Letter: To James A. Bailey from P.T. Barnum, March 1, 1890

Letter to James A. Bailey from P.T. Barnum, March 1, 1890 In this letter, Barnum informs Bailey that Ben Fish sailed today. Additional elements tell Bailey to see if he can't select two good men accustomed to the business to represent your interests in the new enterprise; not to open under canvass before 21 or 22 April, for mud and bad weather would cause great damage and trouble, and that L. H. Howard thinks he can get parties to build for us on the East Side and lease us the building for such time we want each year. Bailey might have him call on him. Barnum is convinced that if the new enterprise gets the lion on horseback, it will be a stunning feature to draw multitudes. P.T. Barnum wrote a large number of letters in his time, and as a public figure, received many in return. These manuscripts offer insight into his personal life via correspondence with friends and family, his business interests including the American Museum and the circus, and his personality. The various correspondents demonstrate how vast his social circle was, and the space he occupied as a public figure during his own lifetime.