Part 40 (1/2)

Supposing that by this step he had shaken off the owner of the fee, Bennett was not long in seeing that, as he was not to own the land, he would have no possible use for the lease, for which he had paid the 200,000; and accordingly his next step was to shake Barnuet back theof what followed, Mr Barnuer of the Museum and other public entertainments, compelled me to court notoriety; and I always found Bennett's abuse far more remunerative than his praise, even if I could have had the praise at the sa Especially was it profitable to me when I could be the subject of scores of lines of his scolding editorials free of charge, instead of paying him forty cents a line for advertisements, which would not attract a tenth part soether for the space of about a year; but I always ainer by his course Noever, when new difficulties threatened, all the leading ers' association,' and as we all submitted to the arbitrary and extortionate deht he had but to crack his whip, in order to keep all and any of us within the traces Accordingly one day Bennett's attorney wrotethat he would like to haveNot drea of the object, I called as desired, and after a few pleasant commonplace remarks about the weather, and other trifles, the attorney said:

” 'Mr Barnum, I have sent for you to say that Mr Bennett has concluded not to purchase the museum lots, and therefore that you had better take back the lease, and return the 200,000 paid for it'

” 'Are you in earnest?' I asked with surprise

” 'Certainly, quite so,' he answered

” 'Really,' I said, s, 'I aot the little sum about me; in fact, I have spent the money'

” 'It will be better for you to take back the lease,' said the attorney, seriously

” 'Nonsense,' I replied, 'I shall do nothing of the sort; I don't h, but I have other business to attend to, and shall have nothing to do with it'

”The attorney said very little in reply; but I could see, by the alnant sorrow expressed upon his countenance, that he evidently pitied me for the temerity that would doubtless lead me into the jaws of the insatiableI observed that the advertisement of my entertainments with my museum company at Winter Garden was left out of the Herald columns I went directly to the editorial roo that Bennett was not in, I said to Mr

Hudson, theneditor:

” 'My advertisement is left out of the Herald; is there a screw loose?'

” 'I believe there is,' was the reply

” 'What is the matter?' I asked

” 'Youof course Bennett

” 'When will the ”Emperor” be in?' I inquired 'Next Monday,' was the answer

” 'Well, I shall not see hi settled at once Mr Hudson, I now tender you the money for the insertion of my museum advertisement on the same terms as are paid by other places of amusement; will you publish it?'

” 'I will not,' Mr Hudson peremptorily replied

” 'That is all,' I said Mr Hudson then sly and blandly remarked, 'I have formally answered your formal demand, because I suppose you require it; but you know, Mr Barnum, I can only obey orders' I assured him that I understood the matter perfectly, and attached no blame to him in the preers' association' to call theday; and there was a fullat the appointed time I stated the facts in the case in the Herald affair, and siainst any newspaper publisher who excluded an advertiseratify a private pique, it was evident that either and all of us were liable to iers immediately made a motion that the entire association should stop their advertising and bill printing at the Herald office, and have no further connection with that establishment Mr Lester Wallack advised that this motion should not be adopted until a committee had waited upon Bennett, and had reported the result of the interview to the association

Accordingly, Messrs Wallack, Wheatley and Stuart were delegated to go, down to the Herald office to call on Mr Bennett

”The moment Bennett saw them, he evidently suspected the object of their mission, for he at once cohe had known, and how entleman of the old school,' with much more in the same strain

Mr Wallack replied to Bennett that the three ers were appointed a committee to wait upon hi from his columns the museum advertisements--not on account of any objection to the contents of the advertisements, or to the museuree, for such a reason, and no other, ers In reply, Mr Bennett had so to say about the fox that had suffered tailwise from a trap, and thereupon advised all other foxes to cut their tails off; and he pointed the fable by setting forth the ieance of the Herald The committee, however, coolly insisted upon a direct answer to their question

”Bennett then answered: 'I will not publish Barnum's advertisement; I do my business as I please, and in ers, and the coers' association met, heard the report, and unanimously resolved to withdraw their advertisee from the Herald job establishment, and it was done Nevertheless, the Herald for several days continued to print gratutitously the advertisements of Wallack's Theatre and Niblo's Garden, and inordinately puffed these establishments, evidently in order to ease the fall, and to convey the idea that so by praising these reeard to the Herald Thereupon, the ers headed their advertisements in all the other New York papers with the line, 'This establishment does not advertise in the New York Herald,'

and for many months this announcement was kept at the top of every theatrical advertisement and on the posters and playbills

”The Herald then began to abuse and villify the theatrical and opera ers, their artists and their performances, which, of course, ell understood by the public, and relished accordingly Meanwhile the theatres prospered aer, and their houses never ed

The public took sides in the ainst the Herald, and thousands of people went to the theatres ers and to spite 'Old Bennett' The editor was fairly caught in his own trap