The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-08-12
ON THE PLATFORM.
HOW TO MAKE CERTAIN THE Sue
CESS OF A LECTURE.

The Audience Room-A Good Thing Is
Improved by Being Enjoyed in = Good
plaoe-ro "worl< Up' an Audience
Other Items
Out of some years Of experience ven
ture q few suggestions that II followed
will enable the hearers to get oil the light
ard enjoyment contained in any public ad-
dress, and thai every time.
One thing even the most careless Will
sec: The address that is signal Success
tonight Gun not I've failure 10 morrow
night if the conditions, the surroundings
arc the same Halls, churches, audiences,
expectations change; the language OF the
lecture does not materially change, ana
only as he is chilled lJy empty seats and
the shivers of cold stove, or opposed by
the echoes, will his delivery change. If it
be clear, charming, thoroughbred tonight,
tomorrow night on a platform as COSY and
before as many people, it will not be cold
and half-bred.
Having secured speaker, you will be-
liove will please the people, of course you
wish to do all you con to help him please
The first question then is that of an audi
ence-room. A frequent mistake at this
point is the dream that tho larger the
room the more people will attend, the
more money be gained, and the greater
the success every way. OF course you
should know enough OF the temper of your
people to form m idea of the number you
and the speaker together can "draw;" for
you can count ON the fingers of one hand
the American names that, unaided, will
draw fair house, and those you must pay
into the hundreds to got.
CHOICE OF A ROOM
Better choose room a Httle pinchcd
than much top large Overflow the rcgu-
lar seats, I'll up the alsles, and you lift
your speaker up to a point whereon, If he
be a mental athlete, he will lift the people.
There is eioQucncc IN Il row standing
against the wall. No man ever admiNs
himself or the audience while speaking to
fifty people and 800 chairs: In the average
town of 1,G0G 70 1000 people you do we'll
when you get POO TO pay their way 10
lecture: and small room will scat that
number
Having determined hpW. maA u room
W Ill III ltlt uuulClSSy 4SOh lpL NiiS i'St'i
that has the best reputation for ease in
speaking and hearing. Where it is hard
speaking it is hard hearing; and you never
thoroughly liked anything you worked
hard 10 listen to- yet missed parts of it.
Between the hall and the church of
suitable size, etc, always take the church.
It is generally better lighted, seated,
warmed, and ventilated, and infinitely
cleaner, quietcr and more in harmony with
right sentiments, even when set TO the
music Of humo:. The average hall has
high naked stage, with wings and curtains
that check the sound OF the voice, bare,
dirty floor, hard. soilea soass, diugy walls
and windows, tobacco on the stove and
the stairs painted with it. Your minstrel
patrons like to 90 there, but they don't go
there for the lecture with . moral pur'
pose and pay their way; and even when
free they only lounge in and out to the an
noyance of all listeners. Your best, clear
minded thinkers and worlfcrs-your men
and women wieh whom the good thought
is seed sown in good ground-do not like
to enter such holes up stairs; food for
brain and heart does not relish well there.
A good thing is improved by being enjoyed
in good place. And the free lecture il
the downtown hall, if it has any dclicacy
Of wit and sentiment, is ruined by the coll
slant tramp over bare floors by boys and
loungers who can not digest Il thought III
public 1t is mistake to bid for such
there they must first be trained in the
schools and by conversational inter-
course.
TO 'WORK Up AN AUDIENCE"
When you want to "work up an audi
ence" you say: Well, the way to do it is
to work, at least when enrnnce means
money; and often it requires skill to get
good free house Having engaged
speaker begin to build up an interest in
him and his theme. Get into your local
paper brief sketch Of the speaker, or
,necdotes, ETC., about him, and perhaps
omething about the lecture, its age, num-
Der Of times given, etc. Anything in this
line that has the flavor Of Il news item
your journals commonly will insert with
out charge Then when you ask the peo-
pie to buy tickets the name is familiar,
and they more readily respond. Keep the
people awake to the coming lecture us an
Important event. Speak Of it to all you
meet everywhere, except at funeral.
Good personal talking is the most paying
advertisement And You may be sure
that the more earnest you are to get m
audience, the more enthusiastic will peo-
pie be to attend.
If is lecture chiefly for entertain
ment, an admission fee should be charged;
aud then to get an audtc4lce, pay en-
penses, and have something left, you must
sell tickets in advance, and the further
ahead the better, for the ticket-holder be-
coLles friend inviting others to attend
And don't leave the canvassing to chill
dren they are easily put off. Send out,
by districts or streets, your best-known
and esteemed members-those whose
good will everybody likes to share. The
people you want are the thinking, read
ing, souls capable Of pleasant evening
at home; and to get them out you must
convince them of something good to
come Simply the announcement of the
time and place and the deptstt Of tickets
at Smiths store will not so convince them.