Daily Republican., 1879-01-28
JENNY In 10.
An Old Mississippi Captain's Re-
collection or the ireat singer.

QUIET eSouihS III vi" NoA' A'~' "
da. He Is no longer on the river, but
spends his summers in Saratoga and
his winters in Louisville or New Or
leans. He is known to about every
body in the Southwest. He dresses
with scrupulous neatness, wears an
old fashioned collar. around which is
wound brilliant red cravat, and is
full of stories of steamboating days. !
asked him If the newspaper story was
true, said to have been told by him
several years ago, that he was with
Jenny Lind at Niagara when the great
songstress dropped on her knees at the
brink of the cataract, and, with stream
\ ing eyes, thanked God that He had
vouchsafsd to her the sight of 50 grand
an exhibition Of His power.
"Yes," said the captain; that was
in the early spring OF 'jo,and there vas
an icy mantle half way down the falls
from the edge, and great masses oi ice
sprnging up from the bed OF the river
below to meet the water as it fell. 1t
wcs magnificent, and the great hearted
lady could not restrain herself as she
saw it. never shall forget her prayer
to be made better woman-to be made
able 10 serve the Maker Of so wonderful
a world ~ she should. We all I'M.
covered our heads as she knelt there,
and | think | am the better man for
that memory.
"W. mad been together for nearly Il
month. had Miss Lind and her par
ty as passengers from New Orleans to
Louisville. The trip down | had car
ried hundreds Of the first people of the
South to hear her sing in New Orleans.
They had come all the way from Mem.
phis and Little Rock and Vickoburg,
but when they got to New Orleans
there was hardly a seat to be had for
love or money. SO, many OF them came
back with me unsatialied-th"y had
rather be on the same boat with Jenny
Lind than to stay for the Mardi.Gras
and all that in New Orleans. When
we were fairly on our way up the river
one of the ladies-she was a great
belle in her day, the daughter OF a Sell
ator, and afterwards the wife Of one OF
our foreign ministers--came to me and
asked whether it was really true that
Miss Lind meant to keep her state room
all the way to Memphis
"Of course not, said |. Every
body comes to dinner on my boat
Those were simple times. The car
tain of Mississippi steamboat wa. a
person OF more consequence even than
the commander of al ocean steamer i
to-day, and Captain Thomasson was
the most noted Of all the captains on
the Father of Waters.
"'Of course not. She'll he 1t Dime
to-day
Then | went to Barnum-Barnum,
the show man, who was managing Mis-.
Lind.
'Barnum, said |, is Miss Lind get
ting ready for dinner ~
''Barnum looked up surprised. 'Wh,
no. said he Miss Lind eats her meals
in her ROOM
Not on my boat, said |. for yot
See did not want to dsappolnt the la
dies.
"Well, Barnun aud | argued i
awhile, and then agreed to talk Il
Miss Lind myself about it. | knocked
at the door of her stat room.
"The pleasantest voice | ever hearC
said, Come in.
"'Miss Lind, said |, Il am the cap
tain of this boat. There are twent!
ladies' on board ladies' of the first sta
= ton in Amcrca-whom have brough
anywhere from two to six hundred
= miles down to Nav Orleans to hear am
to see you. They couldn't get even I
: the door OF your concert room for tn
{ crowd. So they took passage on NJ.
!. boat again with no other hope thai
ust to see you. They didn't want t
be rude--neither do | =; but | hope yo'
will crafty them and not 8eclude your
u self all this long trip"
"My dear captain, laid She. a
pleasant as could be, don't mean t
u hide myself. Why should IL Blu
. what would you have me do ?
Come and sit at my right band at din
mr." said |. It's nearly time for tn
, bell to ring
"Wiz ze greatest plasure," said tn
u great lady, and when dinner was reat
= she came out of her state room smiling
and bowed to every body in the ladies
cabin, and sat down by my side.
"Will you not do me z- h"nair" :
u introduce me to the ladies, - said >n"
. and introduced her to all the lad
passengers that were at my table,
ladies', mind you. 1t was the mos
: pleasant dinncr party | ever had. Mis-
u Liud was curious about evtrythin
), and especially about plantation life
u She and Miss - got to be grci
- friends, and the lady afterwards visit
o ed Mrs. Goldschmidt, after her MAJ
' riage to the pianist, at her nom" /
London.
y, CATER dinner the tables were rleare
; away, and Miss Lind sat down on th
end of Il sofa in the cabin. | wrltt ful
:, ward to where Barnnm was sittin.
= near the clerk, office. "Barnum,
said l,"Won't Miss Lind sing sonethin
for the ladies
n "Captaln," said h", turning on M
j. care you gone raying mad Miss Ian
e sing in public place lik"this! VIII!
II man, you make me laugh. Miss Lin
/. gets II thousand dollars for every son
Il she sings. Perhaps yoav" got
Thousand dollars to spare about You
/ Oner her that-and then she'll tell yo
! to go about your business.
II Gan right. Baruum,' said l. we