Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-08-07

was so fatal as indistinctness Of utter.
ance, and that painful effort to make
the words distinct always wearied an
audience. How he overcame this ten
deney, which he noticed in himself, Is
best illustrated by one or two anec-
dotes.
Conkllng had occasion to go to one OF
the great departments of the govern
ment on business few years before his
death. While there he met ayoung man
who asked him how il was that he was
able to speak In a great hall go distinctly
that person sitting in the remoteSt
end % il could hear him without effort.
That" said Mr., Conkling, sis one
Of the most important, perhaps should
say, the element Of chief Importance,
TO successful oratOry. Yet there is no
reason why 1t should not be more easily
mastered than some OF the other require
ments. 1t is very simple. 1t depends
entirely upon distinct enunciaiion OF
tka yowels in every word. If you take
care Of the novels the consOnantS VIII
take care Of themselves. For instance,
takd the sentence, Roll, mighty ocean,
roll on in all thy grandeur and speak
the words so that the vowels are sound
ed with perfect distlnctnesS, and you
will find that any person within sound
of your voice will have no doubt about
what you have said. II you think OF be-
coming a public speaker, my young
friend, let me give you word OF advice.
First of all be sure that you have some
thing to say, that you have a message
for those whom you propose to address.
Let it be your own thought, and not
the thought OF anybody else. That is
the cornerstone Of oratory. Without
that, no matter how pleasing a speaker
you may be, you are after all nothing
more than a mimic as the actor on the
stage is. Next, be careful of your VOW
els. An Grafton Is worthless unless IL
Is heard, and ID will not be heard unless
you watch your vowels, and then the
third rule IS be individual. Don't imi-
tate any one else, aud that is habit
acquired only by discipline.
Nj. Conkling was always fond of
words With the vowel so" pronounced
with its long sound, and the fondneSs
was very curiously illustrated after his
death. He died afte brief illness. lie
was smitten so suddenly wit mortal dis
ease that he had made no preparation
whatever either for the management OF
his law cases or his private affairs. His
disease had made him deliriouS so that
he could not commUniSate TO any of his
friends matters OF which they should
have been advised in case Of
his death. After the funeral
his immediate representatives.
searched for a will or for some paper
which might indicate his wishes re-
Specting the disposition of his property.
They could fiud nothing. His library
drawers, his desk, his private table at
his home in Utica, contained no scrap
of paper which would suggest to his
friends what his wishes were. Yet
there were reasons for believing that
he had written a will. At last mis-
daughter brought a small box on which
was a lock which could only be opened
by person who knew the combi-
nation. Nobody knew what this COM
binatlon was. They did not dare break
the box for fear they might destroy
something Of value. They tried various
words, pet names, and favOrite Oxpres
slons upon the combination without
avail. AT last the daughter said, "GOu
know my father was very fond OF pro-
nouncing words which had % in them.
I remember that he was delighted with
the sound Of the word Rome, which
he used to pronounce dwelling fondly
on the % sound in it. Let US try that
word.
1t was tried upon the combination, was
found 10 be the key, for the lock yield
ed, and within the box Mr. Conkling'S
will was found.
Mr.. Coukling's most lannon's short
speech was delivered in the Republican
convention of 1850, and placed General
Grant before that convention as a can
didate for nomination for the Presiden-
cy. Some $4,000 persons were in the
building. The remote gallery was so
far away from the speakers stand that
only indistinct outlines Of the forms of
the men who sat there could be dis
cerued. Is seemed impossible that the
human voice could convey intelligent
utterance that distance. Some OF the
speakers who preceded Mr.. Conkling
seemed TO these men in the galleries
mere poflOEMeIs VI HdutNiui Ho, iOA uO0
one word which they uttered could be
hoard
Mr. Conkling when he arose 10 speak
did not mount the platform, but stood
upon a reporters table. Ii was some
moments after his handsome and i'm
posing figure was seen before that great
assem- blage became quiet enough for
him 10 proceed. He did not seem to be
straining himself. Apparently he was
speaking in a conversational tone.
There were 10 grimaceS Of the face, no
straining of the chest such as are some
times seen when orators are striving to
make themselves heard. Conkling spoke
for about fifty minutes.
After the convention had adjourned
that evening a gentleman who sat in
the remote gallery said to ConkliDg:
Senator, 1 heard every word Of your
speech as distinctly as though had sat
directly in front Of you. Will you tell
me the secret OF that extraordinary
distinctneSS OF utterance?'
"Why, sir" 1t was because 1 took
good care Of my yowels, Senator COnk-
ling replied. z. JAY EDWARD.
mn vr7rrr1-n M tvrDo