St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-06
A HOOSIER PRODIGY.
Little Irwin Jay Steininger.
the Wonderful Boy Orator
Of Indiana.
He Is Only Five Years Old
and the Son of Poor
Parents,
But He Has a Most Remark
able Memory and Gift for
Speaking,
And Rolls Off Speeches, Ser
mons and Lectures With
Little Effort.

Rochester, Ind, has a new topic OF
conversation, SAYS the Chicago tribune.
The topic is so absorbing that it fills
Fulton county, and has stopped over
into the adjoining counties that are
named after patriotic Poles, Kosciusko
and Pulaski. 1t has raised Rochester
from state of prosperous oblivion to
one of feverish speculation.
Up to the present time Rochester en-
foyed the mild distinction of being a
county seat. 1t is outside the gas belt.
Once during the natural gas boom it felt
envious of the mushroom prosperity OF
its neighbors. Then it saw the collapse
and remarked:
II told you SOL"
Since then it has been contented. 1t
shipped grain and lumber from its rich
farms along the historic Tippecanoe;
had the toll-road question to make cleo
tions interesting; organized vigilance
committee to prosecute duck-Shooters !:
went out to Lake Manitou and loafed
with the legends on Sunday; caught
rock bass and took a periodical hunt
for the Prophets treasure"
Last spring the foundations of a new
hotel were laid. The old settler shook
his head over this venture.
"Bet you nickel the owner'll get
stuck on that big hotel" he remarked
with characteristic Hoosier optimism. :.
HOLSTERS always bet you nickel. A
nickel is the unit of Hoosier's convic-
ton, just as horse is in Kentucky.
But the owner did not get "stuck. u
In witness thereof the old settler has
changed his wager.
1.-The new hoteli finished justin time.
Bet you nickel they'll be lot OF folks
comm to Rochester now.
Lake MaXinkuckee won't be no
where. Lake Manitou III be the great
place in this neck o. the woods. People
III Just naturally drift over there after
seeing him."
"Six thousand folks paid 10 cents to
hear him Last Sunday in Warsaw
Brought the money back with him and
put it in the bank right here!"
There are evidences that Rochester is
Oh the eve of a disastrous boom.
Who is the mysterious him OF whom
everybody speaks in italics?
Just a chubby little chap in knicker'
bockers. You may find out all about
him in the big new hotel that ism,
filled yet.
The Steiningers.
Six years ago there was wedding II
the little German settlement eight miles
from Rochester. The man who took ou
the license was j. II. Steininger. Ger
man farmer. The young couple wen
to housekeeping on rented place, buy
Ing very little household furniture. The
husband contributed the horses and {
COW, and the young wife feather bed
and a setting of "DOmlnlcker'
eggs.
The event did not excite anybody
Rochester never heard of it. Thes'
short and simple annals of the young
couple did not even get into the coun
try paper at the time.
By-and-by baby boy came to the lit
tie farm house. This event was no
chronicled, either.
The boy was named Irwin Jay. HI
was christened in the little German
church into a denomination that is de
scribed as being like the shouting Meth
odists. Whether the boys fathel
shouted on this Joyous occasion is no
known. If he did he was not heard be
You'd the walls of the tiny church.
But the boy is shouting" now.
The strudy little chap rolled up ant
tumbled up into Goyhood. He wen
barefoeted six months in the year, AM
the sum of his usefulness was told il
the fact that he occasionally "shooed'
the ''Dominicker" chickens off tn
porch and rocked his baby brother t
sleep.
Sunday he went to church. In tn
afternoon his father read the Rocheste
Republican that contained Talmage'
sermon on the patent inside.
Five years passed away in this man
ner. Irwin Jay Steininger was fou
years and one day old when he intro
duced diversion into the family monot
Ony. While his father was reading tn
weekly inStallment from the BroOkly
divine Irwin Jay was baniShed to tn
porch with the baby and the 'Domir
ickerS."
A strange voice was heard, and tn
simple German parents rushed to thei
offspring, to find the baby lying wit
staring eyes and the chickens balancin
on one leg listening to Irwin standin
In his petticoats delivering sermon
the sermon that had been preached /
the little church that morning.
Word for word, just as the preache
had uttered them. The parents wei
with the usual warning and then al
nounced:
II know another'n. | can say the on
you've been reading, paw"
Before the astonished young coup
could get their breath the youngSte
had begun Talmage's "Advice
Parents on How to Raise Children" L
made no pause. Words of six sylla bl,
rolled off his tongue, elaborate quot
lions of poetry, very much mixed met
phors, And it was in stentorian tone
after the manner of platform Speake
He had the voice of a man, the a
surance of public speaker, the call
ness of Webster.
His fathers blue eyes opened wild
and the mother sighed in perpleXitY.
80, my, dot boy! What has con
over him~
J. H. Steininger scratched his blOnt
head. and then proved that if he is &c
man he is also Roosler.
"Bet you a nickel that boy could a
tonish this school district"
AstOn1shed the Natives.
This prediction was verified.
Be it understood that Fulton cOun
has an oratorical contest in the ope
house in Rochester every year. II
competitors come up by appointment
literally popular vote--from the scho
districts. Weeks before the real tri
comes off a preliminary contest is he
In all the school houses in the county.
Master Irwin Jay Steininger was
candidate from Richland township. |
appeared with his father at the count
school house. the first time he had ev
seen an abode Of the 'hope of o
country"
He stared at the blushing boys W
got up and recited "Horatius at t
the Bridge" and MY Name is Norval
He stared at the hieroglyphies of lear
ing OH the dusty blackboard, and
stared at his own new trousers of bl
Jean made out of his fathers old ont
and at his suspenders-sgalluses"
called them.
His father had taken his inoffensi
blonde head over to the committeem
and was talking in earnest tones.
"Reckon he's too young" said t
committeeman. '.Ain't never been
school, don't know his letters?
pshawl Why, it don't stand to reasC
Well, I'll ask the people if they've z