A man stands alone in the cold bleakness of winter. The leaves crunch under his boots and the wind continues to plague him as it whispers the name of his fallen companion. It had been months since his death, but how could he ever forget Mr. Stratton, the shortest man alive, his best friend. The two had done so much together in what had felt like forever. And yet, it feels as though he had died forever ago. Phineas Taylor Barnum felt as though he had lost everything that mattered to him. He mourned over the loss of Stratton, otherwise known as General Tom Thumb, and even built a statue in his honor. This was the monument that faced him now. A monument only crafted by the finest, most delicate hands. He knew that Stratton could never be forgotten. And as he stood there, thinking about him, he also took the time to reflect on his own life and the impact that he had made on this world. Because, when a friend or someone close to you dies, the basic thought of life begins to matter…show more content… Heth claimed that she was 161 years old and formerly a nurse for George Washington himself. From exhibiting her throughout the northeast region, Barnum grew to make an average of $1,000 per week (that’s the same as $27,027.03 in terms of currency in 2015). Unfortunately, Heth passed on February 19, 1836. This, however, helped motivate Barnum even further. From then on, he would showcase different oddities all across the United States and even the world.
In order to generate more money for him and his wife, Charity Hallet, Barnum opened his very own American Museum. Here, he was able to bring the public much anticipated entertainment, knowledge, artifacts, and natural curiosities. Performers were given jobs as the public demanded there be an active public theater. With 850,000 exhibits and oddities, it was known as the most popular attraction on lower Broadway in New York city for 23
