Omaha daily bee., 1885-04-03
ALI ABOUT oRAToRY.

BILL NYE SAYS THAT'DRMosTHKNKs
HIM-THE DUTIES Of GREAT ORATORS
BIG TIMES IN OLD ATHENS.
Twenty centuries ago last Christmas there
was born in Attica, near Athens, the father
of oratory, the greatest orator of whom his.
tory has told us. His name was Demosthenes.
Had he lived until this spring he would have
been 1907 years old ;..but he did not live. De-
mosthenes has crossed the mysterious river.
He has gone to that bourne whence no travel
er returns.
Most of you, no ldoubt, have heard about
it. On those who may not have heard about
it, the announcement will fall with a sicken.
ing thud.
This sketch is not intended to cast q gloom
over your hearts. 1t was designed TO cheer
those who read 1T and make them glad they
could read.
Therefore l would have been glad if I could
have spared them the pain which this sudden
breaking of the news of the death of Demos
themes will bring. But it could not be
avoided. We should remember the transi.
tory nature of life, and when we are tempted
to boast Of our health and strength and
We 9TH, let us remember the sudden and early
death of Demosthenes.
Demosthenes was not born an orator. He
struggled hard and failed many times. He
was homely and he stsmmered in his speech,
but before his death they cam to him for
hundreds of miles to get him to open their
county fairs and jerk the bird of freedom
baldheaded on the Fourth of July.
When Demtsthenes' father died he left
themes and his sister. A talent is equal to
about 81 LOCO. l often wish that I had been
born
A LITTLE MORE TALENTED.
Demosthenes had a short breath, q hesitat-
ing speech, and his ann were very un-
graceful. To remedy his stammering he
filled his mouth full of pebbles and howled
his sentiments at the angry sea. However,
P~lutarch says that Demosthenes made a
gloomy fizzle of his first speech. This did
not discourage HIM: He finally became thu
was no thing for him to fiji
the First Baptist church of Athens full
There are now sixty of his ~orations extant.
part OF them written by his private secre-
tiry.
When he started 10, he was gentle, mild
and quiet In his manner; but later on, carry
ing his audience with him, he at last became
enthusiastic. He Numbered and roared, he
whooped, he howled, he Jared the windows,
he sawed the air, he aplit the horizoni with
his clarion notes, he tipped over the table,
kicked the lamps out of the chandeliers aud
smashed the big base yiol over the chief
fddler's head.
Oh, Demosthenes was business when he got
started. 1t will be . long time before we see
another off-hand speaker like Demosthenes,
and l for one have never been the same man
since l heard of his death.
'Such was the frat of orators, said Lord
Brougasm. "At the head of all the mighty
masters of speech, the alteration of ages has
consecrated his place, and the loss of the
noble instrument with which he forged and
launched his thunders is sure to maintain it
unapproachable fereyer."
l have always been q great admirsr Of the
oratory of Demssthenes, and those who have
heard both of us think there is a certain de.
gree of similarity in our style.
And not only did / admire Demosthenes as
an orator, but as a man, and though / am nc
Vanderbilt / feel as though / would be will.
ing to head a subscription list for the purpose
OF doing the square thing by his sorowinp
wife If she Is IN want, as l understa ad thai
she ia.
/ must now leave Demo II euss and pas, Cd.