A Unique Story of a Marvellous Career | Page 5

inscribing upon my writing-book was 1818." The ferule, or
the birch-rod, was in those days the assistant schoolmaster, and young
Barnum made its acquaintance. He was, however, an apt and ready
scholar, particularly excelling in mathematics. One night, when he was
ten years old, he was called out of bed by his teacher, who had made a
wager with a neighbor that Barnum could calculate the number of feet
in a load of wood in five minutes. Barnum did it in less than two
minutes, to the delight of his teacher and the astonishment of the
neighbor.
At an early age he manifested a strong development of the good old
Yankee organ of acquisitiveness. Before he was five years old he had
begun to hoard pennies and "fourpences," and at six years old he was
able to exchange his copper bits for a whole silver dollar, the
possession of which made him feel richer than he ever felt afterward in
all his life. Nor did he lay the dollar away in a napkin, but used it in
business to gain more. He would get ten cents a day for riding a horse
before the plow, and he would add it to his capital. On holidays other
boys spent all their savings, but not so he. Such days were to him
opportunities for gain, not for squandering. At the fair or training of
troops, or other festivity, he would peddle candy and cakes, home-made,
or sometimes cherry rum, and by the end of the day would be a dollar
or two richer than at its beginning. "By the time I was twelve years
old," he tells us, "I was the owner of a sheep and a calf, and should
soon, no doubt, have become a small Croesus had not my father kindly
permitted me to purchase my own clothing, which somewhat reduced
my little store."

At ten years of age, realizing himself to be a "landed proprietor"
through the christening gift of his waggish grandsire, young Barnum
set out to survey his estate, which he had not yet seen. He had heard
much of "Ivy Island." His grandfather had often, in the presence of the
neighbors, spoken of him as the richest child in the town, since he
owned the whole of Ivy Island, the richest farm in the State. His parents
hoped he would use his wealth wisely, and "do something for the
family" when he entered upon the possession of it; and the neighbors
were fearful lest he should grow too proud to associate with their
children.
The boy took all this in good faith, and his eager curiosity to behold his
estate was greatly increased, and he asked his father to let him go
thither. "At last," says Barnum, "he promised I should do so in a few
days, as we should be getting some hay near 'Ivy Island.' The
wished-for day arrived, and my father told me that as we were to mow
an adjoining meadow. I might visit my property in company with the
hired man during the 'nooning.' My grandfather reminded me that it
was to his bounty I was indebted for this wealth, and that had not my
name been Phineas I might never have been proprietor of 'Ivy Island.'
To this my mother added:
" 'Now, Taylor, don't become so excited when you see your property as
to let your joy make you sick, for remember, rich as you are, that it will
be eleven years before you can come into possession of your fortune.'
"She added much more good advice, to all of which I promised to be
calm and reasonable, and not to allow my pride to prevent me from
speaking to my brothers and sisters when I returned home.
"When we arrived at the meadow, which was in that part of the 'Plum
Trees' known as 'East Swamp,' I asked my father where 'Ivy Island'
was.
" 'Yonder, at the north end of this meadow, where you see those
beautiful trees rising in the distance.'
"All the forenoon I turned grass as fast as two men could cut it, and

after a hasty repast at noon, one of our hired men, a good-natured
Irishman, named Edmund, took an axe on his shoulder and announced
that he was ready to accompany me to 'Ivy Island.' We started, and as
we approached the north end of the meadow we found the ground
swampy and wet and were soon obliged to leap from bog to bog on our
route. A mis-step brought me up to my middle in water, and to add to
the dilemma a swarm of hornets attacked me. Attaining the altitude of
another bog I was cheered by the assurance that there was only a
quarter of a mile of this kind