TAILS GALORE

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 49, 6 December 1890, Page 20

TAILS GALORE

Mr Barxvm tells the following story of his first introduction to the show business. One day, when he was fourteen years of age, a neighbour had been up country thirty miles—a long distance in those days when rail "ays were unknown—and on his return he (Barnum > asked him if he had seen anything strange. * Well,’ was the reply, ‘ I saw one day before I came away an extraordinary dog with two entire tails.' This excited Barnum's interest, and for the first time the spirit of the showman manifested itself. ‘ I’ll have that dog,* said he. *Do you think I can buy him for five dollars f ‘ Oh, yes,’ replied the neighbour. The next morning he was mounted on horseback ready to ride to the neighbouring town to make the purchase, when his informant of the previous night came up to him and said, ‘Young man, perhaps I ought to mention one thing to you before you go. That dog that I saw was coming out of a tan-yard, and was carrying a cow's tail in his mouth.’