The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-09

course. She belongs to the class OF lee
turers who believe what they say and talk
for principle chiefly, although she has a
number of successful literary lectures.
But she loves to talk on temperance and
the old soldiers, and What Shall We Do
With Our Daughters? p She has outlasted
the light operas that for time invaded
the field of amusement supplied by lectur-
ers.
George w. Cable is another of our ma
tive lecturers who found a new literary
field among the creoles, and discovered
new dialect and made the most of it in his
books and talks. He has been in demand
among nice people, and gets nice audiences
in the colleges, seminaries, schools and
churches. He jumped at once into sue
cess.
The first hard blow that the lecture
platform got was from the clear, humorous
light operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Peo-
pie went TO hear them who would not pre-
viously go to the theater. They took the
place of the lecturers to large extent IN
New England. They caused the public
halls TO be remodeled, and the curtain
went up where previously it had been for
hidden. The fun and the good music
were popular and profitable. But when
less gifted imitators sent out poor COM
panies, not so clean, with poor music.
there was reaction, and the lecture sys-
TEN began to regain some of its lost
business, had to go under. Eighteen
years ago Mr.. McVicker, of Chi
cago, said to me: What are we to do?
There are about forty combinations
on the road. travelling all over the coun-
try?' But today there are 800 travelling
shows going from town to town with one
night stands, and most of them making
little or nothing. People have got tired of
their trivialities and their lack of freshness
or originality. So we find that many towns
that gave up their lecture courses are now
returning TO them.
"A new lecturer must have good and
fresh materials. One of the sure cards is
DR.. Talmage. | paid him $4,000 for sew
enty lectures. l offered TO build him new
church for 200 lectures. He manages
many lectures for himself, and often gets
$500 to $3.50 a night. He could get more
calls to lecture if he only had the time to
attend to them. DR.. Lyman Abbott is an
other able lecturer in great demand at
good rates. But he will not leave his
church for a long tour. He lectures for
Yale. Harvard, Cornell and other colleges.
but must get back home for his Friday night
talk and Sunday sermons. Canon Farrar
took about SIS, 00t out of this country for
fifty lectures in 1885. Charles Dickens, ir..
got about $4,000 for reading from his
fathers works one season. He could
really read much better than his father,
but it was difficult TO get people to believe
it. Many got the idea that he was merely
travelling on his fathers reputation.
Although Robert g. Ingersoll is a great
lecturer, he could not be placed on a w.
ceum course because of his religious views.
He manages his own lectures,
Il consider Stanley the greatest living
lecturer. He made a study of lecturing
and became very expert before he got
through. His opening lecture in New
York Melted $4,000. His Boston lecture
Melted $4,000, and his total earnings for
the season were 1856, 500. The expenses
were very heavy. We travelled in a hotel
car that cost us $3.50 day, and we had /
believe the same car that President Uar-
rison used on his tour. We travelled 27. O0O
miles in that car in luxury
Thomas Mast could have made n
prlncely fortune as lecturer. Redpath
persuaded him TO start out in 1873 talking
and drawing, and he got to be worth 500
TO 500 night; He made about $40. coo at
1t ana had $4,000 engagements for the
next season; but his eyes gave out and he
PAID Mr.. Redpath his commission for the
undellvered lectures and quit
MARX Twain could make fortune
every year II ne would only consent TO lee
tnre. Redpath himself was a good lecturer
but he was OF that class who talk for a
cause because they love it, and he was not
partlcnlarly anxious TO make money. His
irish tour and lectures were on his plan
Henry George is another. / do not think
he has mercenary motives. He wants to
lecture for those who are interested in his
cause, and strikes me as an honest. sincere
and CONSCIENTIOUS man. He has made
$1,000 by lecturing.
Garrett ?. Serviss is now the leading
lecturer on astronomy. His lectures are
more taking than Proctor's, and people
ike him very much. He has had some of
the most hattering newspaper notices [
have seen anywhere of any lecturer. He
ought to make $4,000 year lecturinc
Horace Portor could make a handsome in
come as lecturer, but he is too well off IN
undertake it. Daniel Dougherty coui1
keep constantly employed as a lecturer
but he is too everlastingly law TO write
something 10 take the place of his Orators
and Oratory, which is regarded by manv
people as chestnut. Mr.. Depew made a
palpable hit the other night in referring IN
TINS lecture at dinner where he met Mr.
Dougherty. He said his grandfather had
heard 1t first and told his father what a
good lecture it was. Mr.. Doughertv said
ne would never deliver that lecture again.
but ne did deliver 1t again IN Illinois.
DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes was n great
lecturer-one OF the greatest. | would in
sure MN 1900 night for twenty nights.
John Boyle O'Reilly was a very successful
lecturer. His last lecture was in 1850, but