Introductory
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 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—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 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 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 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 HerHonor—A Furore of Public Interest—Sale of Tickets for the FirstConcert—Barnum’s Change in Terms—Ten Thousand Dollars forCharity—Enormous Success of the First Concert
CHAPTER XVIII. CONTINUED TRIUMPH.Successful Advertising—The Responsibilities of Riches—Visit toIranistan—Ovations at Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore andWashington—Visit to Mt. Vernon—Charleston—Havana—FrederickaBrerner
CHAPTER XIX. HAVANA.Conquest of the Habaneros—The Italian and his Dog—MadBennett—A Successful Ruse—Return to New Orleans—LudicrousIncident—Up the Mississippi—Legerdemain
CHAPTER XX. THE TRIALS OF AN IMPRESSARIO.St Louis—The Secretary’s Little Game—Legal Advice—SmoothWaters Again—Barnum’s Efforts Appreciated—An ExtravagantEncomium
CHAPTER XXII. A FEW SIDE ISSUES.The Expedition to Ceylon—Harnessing an Elephant to aPlow—Barnum and Vanderbilt—The Talking Machine—A Fire atIranistan—Mountain Grove Cemetery
CHAPTER XXIII. SOME DOMESTIC ENTERPRISES.Putting a Pickpocket on Exhibition—Traveling Incognito—ThePequonnock Bank—The New York Crystal Palace—A Poem on anIncident 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 XXVI. IDLENESS WITHOUT REST.Annoying Persecutions of Creditors—Summer on Long Island—TheBlack Whale Pays the Board Bill—The Wheeler & Wilson CompanyRemove to East Bridgeport—Setting Sail for England
CHAPTER XXVIII. HOME AGAIN.A Jolly Voyage—Mock Trial on Shipboard—Barnum on Trial for HisLife—Discomfited Witnesses and a Triumphant Prisoner—FairWeather Friends—The Burning of Iranistan
CHAPTER XXIX. THE ART OF MONEY GETTING.The Lecture Field—Success—Cambridge—Oxford—An UniqueEntertainment—Barnum Equal to the Occasion—Invited to Stay aWeek
CHAPTER XXX. AN ENTERPRISING ENGLISHMAN.A New Friend—Dinner to Tom Thumb and Commodore Nutt—Measuringthe Giant—The Two Engines
CHAPTER XXXI. AT HOME AGAIN.The Clock Debts Paid—The Museum once more under Barnum’sManagement—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 toMen Wanting Homes of Their Own—Remarkable Progress of thePlace—How the Streets were Named
CHAPTER XXXIV. A GREAT YEAR AT THE MUSEUM.Capturing and Exhibiting White Whales—Newspaper Comments—ATouching Obituary—The Great Behemoth—A Long “LastWeek”—Commodore Nutt—Real Live Indians on Exhibition
CHAPTER XXXV. GENERAL AND MRS. TOM THUMB.Miss Lavinia Warren—The Rivals—Miss Warren’s Engagement to TomThumb—The Wedding—Grand Reception—Letter From a Would-beGuest, and Dr Taylor’s Reply
CHAPTER XXXVI. POLITICAL NOTES.Barnum Becomes a Republican—Illuminating the House of aDemocrat—The Peace Meeting—Elected to the Legislature—War onthe Railroads—Speech on the Amendment
CHAPTER XXXVII. BURNING OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM.How Barnum Received the Tidings—Humorous Description of theFire—A Public Calamity—Greeley’s Advice—Intention toRe-establish the Museum—Speech at Employees’ Benefit
CHAPTER XXXVIII. POLITICAL LIFE.In the Connecticut Legislature—The Great RailroadFight—Barnum’s Effective Stroke—Canvassing for a United StatesSenator—Barnum’s Congressional Campaign—A Challenge that wasnot 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 CityStreets—Impatience with “Old Fogies”—Building a SeasideHome—Waldemere—A Home in New York City
CHAPTER XLI. HONORS AND ADULATIONS.Second Marriage—The King of Hawaii—Elected Mayor ofBridgeport—Successful Tour of the Hippodrome—Barnum’sRetirement from Office