In _Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain_, p. 171, we have Barnum attending Twain's
lectures (ca. 1873). Then, on p. 185, Mr. Kaplan informs us, "Like Barnum,
whom he admired and exchanged invitations and curiosities with, Clemens
believed that a man without publicity was a tinkling cymbal."
Paine says, "Even P.T. Barnum had an ax, the large ax of advertising, and he
was perpetually trying to grind it on Mark Twain's reputation; in other
words, trying to get him to write something that would help to popularize
'The Greatest Show on Earth.'"

_Mark Twain's Notebooks & Journals, Vol. II_, has several references to
Barnum, is a note to "Criticise old masterpieces gravely, hurling in 'tone'
&
other technicalties & soberly contrats the Sampson & the Lion &c with
Smith's
Van Amburg in the Den, painted for Barnum's menagerie." The Smith here is
imaginary; Van Amburgh (Twain left out the 'h') was "the first prominent
American animal trainer" who placed his head in lion's mouths.
In Notebook 19, Twain makes reference to an apparent episode of esp he had
in
regatrd to a letter Barnum had written to him.

_Mark Twain's Notebooks & Journals, Vol. III_, has the following:
>From Notebook 24, April-August, 1885: "Dog show at Madison Square Garden
where Barnum is now begons 28th & ends May 1 - Susy must see it." The
footnote for this entry states that Susy recollected seeing the dog show on
April 29.

>From Notebook 29, May 1889-August, 1890: The simple entry, "Mr. Barnum," is
followed by this footnote: "The New York 'Tribune' announced the arrival of
P.T. Barnum at the Murray Hill Hotel in New York City on 24 March 1890.
Barnum had just completed a highly successful English tour. Clemens arrived
at the Murray Hill Hotel a few days later and presumably met with Barnum
whom
he had known for many years."

The notebook entries alone really do not prove that Twain and Barnum spent
any time together, but taken with Paine's remarks about the exchanges of
invitations, it seems as if the acquaintanceship was more than passing.
One final note. Barnum's famous house "Iranistan" (which is pronounced ARN
ih
stun around here) is a mere half of its former self. It was being moved from
its old site in Bridgeport to a site in the Lordship section of Stratford.
The barge carrying one half of the house sank and the house still sits at
the
bottom of Long Island Sound. The other half is the residence of my cousin's
(by marriage) in-laws.

Marcus W. Koechig