The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-14
Milking ORATORS.
An Uptown Professor Discourses the Art
Of Public Speaking.

In an uptown street there is n small and
unpretcntious brick house the front door Of
which is ornamented with a tin sign that in
forms the public that the man within teaches
elocution. oratory. and public speaking to
youths of all ages and both sexes. The Pro-
lessor, who was found standing in the middle
OF the rear parlor, wore frock coat. held in
place around the waist by a single button. Tho
rest OF the coat was unbuttoned and allowed to
bulge out at the chest in the conventional style
Of public speakers. His trousers were very
bagEy at the knees, and he wore pair OF car
bna hu,'e b run dS% h a. the heel ne
brushed back briskly. From the waist up he
looked nai IKE public ba l,iI man. ,,;,
the edge OF a chair and waving his hand rlo-
nnent.y is not as many people sunpose
here he swell led hi, chest gently, but ilrmy--
of what you MIGHT cali sracd Here s the F F9p.
lessor waved both hands and burst into daz-
habit OF profess onal eiocutionists. and each
word was uttered with the utmost distinctness.
The room nn was sparsely furnished and the in
straw in the middle of the room. The Profess
S leaked on this spot sort
was very impSriant he Stepped from force or %' OF
assumed an attitude.
rsoi suppose me majority of your pupils ex-
believe that is tho i-dea-ah which actu-
ates most OF them but to be perfectly frank. /
do not think that elocuton as it is taught by
myself ana men OF my standing. is of any par
profession II gives them clear and distinct
utterance, l. is true, but it tends to make their
speech artificial and unnatural l suppose
everybody VIII agree that an actor Is at his
best when he is perfectly natural. and it is not
true that people generally speak in n natural
manner. trust" added tn" Professor. THAT
you'll overlook the too often use Of the word
natural. II is the only word which exactly ex-
presses my meaning"
Have you many pupils who train for politi-
cal spcakers:"
-, Nearly all young men who come here have
the l,dea-ah Of pubic speaking in view when
they begin 10 study. have several pupils who
heong to debating societies in the Cooper
lnlon and elsewhere, and they devote special
nttehtion To what may he called original ora
tory. The training for IL is very simple Tho
majority OF men. or AZ least many men. can
talk vel with ono another, but as soon as they
Sst on their ieet before an audience or arc
become embarrassed, and mutter their words.
lher"iore teach Il man To cultivate two dis
tnct yoices-conyersational and Il public voice,
for ms purpose generally have one Of my
ginning OF his losson every day in slow de-
llb"rale, and perfectly distinct voice one that
couid u" heard in n large hail The effect Of
ms NJ 'irsf Is to make tn" pupil slightly hoarso.
thr rehulns. adopt the method OF cOnversnG
win him in the same ton" of voice for few
minutes. and then he goes over one OF the cele-
brated orations Of Shakespeare or the cIass,cs
In the course OF n few months he attains what
IS OF prime impOriHuc" in public speaking n
distinct de- livery. OF course can't give him
l-dea,ahs attend" added the Professor with
modest air To what may term the outside
semb ances Of greatness. | ran make an ora
tor, ms far as voice and manner are concerned
leave the rest to the man himself"