Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-01-09
BRYAN POPULAR
As a Lecturer and Makes Fifty
thousand a Year.
CROWDS HEAR HIM.

He Won't Speak OH Sunday. or for
the Benefit of IdividuaIs, and Is
Most Liberal i'm His Treatment of
Local Managements. He Always
Makes His Own Terms With Lee.
ture Bureaus.
w. E. Curtis writes in The Chica-
go Record-Herald: According to the
report of his agents, William Jen-
nings Bryan is making about $50, 900
a year from his lectures. Charles l..
Wagner. secretary 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 5000 for
each appearance. Mr.. Bryan stands
at the head of the list of platform
speakers today for the size of his
audience, for the receipts at the box
office and for the demands for his
appearance.
Mr.. Bryan's regular charge at
Chautauquas," said Mr.. Wagner,
lis the first $3.50 taken at the gate
and half of all the receipts over $500,
not including season tickets. He is
the only man who can make such
liberal contract. For evening lee
lures in course he charges 5000
cash as guarantee and half of all
the receipts at the door. For single
evening lectures not in a regular
course he asks half the gross re-
ceipts.
His average for the season under
these terms has been more than $500
lecture. and he has probably filled
l75 dates under our management
without including his political speech
es. He started out on the 9th of Jan
uary last and spoke almost every day
until September 10, frequently twice
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,
college oommencements, Y. M. C.. A.
and church meetings, and on other
occasions without a fee, of which |
have kept no record.
MIR. 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 stipu-
lation that the general admission to
his lectures shall not exceed fifty
cents; that he will not lecture under
individual management or where the
profits go to individuals. The con-
tract reads: 1t is further expressive
ly understood and agreed that this
engagement is given under the aus
Dices of some church, lecture course,
literary, educational, fraternal or
charitable institution, 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 aus
pices of lecture course there shall
be not less than two other lectures
advertised to appear on said course
of entertainment.
ey on Sunday except at Chautauquas
where an admission fee is charged
he prefers to speak to free audienc-
es on that day and nearly every Sun
day during the last summer he spoke
at least once, and usually twice, for
some church, some Y. M. C. A., or
some college. He always likes to
visit small colleges and help them.
do not know what he charges for DO
Iitical speeches or what arrange
ments he makes. | have never had
anything to do with them.
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 q eu-
logy of Jesus Christ and His teach
ings. and his description of the cru
cifiction is one of the most eloquent
) paintings ever heard by human
J ears. He has delivered that lecture
at least 600 times and never varies q
word in delivery. His memory is SO
accurate that he never makes a mis-
take. The Value of an Ideal is an
older lecture, and although it is not
delivered so often these days it has
probably been heard quite as many
times as the other. The Old World
and its Ways is his new lecture and
is the result of his recent tour around
5 the world He delivered that al
, many Chautauquas last summer and
probably $50 times altogether dur
ing the past year,
The greatest indoor audience
Mr.. Bryan ever had was at Seattle
. last January, where he delivered
I The Prince of Peace to about s..
600 people, and his receipts were
over $1,000. The greatest audience
he ever a dressed at a Chautauou;
e was a Carthage. Mo-, where 1900
S people gathered to hear him.
t = He c osed his tour for 1907 OF, thu
10th of September with the excep
a tion of few political engagement.
4 In the Sou h. i wanted him to piv,
me one lecture in Chicago, but h,
e declined because it would be a viola
e tion Of his rule not to speak for the
s profit of individuals.
: did Mr.. Bryan deliver any lee
y lures abroad?"