Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-04
JENNY LIND AxD THE CAPTAIN.


During Jenny Lind's ever-remem-
bered and triumphant visit to this
country, thirty years ago, steamboat
load Of ladies and gentlemen went all
the way from Memphis, Little Rock
and Vicksburg to New Orleans to hear
her sing.
1t was nothing unusual for people to
go such distances, and even greater, to
listen to the great cantatrice. But the
intense enthusiasm and overwhelming
rush to her concerts generally crowded
out the farthest and latest.served corners,
and this was the case with the party from
up the river. When they arrived in
New Orleans there was hardly seat to
be obtained for love or money.
There were hundreds of them belong
ing to the first families of the South,
and they went away bitterly disap-
pointed.
But learning that Miss Lind herself
would be passenger on the boats re-
turn trip to Louisville, they determined
to see her, if they could not hear her.
The master of the boat was Capt.
Thomasson, very king on the river in
those days, among Mississippi steamer
Captains. Toward noon of the first day,
after leaving New Orleans, one of the
young ladies, Senator's daughter, came
to Capt. Thomasson in trouble. Jenny
Lind would not even be seen, she said,
through all the long "trip, for she in
tended to take her meals in her state
room. The gallant Captain assured her
that he would see to that and he went
at once to interview Mr.. Barnum, who
was Jenny's manager"
els Miss Lind ready for dinner? 1t
is nearly time for the bell to ring"
"No, she takes her meals in her
room"
"Not on my boat, said the Captain,
with perfect courtesy, but like man
who generally had his way.
Very soon after, he knocked at the
door of Jenny's stateroom and politely
introduced himself. He told her of his
passengers disappointment; that they
had come from 200 to 600 miles to hear
her sing, and had been shut out by the
crowd. The ladies would take it much
to heart if she remained by herself all
the way up the river.
The amiable songstress expressed a
lively interest in the situation at once,
and offered to be guided by the Captain
advice. The result was that he led her
triumphantly down to dinner.
The Captain was delighted, of course.
But he was not content with his single
victory. He had mind that his pass
engers should hear Miss Lind's wonder
full singing.
When he spoke to Mr.. 9arnum about
it the astonished manager told him he
talked "ike crazy man."
"She gets $1,000 for every song she
sings. If you can afford to give her
that, all right"
Capt. Thomasson fancied that Miss
Lind herself might not take exactly that
view Of it. He would see. But he
went to work different way this time.
He had on board several musical young
negroes, one of them gifted with re-
markable tenor voice, and he contrivad
to have these brought in to sing and
play the banjo in the cabin.
From the first of her visiting in the
South Jenny had interested herself ar
IDENTIFY in all that pertained to planta-
ton life, and the strange, wild music OF
the darby band quite enchanted her.
Some of the pathetic slave-songs of the
young tenor even affected her to tears
as they did not few of the other
listeners. Within five minutes after
the negro band had finished, Jenny was
at the piano initiating the simple airs
she had caught from them and then,
striking more familiar chords, she poured
forth the splendid melody of her match
less voice in song after song of her own.
= Youths COMPANION.