The daily sentinel., 1907-04-10
THE DEAN OF THE PLATFORM
Interesting Interview With Col. BAN
of Kentucky, 35 Years
A Lecturer.

This morning representatives, OF
the daily papers had a most pleasant
chat with one of the grandest old
men who ever stepped upon lee
ture platform in America, that glor-
ious old Kentucky orator and lectur-
er who has preached the gospel of
sunshine, good will and happiness up
and down the country for more than
generation. Col. George W. Balm, of
Lexington. Kentucky.
Col. Balm IS stopping at the La
Court and it was an old fashioned
southern greeting, made up and run
ming over of genuine hospitality, that
was given the newspaper men by this
young-old gentleman. A quarter OF
an hours conversation with such a
man as Balm is a delicious portion
that is tasted long by the memory of
any one privileged to enjoy such
| conversation.
Col Balm. how long have you
been a lecturer?" was asked.
With a sunny smile the colonel re-
piled, well, now gentlemen I am
afraid to tell you for then you will
think am awfully old and l am not,
However, have been on the platform
for just thirty-three years. this year.
am the Oldest lecturer on the plat
form but l am not the oldest man on
the lecture platform"
Way back in the seventies George
w. Balm, the young man with raven
black hair, began delivering lectur
es down in old Kentucky, his fame
and Influence as lecturer spread
from state to state. Today the SHOWS
of many winters have fallen maybe
gently but nevertheless they have
fallen, upon the great lecturers head
and the hair once black as the raven
wing Is now white as the snow drift.
Today the lecturer that was practic-
ally unknown outside of his native
state travels from ocean to ocean and
from the great lakes to the CULTS as
one of the most successful, most pop
ular and most influential men of the
lyceu m world. These winters that
have come and gone have not impair
ed the robust strength and the glor-
ious qualities as a speaker, of Col.
Balm. Like the liquid product for
which his native state Is famed Col
Balm grows better with age, the sue
ceeding years only add to his power
Truly George w Balm is the dean
of the American platform.
There are men in Grand Junction
today who heard Col. Balm thirty
years ago and who will hear him
again tonight.
1t is said of Balm that never in all
his travels and work has he failed to
please a single audience. He is in
great demand every season and in
some cities he has appeared annual
ly for fifteen and twenty years.
This morning Col. Balm talked
freely of his personal acquaintance
of the other greater lights of the plat
form and famous men of many walks
of American life.
On April 2Sth Col. Balm will COM
plete his present seasons work. hav-
ing put in eight solid months during
the year ending then. He has cover
ed much territory in the past few
weeks. Five weeks ago he was in
Florida, a week later he was in Cam
ada. He came direct to Ga Jdnroiin
ada. He calne direct to Grand juno
tion from Matoon, Illinois. Tomor-
row night he goes to Fruita as the
star attraction of that enterprising
little city's lecture course. Then he
jumps to owensboro, Ky, where he is
due next Sunday night.
It's n rare pleasure to hear Col.
Balm talk of home life in old Kentuc-
ky. He is perfectly devoted to his
native state. He owns a magnificent
home at Lexington.
Tonight Col. Balm will deliver one
of two lectures, ''The Search Light of
the Twentieth Century" or Among
the Masses and Traits of Character. 4"
Each is great lecture.
This afternoon in company with
Rev. Becker the famous Southerner
is taking a drive through the valley.
He is perfectly carried away with the
valley, its climate and fruit indus
tries.
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