Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-01-27

NINETY DAYS AND COSTS"
He said he would like some day my
judgment on a book he was going to
publish under the title 'Gleanings." I
said yes, I would look at it when hap
'pened to be at his house. He said that
would be unnecessary, as he habit with
him. He opened his valise;; which con-
tanned the manuscript, pair of arctics
and lunch, and took out ''Gleanings."
He read quite lot of it to me.
CHOW what would your Judgment be
on that?" he said.
NINETY days and COSTS" said as
quick as flash.
He said as he reluctantly got off the
car that he was great student of Mr..
Riley, the Hoosier poet. Il don't be-
ieve Jim has ever wrote anything that
I can't repeat, and, between you and me,
heap better than he does it. use his
.'Goodby, Johnnie; see you LATER in my
lecture"
Speaking of lecturing, have an ear
nest and sincere letter from young man
at Raccoon Summit, Tenn, asking about
my own early experience and how
like it.
The history of the lecture industry OF
America is one of alternate citation and
depression. It is history of alternate
failure and success, written with the
hearts blood of the lecturer. It is
record of hope and indigestion, of ex-
hilarating applause and nipping frosts.
It is easy in America to say: II will be
q lecturer. I will train my voice and
warm the cold hearts of my fellows with
my nice new upper register. will train
myself from an Evolutionary point of
view, and 1 will write myself "a lecture
to fit the gestures thatI have thought
up. Twill win for myself place in the
hearts of my countrymen at $500 per
pop, and committees shall say, "Lo! he is
indeed corker!" and the leading people
Of the town shall take me to their homes
and give me of their preserves, and the
committee shall meet me at the depot
with a livery team"
It is easy to say all this, but it is not
easy to do it. Before all this can hap
pen the long dusty road that leads to
public approval must be sprinkled with
tears. The amateur lecturer must con-
tribute many sobs and three sheet pos
ters, and many an amateur manager
must meet with reverses Of his fortunes
while the lecturers cuffs are going
through the same process.
I Our best lecturers are too wealthy tt
lecture, and so the field is occupied
pretty extensively by those whose fame
Is superior to their lectures, or who's
lectures are superior to their fame. S.
too often it is either "a small but de
lighted audience" or "a large and dis
appointed one."
Sometimes the lecturer entirely escape
criticism, while the audience gets terri
BILE roasting for its apparent enjoyment
This is one of the saddest sights hav
ever witnessed. A bright young critic
who has had sometimes as high as yea
and q half of experience as though
molder, takes an audience of more o
less mature people across his knee an
gives it a we'll merited rebuke. I hav
known an audience after such an expt
. rience to change its name and go some
where else. No one who has never bee
\ an audience under such circumstance
can imagine its chagrin when it finds b
the paper that it has enjoyed a lectu1
which was bitter disappointment to
blase young critic.
Judicious advertising twenty yea
ago would have made any lecture
financial success, but now it will not. 8
is 8 queer combination of fame-abih1
toentertain and business sagacity -whit
together make up the sum of succe
from box Office standpoint now, al
that has to be the test at least, for lie
ture committees and local managers (
not love one who cannot draw. -
are therefore to combine your talents
3 talker and as craftsman.
TO start out as a lecturer and W
wealth and fame in this way is an
hill job, even though your lecture "
written by some one in whom you ha
the utmost confidence. Generally orr
inality Of thought and expression, viii
through the medium Of the public pre-
have attracted attention, are the III
4 and strongest elements Of success in t
makeup Of q lecture tour. Then shou
follow complete study Of the avera
audience and an effort to please it's |
culiar taste. s