Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1885 — Barnum and Shakspeare’s Home. [ARTICLE]

Barnum and Shakspeare’s Home.

Phineas T. Barnum did more for Shakspeare’s home than any living man. This sounds passing strange, but it is true. If it had not been for Barnum tbe birthplace of tbe great would not be in a state of preservation as it is to-day. When Barnum was in England in 1874 in search of curiosities be learned that Shakspeare’s birthplace was for sale, and it was proposed to tear it down and put a store on tbe site. Tbe great showman thought he saw a chance to secure a prize, and at once offered what was equivalent to $13,000 for the house. His idea was to bring the structure bodily to America and put it on exhibition. The owner of the house wanted $15,000 for the property, and stuck at that price. Before Barnum had a chance to raise his offer several Englishmen, admirers of the immortal William, concluded it would be a shame to have the house go out of Stratford, and accordingly purchased it at once. — Stratford-on-Avon Cor. Trenton Times. Religious opposition to the custom of saluting people when they sneezed arose among the Anabaptists in the beginning of the last century. They declared it was a pagan custom and would have none of it among the faithful, yet a few years before that good and quaint old man Montaigne declared. “Let us give an honest welcome to this stmt of wind, for it comes from the head and is blameless.” Tradition has it when Caesar was on the brink of the Rubicon he sneezed, and, regarding it as a favorable omen, crossed it, and the conquest of Gaul followed. Those who have read Xenophon’s Memorabilia of the career and habits of Socrates, remember that he claimed he was infested with a demon or spirit to whom he owed all his wisdom. Now, Plutarch says that the demon always sent him characteristic warnings by means of sneezes.