LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2248, 17 June 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

LETTERS TO BARNDM. TFrom the “Bra.”] Among the most curious of Barnutn' B curiosities are the letters from queer people, of which ho gets a score or two a day. They come from every quarter of the globe, from Greenland to New Zealand, and from Capo Cod to Bong Kong, and are written in all languages and dialects. Only a few of the writers know the old showman’s address, but letters that come directed to ‘Mr Barnaul, North America,’ as they occasionally do, arc apt to be sent straight to their intended destination by the experienced Postoffice clerks. The writers are people in every eendi i m—backwoodsmen, fishermen, clowns, clergymen, patent light men, begging women, schoolboys, sword swallowers, magicians, and what not. binue the combination of Barnum’s and the London Show the letters have inoraased in number, and, if possible, in queerness. ‘ I am cot sure but we shill have to exhibit a cabinet of these yet,’ said Mr Barnum’a partner, Mr Hutchinson, as he sat at a desk in an offije in the Barnum Building, in Bridgeport, the other day, with a big pile of letters before him. Calling out such business letters as needed immediate attention, Mr Hutchinson pushed the pile over to his visitor. • Those will entertain yon while I go over to the winter quarters and back,’ he said.

The first letter was written in an unformed schoolboy band and road —‘ Dear Mr Barnaul,—l am a boy eight years old, and I want to know if you will please send me a pony, for I was born in one of yonr houses, and Igo to your clrcks every year. I was oful sorry when you were sick, and I was waiting for yon to come borne; but don’t you send mo the little jackass that pitches the boys off his back. My papa is out in Jersey, and he Is going to seed mo a letter with a dollar in it, and I will give it to you. If I could get more I would give it to you, but I cannot get no mere. Now I will close by eroding yon my love ’ The next letter was written in a trembling, old-fashionod hand. The writer said she was an aged woman, and in need. She wanted Mr. Barnnro to buy a sun-glass, a Revolutionary relic, in possession of her family. Then came a female aeronaut’s application fora job next season; and following that a letter from a stranger, who wanted a loan of 5000 dols. to start a mill in a Southern State.

A friend of a gentleman who waa ambitious to beooma a clown wrote from Canada “ The young mania endowed with as fine talents aa God ever bestowed upon man. If there waa some gentleman like yourself to take him in hand, and with a few weeks’ training you could place before the public one of the moat comical clowns that ever entertained the public. In the first place, ho is a fine-looking man, with a large smooth face; stands sft. Sin., weighing 240.ba. Hia talent layes in the following points—he ia we suppose to be one of the finest (contortionists) that America can produce in fact he can almost place his eyes and face to any shape—ln the second place I believe that he is second to known in mimicry such as to mimic dogs barking crying snarling or growling—roosters hens horses birds &o he will place his face one minute and look aa simple and as foolish and the next it will change into ploasnre then as quick It will he into sadnesa—make both eyea crooked—one straight and one crooked Ac. in his movements he is quick ns a cat, * * * Please give an account of how wages runs for clowns. I suppose that you could’ find him some way when he would go to you a oonplo of clown suits. Please let me know what month your show starts oat & if you have your clowns to use any clowns joke books.” The next was a short letter from a ten-year-old boy living in Michigan. He wanted Mr Barnum to send him a book on animals. Ho had no money, but when he got old enongh he said he weald pay for it. A Kensos entomologist wanted to sell Mr Barnum a case of bugs; a Californian offered him a section of a big tree; and a young Connecticut dress-maker wanted to borrow 500 dels, to go to the Pacific coast. She had no security, but would pay Mr Barnum in instalments. She thought she could earn 5 dole a week. A Cherokee, lowa, man writes that his friends there assert that Barnum Is dead. Driven to a comer, he asks Mr Barnum to write him a letter that will settle the matter. The letter waa sent up to Mr Barnum, and the reply came back—“My impression is that I am not dead* P. T. Barnum." A woman in Oswego Falls writes that she ia getting subscriptions for an organ for the Sunday school. She says that a citizen whom she asked for money refused her, and subsequently had a talk with her about Barnum. Sbe concludes— * He? said if any one should come to you and ask yon to loan them a small sum to help them in any way, he did not believe yon would do it. I said from what I had read of you I thought you were a generous man in your private and in yonr public life. Mr H. turned to me and said, Miss W., if you will write to old Barnum and oak him to subscribe 25 dels, for the Sunday school, and if he does it, 1 will give yon 100 dols.’ He wrote and signed a note to that effect In the presence of witnesses, and now, Mr Barnnm, if you will send me 25 dols. I will send it back to yon if you desire It. I only ask it of you so I can get the money of him (H.), for ho has never given a penny to our Sand ay school yet, and if you will only help me I have got him now. The next letter ia the pile was written in French, and the writer said he waa a wonderful performer on a tin whistle, and would blow it for a good salary. A Pennoylvanlaa came next, with an Invitation for a bid on some old books and papers that he had. The letter that followed waa also from a Pennsylvanian man who lived in Wiikesbarre. Three closely written pages of foolscap were covered with mysterious words about “ the curiosity of the world.” The writer would not venture to even remotely indicate the nature of his treasure, but invited Mr Barnum to come on and see It. This was from a Muscutine, lowa, young man, who plays female characters— * I have a perty good tuperano voise. I know I can got away with moat of the common female singers in euperano voise I have followed the show business aom.’ A Shelby county (Indiana) farmer wrote that ho had a ourly-haired oa'f for sale, but his offer waa eclipsed by that of a Haw Bedford fisherman that followed it. The fisherman thought he could capture a finback whale if Mr Barnum wanted to buy one. An Orleans county (New York) man, probably a lunatic, wrote—‘l can remove the effulgence from the disk of the sun with the majio power that I possess If yon want to seo it clone, it you will write me a line and state the time, I will potform this feat ten times in bait an hour. From 5 to 6 is the best time. My own family don’t know that I possess this power. You will say this is a big humbug, but it L no humbug. If you don’t want to put this on exhibition, you will do me a favor by saying nothing about it,’ The following letter was from a Paris, Kentucky, correspondent; ‘Among the many curiosities comprising your museum, I think you have neglected one that might prove. In one sense, an attractive one. I mean an ugly man. I offer myself with confidence as being the ugliest man beyond question in the United States of Canada. I have resided many years In this State, and am universally acknowledged by travellers and residents as the ugliest man ever seen. Yet there is nothing repulsive In my appearance. I am naturally lazy, and desire a job that does not require much exertion.’ An oiler to build a duplicate of Solomon’s Temple on a reduced scale came from Slrathehy, Ontario. A Niles, Michigan man. was an mysterious in writing about a curiosity in his possession as was the Wilkesbarre man. Mr Barnum, he was sure, had never scan anything like it. Several correspondents bad gained the impression that the pet ambition of Mr Barnnm’a life was to got a three-oolored cat. A Hoffstown, H.N., bey thought bo could got such a cat, and also offered hia father as a curiosity. His letter- ran * Mr P. T. Ba-nmn—Sir, I was Inftrmed the other day that you had advertised lor a three-colored Tommy oat. I am a yoar.g lad hardly fourteen, and do not know that I conld procure such a cat, bat think I can ; at any rate. If It is really true that you want one I will make the effort ; please inform me if you would like one how much you will pay and how I shall send it P. 3 —I wish you could see my father. People say if you could yon would be glad

to hire him to travel with yon; it Is said that he can imitate a gentleman, a beggar and old woman, a young lady, or most any other body.’ (To ho continued.')