Struggles and Triumphs · Chapter
My First Travelling Company explained
Barnum recounts his early experiences managing a traveling show, including humorous incidents with a stubborn landlord, a clever arithmetic trick played on Turner, and the formation of his own company.
What happens
Barnum recounts his early experiences managing a traveling show, including humorous incidents with a stubborn landlord, a clever arithmetic trick played on Turner, and the formation of his own company. He describes hardships such as poor lodging at 'Lady Hayes's' plantation, a trick with a bridge, and a confrontation with a drover. The chapter covers his partnership with Henry Hawley, disbanding and reforming his company, and a sudden marriage arranged to secure a cook. It ends with his arrival in New Orleans.
Themes in this chapter
Showmanship and Humbug
Barnum's clever tricks (e.g., the arithmetic problem, the bridge trick) and his ability to turn adversity into entertainment highlight his showmanship.
Resilience in Adversity
Barnum perseveres through poor lodging, financial difficulties, and threats, always finding a way to continue his show.
Financial Wisdom and Economy
Barnum carefully manages expenses, negotiates deals (e.g., the bridge tickets, the marriage for a cook), and redeems pledges after financial setbacks.
Characters to notice
- P. T. Barnum
Narrator and protagonist; forms his first traveling company, manages performances, and navigates various challenges.
- Old Turner
Circus manager; Barnum's partner in the early circus; involved in the 'three meals in one hour' incident and the arithmetic bet.
- Signor Vivalla
Performer in Barnum's company; laughs at the poor accommodations and later travels to New York and Cuba.
- Joe Pentland
Performer; grumbles about the 'Lady Hayes' situation; later re-engaged by Barnum in Ohio.
- Henry Hawley
Legerdemain performer and partner; prematurely gray; nonplussed during the egg and bag trick when a rooster appears instead of a hen.
- Charity Barnum
Barnum's wife; he returns home to spend a few weeks with his family after disbanding the company in Nashville.
- General Tom Thumb
Not directly mentioned in this chapter; included as a placeholder per canonical list.
Key passages
“He ordered dinner at twelve o’clock, which was duly prepared and eaten. The table was cleared and reset for supper at half-past twelve. At one o’clock we all went to bed, every man carrying a lighted candle to his room. There were thirty-six of us and we all undressed and tumbled into bed as if we were going to stay all night. In half an hour we rose and went down to the hot breakfast which Turner had demanded and which we found smoking on the table.”
Turner orchestrated a rapid sequence of dinner, supper, bedtime, and breakfast within an hour to get full value from a stubborn landlord who insisted on payment for three meals and lodging.
Illustrates Turner's cleverness and Barnum's amusement at outwitting the landlord.
“The cunning rascals had seen our posters and knew we were coming; so they had taken up the planks of the bridge and had hidden them till they had levied upon us for tickets, when the floor was re-laid in a quarter of an hour.”
Yankee workmen removed bridge planks to force Barnum's company to give them show tickets in exchange for crossing, then quickly replaced the planks.
Shows a humorous trick played on Barnum, which he accepted good-naturedly.
“I called on the painter who had not made up his mind whether to marry the widow or not, but I told him if he would marry her the next morning I would hire her at twenty-five dollars a month as cook, employ him at the same wages as painter, with board for both, and a cash bonus of fifty dollars. There was a wedding on board the next day and we had a good cook and a good dinner.”
Barnum arranged a marriage between a widow and a painter to secure a cook for his steamboat, offering both jobs and a cash bonus.
Demonstrates Barnum's resourcefulness and willingness to take unconventional measures to solve practical problems.
