The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-08

win recur to the responsibilities or the
man behind the lantern AS everybody
knows. he is usually at the far end of the
hau from the lecturer, with whom he has
n tangible communication by means of an
electric wire, or a sympathetic connection
through a signal prearranged. The best Of
lantern lecturers memorize their efforts"
and furnish the operator with typewrit-
fen list of clues or "catch-words" hear
ing which the assistant at once dissolves
the disired view upon the screen But
even the best of schemes sometimes work
wrong and the most trustworthy OF oper-
ators get .'rattied' owing to several cir
cumstances which may occur If gases
are used, as they usually are, they some
times gauge low and run you before the
lecture is finished; though this accident IS
one that il should be perfectly easy 10
obviate unless one be in the country lar
from supply station. 1 recall the cold
chill of horror that run over me, at one
lecture in my first season, when the per-
sistent dimming of the pictures on the
screen proclaimed all too surely the ex-
haustion of the guests. l was only haif
through my lecture and no amount
of explanation could pacify my auditors
They said nothing. of course. but as they
fled out of the hall without word, the
chill was so dense that / felt as If enclos-
ed in a block of ice l happened to have
a superb saddle horse stabbed near my
lodgings in Boston and the morning after
the accident L mounted my equine friend
and headed northeast for the most des-
olate place 1 was acquainted with. Ips-
witch Great Neck, where a thousand acres
of barren hills gave me the solitude 1
craved For 1 felt that 1 needed at least
a week of absolute seclusion in order to
recuperate for the lecture-that L had pro-
missed the disappointed audience in re-
turn for the one in which l failed.
At another time "a few years later. re-
ceived a shock that nearly made my hair
turn gray in a single night. l was TO lee
ture before one of the finest audiences in
Chicago. 1t was my second appearance
and, of course, desired to do my best in
honor of the recall" Just before the lee
ture 1 discovered that my opertor was
intoxicated. actually maudlin, from indul-
ing in drink during his leisure Of the day.
He was a first-class operator, whom
had once discharged for the same failing
but had taken again upon his promise
to keep sober But was there ever drunk
ard who kept such a promise? l have
never seen him since. However, there he
was fumblng about the lantern clumsily
while the hall was filling with the elite
of the city. Soon it was filled and then
ensued the expectant hush that always
precedes the advent of the lecturer. But
that unfortunate individual was up in the
gallery loft, laboring with his recreant
operator and saying things not down in
the bill, 1 fancy. At all events for the next
hour and a half he was the most anxious
man in Chicago. 1 am very sure Forum
ately and wholly by chance, valued
friend happened to be with me. One
who had never operated lantern, hardly
seen one before, but who was equal to
any emergency. He jumped into the
breach, took the operator severity in hand
and actually pulled me through by the
skin of the teeth" He did not make
single mistake and the lecturer wrought
to TERRIBLE tension by the thought OF
what might happen, put forth one or the
greatest efforts of his life, and was very
frequently cheered to the echo. But when
all was over, after the delighted auditors
had filed out and the ligths had been
turned out, a certain popular lecturer
might have been discovered in the ante
room in a state of utter collapse. There
is nothing like a little antecedent excite
ment or some anticipatory difficulty to
surmount, to put lecturer on his mettle
or work him up to concert Pitch If no
difficulties occur for while it is better TO
invent some rather than to get apathetic-
At all events. one should never allow him.
self to imagine that he has reached per-
lection and that everything will run
smoothly always; for just about the time
something is sure to happen that will
ruffle his complacency and arouse any
latent distrust he may have entertained as
TO his abilities New York Evening Post.