Part 2 (1/2)
His health fully restored he returned to Brooklyn, but not to his old position Pleasant as that had been, it no longer contented the restless, ambitious Barnum He opened a ”porter-hoood profit, and took another clerkshi+p, this time at 29 Peck Slip, New York, in the store of a certain David Thorp He lived in his ereat favorite, and where he had frequent opportunities of reat resort for Bethel and Danbury hatters and combmakers
At this time Barnum forularly and soon set up for a critic It was his one dissipation, however Afellow never existed; he read his Bible and went to church as regularly as ever, and to the day of his death ont to declare that he owed all that was good in his character to his early observance of Sunday
In the winter of 1898 his grandfather offered to hie-house, which was situated on theman's capital was one hundred and twenty dollars; fifty of this was spent in fixing up his store, and the remainder he invested in a stock of fruit and confectionery Having arranged with fruit dealers of his acquaintance in New York to receive his orders, he opened his store on the first of May--in those ti day” The first day was so successful that long before noon the proprietor was obliged to call in one of his old school on customers The total receipts were sixty-three dollars, which suoods --pocket-books, coood all summer, and in the fall oysters were added to the list of attractions The old grandfather was delighted at the success of the scheency for lottery tickets on a commission of ten per cent Lotteries in those days were looked upon as thoroughly respectable, and the profit gained froitied very reat village resort, the centre of all discussions and the scene ofscene, related by Barnum himself, makes a chapter in the history of Connecticut, as the State hen ”blue laws”
were so more than a dead letter:
”To swear in those days was according to custom, but contrary to law A person from New York State, whom I will call Crofut, as a frequent visitor at my store, was equally noted for his self-will and his really terrible profanity One day he was in ed in conversation when Nathan Seelye, Esq, one of our village justices of the peace, and aCrofut's profane language he told him he considered it his duty to fine hi
”Crofut responded immediately with an oath, that he did not care a d----n for the Connecticut blue laws
” 'That will ht forth another oath
” 'Three dollars,' said the sturdy justice
”Nothing but oaths were given in reply, until Esquire Seelye declared the dae to the Connecticut laws to amount to fifteen dollars
”Crofut took out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to the justice of the peace, with an oath
” 'Sixteen dollars,' said Mr Seelye, counting out four dollars to hand to Mr Crofut as his change
” 'Oh, keep it, keep it,' said Crofut, 'I don't want any change; I'll d----n soon swear out the balance' He did so, after which he wasthat twenty dollars a day for swearing was about as much as he could stand”
About this time Barnum appeared, on at least one occasion, in the role of lawyer A ht before the justice of the peace, Barnurandfather, for trial A medical student, Newton by name, had volunteered to defend the prisoner, and Mr Couch, the grand juryman, in irony, offered Phineas a dollar to represent the State The court was crowded The guilt of the prisoner was established beyond a doubt, but Newton, undaunted, rose to ainst the grand juryman, Couch; the court listened for five nificent burst of eloquence by infor the speaker that Mr Couch was not the plaintiff in the case at all
”Not the plaintiff!” stammered Newton; ”well, then, your honor, who is?”
”The State of Connecticut,” was the answer
The youngattorney arose and in an elaborate speech declared the guilt of the prisoner shown beyond question, adding that he was astonished that both the prisoner and his counsel had not pleaded guilty at once In theman, will you have the kindness to inform the court which side you represent--the plaintiff or the defendant?”
The orator stared helplessly at the justice for a hter from the spectators the prisoner was bound over to the county court for trial
But Phineas did not often corandfather The old gentlerandson any of his turnouts except one, and this one Phineas especially desired one day for a sleighing party, in which he was to escort the fair Charity Hallett So he boldly went to the grandfather and asked if he h
”Oh, yes,” said the old ly, ”if you have twenty dollars in your pocket”
”Really?”
”Yes, really”
Whereupon Phineas showed theit back in his pocket, reh”
Of course, the grandfather had h; but being caught up so suddenly, there was nothing to do but to consent, and Phineas and ”Chairy” had the finest turnout of the party
There was a young fellow in the town, Jack Mallett, whose education was rather deficient, and who had been so his addresses to a fair but hard-heartedshe cruelly refused to accept his escort after church, and added insult to injury by walking off before his very eyes with another ly, he determined to write her a letter of re blade known as ”Bill”