Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-01-03
MARK TWAIN.
His 50 lecture IN Chicago-E2s Intro.
ttrtction TO the Audience-How Va
Looks and Acts.
From the Gh1taao Post, 18th.


Looks and Acts.
From the 6hltaao Post, 18th.
The entertainment Of TIC season, thu
| far, was the curious, disjointed, delight
fully iaoo oherent talk of Mark Twa1r
/ elements Is his married name), las
evening, in the Michigan Avenue Bap
| list Church, below Twenty -secofIG street
Twait. calls this ''lecture with the
euphenlisSi6 vatsity of his guild, but il
would be just as neaf to call It q sermon,
tale, a panorama, a magic lantern
show, a song, or concert by brass
band; And yet it's very novelty made
| it pidudnBl ard its supreme ridiculous
ness drew the GtoqqEd sna held them.
Every seat In the house; four nun
I tlsed chairs IN the aisles, and stafid1ng
room fof tTe ar. three hundred, were
crowded full, when tbs lank, lantern
iawed, and impudent Califotftlan be
stFode the stage as if it were the deck
of 8 st8a8 beat; and getting to the Md
die of the fr8ht; ftfbbed his bony hands
and gazed around a tllin aiatf of five
feet ten, thirty five or so, eyes that Psh
etrte Ike a new gimlet, nasal PROV pro-
jecting and pendulous, carroty curly
hair and mustaehe, arms that are al
ways il th6 wdv; expression dreadiully
melancholy, he states here and
there, and cranes his long neck al 6tiRd
the house like a bereaved Vermonter
who has just came from the death bed
of his 1nother-in law, and is looking for
q sexton. For something lire g min
ute he says not a word, bit RIBS his
hands awkwardly, and continues tbs
search. Finally, Just as the spectators
ais about te break into giggles, he
opens his capa6ldllE Hldtith; and begins
in a slow drawl-about three Words 8
ninute by the watch;
"La-dies - anF - gentlemen: By
the request of the Cnfiai+- man of the
mmit-tee-I-beg leave to-inttftr.
duce-to you-the lecturer of the even
ing-a gentleman whose great learning
-whdse historical e-euracy-whose
devotlon-GG sSiehse-a1d- d-whese ven
Grafton for the truth--are OILY eattal led
by his high moral character-and--his
majestic presence. Roars of laugh
ter. | allude-in these vague general
terms -to-my-self. lam little
opposed t8 the custom of cere-
moniously introducing 6 lecturer
to the audience because 1t--sGefA2s
--llnnecessary-wh the man has
been properly advertised But as-it
is=the eustom-I prefer to make it
myseif-in By avn ease@and then I
can rely on getting in--it1 tbs faets
Laughter. [ never had but one intro
duction-that seemed to ne Just the
tliing-and the gentleman was not ac-
duainted with me- and there was no
nonserse: He said Ladies and
gentlemen, I shall waste 10 time in this
Introduction. I know OF 6r1y tfFs facts
about him.; 1st, he has never been III
State Prison, and I'd, [ can't imagine
why.
Mr. Twain then ifeA@Ad toward his
subject" as he called it, and toGG his
auditors on flying trip to California
and the mountain mining regions-glv
ing alternate glimpses of sense aud
nonsense, Of humer, btlrlesque, senti-
merit end satire that kept the audience
in the Most k7IS9rati.etie mood He
never dipped into pathos, atia +aeybr
rose into eloquence, but he kept sled
ding right along in a fascinating nasal
snarl, looking and speaking
like on embarrassed deacon
telling his ezpe1ienc6; a1sd punetuat-
ing his tardy fun with the lfiosG eem-
plicated awkwardness of gesture Now
he snapped his fingers now he rubbed
his hands softly, like the catcher of the
champion nine now he caressed his
palm with his dexter fingers; Hls the
end minstrel man propounding d con-
undrtitt1 new he puts his arms akimbo
like disgusted aUcSioneerj aild now
he churned the ar in the vicinity OF his
imperiled head with his outspread
hands, as if he was fighting mosquitoes
at Rye Beach. Once he got his arms
tang1Sa 60 badiy that three surgeons
were seen to edge tIleit sa5 toward the
stage, expecting to be summoned tut
he unwound himself during the next
anecdote.
It is plain to see that Twain's sue
cess as d platforner results, first, from
his being a genuine ftiIadfi5t, With tau
dacity and Imagination secondly,
from his slow and solemn speech ano his
sanctimonious bearing and manner.
Then the style of his delivery gives oil
the effect of spQntaneity. The Jokes
are uttered as If he lad just Thought Of
them minute before, and didn't per
ceive the point of them quite as soon
as the audience.