Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-03-18
Three PspuIar Leclurers.

The new literary paper, the RoEsd Table,
thus csuteriEss Lecturers
Popular lecturers may be divided into three
classes: the serious, the seTi0-comie and the
humorous. George William Curtis is speci-
men Of the serious lecturer. Stephen G. Mas.
SET: is pretty fair type of the serio-comie lee
tuIeIs. at the head of the popular Numerous
lecturers stands ATtemus Ward. The styles of
the lectures delivered by these three gentlemen
are, of course, very different; bat as we shall
presently show, they are only different varieties
OF the same species, aud take slmost the same
methods to prepare their wares for the market,
and to advertise themselves srd their shams.
Mr. Curtis Is not only popular lecturer, bat
also az sUtaoT and sort OF journalist. He
hsH been to Egypt and formerly had some &C
quainiaBes with lady named Pius. Hesiis IL an
easy chair in one of the magazines, and loGnges
aboutthe offiee of an illust -s.ed weekly. Tnsse
positisns upon the press afford him frequent op-
p0TtuBities in Gulogizing popular lecturers in
general sRd himself IN particular HIS lectures
are q mere rehA5h Of ths numerous books he
reads. For the rest, be has pleasant voice, 3
coed delivery, and very good looking face. and
his terms 10 lyeeUms ar one hundred dollars 9
night and travelling expeRsss-colege COM
mencements sTee.
Mr. S. C. Massstt, the ssrio-cumic shan, is
also something more than = popular lecturer.
Although he docs not know z note Of music, be
claims to have composed several popular airs.
He has written fsW ballads, and AdEptad :
great many more; and these be siUg5, whenever
be hiss a chance, by wsy Of advertisement. Hs
can initiate actors and Euglishnen, and gives
his limitations at private parties, slso by way of
advertisement. He IS scquAinted with Mr.. JGs.
I. Brsdy-A fact to which ne constantly slludes,
by way of advertisement, IN conversation and
in PRINT On the whole, Mr. Esssett e3veTiises
himself more extensiVsly than NJ. Curtis; bat
he does it more giErlngly, and dseeiYos fswer
psopls. H lectures are mere pstchwoTk-a
bit of Msssett, bit of Mr. Winter, q bit of
Shakespeare. bit Of James 7. Brady, bit of
Ar Anonymous, 3 bit Of Forrest. Yea among
g certain set, Msssett is esteemed as a great
genius; and no lecturer secures better notices Ia
the newspapers, since he usually writes them
himself
Mr. Artemus Ward is a young man with
Z oman nose and humorous mind. He began
his public career as the local editor of q coun-
try paper in Ohio. One rainy day, when local
items were scarce, the young man peTpetgA!ed 8
letter from a Snowman and signed it Artsmus
Wsrd-his sole design, as he AYERS, being to
fill out column of the paper. The letter wss
extensively copied, and he followed it up with =
series, which made his reputation and book.
This bOOk is said to have besn read and laughed
over by President Lincoln az certain cabinet
councils. This may or msy net be true, but
certainly the book is very funny and very silly.
Mr. Wards indseTset friends then urged aim TO
take tho tide of fortune az its food and become
e popular lecturer. Mr. Ward is, we believe, q
modest msn, bat he has Yankee foHdness for
the almighty dollar. Consequently he adopted
tie advice Of his friends, aud began bis rounds.
Unfortunately, however, he soon discovered
that be could not always command his hum0T,
4ba 1saiysraa yTara mt aasv IN Vyrika as
letters. With businesg-llke tact be Immediately
set 30 work to supply the dsheisney. He en-
Moved three or tour persons TO collect jokes and
gitieisns, original and selected, and OF these
collections DO made hash, which he called a
lecture, the peculiarly of which was that it had
no beginning, no end, aud no connection. To
have new lecture, therefore he had only to
change the title, without altering word of the
manuscript. This explains the remarkable
similarity between his Sixty Minutes in Afri-
ca" and his Struggle with the Ghosts"
This lecture, half dczsG taking titles for H.
and a certain imbeeile innocent msnneT, reSem-
bling that of Dan = ant, sre ATssmu5 Wards
stock in trade. We know OF no other stock
which Yields such lsrge returns, considering tbs
value of the original Investment. After Iesliz
| irg considerable mOnsy hsIe, Mr.. Ward has
| roae TO California, whsre he pockets couple oi
| thousand dollars nigdt, if current and tele'
| graphic reports be Tde.
We have said enough, We trust, to show the
fimsy foundation of the shsmreputations which
popuiar lecturers have-and which they boldly
claim as public teachers, whose mission It is &c
! educate, and instruct, and refine the people
| Some few popular lecturers sre indeed "oltny }
of this reputation, but the majority are certainty
not. They collect together other peoples sense
| or nonsense, wisdom or rubbish, as Is may hsp'
pen, and palm it of as their own II they Were
| to do the came thing will other than literary
property, they would sooa be 10 prison, instead
| Of on the rosirum. Their regulations are based
upon what they crib, not upon what they org
! .nate, and are therefore shams.
Why, under the sun, sensible people should
go to hear them, We could never understand, IN
til we heard ATtemus Ward relate the following
aneedots, which is perfectly authentic, and VI
explain this mystery "One evening, sitel
lecturing in Cineinnaii,'' szid Mr. HsTd, ="
returned to my hotel, and found big, ourl!
man pacing before the clerks desk, and sweAT
ing az himself for being such tool as to stient
ny lecture. I took 3 mental photograph
hat individual, asked for my key, and retired
The next time lectuTed in Cincinnati, wa
surprised TO see that very man smeDg my audi
eneo. He brought large party with him an'
sat the lecture through. Aiiss close pIocnre'
an introduction to him, related the Inelaent
the hotel, and asked him directly why ne cam
TO hear me SgGin Well, said hes am q titll
sshned to be caught herei but l eculdnt resis
temptation. wanted to have the satisfaction
Of seeing three hundred ss big fools as myself
sitting with their mouths wide open, Wnll
you gGliod them cut of their quarteIs
n Toe most important is the 6fst Storm bot
, In the gpYiug of the year and in the msrTie