20. CHAPTER XX.
THE TRIALS OF AN IMPRESSARIO.
ST. LOUIS — THE SECRETARY'S LITTLE GAME — LEGAL ADVICE — SMOOTH
WATERS AGAIN — BARNUM'S EFFORTS APPRECIATED — AN EXTRAVAGANT
ENCONIUM.
The concerts at Natchez and Memphis were extremely
successful. The sixty-first concert was
given in St. Louis, and on the morning of their
arrival in the city Miss Lind's secretary came to
Mr. Barnum, commissioned, as he claimed, by the
singer, and told the Manager that as sixty concerts
had already been given, Miss Lind proposed to
avail herself of one of the conditions of the contract
and cancel the engagement next morning. Much
startled by this sudden complication, but outwardly
undisturbed, Barnum asked if Miss Lind had authorized
the notice. "I so understand it,'' was the
secretary's reply. Thinking that it might be another
scheme of her advisers and that Miss Lind herself
might possibly know nothing of it, Barnum told the
secretary that he would see him again in an hour.
He then proceeded to his old friend Sol Smith for
legal advice. They went over the contract together,
Barnum telling his friend of the annoyances he had
suffered from Miss Lind's advisers, and they both
agreed that if she broke the contract thus suddenly,
she was bound to pay back all that she had received
over the stipulated $1000, for each concert. As she
had been paid $137,000, for sixty concerts, this extra
money amounted to something like $77,000.
Barnum then went back to the secretary and told
him that he was ready to settle with Miss Lind and
to close the engagement.
"But,'' said he, evidently much surprised, "you
have already advertised concerts in Louisville and
Cincinnati, have you not?''
"Yes,'' answered Barnum calmly, "but you may
take the contracts for halls and printing off my hands
at cost.'' He further offered the assistance of his
agent and his own personal services to give Miss
Lind a good start on her own account.
The secretary emboldened by this liberality then
made a proposition so extraordinary that Barnum at
once saw that Miss Lind could have had nothing to
do with the scheme.
"Now suppose,'' he asked, "Miss Lind should
wish to give some fifty concerts in this country, what
would you charge as manager?''
"A million dollars a concert,'' answered Barnum
promptly; then he added, "Now see here; I don't
believe Miss Lind has authorized you to make this
proposition. If she has, just bring me a line to that
effect, over her own signature, and her check for the
amount due me by the terms of our contract, some
$77,000, and we will close our business connection
at once.''
"But why not make a new arrangement,'' persisted
the secretary, "for fifty more concerts, by
which Miss Lind will pay you liberally, say $1,000
a concert?''
"For the simple reason that I hired Miss Lind,
and not she me,'' replied Barnum, "and because I
ought never to take a farthing less for my risk and
trouble than the contract gives me. I have voluntarily
given Miss Lind more than twice as much as
I originally contracted to give her, or as she
expected to receive when she engaged with me. Now
if she is not satisfied I wish to settle instantly and
finally. If you do not bring me her decision to-day,
I shall ask her for it in the morning.''
The next morning Barnum asked him again for
the written communication from Miss Lind; the
secretary replied that it was all a "joke,'' and that
he merely wanted to see what the manager would
say to the proposition. He begged that nothing
would be said to Miss Lind concerning it. So it is
altogether likely that she knew nothing of it. The
four concerts at St. Louis were given and the program
as arranged for the other cities was carried
out, with no more troublous incidents occurring.
To show that Barnum's efforts as manager of
the Jenny Lind enterprise were appreciated, we
copy the dedication of Sol Smith's Autobiograpy
published in 1854. Smith was one of the characters
of his time, being celebrated as a comedian, an
author, a manager and a lawyer:
"TO PHINEAS T. BARNUM, PROPRIETOR OF THE
AMERICAN MUSEUM, ETC.
"Great Impressario. Whilst you were engaged
in your grand Jenny Lind speculation, the following
conundrum went the rounds of the American newspapers:
" `Why is it that Jenny Lind and Barnum will
never fall out?' Answer: `Because he is always
for-getting, and she is always for-giving.'
"I have never asked you the question directly,
whether you, Mr. Barnum, started that conundrum,
or not; but I strongly suspect that you did. At all
events, I noticed that your whole policy was concentrated
into one idea — to make an angel of Jenny,
and depreciate yourself in contrast.
"You may remember that in this city (St. Louis),
I acted in one instance as your `legal adviser,' and
as such, necessarily became acquainted with all the
particulars of your contract with the so-called Swedish
Nightingale, as well as the various modifications
claimed by that charitable lady, and submitted to by
you after her arrival in this country; which modifications
(I suppose it need no longer be a secret) secured
to her — besides the original stipulation of one thousand
dollars for every concert, attendants, carriages,
assistant artists, and a pompous and extravagant
retinue, fit (only) for a European princess — one-half
of the profits of each performance. You may also
remember the legal advice I gave you on the occasion
referred to, and the salutary effect of your
following it. You must remember the extravagant
joy you felt afterwards, in Philadelphia, when the
`Angel' made up her mind to avail herself of one
of the stipulations in her contract, to break off at
the end of a hundred nights, and even bought out
seven of that hundred — supposing that she could go
on without your aid as well as with it. And you
cannot but remember, how, like a rocket-stick she
dropped, when your business connection with her
ended, and how she `fizzed out' the remainder of her
concert nights in this part of the world, and soon
afterwards retired to her domestic blissitude in Sweden.
"You know, Mr. Barnum, if you would only tell,
which of the two it was that was `for-getting,' and
which `for-giving;' and you also know who actually
gave the larger portion of those sums which you
heralded to the world as the sole gifts of the `divine
Jenny.'
"Of all your speculations — from the negro
centenarian, who didn't nurse General Washington,
down to the Bearded Woman of Genoa — there was
not one which required the exercise of so much
humbuggery as the Jenny Lind concerts; and I
verily believe there is no man living, other than
yourself, who could, or would, have risked the enormous
expenditure of money necessary to carry them
through successfully — travelling, with sixty artists;
four thousand miles, and giving ninety-three concerts,
at an actual cost of forty-five hundred dollars
each, is what no other man would have undertaken
— you accomplished this, and pocketed by the operation
but little less than two hundred thousand dollars!
Mr. Barnum, you are yourself, alone!
"I honor you, oh! Great Impressario, as the most
successful manager in America or any other country.
Democrat, as you are, you can give a practical lesson
to the aristocrats of Europe how to live. At
your beautiful and tasteful residence, `Iranistan' (I
don't like the name, though), you can and do entertain
your friends with a warmth of hospitality, only
equalled by that of the great landed proprietors of
the old country, or of our own `sunny South.'
Whilst riches are pouring into your coffers from
your various `ventures' in all parts of the world,
you do not hoard your immense means, but continually
`cast them forth upon the waters,' rewarding
labor, encouraging the arts, and lending a helping
hand to industry in all its branches. Not content
with doing all this, you deal telling blows, whenever
opportunity offers, upon the monster Intemperance.
Your labors in this great cause alone should
entitle you to the thanks of all good men, women
and children in the land. Mr. Barnum, you deserve
all your good fortune, and I hope you may long live
to enjoy your wealth and honor.
"As a small installment towards the debt, I, as
one of the community, owe you, and with the hope
of affording you an hour's amusement (if you can
spare that amount of time from your numerous
avocations to read it), I present you with this litttle
volume, containing a very brief account of some of
my `journey-work' in the South and West; and
remain, very respectfully,
"Your friend, and affectionate uncle,
"SOL SMITH.
"CHOUTEAU AVENUE, ST. LOUIS,
"NOV. 1, 1854.''
Although Barnum never acknowledged it, there
was a vast deal of truth in Mr. Smith's statements.
Whenever Miss Lind sang for charity she gave
what she might have earned at a regular concert;
Barnum always insisted upon paying for the hall,
orchestra, printing and other expenses. But Miss
Lind received the entire credit for liberality and
benevolence.
It is but just to say, however, that she frequently
remonstrated with Barnum and declared that the
expenses ought to be deducted from the proceeds of
the concert, but he always insisted on doing what he
called his share.