Evening journal., 1911-07-19
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
What Proctor Knott Thought
Of the Speech That Gave
Him Fame
By Holland.

It was in 1867 that Proctor Knott.
who died the other day at the ripe age
of eighty-one years, won sudden ma
tional fame by humorous speech, de-
livered in Congress, in which he apos-
trophized Duluth. Mimi, as the zenith
city Of the unsalted seas" Fourteen
years later / came TO know him we'll,
a man of medium height, broad Shout
dered and deep chested with dark eyes,
surmounted by heavy eyebrows. and a
somewhat grizzly iron-gray moustache.
He was still a member of Congress,
and his manner was that of the most
serious-minded man in the House Of
Representatives He seldom spoke, al
though had il been announced that
Proctor Knott was 10 speak the gall
leries would have been filled and SEN
ators would have run over from their
side Of the Capitol to listen to the man
who had given Duluth "its first and
greatest fame"
One day, when I boarded horse car
for the national capitol, | found a fell
low passenger in Proctor Knott. He
was engaged in studiously reading a
small volume. a Latin classic, and tho
contrast between the popular coucep-
! ton of him and my horse-car view of
him was striking. Yet I venture TO say
that in that car I had a good glimpse
at the real Proctor Knott.
We fell into pleasant conversation
Il suppose, Mr.. Knott" ! remarked
that there is no member of the lower
| House of Congress whose name is bet
/ ter known than your own
He smiled and shook his head sadly
"What is reputation of that kind
WORTH he asked Il sometimes see
! people come into the gallery; am
! pointed out by some one who is with
/ these strangers. and I see them look
! ing a. me intently. | know what they
are saying TO one another They are
saying. That Is Proctor Knott who
made the Duluth speech. They don't
! give "a thought TO my serious work IN
/ Congress-; ! am not known an iota by
/ II; ! am simply. Proctor Knott, who
made the Duluth speech, and will be
/ to the day of my death"
Il take il. then. Mr.. Knott ] ven-
tured TO say, that you believe a gift OF
/ humorous expression ana the use of il
/ by a man in public life constitute q
/ detriment to his career"
THE most successful men i'm public
life" Mr.. Knott replied. "are those
| who are either intensely serious OF
who maintain that appearance. I am a
very serious man. but I sometimes
/ look at things on the oblique. as il
were. and I have been told that that
is the essence Of humor-forced like
nesses between things that are unlike
| This Is my weakness, and because
once made a humorous speech that
attracted attention / have never there
after been taken seriously. Except IN
my committee room, l am without
much influence I'm Congress
"If / were going to give any advice
TO a young man who desired to make a
public career" Mr.. Knott continued,
II should say to him: Never make a
humorous speech. Cultivate wit, If you
/ have a gift for IL. That helps. Cultivate
irony. That helps You may tell funny
| story 10 illustrate point--but always
be serious I'm your speech. Shun hume
as YOU would the plague Bear Away
in mind that if you make a successful
humorous speech you never will b.
taken seriously thereafter"
It was plain that Proctor Knott look
ed upon the Duluth speech as the fata
mistake Of his public career, although
il gave him national reputation, some
thing that he might otherwise not hav
attained.
| Copyright, 1911, by e. j. Edwards al
Rights Reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell -
TfffIa Starry Of SOmo Old Par
Benches"