Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-20
DIR. coYwELL on LAUGHTER.
In n Brilliant Lecture, He Makes
PIen for Mirth.

rba immense audience which heard
Rev. DIR. Russell II. Conwell speak at the
Academy of Music last night, under the
auspices Of the Richmond Lyceum' nara
" knew what to expect when the suDJec'
NJ his discourse was announced as y
1oIv Farthduake." The speaker VINO
has anpeared before in Richmond. was
heralded by a national reputauoh' anu
this combined with the delightful I'M
nresslons he felt there last WINTER
cured him a packed house. IhoubH No.
~, tba representative assemblage could
ouite understand how an earthquake ui,
der any circumstances, could be Joily' an
evnected an intellectual treat, ana II -
etc IN saw there was not disappointed
soul in the house.
THE lecturer. who was very happily III
troduced by Rev. William A. Barr DC
can i'm his unique way by relating a Po
0rliar JaDanese tradition, when tois ol
q ,enarl<able earthquake which occurred
I'm 1905 and which, though unspeahaply
disastrous and horrible IN It's cons
ouences. was accom- panied py enli''IN
cases which produced mirth ana laus'
fer. The story, based on the lolhloio ~
,,cea distant islands, is, OF course an
Int but DR. Conwell cleverly used IL As
80 for n discourse on cheerfuiness
ard beht-heartedness In short. MS Zee
- us on Laughter pronounce
Win a broad A, If you please anu ths
enooker with irresistible vii, humor, anu
oioo,once threw all the weight or ms
,,ore,,ae iveness In favor OF ml5th. lie
said that we Americans DO not laush
enough-that we are too greedy AFTER .Io
"a1n,ightv dollar"-and that II our rlsl-
bilities were more freely exercised there
would be more health ana happiness anu
ioss insanity IN this world. Indeed, the
lSo9,,,eot divine openly stated that laugh
~ vas q. fine preventive and fine anu
do4a for loss Of reason. He quotes STA
tistlcs TO show that our nation, TOO ehei
getic and too absorbed for merrimehL is
Iamentably ahead of others IN It's proiOl
tion of persons non compos.
Rut DR.. ,-onwell did not treat his SUD
iect matter from an academic ana theo
retical standpoint. He showed the goo'
effects ~ merriment by himself, making
his auditors laugh, or rather roar ~
ceniously interviewer among the iiialt
threads OF his lecture was dellshtiu
chain of anecdotes. "reminiscences an,
,okcs which for actual fun ana huilol
have rarely been equalled in this city. i
tbe telling Of these Or. Conweli was
ME hest though he is a master OF ora
tory and a veritable eagle in fights 0
rhetoric. Not for an instant did ne los
his hold on his audience, and not tor
second was he dull or prosaic II ne Dc
Teves IN mirth he certainly did his shai
last night in producing It.
The speaker. near the close OF ms zee
ture. aroused great enthusiasm py pay
ing a beautiful tribute to GeheIai I'oD -,
80 He alluded TO the fact that IN
confederates were at that time celebra'
Una. the anniversary Of the birth OF IN
Great southern leader, expressed IA
highest admiration for Lee as a soldle
and Christian gentleman, and said ne 10
' ICED that in this era of peace and unit
ne North, as well as the South, recoe
,IS his greatness. "'rhe time is con
ing" he said. when the entire wori
viii recognize the greatness OF Lee