The sun., 1897-08-22
FOR LoTE OF JENNY LINn.
Tobias Van steenberEh. whose HEAD wa
Turned By tho Great sonEstreaa.

KINGSTON, y. Y, Aug. ol.-He Is an odd char
acter. this Tobias Van Steenbergh who recently
refused the offer made to him by a New York
museum manager to go to the city and exhibits
himself to people as the mad lover OF Jenny
Lind. For many years he has lived hermits
lie IN rude little shanty built just OF the old
post road that runs from Albany to New York
near the village OF Glasco. Ulster county.
The story of the intatuation Of this man WIN
not once but many times during the career Of
Jenny Lind forced himself into her presence and
besouSht her hand in marriage, is O pitiful one,
1t might well bring to tho blush tho offspring of
the persons who perpetrated a hoax on Van
Steenbergh long ago. making him believe that
the singer loved him. by procuring forged let
ters from New York which purported to have
been written by Jenny Lind. From that time
on Van Steenbergh was cajoled and petted By
these practical jokers, who made him believe
thoroughly that he was designed for higher
fate than that OF a village carpenter. and finally
induced him TO draw his carefully boarded saw.
ings from the bank and start for New York, tn-
tent on winning the hand of Jenny Lind.
The jokers watched him depart, and for weeks
the entire village laughed and talked over the
strange hallucination OF their good hearted
to"hsman, Alter arriving in New York he
haunted the hall where nightly tho famous
singer aS appeared bearing her sing: not once bpS
her than ever, and when she left the nall to
drive home he wandered through tho streets
himself hoarse in her praise. For weeks he
iingered s5sSis d,r In the city. but chance did NOT
Jenny Lind,s public receptions at the Revere
House he could stand the suspense no longer,
pressed it to his lips. and. falling on his fnoeS
before her. told her the story OF his love- and
to marry her Jenny Lind ordered the he Attendant @ %
TO eject him. and he was thrown out into the
s1sfS obby q, Tghy after ths rebuff he haunted the
his visits; Despite hi. failure. Van V'Si% stesn.
opportunity placed himself In position whore
her eSpS eSp1as sef o tine -. s as she stspped into
Ing. Several times he spoke to her but on each
occasion he received only scornful glances. The
Jenny Lind loved him that he lima ned that the
only bar to their union was that he was NOT q
organ he ground out the odtime airs in front Of
the Revere House and nights at the entrance to
see that he, too, was musician. 0N-1 'A1'
nad.s ssngth % vEn T6 SteenSergh was arrested and
in Kingston lea ned Of his predicament and GO
cured his release: Taken homo to Kingston he
ing in the love Of Jenny LIND ID for o'tGn. him.
His mind seemed to have broken down under
his his ilnfatuation. l His money had been spent in
his return. so he moved from the city to assco. @
xee 9oes es ho hss see% ssd to since s. in little
walks surprisingly long distances, seemingly
without fatigue. He 10 always very much In
evidence at patriotic celebrations in tho towne
along the Hudson River and never fails, when
the occasion offers, to mako a patriotic epeech
On the flagstaff in front OF his rude house is q
flag which continually flies at half mast in
memory. he says, of the death OF Lincoln One
Of his peculiar sayings is: Gen. Grant fought,
all be saved"
Van Steenbergh is a stanch Republican,
Poorer than the prpverbial church mouse, he
does not work. for the reason that he imagineo
himself endowed with the wealth of a Cresus
his neighbors humor him In this respect and
give him fool and the various other things he
Graves. for his pathetic story is we'll known to
almost every man, woman and child in Ulster
county, With visitors he converses with much
voiu5ility for hours, and at times he talks ra-
tonally. His conversation concerns anything
under m , the sun except his own story. or his life
his early love he shakes his head and points to
the rear OF his domicile where. framed In pine
cones. hangs faded lithograph OF Jenny Lind.
When seen by the writer and asked why ho
refused to go to New York and enter museum
Lind's picture, muttered" No! mol"