Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1884 — Barnum’s Trick Exposed. [ARTICLE]

Barnum’s Trick Exposed.

One day, says the Pittsburgh Dispatch, Barnum noticed a man leading a peculiarly shaped horse through the streets of Washington city. Turning to a friend, he said he would bet SSOO he could make a pile of money out of that horse. The bet was taken, and nothing more was thought of it. One morning the people- of Washington wakened to see the city plastered with bills, on which was a cut of a .woolly horse. The small bills said it had been •captured by Fremont during his explorations in the Bocky mountains, and that it would soon be on exhibition near the Capitol. Thomas Benton, Fremont’s father-in-law, saw the sign out as he went to the Capitol. He was with some ■Congressmen when the show-bill caught his eye, and he remarked: “I am going to put an end to this infernal swindle, ” and the two started to go in. ' The ticket-taker stopped them and asked them for their money. Benton banded him a quarter. He attempted to stop them, still saying Ahat was not enough, butßenton pushed him angrilyaside with “I hare had enough of this foolishness, ” and striding past him Went in and jumped over the rope which separated the woolly horse from its audience, and with a cut of his knife skinned half of his woolly cover off him, showing the

dame old bony, bay steed, with the ordinary fur on him common to horses.