Struggles and Triumphs, P. T. Barnum [good books to read in english .txt] 📗

engagement terminated. She was always affable. On one occasion, while passing through Bridgeport, she told me that she had been sadly harassed in giving her concerts. “People cheat me and swindle me very much,” said she, “and I find it very annoying to give concerts on my own account.”

I was always supplied with complimentary tickets when she gave concerts in New York, and on the occasion of her last appearance in America, I visited her in her room back of the stage, and bade her and her husband adieu, with my best wishes. She expressed the same feeling to me in return. She told me she should never sing much, if any more, in public; but I reminded her that a good Providence had endowed her with a voice which enabled her to contribute in an eminent degree to the enjoyment of her fellow beings, and if she no longer needed the large sums of money which they were willing to pay for this elevating and delightful entertainment, she knew by experience what a genuine pleasure she would receive by devoting the money to the alleviation of the wants and sorrows of those who needed it.

“Ah! Mr. Barnum,” she replied, “that is very true, and it would be ungrateful in me to not continue to use for the benefit of the poor and lowly, that gift which our kind Heavenly Father has so graciously bestowed upon me. Yes, I will continue to sing so long as my voice lasts, but it will be mostly for charitable objects, for I am thankful to say I have all the money which I shall ever need.” Pursuant to this resolution, the larger portion of the concerts which this noble lady has given since her return to Europe, have been for objects of benevolence.

If she consents to sing for a charitable object in London, for instance, the fact is not advertised at all, but the tickets are readily disposed of in a private quiet way, at a guinea and half a guinea each.

After so many months of anxiety, labor and excitement, in the Jenny Lind enterprise, it will readily be believed that I desired tranquility. I spent a week at Cape May, and then came home to Iranistan, where I remained during the entire summer.

Jenny Lind Concerts

Total Receipts, Excepting of Concerts Devoted to Charity

— New York $17,864.05 — ” 14,203.03 1. ” 12,519.59 2. ” 14,266.09 3. ” 12,174.74 4. ” 16,028.39 5. Boston 16,479.50 6. ” 11,848.62 7. ” 8,639.92 8. ” 10,169.25 9. Providence 6,525.54 10. Boston 10,524.87 11. ” 5,240.00 12. ” 7,586.00 13. Philadelphia 9,291.25 14. ” 7,547.00 15. ” 8,458.65 16. New York 6,415.90 17. ” 4,009.70 18. ” 5,982.00 19. ” 8,007.10 20. ” 6,334.20 21. ” 9,429.15 22. ” 9,912.17 23. ” 5,773.40 24. ” 4,993.50 25. ” 6,670.15 26. ” 9,840.33 27. ” 7,097.15 28. ” 8,263.30 29. ” 10,570.25 30. ” 10,646.45 31. Philadelphia 5,480.75 32. ” 5,728.65 33. ” 3,709.88 34. ” 4,815.48 35. Baltimore 7,117.00 36. ” 8,357.05 37. ” 8,406.50 38. ” 8,121.33 39. Washington City 6,878.55 40. ” 8,507.05 41. Richmond 12,385.21 42. Charleston 6,775.00 43. ” 3,653.75 44. Havana 4,666.17 45. ” 2,837.92 46. Havana 2,931.95 47. New Orleans 12,599.85 48. ” 10,210.42 49. ” 8,131.15 50. ” 6,019.85 51. ” 6,644.00 52. ” 9,720.80 53. ” 7,545.50 54. ” 6,053.50 55. ” 4,850.25 56. ” 4,495.35 57. ” 6,630.35 58. ” 4,745.10 59. Natchez 5,000.00 60. Memphis 4,539.56 61. St. Louis 7,811.85 62. ” 7,961.92 63. ” 7,708.70 64. ” 4,086.50 65. ” 3,044.70 66. Nashville 7,786.30 67. ” 4,248.00 68. Louisville 7,833.90 69. ” 6,595.60 70. ” 5,000.00 71. Madison 3,693.25 72. Cincinnati 9,339.75 73. ” 11,001.50 74. ” 8,446.30 75. ” 8,954.18 76. ” 6,500.40 77. Wheeling 5,000.00 78. Pittsburg 7,210.58 79. New York 6,858.42 80. ” 5,453.00 81. ” 5,463.70 82. ” 7,378.35 83. ” 7,179.27 84. ” 6,641.00 85. ” 6,917.13 86. ” 6,642.04 87. ” 3,738.75 88. ” 4,335.28 89. ” 5,339.23 90. ” 4,087.03 91. ” 5,717.00 92. ” 9,525.80 93. Philadelphia 3,852.75

Charity Concerts.⁠—Of Miss Lind’s half receipts of the first two Concerts, she devoted $10,000 to charity in New York. She afterwards gave Charity Concerts in Boston, Baltimore, Charleston, Havana, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia, and donated large sums for the like purposes in Richmond, Cincinnati, and elsewhere. There were also several Benefit Concerts, for the Orchestra, Le Grand Smith, and other persons and objects.

Recapitulation

Concerts Receipts Average New York 35 $286,216.64 $8,177.50 Philadelphia 8 48,884.41 6,110.55 Boston 7 70,388.16 10,055.45 Providence 1 6,525.54 6,525.54 Baltimore 4 32,101.88 8,000.47 Washington 2 15,385.60 7,692.80 Richmond 1 12,385.21 12,385.21 Charleston 2 10,428.75 5,214.37 Havana 3 10,436.04 3,478.68 New Orleans 12 87,646.12 7,303.84 Natchez 1 5,000.00 5,000.00 Memphis 1 4,539.56 4,539.56 St. Louis 5 30,613.67 6,122.73 Nashville 2 12,034.30 6,017.15 Louisville 3 19,429.50 6,476.50 Madison 1 3,693.25 3,693.25 Cincinnati 5 44,242.13 8,848.43 Wheeling 1 5,000.00 5,000.00 Pittsburg 1 7,210.58 7,210.58 Total 95 $712,161.34 $7,496.43

Jenny Lind’s Receipts

From the Total Receipts of Ninety-five Concerts

$712,161.34

Deduct the receipts of the first two, which, as between P. T. Barnum and Jenny Lind, were aside from the contract, and are not numbered in the Table

32,067.08 Total Receipts of Concerts from No. 1 to No. 93 $680,094.26 Deduct the receipts of the 28 Concerts, each of which fell short of $5,500 $123,311.15 Also deduct $5,500 for each of the remaining 65 Concerts 357,500.00 480,811.15 Leaving the total excess, as above $199,283.11 Being equally divided, Miss Lind’s portion was $99,641.55 I paid her $1,000 for each of the 93 Concerts 93,000.00 Also one half the receipts of the first two Concerts 16,033.54 Amount paid to Jenny Lind $208,675.09 She refunded to me as forfeiture, per contract, in case she withdrew after the 100th Concert $25,000 She also paid me $1,000 each for the seven Concerts relinquished 7,000 32,000.00 Jenny Lind’s net avails of 95 Concerts $176,675.09 P. T. Barnum’s gross receipts, after paying Miss Lind 535,486.25 Total Receipts of 95 Concerts $712,161.34

Price Of Tickets.⁠—The highest prices paid for tickets were at auction as follows:⁠—John N. Genin, in New York, $225; Ossian E. Dodge, in Boston, $625; Col. William C. Ross, in Providence, $650; M. A. Root, in Philadelphia, $625; Mr. D’Arcy, in New Orleans, $240; a keeper of a refreshment saloon in St. Louis, $150; a Daguerrotypist, in Baltimore, $100. I cannot now recall the names of the last two. After the sale of the first ticket, the premium usually fell to $20, and so downward in the scale of figures. The fixed price of tickets ranged from $7 to $3. Promenade tickets were from $2 to $1 each.

XXIII Other Enterprises

Another Venture⁠—“Barnum’s Great Asiatic Caravan, Museum and Menagerie”⁠—Hunting Elephants⁠—General Tom Thumb⁠—Elephant Plowing in Connecticut⁠—Curious Questions from All Quarters⁠—The Public Interest in My Novel Farming⁠—How Much an Elephant Can Really “Draw”⁠—Commodore Vanderbilt⁠—Dan Drew⁠—Side Shows and Various Enterprises⁠—Obsequies of Napoleon⁠—The Crystal Palace⁠—Campanalogians⁠—American Indians in London⁠—Automaton Speaker⁠—The Duke of Wellington⁠—Attempt to Buy Shakespeare’s House⁠—Dissolving Views⁠—The Chinese Collection⁠—Wonderful Scotch Boys⁠—Solving the Mystery of Double Sight⁠—The Bateman Children⁠—Catherine Hayes⁠—Iranistan on Fire⁠—My Eldest Daughter’s Marriage⁠—Benefits for the Bridgeport Library and the Mountain Grove Cemetery.

While I was managing the Lind concerts, in addition to the American Museum I had other business matters in operation which were more than enough to engross my entire attention and which, of course, I was compelled to commit to the hands of associates and agents.

In 1849 I had projected a great travelling museum and menagerie, and, as I had neither time nor inclination to manage such a concern, I induced Mr. Seth B. Howes, justly celebrated as a “showman,” to join me, and take the sole charge. Mr. Sherwood E. Stratton, father of General Tom Thumb, was also admitted to partnership, the interest being in thirds.

In carrying out a portion of the plan, we chartered the ship Regatta, Captain Pratt, and despatched her, together with our agents, Messrs. June and Nutter, to Ceylon. The ship left New York in May, 1850, and was absent one year. Their mission was to procure, either by capture or purchase, twelve or more living elephants, besides such other wild animals as they could secure. In order to provide sufficient drink