Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-08-08
JENNY LIND'S LOVER.

TIE strange Story Of Tobias Yam Steenbe,g
New York Sum-
"Eoots'' Van Steenberg is we'll known in
the region near the Catskill mountains. His
Christian name is Tobias, but because he
wears an enormous pair of boots, in all
kinds of weather, he has for years been
known simply as "Boots.'' Twenty eight
years ago he lost his heart to the ,cantairlce,
Jenny Lind, in her first series of concerts in
this country, and his reason followed his
heart soon afterward. His romantic history,
his strange costume, and his idosnycrsciss
have made him an object alike of pity and
of curiosity throughout all the country side.
Dressed in butternut trousers, wooden shirt,
and heavy top boots, and decorated with
colored ribbons from head to foot, he
marches briskly from town to town, making
patriotic and sentimental speeches, and sing
ing songs. Like the Wandering Jew, hidden
to traverse the earth without stopping or
| resting, "Boots" seems to be walking out
life sentence of perpetual motion. On az
irving at town or village he mounts up to
some conspicuous position and gives series
of "view-haloos" that attract the towns
people. They break into peals of laughter
at his queer sayings and ludicrous songs.
Then he passes his hat for coins. His chief
! theme is love, and on this subject alone he
seems to have full control of his faculties.
His great blue eyes dilate, the bearded face,
usually expressionless, is lighted up with
animation and intelligence, and in clear,
ringing tones and smoothly rounded SEN
fences he gives full swing to the passion of
his early days. He has little hut near
|: Plattekill Glove, between Overlook and
Roundtop mountains, in which he OCCASION
ally lodges at night. Here are collected all
sorts of curiosities that he has picked up in
his travels. The spot would seem to have
been selected with care. It is one of the
most romantic and picturesque regions of
that charming country. Near it is the
Plattekill falls, cataract of one hundred
and twelve feet, which, while not so extern
sive as Niagara in the wild beauty of it's vast
towe ing banks, worn by the ceaseless flow
Of waters into sounding bnttresses and
mighty bastions. 1t is not easy to visit this
wonder of the Catskil mountains owing to
the tall, sharp rocks that surround it; but it
will not be long before it will he. thoroughly
explored by the lovers of wild scenery,
The interior of sBoots'' Van Steenberg's
hut is dressed with evergreen and laurel.
Above the chimney piece is an elaborate
| frame that was once gilded. Within it is
the picture, now very much faded, of Jenny
Lind. This is the key to 'Boots'' history.
When only % years of age Steenberg visited
this city. He had considerable sum of
money with him, and he became fascinated
with city life. One evening in September,
1850, in Tripler hall, he heard Jenny Lind
| sing. He became infatuated with her, in
! the one hundred and fifty concerts, the ex-
tent of her engagement with Barnum, he
listened to her nightly. He expended nearly
vi 900 in bouquets of choice flowers for her.
These he threw to her himself from his seat
in the pit.
After this she sang in Castle Garden.
While standing at the stage door of this
theatre one night after the play, as was his
custom, in hopes to catch glimpse of Jenny
Lind, "Boots'' felt light hand touch his
arm. 1t was the songstress herself. She
had recognized the young man as he who
had nightly thrown her flowers from the pit.
She handed him ner card. Boots says:
''She was living near the Bowling Green.
went to see her. She treated me very
politely. I asked her to marry me. She
said she'd think about it. I went to the
house every day. hung about the place
every night. Sometimes she would see me,
and sometimes send word that she was not
we'll. thought of her while awake, and
dreamt of her while asleep. Ny existence
was wrapt up in her. At length. when was
sure of winning her, a man named Otto
Goldschmidt arrived from Europe. This
man seemed to have supernatural power
over her. She discarded me. The smile
from her sweet lips that usually greeted me
as sat directly under the footlights was
turned into cold stare.''
As he said this, "Boots" seemed overcome
with emotion. Tears trickled down his
weather-beaten face. The train of his
thoughts seemed lost in chaos, and he ap-
p,'red to be no more reasoning being. He
Id sent to her native city, Stockholm, for a
large picture of her, and had his picture en-
graved and copies sent to her. In all, he
had expended over ST. 900 on Jenny Lind,
and soon found his money we'll nigh ex-
pended. Soon he heard of her marriage to
Goldschmidt in Boston. The anxiety, the
heart-burnings that had rent his pastoral
breast for months, then eliminated in a
severe mental shock, and his reason was de-
throned. He returned to his home on the
Hudson, and endeavored to raise money
wherewith to follow Mr.. and Mrs. Gold
schmidt to Charleston, whittier they were
about to journey. He was unsuccessful at
first. but at len tn becoming possessed with
the notion that he had money in the King
ston Savings bank, he went there, drew q
check for $500, and presented it. 1t was
signed with his full name. Strange to say, a
distant relative bearing the same name hap
pened to have an account at the bank, and
''Boots'' signature was very similar. A
former teller of the bank, in conversation
with reporter for the Sun at Saugerties,
last week, said:
He had no difficulty in identifying him
self as Tobias Steenberg. and through ex-
treme carelessness the check was paid. It
| was sometime before the mistake was dis
covered. Then Roots was found, but he