels stolen--The Field of Waterloo--An Accident--An Expensive Equipage--The Custom of the Country

CHAPTER XIV. IN ENGLAND AGAIN. Egyptian Hall and the Zoological Garden--The Special Relics--Purchase of the Happy Family--Return to America

CHAPTER XV. AT HOME. Partnership with Tom Thumb--Visit to Cuba--Iranistan, his Famous Palace at Bridgeport--Barnum's Game-Keeper and the Great Game Dinner--Frank Leslie

CHAPTER XVI. JENNY LIND. A Daring Venture--Barnum's Ambassador--Unprecedented Terms offered--Text of the Contract--Hard Work to Raise the Guarantee Fund--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 Her Honor--A Furore of Public Interest--Sale of Tickets for the First Concert--Barnum's Change in Terms--Ten Thousand Dollars for Charity--Enormous Success of the First Concert

CHAPTER XVIII. CONTINUED TRIUMPH. Successful Advertising--The Responsibilities of Riches--Visit to Iranistan--Ovations at Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington--Visit to Mt. Vernon--Charleston--Havana--Fredericka Brerner

CHAPTER XIX. HAVANA. Conquest of the Habaneros--The Italian and his Dog--Mad Bennett--A Successful Ruse--Return to New Orleans--Ludicrous Incident--Up the Mississippi--Legerdemain

CHAPTER XX. THE TRIALS OF AN IMPRESSARIO. St Louis--The Secretary's Little Game--Legal Advice--Smooth Waters Again--Barnum's Efforts Appreciated--An Extravagant Encomium

CHAPTER XXI. CLOSING THE GRAND TOUR. April Fool Jokes at Nashville--A Trick at Cincinnati--Return to New York--Jenny Lind Persuaded to Leave Barnum--Financial Results of the Enterprise

CHAPTER XXII. A FEW SIDE ISSUES. The Expedition to Ceylon--Harnessing an Elephant to a Plow--Barnum and Vanderbilt--The Talking Machine--A Fire at Iranistan--Mountain Grove Cemetery

CHAPTER XXIII. SOME DOMESTIC ENTERPRISES. Putting a Pickpocket on Exhibition--Traveling Incognito--The Pequonnock Bank--The New York Crystal Palace--A Poem on an Incident at Iranistan

CHAPTER XXIV. THE JEROME CLOCK COMPANY. Founding East Bridgeport--Growth of the City--The Jerome Clock Bubble--A Ruined Man--Paying Honest Debts--Down in the Depths

CHAPTER XXV. THE WHEAT AND THE CHAFF. False and True Friends--Meeting of Bridgeport Citizens--Barnum's Letter--Tom Thumb's Offer--Shillaber's Poem--Barnum's Message to the Creditors of the Jerome Clock Company--Removal to New York--Beginning Life Anew at Forty-six

CHAPTER XXVI. IDLENESS WITHOUT REST. Annoying Persecutions of Creditors--Summer on Long Island--The Black Whale Pays the Board Bill--The Wheeler & Wilson Company Remove to East Bridgeport--Setting Sail for England

CHAPTER XXVII. A PROSPEROUS EXILE. His Successful Pupil--Making Many Friends in London--Acquaintance with Thackeray--A Comedy of Errors in a German Custom House--Aristocratic Patronage at Fashionable Resorts--Barnum's Impressions of Holland and the Dutch

CHAPTER XXVIII. HOME AGAIN. A Jolly Voyage--Mock Trial on Shipboard--Barnum on Trial for His Life--Discomfited Witnesses and a Triumphant Prisoner--Fair Weather Friends--The Burning of Iranistan

CHAPTER XXIX. THE ART OF MONEY GETTING. The Lecture Field--Success--Cambridge--Oxford--An Unique Entertainment--Barnum Equal to the Occasion--Invited to Stay a Week

CHAPTER XXX. AN ENTERPRISING ENGLISHMAN. A New Friend--Dinner to Tom Thumb and Commodore Nutt--Measuring the Giant--The Two Engines

CHAPTER XXXI. AT HOME AGAIN. The Clock Debts Paid--The Museum once more under Barnum's Management--Enthusiastic Reception--His Speech--Two Poems

CHAPTER XXXII. THE STORY OF "GRIZZLY ADAMS." Barnum's Partnership with the Famous Bear Hunter--Fooling Him with the "Golden Pigeons"--Adams Earns $500 at Desperate Cost--Tricking Barnum out of a Fine Hunting Suit--Prosperity of the Museum--Visit of the Prince of Wales

CHAPTER XXXIII. BUILDING A CITY. At Home Once More--Growth of East Bridgeport--Barnum's Offer to Men Wanting Homes of Their Own--Remarkable Progress of the Place--How the Streets were Named

CHAPTER XXXIV. A GREAT YEAR AT THE MUSEUM. Capturing and Exhibiting White Whales--Newspaper Comments--A Touching Obituary--The Great Behemoth--A Long "Last Week"--Commodore Nutt--Real Live Indians on Exhibition

CHAPTER XXXV. GENERAL AND MRS. TOM THUMB. Miss Lavinia Warren--The Rivals--Miss Warren's Engagement to Tom Thumb--The Wedding--Grand Reception--Letter From a Would-be Guest, and Dr Taylor's Reply

CHAPTER XXXVI. POLITICAL NOTES. Barnum Becomes a Republican--Illuminating the House of a Democrat--The Peace Meeting--Elected to the Legislature--War on the Railroads--Speech on the Amendment

CHAPTER XXXVII. BURNING OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. How Barnum Received the Tidings--Humorous Description of the Fire--A Public Calamity--Greeley's Advice--Intention to Re-establish the Museum--Speech at Employees' Benefit

CHAPTER XXXVIII. POLITICAL LIFE. In the Connecticut Legislature--The Great Railroad Fight--Barnum's Effective Stroke--Canvassing for a United States Senator--Barnum's Congressional Campaign--A Challenge that was not Accepted

CHAPTER XXXIX. FIGHTING A NEWSPAPER. Disposing of the Lease of the Museum Site--The Bargain with Mr. Bennett--Barnum's Refusal to Back Out--A Long and Bitter War with "The Herald"--Action of the Other Managers--The Return of Peace

CHAPTER XL. BRIDGEPORT. The Fight for the Establishment of Seaside Park--Laying out City Streets--Impatience with "Old Fogies"--Building a Seaside Home--Waldemere--A Home in New York City

CHAPTER XLI. HONORS AND ADULATIONS. Second Marriage--The King of Hawaii--Elected Mayor of Bridgeport--Successful Tour of the Hippodrome--Barnum's Retirement from Office