Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-02-12
Showing What May Be Achieved
by Nerve and Reiteration.
A LESSON IN PERSEVERANCE.
Going to Prove That Repetition viii
Work Wonders II a Man Has Only
the Necessary Amount Of Check to
stand Up and Keep on Talking.

NuNl said the great hhhiuflst,
there was that story about Hank
Monk That was the oldest. stalest,
dricst. deadesi BIZ Of alleged hnmor
that any man ever heard. il had been
circulated around Nevada and Cali
forula until there wasn't a man left
who would oven listen 70 It. had
heard Il So nauy times that knew II
~ heart II teid how Hank Monk got
Horace Greeley over the t;lennbrook
grade 10 Plaeervillc.
Il was about 60 deliver my second
lecture ut rlatt'. hall In San Fran
clece lie second one | had ever de-
livered Ii occurred to Inc that |
might begin that lecture with the
werst story had ever heard and by
telling 1t often enough start the lee
lure with big laugh. took that
story ana mcmorized 1t so that 1t
would not vary in the telling. ard
made It JUST rs poniless and just as
duh and just as dry as could.
when Ii came time for me TO tax
stood up and with few introduce
tory remarks began that story. II
remember il went something like this:
"IGorace Greeley once went over
the Glcnnbrook grade to flaccrville-
When he was leaving Carson city he
,oId the driver. Hank Monk. that ne
had an engagement To lecture ut
Placervilie and was very anxious to
90 through quick Hank Monk crack
I'd his whip and started off al an aw-
FIJI pace. The stage bounced up and
down In such a terrific way that 1t
ioltcd the buttons nh o.r Iloracc's coat
ana finally Shot his head clean through
the roof Of the stage. aud then he yell
I'd to Hank Monk and begged him TO
20 casier- said he Warn't In ~ much
Of Il hurry MS he had been awhile
ago. But Hank Monk said Keep
yonr seat. Horace. and I'll get you
there on thne." And he did, too-what
was left OF him.
Now. that was all there was to the
story. II was bad enough to begin
with. but / made il worse In the tell
Inc droned ii out In Hat. monoto-
nous tone. without a gesture 10 mar its
dcpresslng effect. The people received
1t in dead silence had insulted every
man In the audience had travelled
/ them with story that was not only
stale aud pointlcss. but one which they
had heard III least a thousand times.
| waited a few seconds for the laugh
ter. and then began TO hem and haw
and shift my feet tried TO appear
| nist as embarrassed rs could. ana
after laundering about helplessly for a
few sentences checred NJ little and
said that would tell funny anec-
dote which might be new 10 them. 1t
began
Horace Greeley went over the
Glennbroek grade to Placcrville'-
II told 1t In exactly the same miser'
able. poiu,less way that | had told II
before and when | got through ! wait
ed longer time for Il applause. but
there wasn't any applause could see
that several men In the house were
growing quite Indignant. They had
pald money 10 hear a humorous lee
ture. took u long breath and plunged
In third time. more embarrassed and
clustered and worried than ever. and
by and by | worked around again to
the time when Horace Greeley went
over Ciiennbrook grade 70 placeryille
".rhis time some If the smarter ones
began 10 laugh, and this encouraged
me 50 much that ! thanked them anc
started right in TO tell the story oyel
again. never varying the delivery s.
much as pause to take breath. Th'
fourth time fetched EN-, and NJ thu
end ~ the story they stood up AMI
whooped and yelled aud cheered To-
some time.
"Y0u see. ! thought that II maj
had sand enough 20 stand up before al
audience aud tell the oldest. stales
and most embarrassing story In tn
world he could make people laugh !
he had the nerve 70 tell the story Offer
enough. The rest Of my lecture wen
very well. They were willing 20 lausl
az my anecdotes the first time l toll
them. Maybe they were afraid woui'
tell them second time.
Il felt So sure that I had discovers
new phase IN human character tina
tried the same thing In New for
years afterward. There was an 40
thors' reading bee one afternoon, an
most Of the authors read selection
from their works. sat on the plai
form beside James Russell Lower
He asked me what ! was going I
read said that | wasn't going I
read anything intended 10 tell a
anecdote.
"Is II a funny oneT he asked,
II said II would be IL | lasted Ion
enough.
II started out without any preamble
and | told the Hank Monk anecdot'
There was an awful silence at III
end. took drink u water. moppe
my forehead and told the story asai'
Same effect Young man, ! told thf
story i've times before landed 'en
When / sat down at last SIR. Lowe
whispered 10 me:
"'You have cost me dear. nav
been sitting here and wasting sympi
thy on you
H'rhnt'4 the u0iut Young man. Hep