Struggles and Triumphs

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,…

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…

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.…

They arrived in New York in 1851 with ten of the elephants, and these, harnessed in pairs to a chariot, paraded up Broadway past the Irving House,…

At the end of that time, after exhibiting in all sections of the country, we sold out the entire establishment--animals, cages, chariots and…

advertisement to my Museum; but that to other farmers he would prove very unprofitable for many reasons. In the first place, such an animal would…

The six acres were plowed over at least sixty times before I thought the advertisement sufficiently circulated, and I then sold the elephant to Van…

After this interchange of civilities, we talked about the success of the “North America” in having got safely around the Horn, and of the…

A few months subsequent to this, I sold out my share in the steamship to Mr. Daniel Drew. The day after closing with Mr. Drew, I discovered an…

Some reference to the various enterprises and “side shows” connected with and disconnected from my Museum, is necessary to show how industriously I…

As a compensation to England for the loss of the Bell Ringers, I despatched an agent to America for a party of Indians, including squaws. He…

On my first return visit to America from Europe, I engaged Mr. Faber, an elderly and ingenious German, who had constructed an automaton speaker. It…

During my first visit to England I obtained, verbally, through a friend, the refusal of the house in which Shakespeare was born, designing to…

The models of machinery exhibited in the Royal Polytechnic Institution in London, pleased me so well that I procured a duplicate; also duplicates…

In June 1850, I added the celebrated Chinese Collection to the attractions of the American Museum. I also engaged the Chinese Family, consisting of…

In October, 1852, having stipulated with Mr. George A. Wells and Mr. Bushnell that they should share in the enterprise and take the entire charge,…

I ran out half-shaved, with the lather on my face, jumped into his wagon and bade him drive home with all speed. I was greatly alarmed, for the house…

My mind was distressed, not so much at the great pecuniary loss which the destruction of Iranistan would involve as at the possibility that some of…

upon the fire. Fortunately, several men had been engaged during the day in repairing the roof, and their ladders were against the house. By these…

Some time afterwards, when Mr. Dion Boucicault visited me at Bridgeport, at my solicitation he gave a lecture for the benefit of this cemetery. I may…

I replied in a manner that would humor his impression that we were old acquaintances, and during his two hours’ visit we had much gossip about men…

I met Mr. Bunn again in 1858, in London, at a dinner party of a mutual friend, Mr. Levy, proprietor of the London Daily Telegraph. Of course, Bunn…

Early in the morning the detected party was legally examined, plead guilty, and was bound over for trial. I obtained consent from the sheriff that…

At the close of my presidency in 1854, I was requested to deliver the opening speech at our County Fair, which was held at Stamford. As I was not…

This was too much, and we all indulged in a burst of laughter; still the ticket-seller suspected nothing. After I had left the shop, the barber…

This incident reminds me of numerous similar ones which have occurred at various times. On one occasion--it was in 1847--I was on board the steamboat…

Late in August, 1851, I was visited at Bridgeport by a gentleman who was interested in an English invention patented in this country, and known as…

I was there shown numerous certificates of fires having been extinguished by the machine in Great Britain, and property to the amount of many…

The public trial came off in Hamilton Square on the 18th December, 1851. It was an exceedingly cold and inclement day. Mr. Phillips, who conducted…

The arrangements of the Annihilator Company with Mr. Phillips, the inventor, predicated all payments which he was to receive on _bona fide_ sales…

In the spring of 1851 the Connecticut Legislature chartered the Pequonnock Bank of Bridgeport, with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars. I…

In the fall of 1852 a proposition was made by certain parties to commence the publication of an illustrated weekly newspaper in the City of New York.…

In February, 1854, numerous stockholders applied to me to accept the Presidency of the Crystal Palace, or, as it was termed, “The Association for the…

Shortly afterwards, however, I was waited upon by numerous influential gentlemen, and strongly urged to allow my name to be used. I repeatedly…

These considerations moved me, and I entered upon my duties with all the vigor which I could command. To save it from bankruptcy, I advanced large…

I now come to a series of events which, all things considered, constitute one of the most remarkable experiences of my life--an experience which…

When the blow fell upon me, I thought that I could never recover; the event has shown, however, that I have gained both in character and fortune, and…

In my general plan of presenting the facts and incidents of my life in chronological order, I shall necessarily introduce in the history of the…

It is vital to the narrative that I should give some account of the new city, East Bridgeport, and my interests therein, which led directly to my…

Before giving publicity to our plans, however, we purchased one hundred and seventy-four acres contiguous to that which we already owned, and laid…

This “cheerful and elegant piece of ground,” as Dr. Dwight so truly describes it, had only been kept from market by the want of means of access. A…

Besides the inducement which we held out to purchasers to obtain their lots at a merely nominal price, we advanced one half, two-thirds, and…

It will thus be seen that, in 1851, my pet scheme was to build up a city in East Bridgeport. I had made a large fortune and was anxious to be…

Yet, I can truly say that mere money-making was a secondary consideration in my scheme. I wanted to build a city on the beautiful plateau across…

There was a small clock manufactory in the town of Litchfield, Connecticut, in which I became a stockholder to the amount of six or seven thousand…

In 1855, I received a suggestion from a citizen of New Haven, that the Jerome Clock Company, then reputed to be a wealthy concern, should be…

Accordingly, I was shown an official report of the directors of the company, exhibiting a capital of $400,000, and a surplus of $187,000, in all,…

The official statement seemed satisfactory, and I cordially sympathized with the philanthropic purpose of keeping the workmen employed, even in the…

Further testimony came in the form of a letter from the cashier of one of the New Haven banks, expressing the highest confidence in the financial…

Nevertheless, three months after the consolidation of the companies, a reference to my memoranda showed that I had already become responsible for the…

By and by I heard that the banks began to hesitate about discounting my paper, and knowing that I was good for $110,000 several times over, I…

Not quite; I had the mountain of Jerome debts on my back, but I found means to pay every claim against me at my bank, all my store and shop debts,…

What a dupe had I been! Here was a great company pretending to be worth $587,000, asking temporary assistance to the amount of $110,000, coming…

If at any time my vanity had been chilled by the fear that after my retirement from the Jenny Lind enterprise the world would forget me, this…

Yet, these new lessons conveyed the old, old story. There were those who had fawned upon me in my prosperity, who now jeered at my adversity;…

Happily, there is always more wheat than there is chaff. While my enemies and a few envious persons and misguided moralists were abusing and…

_Dear Sir_,--The financial ruin of a man of acknowledged energy and enterprise is a public calamity. The sudden blow, therefore, that has swept away,…

GENTLEMEN,--I can hardly find words to express my gratitude for your very kind proposition. The popular sympathy is to me far more precious than gold…

Proffers of pecuniary assistance have reached me from every quarter, not only from friends, but from entire strangers. Mr. Wm. E. Burton, Miss…

While favored with health, I feel competent to earn an honest livelihood for myself and family. More than this I shall certainly never attempt with…