New-York tribune., 1909-03-20
ORATORY IN CAPSULES
At 4 PUBLIC DINNER.
Men and Women Make One-Minute
.Speeches. Listening for the Bel.

CAPSULE doses Of after-dinner oratory were taken
By the members and friends OF the Public speaking
Club OF America at the Hotel Astor, last night
Both those who gave and those who took sW&l-
lowed hard
The occasion was this first annual dinner Of the
club organized by Professor Grenvtlie hIeiseT
formerly eocution teacher in the Yale DIVINITY
School The object Of the club IS to teach It's mem
bers how 10 talk on their feet iDtelltgenty and
foro>fully for minute and sit down It vas
announced that hundred men and few
women would prove last night that this could De
done. It was not what was said that interested
the members last night but whether, reciting care
fully prepared euiogies OF the professor VINO mad
taught them how. the chosen champions OF kaleido-
scopic oratory could finish before the ringing Of
the bell
The majority Of the speeches were subjects
such as The Big Noise our Leader Person
ality" etc and before twenty-five seconds Of the
allotted sixty we're consumed by the student the
subject was seen to be a synonyme only for tna
professor himself
Professor Kleiser first asked Professor Angelo
Patricolo TO play the piano. Two pieces were exc
cuted
There was a general Strengthening of shoulders
when the applause had subsided. The taplold eIo-
oience was 20 be administered No one knew. ex-
cept the professor, who would be asked to admin
lister il first.
1t was we'll however. the professor said. that the
history of the foundation OF the movement tIle
first OF its kind in the world, should be related
briefly. of course, brevity was the watcnWoro OF
the movement 1t was two years ago. he said. that
under the full moonlight of Athens, while watching
the Parthenon being bathed in the purest white
light and gazing down upon the yellow, tWinkIlng
lights Of the city, the Inspiration struck him. he
stayed out late that night, thinking things over
when a certain thought arose within hlII ana 10
brought 1t back with him TO this country-to tfis
town The art of speaking. the thought tnat had
made him captive in the land Of Demosthenes
should not be allowed die. He would cave IL
He was proud look about him-and the rest was
lost in cheers.
Every one wore the strained look Of mothers
when their young begin TO reCite before company.
The peppery, limited addresses were now to begin
The speeches we're as spontaneous as Mary Had a
Little Lamb The sounded like selections from
Familiar Quotations" There was a finish about
the periods. ami the interest was tense as watches
were drawn to decide the quality of the various
efforts.
Edward l. Werthem and Walter T Diack told
succinctIy OF the work Of the Young Mems Chris
tian Association. They were just under the wire
as time was called
willis H Chase recited nine thoughts in sixty
seconds which were laudatory Of the professor.
Max Reinhart told he said. in minute most
OF what he knew about woman" He said he
would not have enjoyed the dinner much had
tho women not been there. Speaking OF Dreams" "
". F. Brown. jr., said they the handspring
OF action to most persons. The next three speak
ers devoted something over a minute each to
thanking the professor, who did ring the bell.
Joseph r Day presented tne professor WIN A
watch behalf OF the club. The professor was en-
tireIy self-contaiued, which at IN his catalogue
is named Of the paramount necessities in
successful quick-f1re speechmakiug. He quoted
couplet from Shakespeare which seemed 10 have
been written with the watch IN view and amid deaf
sning applause sac down
Miss Grace Gun filed her minute brinful OF
the worth OF through the ages. John x.
Gillette said America was discovered in 1892
the OF speaking not begun 10 he properly
taught until 1905. This is the only club OF rs
kind in the world
The Rev. Or. Robert 6, Macarthur talked in
favor Of studying good dictionaries and enunciation