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BARNUM, PHINEAS T.

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BARNUM, PHINEAS T.
(1810 - 1891) American showman who opened his circus, ""The Greatest Show On Earth"", merged with James Bailey to form Barnum and Bailey Circus. Fine content A.L.S. ""P. T. Barnum"" 2pp. 8vo., Bridgeport, Aug. 30, 1880, a secretive letter to G. Patton, a writer for the New York Sun, regarding a recent interview. In part: ""...I revealed to you so much today that I did not think of telling the public and which I will not tell anybody else, that I feel it absolutely necessary for me to see your Ms. again before it goes into type. There are some things I told you which to day that unless qualified or modified a little might do me great financial injury, a thing which I would not desire. I told it in confidence in the hope that furnishing a specially interesting article for the Sun...Meanwhile I will be mum to all other members of the 'Press-Gang'..."". Barnum had been made mayor of Bridgeport in 1875, and subsequently was elected to represent the city in the Connecticut State Legislature. He served for two terms, losing his third in 1880. A diagonal fold and pin hole at bottom corner, a couple of pin holes and toning to second page, otherwise boldly written and very good.