The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-02
JENNY LIND.
Some of r. t. Barnum's Recollections of the
Great Singer.


this country. The day was Sept. 1, 1850, and
she was accompanied by her two cousins,
Miss Alimanzion and Max II. Jorkberg and
Benedict and Belitti The public had been
aroused to a tremendous pitch of enthusiasm;
prize Of 5000 for greeting ode, to be sung
by Miss Lind at the first concert had been
awarded to Bayard Taylor, a complimentary
poem had been sent in by Mrs. l.. H
Sigourney, and the newspapers WED with the
poets in welcoming her. Jenny Lind's first
concert was to be held at Castle Garden, on
the evening of Sept II. The sale of tickets
had assured receipts of nearly $40 600
and a few days. before the concert was
to be given | informed Miss Lind
that | wished to make slight change in
our contract. l had agreed to pay her tine
astonishing price, for those days of 81 900
a concert for $50 concerts, / to have the
option of closing the engagement after $50
had been given. In addition to this was to
pay all her expenses and the expenses of her
attendants and servants. / now said to her
before single concert had been given, i
am convinced that these concerts are going to
be greater success than either of MS
anticipated, and l want you to
receive not only the $1,000 and ex-
penses, but after taking out $500 per
night for expenses and my services | want
yon to have half the balance She couldn't
understand at first what [ meant, but when
she comprehended what it was she Just
threw her arms around my neck and cried
out %, Mr.. Barnum, you are too good I
requested her to notify her lawyer and said
that l would have mine meet
him and change the contract
accordingly. She told me to let my lawyer
do it alone and fix everything Just
as pleased, but insisted upon her intrust-
ing it to her lawyer and she accordingly
turned the matter over to John Jay, to
whom she had letter from Barring Brothers,
London. John Jay was a great man, but he
was one of the meanest that ever lived. The
unparalleled success which was opening be-
fore Miss Lind aroused the jealousy of evil
advisers and her 'tuppenny' cousin Max
and one or two others apparently secured
the influence of Mr.. Jay. To the liberal
offer of increase of contract Mr..
Jay interposed the objection that
$50 concerts was a long engagement. | re-
piled that would consent to abide by my
largely increased offer and allow Miss Lind
to terminate the contract by the payment of
$3.50 when 100 concerts had been given, If
she chose to do so at that time To this prop
ostion Jay again said that 100 concerts were
a great many and he couldn't advise Miss
Lind to accept l finally said that | would
give her the privilege of terminating the
contract after fifty concerts, provided she
would at that time pay me back the sum
which l had offered to give her above the
Although she suffered much from the unrea-
sonable interference of her lawyer, Jay and
other foolish advisers of her company, the
contract, with the conditional privilege on
her part of terminating after fifty or one
hundred concerts, was signed, and a series of
the most brilliant concerts ever given in this
country inaugurated,"
You visited St. Louise"
''Hes, IN 1851 and something transpired
here that | remember very distinctly. We
had been received with oyations in all the
Eastern cities, given few concerts in Cuba,
and returning to New Orleans, had made
our way up to this city by boat, the
Magnolia, stopping to give concerts at
Natchez and Memphis. We reached
the city on the morning of the day on
which our siXty-first concert was to be given,
and had taken our quarters at the Planters
House. Miss L;nd's 'tuppenny' cousin and
mean-spirited Esecretary. Max H. Jork berg
came to me as her representative he said,
and announced that having given all the
concerts required by the contract, she would
now cancel her engagement. | had received
no information CT anything of the sort, and
was fairly nonplussed. | reflected, how
ever, that if our contract should be Cancelled
Miss Lind was bound to repay ME all over
the stipulated 81, 600 per concert, and calcu-
lation showed that amount to be over $75,-
600, told her secretary that | would see
him again in an hour, and then went out
and consulted with Uncle Sol. Smith, who has
since dedicated book to me. Our ideas
conceded, and | went back and told Max
that | was ready to terminate the engage
meht on the receipt of word from
Miss Lind that she wished to do so and
the payment of 10000. But said he
taken aback, you have made arrar gements
to'give concerts in Louisville and Cncin-
NATL That makes no difference said /,
you may take my contracts for those places
n secretary ~ a.
ordinary proposition to secure me as mana
ger for some fifty more concerts, and wanted
to know what | would charge. | saw through
it all then, and said 81 ,000,0 600 EACH not one
cent less | charged the secretary, Max
with acting without the authority of Miss
Lind in the matter and he answered eva
sively. | still maintained my willingness to
cancel on the terms of the contract, but /
never heard a word from Miss Lind about it,
don't know to this day whether the secre-
tary was acting under her directions or not
The receipts from our five concerts in St.
Louis were $50, 600. y
after our separation | heard of a peculiar
freak which she played in Philadelp hia on a
subsequent visit When with me she stopped
at Jones's Hotel, and everything went along
quietly and pleasantly. Afterward she went
to the same house, while her advisers were
managing the concerts. Everything about
her rooms had been fitted up with especial
care for her coming, and for her table in
the dining-room valuable new cloth and
new napkins had been procured at consid-
cradle expense. Jones told me afterward,
his anger finding vent in unbounded pro-
family, that being out of sorts when she came
to the very first meal she found fault with
the starch in the napkins, grabbed them up
and threw them at the heads OF the
walters, jerked the tablecloth from the
table, smashing the dishes in doing so, and
actually tore the cloth half in two before she
could be stopped. She was sorry for it after
ward, and was made to pay roundy for the
damage done. During my association with
her, however never had any serious trouble,
and we were always the very best of friends,
and are SO to this day"
Winter Diaries.
Cleveland Herald.