The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-15
FOUR THOUSAND PERSONS
 HEARD TAYLOR LECTURE
 FOR THE SOLDIERS HOME

I
 build home for needy and worthy Con- l federate veterans in Alabama. Inspired l by love for the Confederate soldier. ana | undying devotion for the cause for which | he fought, a sincere desire to make com
 fortable and happy the last days of that l proud remnant of noble. chivalric man.
 hood. who by force of circumstances are
 unable 10 provide and care for them
 selves. He set himself to the goodly
 task of providing home and now. be 1t
 said to his everlasting praise. at Noun
 tain Creek stands Jeff Falkner's home | for needy Confederate soldiers. "We may weep at the graveside and | place flowers above the forms of loved ! ones dead, but these kindly acts do not | disturb the dull cold air of death. nor | break that deep repose that curtains I round the pulseless heart. How infinite
 ly better then to feed and shelter the
 hungry homeless and spread sunshine and
 happiness among the living
 | Noble Women Praised.
 Praise is due to all those who have
 contributed toward the comfort and we'll | being of needy Confederate veterans, but i to none more than to the noble hearted ! and queenly daughters of Montgomery l and the other sections of Alabama, who have so graciously contributed of their | time and talent in going over the State | dsposing of tickets for this occasion gathering up the offerings of the gen.
 erous people and placing them with affec- tionate hands on the altar of this great and good cause.
 "As your mothers, wives and sweet hearts were behind you in the cause for which you fought, and thousands of your l comrades died. so the wives and sweet hearts of your descendants are behind you in this hour. so fraught with good to many of your beloved comrades. The people are here and nearly all of the contributions arc in. but one of the most | substantial and pleasing contributions that will be, or has been made. Is that
 which the distinguished presence of the ex-Governor of Tennesse" assures. Those who have followed him through the fields of fancy, as he strolled with the fiddle and the bow, or walked with him amid the attractive scenes in the paradise of fools, or watched him soar through the
 realms of visions and dream or drink at the fountain of sentiment know what Is
 in store for them tonight. as he will wan
 der over the wide range of the past and tell you of life on the Old Plantation. Ut is now my pleasure to introduce to you one who is known and loved by us all; one who does not grope among life's shadows, murmuring her dolorous strains. but basks in her sunshine, revels
 among her roses. drinks at the fountain of her pleasures, strolls through the flowers of her art and poetry, fingers be-
 side the rivers of her music. climbs the
 mountains of her literature. and con tributes more to human happiness than
 earths mightiest money king. whose bud ding stars are greed and avarice and whose only pleasure comes in clipping
 coupons and whose only music is the clink of dollars and dimes
 "I now introduce to you the orator. the
 patriot and statesman from Tennessee.
 ex-Governor Bob Taylor"
 The remarks of Mir. Heflin were ire
 quently interspersed with applause.
 Gov. Taylor Captured Hearers. In all his successful career it is doubt
 full if Governor Taylor ever received | warmer greeting tf1sn when he faced the
 great audience to speak in aid of the | Soldiers Home. The gathering showed | Its appreciation of his generosity in ten dering his services to the Home free of charge, with round after round of ap- piause. Nor did the great lecturer ever appear to better advantage. The occas- ion was an inspiration to him. 1t seemed, and for over an hour he held his hearers enthrallod with the magic of his elo- quence.
 He stood before his thousands of hear CTS and weaved for them the brightest
 products of fancy and imagery. The Old Plantation his newest lecture, offer ed the gifted orator a fruitful field for
 the excursions of his discriminating fancy. He drew pictures of the peace full and beautiful delights of life on the p.antation and they stood out clear and strong before his hearers.
 In all the eloauence that the baronial splendor of ante-bellum civilization has hac 70
 ter the magnificence of that society that sat upon "a throne of living ebony" No delneator of the subtle characteristics of the negro race knows better the planta- ton negro and his picturesque supersti- tions and peculiar habits than Governor Taylor. His humor was infectious and he carried his audience forward upon wave after wave of laughter.
 He told of the eX-slave's trip back to
 "the old plantation" to die in his mas
 ter's arms And in the hearts of all who
 listened there must have come a gentler. kindlier sympathy for a people and civ
 ilization that could produce such love, while moist Southern eyes were proud with the full understanding of what 1t really meant
 Many Witty Stories. But this was just the climax of the lecture on the old plantation. Before it stretched an hour or witty stories. or humorous touches, and of brilliant word painting all interspersed with songs The quartet Boy Taylor leading, sang the plantation dittics with that assured voice | and perfect, soft accent that makes, the | old negro melodies among the sweetest | on earth. The whole lecture was a plea | for the country and for the simple life where the great peaks reach up in l friendly fashion to the stars. and each morning the trees, glistening under the | first kiss of the rising sun. are more beau tiful, decked in natures jewels, than any thing art could achieve. For art" he
 said, lis but the imitation of nature, and
 nature the art of God"
 But it was not by any means chiefly word painting and songs. There were the stories, genuine Bob Taylor stories, that it would be a shame to repeat. for the mere putting down of the words would not indicate the simple developing of the Climaxes. the rolling eye. the joval swag- ger. the shy look and all the other droll mannerism8 of the lecturer.
 The new stories are every bit as good
 as any of his old ones. From Old Uncle
 Rastuss account of how at the Methodist preachers conference all the chickens went into the ministry to the serious climax at the end there was not bad one in the lot.
 In the crowded Auditorium Governor Taylor's Voice carried perfectly to the
 rcmotest recesses of the hall It filled the interior Of the building and every word
 was heard by every person i'll the audi | ence.
 | At the conclusion of his lecture Gov