The herald., 1898-04-04
LYCfUM MEMORIES
SOME HEROES OF THE LECTURE
PLATFORM
Major Ponds "reminiscences Of Twenty
Years az q Dealer in Other
Mems Brains


last night to listen to Major James Ii.
Ponds lecture on the Memories OF the
Lyceum," Illustrated with stereopticon
views. The major commented on the
siimness Of the audience by repeating the
words Of Henry Ward Beecher on SIM
liar occasion, when the house was little,
who said: "That Is not my part of the
business, but will try to give them little
better lecture"
Major Ponds lecture is necessarily a
reminiscent one, as many Of the lecturers
whose pictures he shows are no longer liv-
ing, and his ground covers twenty years
that have gone by. He was manager for
many of them, and for few he was not.
When he quits reading his notes, which
sound like the advance notices Of press
agent. and lapses into anecdotic colloquy,
he is interesting and entertaining. His re-
membrance of the people whose manager
he has been In the lecture field is generally
kind. but he has few sly digs for several
of the men, ''in whose brains he dealt" as
he called It,. The lecturer concluded his
review Of his celebrities with fervid and
enthusiastic eulogy Of DR.. Beecher.
After telling his hearers how he came to
enter the field as lecturers manager he
introduced the picture of Ann Eliza, the
nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, who
was an eloquent pleader against Mormon
ism. Anna Dickinson, the oratorical Joan
of Arc during the war. followed, and then
came in succession Elizabeth Cady STAN
ton. Susan B. Anthony, Julia Ward Howe,
woman's rights and anti-slavery advocates.
OF Thomas Mast, the caricaturist, he said
that he did great work in putting down
the rebellion with his pencil. When he
came to Robert Ingersoll the lecturer said
that as an orator no nation could today
produce his equal. whether on religion or
politics. In connection with Unbeliever
Bob, Major Pond related that DR.. Beecher
had once written the words Robert
Burns on the edge of a newspaper. and
said that 1t was Ingersolrs epitaph.
A. few sentences were devoted to P. r.
Barnum's extraordinary thrift and par
simony, and the lecturer added drily that
he died leaving large fortuna Among
the slides was photograph taken at Provo
showing husky old Mormon with four
wives, two Of which were daughters Of the
Others and the seven offspring Of the out
fit.
When the picture of Mrs. Scott siddons
was shown, Major Pond said that she had
earned $4,000 in three seasons lecturing.
and yet complained to him that she hadn't
a dollar because her husband had placed
1t all In a bank-a faro bank. Orators.
temperance lecturers. evangelists, reform
ers and emancipators who have graced
the lecture platform followed each other,
to be succeeded by such celebrated singers
as Clara Louise Kellogg, Lillian Nordica
and Nellie Mayo.
Then It was the turn of the humorist.
James Whitcomb Riley and Bill Nye were
first. Pond gave the story OF an old hay
seed trying to tell Riley. who pretended to
be deaf, that he had known his father
After having frantically howled to Riley a
number of times: II knew yer father!' the
humorist quietly answered: $50 did t.
OF Josh Billings the major said that one
could always tell by his vest what he had
had for breakfast
A number Of English lecturers were next
passed in review. Ian McLaren was
described as the most delightful kind of
reader, who could make his hearers weep
or smile at will. Bishop Potter. the most
popular cleric in New York city. was also
shown. A street Arabs description 81
himself that he overheard is greatly priced
by Rev. Potter. The kid said: There
goes the bish; he amt no chump."
And thus It went on. the whole galaxy
Of bright men Of letters, poets, actors, au-
thors and travellers who have graced the
lecture stage under the auspices of Major
Pond being shown and commented on.
Several photographs of the Adirondacks
taken by Photographer Stoddard and a
number Of pictures of Mark Twain's over
land travels while on lecturing tour, COM
pleted a lecture that was full Of interesting
features.