The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-03-06
JENNY LIND'S HEART,
How,s rslEAun0AF CAPTAIN
HORHaHD ON HER1fINDNESS.
seeing Niagara. "A Trip up the Missls-
sippis pissHeguiling the Diva to Dinner
--Pleashs the Ladies.

SnA ANNLLafsdrd IA Irlp up the M16StS-
ppiRsHeguiling the DIVA to Dinner
--Pleayans the Ladies'.
From a. Louisville Letter.
A cbMhcter ID the ante bell,tna
daysRfs K9ntucky was Capt. ST.
Clairs sThopasson, commander of one
OF the greet Mississippi steamers in
the days When there were no rail-
roads tos,New Orleans, and when O.
trip down the river was the thing
for every planter and his family to
take each winter. It was no un~
common occurrence for one party
especially a bridal party--to secure
every state room, On board and make
the six days yoyagasa journey worth
remembering Among tho negro
walters there" were always half
dozen musicians or more, and with
this haAd, Ad, there was had a dance
every evening, with sometimes a
concert in the ladies' cabin, when
high born ladies sang sentimental
songs, alternately with the planta,
tlon melodies of the darkey walters.
met the old. Captain the other
evening in the Galt House ,rotunda.
He is no longer on the river, but
spends his summers in Sara
toga and his winters in Luis.
will on New Orleans. He is known
TO about everybody in the South.
west, He dresses with scrupulous
neatnoss, wears an old fashion col
lar around which is wound d bril-
liant red crayat. and is full of stories
OF steamboating days. I asked him
II 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 Oh her knees at
the brink of the cataract, and with
streaming eyes, thanked God that
lie had vouchsafed to her the sight
of go grand an exhibition of His
power.
-'Yes."' aaid the Captain :, ,utho+
WAS in the early srpinyof so and
there was an icy mantle h If way
down the talls from the edge, and
great masses of ice springing up
from the bed of tae river below to
meet the water as it fell 1t was
magnificent, and the great-hearted
lady could not restrain herself as
she saw it. I shall never forget her
prayer to be made better woman
to be made able to serye the Maker
of SO wonderful world in way
that she should We all uncovered
our heads Us she knelt there, anI I
think I am the better man for that
memory. .n..
1--WE had been together then for
nearly month. I had Miss Lind
and her party as passengers from
New Orleans to Louisville. The trip
down I had carried hundreds of the
first people of tho South to hear her
sing in New Orleans They had
come all the way from Memphis and
Little Rock and Vicksburg, but
when they got to New Orleans there
was hardly q seat to be had for the
love or money. So many of them
came back with Inc unsatisfed--
they had rather be on the same boat
with Jenny Lind than to stay for
the Mard Gras aud all that ia New
Orleans. When we were fairly on
our way up the river, one of the
fadies-she was a great belle in her
day, the daughter of Senator, and
afterwards the wife Of one of our
foreign 1ninisters--came to me anu
asked whether it was really true
that Miss Lind meant to keep her
state-room all the way to Memphis.
'Ofcourse not, sud L Every
body comes to dinner on my boat "
Those were simples time. The
Captain of Mississippi steamer
was q person of more consequence,
even, than the commander of an
ocean stenmer is to.day, and Capt.
Thomasson was tho most noted of
all the captains On the Father Of 6he
Waters.
"4of course not She'll be at
dinner to-day Then I went
to Barnum--Barnum, the Snowman
who WAS managing Miss Lind.
".Barnum,' said ], lis Miss Lind
getting ready for dinner2'
"Barnum looked up surprised.
why, no. said he, ''Miss Lind eats
her meals in her own room
"Not on my boat, said / you sec