The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-12-31
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LPtemus Wards Lecture.

Artemus Wards Lecture.
The furore to see and hear this dis
tinguished lectarer and humorist was
scarcely equalled by that to see and hear
Kossuth or Jenny Lind. Wherever ne
goes, the multitude rush to see and hear
him, and when once within the circle Of
his enchantment, they stand or sit en-
chained, until the last sound of his voice
dies away, despite all the Inconvenience
Of crowded halls or sweltering weather.
The Chicago Post of the 18th gives the
following admirable puff oblique to his
lecture at organs Hall, in that city:
SIXTY MINUTES IN AFRICA-THE PIECE
THAT ARTEMUs WARD sPoKE-The rush
to Bryan Hall last evening was some
thing Unprecedented The Snowman. we
seriously believe, never moved larger
assemblage with his tempting promise
OF wax hgures The lecture was an
nounced to commence at eight 0 clock,
and at seven the crowd commenced to
arrive. At half past seven the hall, the
corridor, the entrance and the sidewalk
in front were crowded with an impatient
and excited throng. Without, ladies and
gentlemen were jammed and crushed in
mass towards the ticket office, where
an hundred fists were trying to thrust
themselves into the little aperture
through which the tickets were given.
The best days of Cough, who was wont
to stir up similar public connections,
never saw u more eager throng. The
men who secured the tickets at the door
snatched at the cards with a rapidity that
gave them the appearance of being in
well sustained spasms. The crowd kept
coming until the body Of the hall and
the gallery were no longer capable of
seating only one more"
They then stood up, arranged them
selves in vertical layers and gasped ard
sweltered and looked over each other 5
heads with red avidty and suifocating
earnestness.
The piece spoke was much in the style
of Browns former lecture, the Babes in
the Woods" 1t was desultory nonsense
of the best kind admirably and tellingly
delivered, and Of course having the
slightest possible reference to the title.
1t was humor:- disconnected satire.
A very pleasing attempt of folly to shoot
herself while flying, and the large audi
ence, packed into the warm hall, stood
it with boisterous good nature that
never tagged nor relented, and told how
popular, alter all, was the desire for a
little nonsense now and then--a de-
sire, by the way, which hitherto has been
ascribed chiefly to the ''wisest men"
Some of the speakers "hits' were
"fair between the eyes" The manage
ment of national affairs; the neutrality
OF England; slavery; ambition; fashion;
newspaper CANNON, and fashionable fol
lies OF various kinds were touched with
the irresistible and broad humor of the
lecturer, and the audience responded
every time" with hearty and sinulta
neous thrill Of audible satisfaction.
The lecture-it we may call it such
is like the authors former declamatory
pieces, in his own vein. There are sew
cral of the relations which are mere
newspaper gags, and had the edge Ia
ken oil them by doing duty with the
Babes in the wood but the principa
part of it is his own in spirit and delive
ry, and we believe Mr.. Brownies humol
to he purely American. 1t would be i'm
demerit by partial sketch. We woulC
as soon atiemps to report roaring farce
1t answers in the most successful man
ner the end sought to be attained by th'
lecturer, and however the stoical ant
cynical may snub him, will draw crowd
ed houses whenever delivered.
The Chicago Tribune of the same dat
says:
BRYAN Hall was filed last evenin
with one of the largest and most enthl
siastic audiences ever gathered with
its walls, upon the occasion OF ART
mus Ward lecture upon his " ski
Minutes in Africa, a large number b.
ing unable to gain admission. The !e'
tnre was an immense success, keepln
the vast crowd in roars and screams
laughter: throughout We congratula
the sho vman upon this "episode an
pocket.astonisher.