Daily globe., 1878-08-06
JENNY LIND's LOVER.

New 4Ork sun.
"Soots'' Van Steenberg is well 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 cantatrice,
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 idosnycracies
have made him an object alike of pity and
of curiosity throughout all the country side
Dressed in butternut trousers, woolen 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 ar
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
tences 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. 1t 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 buttresses and
mighty bastions. 1t is not easy to visit this
wonder of the Catskill mountains owing to
the tall, sharp rocks that surround it; but it
will not be long before it will be thoroughly
explored by the lovers of wild scenery.
The interior of "Boots'' 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 a considerable sum OF
money with him, and he became fascinated
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
ST. 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, 'sBoots" felt light hand touch his
arm. It was the songstress herself She
had recognized the young man as he who
had nightly thrown her flowers from the pit
She handed him her card. 'sBoots'' says:
''She was living near the Bowling Green
I 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 no
we'll. / thought of her while awake, ant
dreamt of her while asleep. My existence
was wrapt up in her. At length, when wa
sure of winning her, a man named Otts
Goldschmidt arrived from Europe. Thi
, man seemed to have supernatural powe
over her. She discarded me. The snil
from her sweet lips that usually greeted M
as sat directly under the footlights wa
turned into cold stare.'
AS he said this, .Boots'' seemed overcome
with emotion. Tears trickled down hi
weather-beaten face. The train of hi
: thoughts seemed lost in chaos, and he az
> peared to be no more reasoning being. II
had sent to her native city, Stockholm, for