MR PHINEAS TAYLOR. BARNUM. (Showman, Philanthropist, Citizen)

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 432, 28 December 1889, Page 6

MR PHINEAS TAYLOR. BARNUM. (Showman, Philanthropist, Citizen)

be' A blot^ on thl, rf&e/^ *&c Mrottd&» renowned topicalMlriterviews ~ if "the, pro-, .?"' prietor of • the- gropes t-Bhpw> on airth,^ the man whose name passed l jntol;:n'n^ '-- become a part ofuthe? Ehglistf? language/ 5 , were allowed to escape the znucbjprized ordeal of being interviewed. r <X. therefore,' one day found myself walking/ uf^the superb staircase - lined withi '^httmari peacocks, i/ and,, < was^Bhowh -,into dnj^qfeMr Barnum's rooms (on. the first flodlfl^wnere I fpun'dVss'eWft^^^^^^ Mr George O.f SehW^MV" Tttm $B,uriSiide (the English presslagentiorCthe BhoV);f|rtid our pwn,Mr. Paul n > who, by :Jhe>&vei in hi« .own democratic,, iconoclastic 'manner^ was critically exa'mihTrig tnV ari*tre^re>lin-, variably found in the 1 private'sitCingJrooms ofhotels. ( ( u » ;,,.;, _.■-,, tjjii ,/, t £ irr , A feentjtemap Btepped (J out, f pf ,tbe .group, and shook Bands in" a* bear ty, ''genuine manrier. 'It' Was the^GrtinU' OfcUCifa&elh himself. » Ho stands aboiifc u'velfeet ten-high, has eyeshot i the , brightest, kijidljest^and moafc vivacious description, „ . Despite his eighty years, he/is~aB'a'ctive'as l'am,"useB a high- backed' chair; and jgesticulates all' I tße time he is speaking.,-, dDhereiis absolutely nothing about him^hich.stampsjjthe. ordinary octogenarian, his carries no wrinkles, and 'there is' not' a* suggestion' of infirmity of any sort. • Z\ r ' ! 4 When do you open ?' I asked^hitn. , <- f4 The evening of, the vllth ,of, November I believe, ty was, originally intended to be In the i afternoon, Jbujb^the.gehtlemep pf a my staff,' — indicating Mr Starr — • hayearranged otherwise now.,', ./£. /£ „ „ v , , iU [ _ n , J} , I would here remark that npthing' can show the character of the , ma A n more) tlian the way his^ employees, 'treat, him. ', f They ,bave an almost , affectionate manner towards him, and while it, is in gvgy ,jyfay respectful, there is not a s,er'vili'ty, 'about lit, and the old gentleman's faith" and reliance in his staff is, undeniably manifested in his demeanour towards them., „.,'i, 4»*-"yI 1 And for how Jong V , t One J hundred days , was qur. "original time, but we will; go ion until 1 about April.' , -,$.,,,,', ;- \ 'tj ' And you will be in London all. 'the time?' , . , , „ , „,,.,,.'" ; 'Oh, yes, with, the exception of, a, run this weekto I^arie. Ah *!, .they haye.aTrival show there I freely admit, but; I am [going to see the tower, and, you can me, that we will have, one in $ew> York five hundred feet higher. ,1 say this .advisecjly, for if no one else builds iit.and I an» alive.l will do so at my own expensed At - kX .. ■>* Mr,Barnum, .it must be, remembered, *. : many, times over a millionaire, 'and ; can afford any .such. . little luxury as a fifteen hundred feet high tower. , > t : t" ' 'Are there any new features, in the circus for London f, • „:, ' I don't think so, beyond a /ou,r r in-hand of genuine elk; standing over, fifteen and' a half hands high, and no handsomer team was ever seen. Then we have a grand old grizzly from the Rockies, weighing '.two thousand pounds.' • ' Anything more?' . .• ■- , \ , ' Yes ; a grand spectacle, called f • Nero, or the Destruction of Rome." It is a magnificent affair, employing 1,200 people, v and was given in the open air on Staten Island, in New York, Harbour ; and everything! for one shilling — that's our motto— one shilling admits to everything. By the way, Lcontendthat my show is more of an equestrian exhibition than a circus. Vulgarity, profanity, or indecency never flourished in it, and, unfortunately, these ,are top often the "features of that style of entertainment.' ( „ t " 1 Will you tell me something about your commercial career?' , • •Well, I, was the first president of, the Bridgeport Bank, of which town I was also Mayor. I was also president of a steamboat corporation, a hospital, and, a tramway company, also of an insuranceconcern.' t ' Have you anything to do with politics; now V , • No, nor have I actively held any> part in them fora long time. 1 have however, been returned four times to, the; state legislature, but, it was always with ,ttie? object of fighting some specific abuse, also offered the nomination for, thje^ presidency of the United States, but ib/was'bpthe Prohibition party, which, Js ■ really > an organisation sustained by the , rum-sellers, for* the object of!, splitting. !up ,|he; Republican Party; of 'the , . United fStates. , I have been for years a, total abstainer, > but I have always voted against prohibition, as I do not believe irfthe liquor, business being run by menj.who owe no responsibility tosome authority, c and ,of course, pure prohibition would .mean secret and illicit dealings in the stuff.' - , ,-,, , „r ' You have of£en heen over, here before ?'" .'I have crossed the Atlantic o\;er sixtytimes. In February, 1844, I was.lecturing,. . and had the honour of having threeMnterviews with, the Queen in fourteen days; andl I hope she, will come' and see our' show 1 now' that it is here. , I also hope* the Prince' of«Wales will come, and see us. I have'iiofe seen him since he'was a'b'oyl' . '-"'--. ' Where are your headquarters ?'. ' •Bridgeport, Connecticut, t where the j winter quarters of our afybV are; situated.. I am very fond of ( that *tpwii ;"in 'fa'ct ifc' is 'my/ hobby, and I' founded East Bridgeport myself. It has, now twehty'thousand inhabiiants and sixty jbhotisand trees. ' 1 started it, by m'akiner a. bridge, a6ro«s the* river to Bridgeport, proper, "arid'it!hasproved .a f good inVestment/, indeed.^ 1 The park I gave to the city a long time, ago has appreciated in value to an enormoiis extent, and is now worth over twomilfionsof dollars, but I guess they will'never sell it. * 'I -have also given' the tbwri a building ttvo v be" utilised for the purposes Vif a' scientific 4 museum. It is worth £200,000 . / ' - -» * U-* ' Do you expect -to, make 'touch 1 mbriey in London?" ', ' ' ! c „i »«r ♦ ' No', ,1 don't" see how I, can' do ■so in' i:hs time, 4 tHe'-place wbritf hold it. ''(Jf'^ouree; ib is impossible" to fix any amdunfc for' the" loss, but if it costs me one hundred thousand pounds, arid that sum has 'been) contemplated'by my managers,' "it- will' disturb neither my bank account "nor 'my equanimity. I once lost 4 over two 1 rriillioris of dollars by fire, - but it did t not . disturb me. I am , happily ' possessed of a, .very tranquil disposition, and. 1^ iiave- encouragexi. s "th& habit as much as possible.,. To that I attribute my good health.' c ;, tl t n-<Mst • And ' now 1( ,. hi r Barnum, it >^woulql f b& absurd to leave you without talking aboutJumbo.' t -> './• ■, •-X , -."t/i .hntirt ' i t* Dear old fellow !\ His old' keeper,* Scott, is still with^us ;- heiwept when the accident took place.fn.Ql<coj4rsej ijh&va .His skiniland^also his^ skeleton,' t and/; they are two important features of /tny% sjow. 'His actual, purchase . money * coatT me York v Ke;s|6b;c^ite6,^;^ a j grea^ losal^W b^t;He ? repa'id^HeMlOOO .was, and atpn,ce said'tKat-lWoulH'bu^liim ! H .JEx^ongressman. S^p^en'^.^WJl^pn;, of ..^ jtWellB^^JPenn^ {^^fau^Jb^)ijjnBelf a 7:'a 7 : ' Kr^nito tomb in ehapopfn jog cabin.,