The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-07

exploiter of celebrities-in other words,
of popular lecturers. He has been en-
gagged in this work for over 80 years.
Among the public speakers whom he
has had in charge at one time or an
other are Henry Ward Beecher. James
Russell Lowell, Emerson, Walt Whit
man. John B. Cough, Wendell Phillips.
Thomas Mast, Canon Kingsley, Wilkie
Collins, Charles Bradlaugh, Matthew
Arnold, Archdeacon Farrar, Henry NJ.
Stanley, Sir Edwin Arnold, Max ORell.
Dean Hole, Conan Doyle, Archibald
Forbes, Marion Crawford. r. A.
Proctor, Hall Game, Mark Twain, Mrs.
Besant, Bill Nye, Anthony Hope, Josh
Billings, Lieutenant Peary and George
Augustus Sala-
Al his New Jersey home, surrounded
by mementos of the famous persons
with whom he has been associated
Major Pond recently related some
"reminiscences of his long career.
My experience as a manager" he
said, began soon after the close of
the civil war. 1 was in Salt Lake city
at the time, working on newspaper.
This was at the time of the influx or
the GentileS. They came in such hordeS
that thare was no accommodation for
them all, except in the houses of the
Mormons. Brigham Young gave his
followers permission to take boarders-
1t so happened that the first Methodist
minister to start the crusade against
Mormonism was a boarder in the house
of Brigham Young's wives. Through
him and his wife the woman became
converted. Her name was Ann Eliza
Webb Young, and her revelations OF
MOrmoniSm caused a sensation
|. throughout America They were en-
bodied in a book called Wife No. 19,
or the Story of Life in Bondage; be-
ing a complete expose of Mormonism,
and revealing the sorrows, sacrifices
and SufferingS of women in polygamy,
by Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young
apostate WIFE
My connection with this matter was
that 1 rendered some assistance in the
preparation of the book. Mrs. Young
was urged to go to Washington AID
tell her story before congress she
went and 1 accompanied her. She OBJ
tanned permission to speak to the
Legislators. She told a plain unvarn-
ished tale. and the horrible nature of
her revelations caused a great sensa-
ton. Within As hours a law Ithe Po-
land bilD was passed for the relief and
protection of oppressed women in titan.
Mrs. Youngs name was on every
ones lips. 1t occurred to me that she
would be a great attraction as
first of a long line of lectures. The tour
was managed through the Redpath
lyceum bureau of Boston. So success
full was it that l was able to purchase
a half interest in the bureau. This was
in 1878. A few years later l opened an
agency in New York, and ever since
have been touring America and Eng
land with celebrities.
This is a unique collection of brains
tO haua had tha handling Of They did
not all succeed, burt the successes, 1 am
happy to say, have been more numerous
than the failures.
Cautiously enough, Wilkie Collins was
one of the worst failures. He had not
the gift Of lecturing, and what he had
to say could not be heard. Matthew Ar
mold was another failure as a lecturer.
He made his first appearance in Amer
lea before one of the finest audiences
ever gathered together in New York,
but he could not be heard beyond the
front rows.
General Grant and his wife had
seats in a remote part of the gallery.
They strained their ears. but couldn't
catch a word. 1 was nearby, and Gen
eral Grant said: We paid to hear the
Pit sh lion, but he won't roar; so we
are going out and the two took their
ieav-. Notwithstanding his poor speak
ing powers Matthew Arnold attracted
the public and made a lot of money"
Of the successes there is a long rec
ord. Among Englishmen, Henry NJ.
Stanley has earned the most money.
"On the first occasion that 1 engaged
Stanley" says Major Pond. lit was at
800 a night. with the provisO that if the
king of the Belgians wanted him he was
to leaye at once. Henry Ward Beecher
advised me to get Stanley, and at his
opening lecture in America he took the
chair We had a $500 house. Every lee
ture after that drew better.
Il laid out plan for 100 lectures and
was in fair way to making a fortune.
Stanley had delivered his 18th lecture,
presided over by Mark Twain, when he
got a cable from the king of Belgium.
asking him to return at once and head
the expedition to Africa, in search of
Emin Pasha. He left hurriedly. AS he
was going he took me by the hand and
said: I owe you SO lectures. which 1
will deliver if ever / come back from
Africa
Three years later he came back-a
hero. L saw him in London. Managers
offered him fabulous sums for lectures:
one man offered $500 lecture for 100
lectures. Stanley, however. kept :
word with me. I made him an offer of
81, 900 lecture for 100 lectures. In every
part of America he drew packed audi
ences. He gave 10 lectures. The aver
age receipts were over $500 each lee
ture. Stanley took 81, 600, and after pay
ing expenses l had the balance. He
went back TO England with $4,000 in
his pocket That is my record tour.
For a short season Ian Maclaren
holds the record He lectured 107 times
in "a days and in the last two weeks
gave 80 lectures. He took away $4,000
as his share OF the profits. William Par
sons. the Irish orator, made from &c.
600 to $4,000 a year for ten years under
my management in America. Canon
Kingsley was a poor speaker, but he
made a lot of money. Charles Brad
laugh was also a great attraction, and
was much liked by the American peo-
ple Conan Doyle wouldn't stay long
enough He made $1,000 in five weeks.
America is a good field for him at any
time. The people liked his manly per-
sonality and his matter.
"Sir Edwin Arnold is another lecturer
who is in great favor in the states. He
gave about 80 lectures and readings
four or five years ago. and was max
ing quite a fortune when illness COM
pelled the sudden abandonment of his
tour. | had - return money to peo-
pie who had booked in advance, and
am frequently asked when he is coming
back.
.sThese are few of the successes
with men of the old world. They have
been for the most part brilliant but
not permanent stars. Few II them
there are that could revisit -\marica
and make money. William Parsons, the
Irish orator is the only old-world lee
turer who mas been able TO retain MS
popularity for several consecutive sea-
sons. and the only four Englishmcn
who could return with certainty OF
success are Ian Maclaren, ,'onan Doyle.