Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-01-30
Jenny Lind and Barnum.

at Castle Garden. Never before and
never since has New York witnessed
such furore as the advent of Jenny
Lind produced. Mr.. Barnum, with un,
exampled skill and tact, famed the pub,
lie excitement, which he had largely
created, to fever heat. Upon the occa.
sion of this rehearsal the entire Battery
was covered with one dense mass of hu.
manity. When the performance was
over Miss Lind took my arm 10 return
to her carriage, which she had left stand.
ing opposite the Bowling Green. Imme.
diately after we made our exit foom the
Garden, the crowd pressed upon us SO
wildly that the police had difficulty in
forcing passage for us. Some endeav-
ored to thrust petitions for charity into
her hand, and the only object of Others
was to crafty their curiosity By gazing
into her face. The populace made up
their minds that | must be Barnum,
and | was repeatedly addressed by that
name. 1t was with no small difficulty,
and after great deal of embarrassment
to me, that we finally reached the car
riage and drove away.
After a time Miss Lind became dis
satisfied with her contract, and / was
sent for to revise it. Mr.. Barnum made
the required concessions. / prepared a
substitute, and this also duly executed.
Before the first concert came off it was
announced in the newspapers that Miss
Lind intended to inaugurate her career
in America by presenting her share of
the proceeds to public charities in the
City of New York. | believe that the
suggestion came from Mr.. Barnum, and
1t was master-stroke of policy. The
day after that concert again saw Miss
Lind, and received from her about Sill
900 for distribution. | asked her to what
institutions was to present it, and she
told me to select them myself Accord
ingly consulted with two or three gen.
tlemen, and madeout list which l sub
mitted to her for her appreciation. She
approved it, and | started upon my mis-
sion of mercy. Before | had got through
it almost regretted that / had consented
to become her almoner. Scarcely any
body-there were few praiseworthy ex-
ceptions- was satisfied. At almost every
establishment which l called they tried
to persuade me that larger allotment
should have been made to their particu-
lar institution, and that It's needs and
deservings were SO much greater than
those of such sister one. OF course we
had been strictly impartial We had no
motive whatever to be otherwise.
Now the best of it is, as / have since
had reason to believe, the receipts of that
first concert fell far short of Mr.. Bar
NUNS expectations, and that the public
might not suspect the fact, he himself
furnished large portion of the money
which figured as Miss Lind's share.
Again and again Miss Lind desired
changes made in the contract to her own
advantage, and every time Mr.. Barnum
yielded. Whatever his motive, he was
most obliging and complaisant; and al
though | have never seen him since, ]
have always esteemed him for the good
nature and liberality which he exhibited
at this time in his business relations with
Miss Lind. | believe she received every
farthing that belonged to her, and that
he treated her with the most scrupulous
honor.
Miss Lind soon removed from Irving
House to the New York Hotel, and it was
there that | saw her most frequently.
The baritone of the troupe which accom-.
panied her, who was in the same house,
was madly in love with her, and he used
to lie in bed all day weeping and howl
ing over his unrequited affection. The
way in which she was bounded for chari- |
ty all the time was disgracefnl to the
country. Besides receiving scores of let |
ters, she was daily besieged by male and |
female beggars, who obtained access to
her upon every pretext. and who tor
mented her for donations for themselves
or others. The impudence of some of
those people was almost incredible. =
am ashamed to be compelled to say |
that many American ladies urged their
pleas in behalf of objects, some of them
undoubtedly meritorious, with an impor-
tunity which overstepped the bounds of
propriety.
Miss Lind wac calm, sensible con.
scientious woman of high principles,
rather calculating than emotional. She
1etested hltHbug-a word which was con-
stantly in her mouth. | was with her
when telegram was shown her, men,
iioning the enormous sum that was paid
in Boston for choice of seats at her
first concert. "What fool !" she ex