Name: The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI
Author: P. T. Barnum

Quotes from The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (P. T. Barnum)

P. T. Barnum, The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (1866)

“ It is exactly calculated to hit the notions of a vulgar, ignorant, lazy, greedy, and unprincipled bumpkin. Such a fellow would see just far enough into the millstone to be tickled at the idea of cheating those lottery fellows. And the knave ends his letter with one more touch most delicately adapted to make Master Bumpkin feel certain that his cash is coming. He says, “Be sure to show your prize to all your friends, so as to make them buy tickets at my office.” ”

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Source: Wikisource

P. T. Barnum, The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (1866)

“ When these four documents are placed together, each with its inclosure, a story is told that seems clear enough to explain itself to the greenest fool in the world.
These fellows—Boult and the rest of them, I mean—are lottery sharks. Now, those who buy lottery tickets are very silly and credulous, or very lazy, or both. They want to get money without earning it. This foolish and vicious wish, however, betrays them into the hands of these lottery sharks. ”

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Source: Wikisource

P. T. Barnum, The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (1866)

“ They refer, you see, to the same “Havana scheme,” the same “Shelby College Lottery,” the same “managers,” and the same place of drawing. Now, see what they say. Each knave tells his fool his only object is to put said fool in possession of a handsome prize, so that fool may run round and show the money, and rope in more fools. What an ingenious way to make the fool think he will return value for the prize! ”

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Source: Wikisource

P. T. Barnum, The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (1866)

“ And it is a still more curious coincidence that every one of these six industrious chaps has been unable to find a sufficiently central location for transacting his business. Every letter you see, contains a printed slip advising of a removal, as follows:
“Removal.—Desiring a more central location for transacting my business, I have removed my office to No. 17 Merchants Exchange.” Where? One says to West Troy, New York; another to Paterson, New Jersey; another to Bronxville, New York; another, to Salem, New York, and so on! It is a new thing to find how central all those places are. ”

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Source: Wikisource

P. T. Barnum, The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (1866)

“ Undeveloped metropolises seem to exist in every corner. Well, the slip ends with a notice that in future letters must be directed to the new place.
Next, as to substance. The six letters all tell the same story. They are each the second letter; the first one having been sent to the same person, and having contained a lottery-ticket, as a gift of love or free charity. This second letter is the one which is expected to “fetch.” It says in substance: “Your ticket has drawn a prize of $200,”—the letters all name the same amount—“but you didn’t pay for it; and therefore are not entitled to it. ”

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Source: Wikisource

P. T. Barnum, The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (1866)

“ These dirty sharking traps will always be set, and will always catch silly people, as long as there are any to catch. The only means of stopping such trickery is to diffuse the conviction that the best way to get a living is, to go to work like a man and earn it honestly. ”

P. T. Barnum

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Quotes from The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (P. T. Barnum)

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P. T. Barnum

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Quotes from The Humbugs of the World — Chapter XXI (P. T. Barnum)

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