The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-01-29

NINETY DAYS y COSTS"
He said he would like some dav NV
Judgment on a boo: he was gcin. to
pa. liah under the title .Gleanings." !
sal yes, would LOOK at il when | hap
r.r.-'l 10 be at his house. He said that
w..ll be unnecessary, as he had it with
hi,a lie opened his valise. which con-
tairsf the manuscript. a pair OF arctics
and Il lunch. and took out "Gleanings."
FL. read quite "A lot of it to ne.
Now what would your Judgment be
on tl.it:" he said.
Ninety days and costs" said | as
quick as "A flash.
lie said AS he reluctantly got off the
Riley, the Hoosier poet. Il don't be-
lieve Jim has even wrote anything that
| can't repeat. and. between you and me,
"A heap better than he does it. use his
'Goodby. Johnnie: see yon later in my
lecture"
Speaking of lecturins. | have an ear
nest and sincere letter from a Young man
at Raccoon Summit. Ttnn.. asking about
my own early experience and how ]
like It.
The history Of the lecture industry of
America is enc q alternate citation and
depression. 1t is a hi=:ory of alternate
failure and Success. written with the
hearts blood of the lecturer. 1t is d
record of hope and indigestion. of ex-
kilarating applause and nippins frosts.
1t Is easy III America to say: Il will be
y lecturer. l will train my voice and
warm the cold hearts of my fellows with
ra-e"'f froia 80 e.ocutionary point Of
view. and i viii write myself "A lecture
to lit The gestures that | have thought
MP. i will win for myself IL place in the
hearts Of my coGntrfIaen at $3.50 Der
pop. and committees stall say, 10. he is
indeed Il corker!" and the leading people
# the Town shah take me to their homes
and give me of their preserves. and the
committee shall meet he 1t the depot
with a livery team
1t is easy to say al this. but it is not
easy 10 co it. Before all TIL, can hap
pen the long dusty road hat leads to
public approval must be srrinkled with
tears. The amateur lecturer must con-
tribute many soas and three sheet pos
ters. and many an mafeur manager
Must meet with reyerses of his fortunes
while the lecturers cuffs are going
through tie same process.
Our best lecturers are too wealthy to
lecture. and so the field l. OF .upied
pretty extensively by those who's fame
is superior to their lectures, or whose
lectures are superior to their fame. So
too often it ii either "a small but de-
lighted audience" or "a large and dis
appointed one"
Sometimes the lecturer entirely escapes
criticism. Willie the audience gets "A terri
BILE roasting for its apparent enjoyment.
This is one Of the sadaast sights | have
even witnessed. \ bright young critic,
who has had sometimes as high as a year
and IA half of experience as a thought
moldcr. takes an audience of mo or
less mature people across his knee and
gives it a well merited rebukn. | lave
known an audience after such an expe-
rience to change its name and go some
where else. No u who has never been
an audience under srch circumstances
can imagine is c.lasrin when it finds by
the paper that 1t has enjoyed a lecture
which was q bitter disappointment to a
blase young critic.
Judicious advertising twenty-five years
ago would have made any lecture a
financial success, but now it will not. Il
is a queer combination of fame-ability
to entertain and business sagacity-which
together make up the sum Of success
from a box Office standpoint now, and
that has to be the test at least, for lee
ture committees and local managers do
not love one who cannot draw. You
are therefore to comt;ne your talents as
q talker and as a craftsman.
To start ont rs a lecturer and win
wealth and fame in this way i IN mp
hill job, wen theHgh your lecture &ss
written by Or ona III whom son have
the utmost confidence. Generally orig-
of thought and exIres.ion. when
through the medium of Tie pat@c n
have attracted attea5ion, Are the {.
and strongest clements of sueces5 in tie
err "c4-sa -ssrs 99#-q eh"rgG
follow a complete study of The AVERAGE
audience and an effort to please its pc
taste