P.T. Barnum (1810-1891) has been credited with the following statement: “The public likes to be humbugged.” He was a showman of early circus fame here in America. He also is known as the “19th century American huckster.” Barnum created the “Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, and Caravan & Hippodrome.” This traveling circus was billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
Webster’s Dictionary defines “humbugged” in part as: “Something made or done to cheat or deceive; fraud; sham; hoax; misleading; dishonest; or empty talk. A dishonest person; person who does not live up to his claims; impostor. A spirit of trickery, deception, etc.” Further, Webster defines huckster in part as: “A hawker of wares; a mean, haggling tradesman; tricky, mercenary peddler; an advertising man, etc.”
P.T. Barnum was after folk’s money. Entertainment was his ways and means to get into the pockets of the public. For the most part, folks came away from his shows highly entertained. Did they know that the master of humbugger humbugged them? I would suggest they knew or they didn’t care. They enjoyed the show! In the late 1930’s, my father took my younger sister, Kathleen and me to Manhattan to see the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. I remember seeing “Gargantuan the Great” (1929-1949). He was a low land gorilla, but I understand he wasn’t that terrible. Another sideshow favorite was the giant of a man, very tall. He dressed like a cowboy and was selling cheap rings. He would take them off and sell them. They were quite large. My Dad bought one of his rings for us kids. I am not sure, but the tall man could have been Robert Pershing Wadlow (1918-1940), the tallest man in medical history. Mr. Wadlow was 8 feet 11.1 inches and weighed 490 pounds. He toured with Ringling Brothers about the timeframe when we saw the circus. You know P.T. Barnum may have been right, “The public likes to be humbugged.”
Beware of Religious Humbuggery
We must guard against those that desire to mislead in order to make gain and remove our hard earned money from us. However, it could be worse. There are those that will take our money and also plant seeds of religious quackery in our lives. Note what the apostle John wrote, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). There are many people who fit the definition of a humbugger and a huckster. This is done through false religious claims, and because of this trickery, they will deceive many that do not “try the spirits whether they are of God.” “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
