The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-27
MAKING $4,000.
Annual Earnings of Mr.. Bryan
as a Lecturer.
His Receipts Average $500 for
Each Appearance.
GREATEST AUDIENCE.
Indoors, Was at Seattle Where
5000 Heard Him.
His Share of the Proceeds
Amounted to 1000.
GREATEST AUDIENCE.

1 chicago, Dec. 27.-In letter from
| Washington to the Record-Herald,
William e. Curtis says:
| According to the report of his
| agents, William Jennings Bryan is
making about $4,000 year from his
lectures. Charles L. Wagner, secre-
tary of the Slayton Lyceum bureau,
which manages his lecture tours, tells
| me that he has filled IT'S dates during
| the year 1907 and that his receipts for
| the season have averaged more than
| $500 for each appearance. Mr.. Bryan
| stands at the head of the list of plat
form speakers today for the size of his
| audiences, for the receipts at the box
| office and for the dema nds for his APP
| pearance.
| Mr.. Bryan's regular charge at
chautauquas," said Mr.. Wagner, "is
| half of the receipts over $500, not in
| Guiding season tickets. He is the
| only man who can make such a liberal
| contract. For evening lectures in
4 course he charges 5000 cash as
| guarantee and half of all the receipts
at the door. For single evening lee
| lures not in regular course he asks
| half the gross receipts.
| His average for the season under
| these terms has been more than $500
a lecture, and he has pro badly filled
| IT'S dates under our management with
! out including his political speeches.
He started out on the 9Th of January
| last and spoke almost every day un-
day, and once during the summer
three times, morning, afternoon and
evening, in three different towns in
Iowa. In addition to these he has
| made a large number of political
| speeches during the year; he has
| spoken at conventions banquets, COL
| lege commandments Y. M. C. A.
and church meetings, and on other oc-
casions without a fee, OF which
have kept no record.
Special Form of Contract
'Mr. Bryan uses a special form of
contract prepared by himself, which
| differs in terms from the contracts of
all other lecturers. The chief fea-
| lures of his contracts are the stipula-
ton that the general admission to his
lectures shall not exceed so cents;
that he will not lecture under indi-
viduaIi management or where the
profits go to individuals. The contract
reads: 1T is further expressly under
stood and agreed that this engagement
| is given under the auspices of some
church, Young Mems Christian asso-
citation, lecture course, literary, educa-
uonal, fraternal or charita BILE inStitu-
ton, and all profits realized from this
lecture shall be used for the benefit of
said auspices under which said lecture
| is given. 1t is further understood that
| should this lecture be given under the
auspices of lecture course there shall
| be not less than two other lecturers ad-
Vertised to appear on said course of
| entertainment
MIR. Bryan never speaks for money
on Sunday except at Chautauquas
where an admission fee is charged.
He prefers to speak to free audiences
on that day. and nearly every Sunday
during the last summer he spoke at
least once, and usually twice, for
some church. some Y. NJ. c. A. or
some college. He always likes to Wis
it small colleges and help them. 1 do
not know what he charges for politi-
cal speeches or what arrangements he
makes. have never had anything to
do with them.
His Favorite Lecture.
1--WE advertise three lectures for
him. The Prince of Peace he likes
the best himself. and it is the most
popular with the people 1t is a eulogy
of Jesus Christ and His teachings, and
his description of the crucifxion is
one of the most eloquent word paint
fngs ever heard by human ears He
has delivered that lecture at least 500
times and never varies a word in de-
livery. His memory is SO accurate
that he never makes a mistake. The
Value of an Ideal is an older lecture,
and although it is snot delivered SO
often these days it has probably been
heard quite as many times as the 9TH
er. The Old World and Its Ways Is
his new lecture and is the result of
his recent tour around the world. He
delivered that at many Chautauquas
last summer and probably $50 times
altogethe r during the past year
"The greatest indoor audience Mr..
Bryan ever had was at Seattle last
January, where he delivered The
Prince of Peace to about 5000 people
and his receipts were over $4,000. The
greatest audience he ever addressed at
a Chautauqua was at Carthage, Mo-,
where $4,000 people gathered to hear
him.
HE closed his tour for 1907 on the
10th of September with the exception
of a few political engagements in the
south. I wanted him to give me ono
lecture in Chicago in a course that we
had advertised there, but he declined
because it would be violation of his
rule not to speak for the profit of
Individuals
Did Not Lecture Abroad
did Mr.. Bryan deliver any lectures
abroad?"
when he started on his tour around
the world he asked me to have our
London representative arrange few
dates for him in England. The latter
replied that he feared 1t would be i'm
possible. He explained that Mr.. Bryan
was not popular in England and he did
not think the public would pay to hear
him speak. The British people did not
take any interest in American politics
and did not have much respect for
American politicians, while Mr.. Bryan
personally was principally known in
England because of his sympathy for
the Beers during the South African
war The writer closed his letter by
saying that he did not think Mr.. Bryan
would draw three shillings in London
sent this letter to Mr.. Bryan and he
read it at Franklin, Ohio. Immediately
after the lecture that brought him the
largest receipts of that summer. 1t
appealed to his sense of hunor and he
replied that it came just in time to
keep him from getting 'chesty.' He
said that he intended to frame 1t as a