208 THE HISTORY OF 



oiate ! " (Ap| lause, and cries of " Go it, old boss ! You '11 

 be a capital customer for some of the hen-men to pick up ! 

 Go it, Bamum!") 



"I did not rise, gentlemen," continued the speaker, 

 " with any idea of telling you anything new. I am but an 

 humble coadjutor with you in this pleasing and innocent 

 undertaking. I can see, as you can, also, the importance 

 of this subject" (he didn't say what "subject"), "and I 

 trust that we may go on, and increase, and multiply domestic 

 fowls and customers, in a ratio commensurate with the rapid- 

 ly increasing throbs of the public pulse — which is now 

 beating only at 2;40, and which must soon reach a 2.10 

 pace, if nothing breaks!" ("Hurra! Hurra!" yelled 

 the boys ; " that 's a good 'un ! ") And the President sal 

 down, blushing, amid the uproarious applause that followed 

 his remarks. 



As soon as order was comparatively restored, other gen- 

 tlemen, whom the President introduced as " honorable,'' 

 and "talented," and "professional," and "influential," 

 took the rostrum, and "followed suit" upon Barnum's' 



. A vote of thanks was finally passed to Mr. Bamum foi 

 his sexvices, and the sacrifices he had made in behalf of the 

 "Society;" another to the' " orator " of the day (whose 

 name I have now forgotten), formerly a member of Con- 

 gress, I believe ; a,nother similar vote to the Secretary, to 



