The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-07-26
MAJOR POND, THE PRINCE
OF LECTURE CICERONES
BeeCher First on His Roll of Lions and TaImage
LaSt--His Friendships With Men Whose
Tours He Managed.

/ noence from MS chercn, MS IrlenIs
his country.
a nightly different experience a
waited the manager with a nightly
different sort Of cIergyman-T. De Wiz
! Talmage- English audiences at frs
went mad over "Talm-o-d-ge." The
erratic clergyman was literally jerked
from his berth by a welcoming crowd
when the steamer landed: a vast thrOlg
surrounded the carriage which con-
Veyed him to his first service, unlock
ed the horses, dragged the coach TO the
church door, lifted the divine bodily
into the air, and having torn off his
coattails as souvenirs, thrust him into
the packed building. Even the man
ager was for some long seconds sus-
pended over the heads OF the enthu-
siastic crowd.
Everything looked like a phenou1en-
ally prosperous tour. The manage s
mail arrived by the barrelful; every
body wanted a lecture at any price.
Unfortunately for Major Pond, now
ever, the clergyman declined to abide
by his contract. He must be paid high
for these astonishing ovations. or hnrce
he would go. The Major had booked
his first lectures too low; he was oblig-
ed to pay Talmage an exorbitant sum:
the English crowds soon sickened OF the
lecturers eccentricities when once they
discovered the secular character of ms
addresses. The result was that the
bargaining doctor got all the proceeds
and his faithful manager had none.
Happier, both financially and socially.
We're his relations with that prince of
NJ. Stanley. Like
many another man Of action. Stanley
was at his conversational best in tete-
a-tete. Night after night in his pri-
vate car the big-hearted adventurer
poured out stirring tales of experiences
such as never reached the ears Of his
nor yet the eyes of his
readers.
More than one successful lecture !
star has had to thank Major Pond for |
his start. He had a keen discrimina- !
ton, and not infrequently sought out |
and dragged upon the lecture platform
an obscure genius who never thought |
to see himself before the footlights. |
Such a genius was Bill Nye. VIII an |
he Major found him he was acting as
postmaster and editing the Laramie |
over a livery stable. C'Walk
Town the Alley, Twist the Gray Mules |
Tail. Take the Elevator ImmediatelyH')
Pond persuaded him to try lecturing,
md as there proved TO be both money |
md useful publicity in it, Nye was
and used for years to remem-
Der the Major with characteristic
notes. one of which had the following
exhaustive signature:
Yours with a heart full of gratitude
md a system full of drugs, paints,
ills, turpentine. glass, putty and ev-
ry thing usually kept in first-class
rug store. BILL NYE.
'P. S.-Open all night"
Here and there exists man who has
githstood the Majors blandishmentsl
nd declined to be "platformed" under
y out. of reach of Ponds far-famed
ongue persuasive. Three letters from
'harles Sturgeon repulsed him with
crescendo of vehemence.
Kipling took the assaults of the per-
istent manager in better part. Here
) his reply to a proposition.
"Brattleford, VT, Sept. 80, 1895. ,
Dear Mr.. Pond: 1 am much OBJ
ged TO you for your letter, but 1 can't
ay that l see my way to the enter
iinment you propose. There is such ,
thing as paying 125 cents for dol
IT. and, though I suppose there is
loney in the lecturing business, II
eems to me that the bother, the fuss,
lie being at everybody's beck and call,
lie night journeys. and so on, make it
cry dear. I've seen a few men who've
we'd through the fight, but they did
Ut look happy.
II might do il as soon as I had two !
ortgages on my house, a len on the
Orses and a bill of sale on the furni- !
Ire. and writer's cramp in both hands; V
1T at present I'm busy, and content !
to go on with the regular writing
lsiness. You forget that l have al I
ady wandered over most of the
ates, and there isn't enough money
sight to hire me to face again some q
the hotels and some of the railway a
stems I have met with America is a :
eat country. but she is not made for =
curing in. With renewed thanks for #
,ur very kind letter, believe me, Y
ours sincerely,
RUDYARD KIPLING." I
OF all his hundred or so Of prote~es, {
ere are but two or three who have :,
He'd out the Majors criticism. Tai
age he thought a bit dishonorable. G
. at least, unbusinesslike. p. 7. {
lrnum saw a chariot rider killed be- =,
re his eyes. and rejoiced because a v
tier performer was waiting for the
ace. and the manager put him down I
r heartless.-Boston Transcript.
REExR R<&<