
P.T. Barnum
to Moses Kimball,
Letter 5,
September 4, 1843
N.Y. Sept. 4th 1843
Dear Moses
The "Serenaders" have arrived here[?] no cuts to
make a dash with Reason wh[?] they owe Clapp the
printer some $11. or $12 -- their cuts and a lot
of Bills are left with Clapp for
security. Please pay Clapp his bill and charge
me and send its and [?] by Adams & Co.
tomorrow and write me how much you [?] Clapp --
but it must not exceed $12. As ever thine
Barnum
Business is nothing today -- since Tommy
& are gone -- on Saturday took here $271. --
Peales $
I am now dying for want of a day
attraction. [?] would do it to bring out the
Mermaid as follows
Engaged for a short time the animal (regarding
which there has been so much dispute in
scientific world) called the
FEJEE MERMAID!
positively asserted by its owner to have been
taken alive the Fejee Islands, and implicitly
believed by many scientific persons, while it is
pronounced by other scientific persons to be an
artificial production, and its natural
existence claimed by them to be an utter
impossibility. The manager can only say that it
hopeless as such appearance of reality as
any fish lying the stalls of our fish markets --
but is to decide when doctors disagree.
At all events whether this production is the
work of nature or art it is decidedly the
most stupenduous curiousity ever submitted to
the public for inspection. If it is artificial
the senses sight and touch are useless for
art has rendered them totally ineffectual --
if it is natural then all concur in declaring;
it
the greatest Curiosity in the World
There if you are a mind for me to try it --
something that style -- please send it along and
I will do so -- if not I give up the idea of any
success in sueing not hurt it in or
elsewhere.
Moses Kimball, Esq. Boston Museum
P.T. Barnum Letters To Moses Kimball
-
September 4,
1843
-
Boston
Athenaeum
- Disability History Museum,
www.disabilitymuseum.org
(March 04, 2009)
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