When he returned to London, he received many offers to exhibit
himself in his dress. He at last closed with a well known Manager for
the sum of fifty guineas per day, about $250. At this time he did
little more than paddle around in the water, fire off a few rockets and
his exhibition would not last more than, perhaps half an hour. He has
often laughed heartily since, to think of the miserable apologies for a
exhibition that he then gave, when compared with the magnificent show
that himself and company of water experts give at the present day.
Notwithstanding his lack of knowledge of the show business, he always
succeeded in pleasing the public, who gathered in enormous crowds
wherever he was announced. His managers reaped a rich harvest through
his work. Their share for three days' exhibition in Birmingham alone,
amounted to over six hundred pounds, $3000.
Invitations showered in on him from every quarter for dinners, banquets,
receptions and society gatherings of every description. Hundreds of
these he was compelled to decline, on account of press of business.
Notwithstanding all this flattering attention and flood of prosperity,
he never lost his head or changed in either action or speech. He looked
upon it as a matter of course and felt just the same as he did when
diving with Captain Balbo, or bush-whacking under Colonel Sawyer.
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