The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-30

uaartA.-
i MOTHER man With who's MAJ Fond
- scored signal succs0 was nsuEs
~. ssanley. the great expios1
the year after Stanley had discovered Law
inGsscne. and the romance ana adventuTe
81 his wonderful journey had male him
famous Pend brought him 20 AmencA
FOR 4 series OF 10 lectures. Tor which ne
agreed 10 pay Stanley ufa00. or WIZ TOT
each lecture. He was mot only aoie 20
make good his contract. but to clear very
handsome profit greater In FACE than tnat
Of the lecturer himself The gross receipts
for the series averaged S4M per night
Among the great platform speakers ne
has managed were George Wnisam Gurus
and Charles Gunner, who. - MAJ Pond
expresses II. "satisded .-ae very highest
Ideals Of dignity ard sweetness
experimenting his Lyceum courses TOT 2
while with music. Mai. Pond scored bril-
liant success with Clara Louise keiiosE.
whom BY the way he brought 70 Seattle
in 1856. He says. however, that the iyrsc
feature Of the bureau soon became over
done through the rival performances OF In
ferfor artists. and he abandoned t.
EVIDENTLY the man who has nose
IL touched Nal Ponds heart In recent
years IL Mark Twain. OF whom he speaks
humor and his manhood.
When the lecture partnership between
George W. Cable and Mark Twain was dis
solved the rumor became widely current
that the dissolution was on account OF
jealousy on the part Of each man tnas
his associate on the platform was monopol-
fSinx too much Of the public notice. Asked
A. to this rumor. MAI Pond Rid the otner
night:
There was absolutely no foundation tor
such . xumor. The plain facts OF the
case. and I doubt wheteer they have ever
been published. were these. Mark Twain
was owner Of the combination. and was
manager. We paid Cable 500 week and
all his expenses
.'The simple truth u that Cable was .
very religious may while Mark Ii not what
the churches would call religious, though
he has . religion OF his own. The two
religions did not blend harmoniousay. and
while the TWO men. during their tour. gem
orally roomed eide by side. they were net
congenial.
ITO illustrate what I mean. We were
stopping over one Sunday In Indianapolis.
1T that time the home Of Vice President
Hendricks. That gentleman invited Cable
and Clemens 20 dine with him and after
ward to accompany him to church. Mark
urged Cable 10 go. though himself declin-
ing. When Cable got back he was reciting
Among other things he was delighted be-
yond measure with the way in which the
officiating clergyman had read . certain
chapter in the Bible. Not content with de-
scrihing this. Gable went to his own room.
brought ont his Bible. and proceeded to
illustrate to Mark how the chapter had
been rendered at church. In fact he con-
tr:yed to read the entire chapter.
when he had finished, Mark, with his
inimitable dry h,lnor. expressed his dissat-
issactton by saying in his own peculiar way
that Cable. not content with enjoying his
religion himself. was endeayoring To thrust
II upon him. Cable merely turned and
walked away. The two religions did not
blend. The two men did not renew their
contract. and l doubt whether they have
ever seen each other since It expired. That
is about all there l. TO the story"
~ MOTHER rare combination which
AZ MAI Pond brought abou, was the
lecture and reading partnership Of Bill
Nye>and James Whitcomb Riley. He says
there was no more jealousy in this case
than In the other. and that the partnership
was broken ZIP by causes which the public
probably understands and depiores.
They were indeed an inimitable couple. y
said Maj. Pond, each with his own peculiar
genius, "Nye drawing The crowds and Riley
entertaining them. They were esernally
playing practical jokes on people, and oc-
casionaliy got themselves into trouble by
their pranka ] shall never forget one
occasion when we were going from Colum-
bus TO Cincinnati. We were riding In the
smoking car. A plain looking old farmer
entered. and approaching Nye sal dto him.
Are you Mr.. Riley,
No replied Nye. II am MOI, That
gentleman over there is Mr. Riley. But
you will have to speak loud TO him; he IL
rather deaf
Deafness was maIady to which Riley
could not plead guilty In the slightest de
gree: but ne overhead Nye's words, and
when the old farmer accosted him he was
ready TO humor the joke.
Are you Mr.. Riley?' asked the old
man.
.WEeyT repeated the humoriSs, his
hand up to his ear trumpet fashion.
II said Riley shouted the old man In
stentor!an tones. arousng the whole car.
Impeachment OF his name. the old man
volunteered the Information In loud tone
and STOPPING very very close to Riiey's ear.
i knew your father
BoiherT repeated Riley. pretending to
msundersfand. Bother? o. it's no bother.
l assure you
81 said I knew your father screamed
the old man. while the crowd. catching the
spirit OF the joke. smiled.
20. so did L. said Riley without crack
Ing smile The crowd roaresi. ana the
old man gave up his task, evidently con
sddering Riley an idiot"