Struggles and Triumphs by P.T. Barnum — Read

Scenes in the Legislature -- Sharpshooting -- Propositions for a New Capital of Connecticut -- The Rivalry of Cities -- Culmination of the Railroad Controversy -- Excitement Among the Lobbyists -- A Bill for the Benefit of Commuters -- People Protected from the Plunderers -- How Settlers Are Drawn Into a State and Then Cheated by the Railroad Companies -- Equal Rights for Commuters and Transient Passengers -- What Commodore Vanderbilt Did -- What the New York and New Haven Railroad Company Wanted to Do -- Exposure of Their Plot -- Consternation of the Conspirators -- My Victory -- Again Elected to the Legislature -- United States Senator Ferry -- Ex-Governor W. A. Buckingham -- Theodore Tilton -- Governor Hawley -- Friends at Lindencroft -- Nominated for Congress and Defeated.

During my membership in the Connecticut Legislature of 1865, I made several new friends and agreeable acquaintances, and many things occurred, sometimes in the regular proceedings, and sometimes as episodes, which made the session memorable. On one occasion, a representative, who was a lawyer, introduced resolutions to reduce the number of Representatives, urging that the "House" was too large and ponderous a body to work smoothly; that a smaller number of persons could accomplish business more rapidly and completely; and, in fact, that the Connecticut Legislature was so large that the members did not have time to get acquainted with each other before the body adjourned sine die.