The humbugs of the world

An American con man claims to have a giant’s forty-foot fossil skeleton as part of his collection. When it comes time to display it, he claims some animals destroyed it, which ruins him. However, this is part of his plan as a subscription list is opened for his benefit.

This volume gives an account of humbugs, delusions, impositions, quackeries, deceits and deceivers generally, in all ages.

P.T. Barnum (1810-1891) was an American showman who established The Greatest Show on Earth (1871), which merged with its major competition (1881) to form the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

One of Mr. Barnum’s secrets of success was his unique methods of advertising, and we can readily understand how he can bear to be denounced as a “Humbug,” because this popular designation, though undeserved in the popular acceptation of it, “brought grist to his mill.”