The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
PROFITS OF THE LECTURERS.
A GOLDEN AGE BROUGHT Anon n
BH THE LATE MAJOR POM
stream Of British Celebrities TO This Conn.
try--Explorers Most Successful on ,h,
Platforn,--lsig Men Who Wouldr,,
Lecture--Wby Ibsen Won't Come Her.

PlatfOrni--lsig Men Who WouIdr,,
Lecture-Wby Ibsen Won't Come Her.
When the late Major j. B. Pond took An,
Eliza Young, the Mormon President,,
runaway wife, out OF Utah on a Iecturinc
tour all over the country, he set up form
OF the lecture which he saw reach its high.
est success and then decline.
When he took Henry Ward Beecher T..
England he made in his way almost as great
an impression upon Englishmen as thu
lecturer, and from that tour began new
succession of pilgrimages by British celeb.
rites in search of American dollars
British celebrities no longer attract rrco,
audiences IN American lecture halls. bur
for a quarter of century after Beecber',
tour America was the happy hunting ground
Of authors preachers, explorers, war corrn-
spondents, and occasionally of politicians
from the other side. For fifteen wears 20
that period the rrices obtained by the suc.
cessful lecturer were enough to tempt al.
most any man, and most Of the time natjy,
celebrities shared in the harvest of dollars
Explorers on the whole hare had tho most
striking success as lecturers, il success i,
TO be measured by money. Even thew
however. were generally most successful
when charity of some kind interviewed
between them and tho public.
When Stanley made his last lecturiry
tour in this country he obtained a contrac.
for s., 800 for his first lecture, in New York.
81 900 for a lecture in each Of ten other cities.
81. GOO for a lecture in each OF number Of
other cities, and $500 n lecture in yet smaller
places. In New York Stanley was sold, in
the language Of the lecture bureau, TO a
hospital for 5000, which was equally
divided between lecturer and manager.
and the gross receipts Of the lecture were
nearly 81, 800.
George KEENAN, has been the stead
lest attraction of the lecture platform
in recent years. His prices when ecturing
are usually from $500 to $3.50 a night, and
he was able TO command these prices season
after season. Probably no other explorer,
save Stanley and Du Chaillu, obtained more
than 500 lecture. the usual price in rho
best days of the business to the really popu-
lar lecturer.
Beecher and Talmage were the most
popular clergymen on the lecture platform.
Neither attracted large audiences as leo
turers in New York or Brooklyn, for the
obvious reason that they could be heard
free in their own pulpits.
Outside Of New York Talmage some
times commanded 81 900 a lecture His
vogue lasted long time, as did that of
Beecher.
Most Of the English pulpit orators who
came over to this country lecturipg had
very moderate success. DR.. Parker's tour
was cut short. The Rev. DR.. Watson WAS
the only British preacher to have a striking
success in the United States. His prices
were high, and he went home well content
with his profits. DR.. Watson, however,
had the double advantage of being both
pulpit orator and popular writer.
English men of letters have had great
success as lecturers in America, but only
the most popular can now command an
audience at good prices. Even Arnold,
with his low voice, unimpressive delivery
and gravity of subject, had considerable
success here.
OF course the earlier success Of Dickens
and Thackeray is we'll known, though
Dickens was poor reader OF his own works.
II is recorded that before stepping on the
platform he regularly made up with rouge
and powder so that he appeared to his
audience ruddier and younger than he really
was.
1t is the guess OF those who know the
history and condition Of the lecture business
that kipling Is the only man of letters who
within the last five years could have com
manded 81 600 night on the lecture plat
form, and he only at the very height OF his
popularity. He could never DO induced
to lecture.
Politicians, either domestic or foreign,
have not been successful lecturers in the
United States. Michael Davitt tried lee
turing in this country with very moderate
success Redmond did even worse. Par
nell, Of course, could have commanded
hsrH v,yrSnD
The late Senator Ingalls,, who was widely
known as a brilliant speaker, who had
been president pro tempore Of the United
States Senate, and hoped for greater
things, undertook to lecture, but aban-
doned the platform after delivering course
William j. Bryan has had no great success
on the lecture platform.
Within ten years il was possible for .
popular man of letters, war correspond
ent fresh from the field or scientific cell
ebrity to obtain lecture engagements at
500 a night, or even more, and on rather
short notice. The late William Hamilton
Gibson, who had a subject peculiarly his
own, illustrated in singularly original
fashion, received 5000 lecture.
| Mr.. Cable for some years had no difficulty
in commanding 500 a lecture. Mark
| Twain has been for some years the strong
! est attraction among American men Of let
| q lecture, and probably could do even better
! in special tour. He and Cable were very
I successful in their joint appearances, and
| there was even more fun behind the scenes
! than on the platform, for Mr. Clemens
took great delight in gently teasing his
mild colleague.
| Lecture managers have tried in vain 10
| induce some of the greatest celebrities 10
| lecture. Senator Depew steadily declines
| TO lecture, except occasionally for a charity.
Gladstone was approached again and again
with striking Inducements to come 10
! America on n lecturing tour. but he always
| declined. Managers do not trust themselves
to s'imatc what he might have done had
| he come, but they have no doubt that his
| success would have been of the most strA-
ing kind.
Tolstoi is another celebrity that has at
tract ed the interest OF lecture managers
! i'm America hut in vain. A young man who
had a sort of academic relation 10 ltst.n
caught the old gentleman unawares at ms
) favorite cafe on the other tide, and pro-
posed lecturing tour in the United states
! but repented his audaoity. The dramatlHi
| burst into angry defamation. inima'eH
that there was hardly an honest man IN
America. and finally drawing much-wo'n
newspaper clipping from his pocket, sal4.
See. they are playing my Ghosts III New
! York, and they do not say word to ne
about royaltie >"
Col Bob Ingersoll, as a lecturer, belonged
in a class by himself. He was welcome
, almost anywhere in New York or OUTSIDE
and at good prices, on any night IN me
week. in theatre, a lecture hall or Whfi-
ever men could assemble. His populaFn!
was undated up TO the end of his HE,
| Ia, No. l. ~ 1,. i.ANg