The Billboard 1911-01-14: Vol 23 Iss 2 (1911-01-14)

A Re F E Se JANUARY 14, 1911. The Billboard 5 sre seeG Hana na ne nena Hans ptotoe rene ceonoeonnntre sty Life of General Tom Thumb By J. MILTON TRABER. “How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood, When fond recollections present them to view.” There are probably no words more beautifully coined from the English language and from the pen of our famous American writer than the above lines. They almost parallel the sayings of the Nazarene. All nations have their sentiments, which when thrown together form one world-wide, great sympathetic thought, which are chained together as one single mind, from which is born the ever-mystic words, “Love of childhood memory days.” What childhood life has been complete without its romance of fairies, “the cute little people’ of the woods, the mysterious elves, their pranks and their moonlight roamings ? The fairy tales of youthful days have taken actual form. The Liliputian Village, now a fixture, and one of the great Paris life features, is a living dream, and as one wanders around this toy-like city, with tiny houses, horses no larger than dogs, and coaches that bring to mind the transformation of the pumpkin, as in the well-known fairy tale of old, and the little people themselves, one feels like a giant, who in his wrath might crush any one of these midgets with the uplifting of a foot. Our minds may revert back to the days of good old King Arthur’s court, or old King Cole, “who was a merry old soul,’ and we find ourselves thinking of that wonderful little man known to the wide world as Tom Thumb. The name will probably never pass away, but will last as long as eternity. Phineas Taylor Barnum, the world’s greatest showman, was the lucky gentleman to give to the American and European public a chance of seeing and talking with Tom Thumb, his wife, Minnie Warren, and Commodore Nutt, all of whom the writer of this sketch was acquainted with. Using Mr. Barnum’s language to the writer, so as to make no mistake, I will try and quote him as near as I can remember. In November, 1842, Mr. Barnum, at Bridgeport, Conn., heard of a remarkably small child, and at his request, his brother, Philo F. Barnum brought him to the hotel. “He was not two feet high; he weighed less than sixteen pounds, and was the smallest child I ever saw that could walk alone; but he was a perfectly formed, bright-eyed little fellow, with light hair and ruddy cheeks, and he enjoyed the best of health. He was exceedingly bashful, but after some coaxing, he was induced to talk with me, and he told me that he was the son of Sherwood E. Stratton, and that his own name was Charles S. Stratton. After seeing him and talking with him, I at once determined to secure his services from his parents, and to exhibit him in public. I engaged him fer four weeks at three dollars ($3.00) a week, with all traveling and boarding charges for himself and his mother at my expense. “We came to New York City Thanksgiving Day, December 8, 1842, and I announced the dwarf on my American Museum bills as “General lum Thumb.” I took the greatest pains to educate and train my diminutive prodigy, devoting many hours to the task by day and by night, and | was very successful, for he was an apt pupil, with a great deal of native talent and a keen sense of the ludicrous. “L afterwards re-engaged him for one year at seven dollars ($7.00) 4 week, with a gratuity of fifty dollars at the end of the engagement, and the privilege of exhibiting him anywhere in the United States, in which event his parents were to accompany him, and I was to pay all travcling expenses. He speedily became a public favorite, and long before the year was out, I voluntarily increased his weekly salary to twentyfive dollars ($25.00), and he fairly earned it.” In 1862 Mr. Barnum also heard of an extraordinary dwarf girl named Lavinia Warren, who was residing with her parents at Middleboro, Mass., and he sent an invitation to her and her parents to come and visit him at Bridgeport, Conn. They came and he found her to be « most intelligent and refined young lady, well educated, and an accomplished, beautiful and perfectly developed woman in miniature. He succeeded in making an engagement with her for several years, during which she contracted—as dwarfs are said to have the power to do—to visit Great Britain, France and other foreign lands. Having arranged the terms of her engagement, he took her to the house of one of his daughters in New York City, where she remained quietly while Mr. Barnum was procuring her wardrobe and jewelry and making arrange rents for her debut. He purchased a very splendid wardrobe for Miss Warren, including scores of the richest dresses that could be procured, costly jewels, and, in fact, everything that could add te the charms of her naturally charming iittle person. She was then placed on exhibition at the American Museum, and from the day of her debut she was an extraordinary success. Commodore Nutt was on exhibition with her, and although he was several years her junior, he evidently took a great fancy to her. One day Mr. Barnum presented to Lavinia a diamond and emerald ring, and as it did not exactly fit her finger, he told her he would get her another one, and that she might present this one to the Commodore in her own name. She did so, and an unlooked-for effect was speedily apparent; the little Commodore felt sure that thi. was a love-token, and poor Lavinia was in the greatest trouble, for she considered herself quité a woman, and regarded the Commodore only as a nice little boy. But she did not like to offend him, and while she did not encourage, she did not openly repel his attentions. Miss Lavinia Warren, however, was never destined to be Mrs. Commodore Nutt. However the old saying is that “love leveleth all matters,” and Mr. Barnum was told that Mr. Tom Thumb had won the heart of Miss Lavinia Warren, and that the wedding day was announced. It created an immense excitement. Lavinia’s levees at the Museum were crowded to suffocation, and her photographic pictures were in great demand. For several weeks she sold more than three hundred dollars’ worth of her “cartes de visite” each day, and the daily receipts at the Museum were frequently over three thousand dollars. At last the famous wedding day arrived, Tuesday, February 10, 1863. The cere rony took place in Grace Episcopal Church, New York City, the Rev. Junius Willey, rector of St. John’s Church in Bridgeport, Conn., assisted by the late Rev. Dr. Taylor, of Grace Church, officiating. The organ was presided over by Professor Morgan. Nothing better could have been done by Mr. Barnum had the wedding of a prince of the royal blood been in contemplation. The church was comfortably filled by a highly select congregation of ladies and gentlemen, none being admitted except those having cards of invitation. Among them were governors of several of the states, to whom Mr. Barnum had sent cards, and such of those as could not be present in person, were represented by friends to whom they had given their cards. Members of Congress were present, also generals of the army, and many other prominent public men. Numerous applications were made from wealthy and distinguished persons for tickets to witness the ceremony, and as high as sixty dollars was offered for a single admission. But not a ticket was sold, an: Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren were pronounced “man and wife’ before witnesses. Miss Minnie Warren, sister of the bride, and Mr. Commodore Nutt, acted as bridesmaid and groomsman to the happy couple. Rich men vied with each other in showing their appreciation of this wonderful little couple by showering them with a most miscellaneous assortment of gifts. A sewing machine, perfect in every detail, one and one-half feet in height, was given to Mrs. General Tom Thumb by a manufacturer. There was a piano no higher than the seat of a chair the keys of which were about the size of a blade in a small penknife, and with the full number of octaves; chairs, beds, etc., all made of the choicest wood and upholstered in the finest satins, resembling furniture 5t for the ordinary doll. Then, through the generosity of Mr. Barnum, who always took a great interest in the young couple, began a dazzling (Continued on page 50.)