Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-10-28
LYCEUM CROWS
IN POPULARITY
Demand Tor Hlgh-CIass Enter
talnment Never Greater.
ARE ATTENDED BY MILLIONS

Names Of Men Now Touring Country
Retaliation Of Assertion That No
Great Lecturers Are Found On Plat.
form Today-Deteetive Burns, SEN
ators Kenyon and Dixon and For.
mer Governor Hanly In Front Rank.
Frequently it is heard that the Ly-
ceum is dying out; that the increase
OF newspapers, magazines, books and
periodicals and the fact that nearly
everybody is reading them has de-
stroyed the demand for lectures; that
the spoken word has been suppanted
by the written word. Some people be-
lieve this to be true, but quite the
contrary is the case. It is authorita-
lively stated by Ralph Parlette, editor
| OF the Lyceum Magazine. and Louis
j. Alber its former editor, verifies the
statement, that there are in round
numbers $4,000 Lyceum courses in
the United States and Canada, and
during the summer months fully
1900 Chautauquas. The audiences at
tending these Lyceum courses and
Chautauquas aggregate, estimating
very conservatively, 40,00000O peo-
ple-not that many different people
for each attend on an average of five
times in winter and eight times in
summer. The written word can never
quite take the place of the spoken
word.
Great Men On Platform.
Again it is sometimes said that no
such great men are to be found upon
the platform now as were found there
in "the palmy days"-meaning the
days of Beecher, Cough and Wendell
Phillips. Let us see. In a recent is
sue of the Lyceum Magazine, the Colt
Lyceum Bureau Of Cleveland, Ohio.
one of the leading bureaus of Amer
lea, announces as part of their staff
OF speakers, Twelve Master Lectur-
ers," and these twelve are but a small
portion Of their great list. The twelve
are: Detective William J. Burns, often
called the worlds greatest detective.
who happens to be a most charming
and forceful speaker and who COM
mands larger fee than Bryan; Sen
ator Robert Marion LaFollette, by
many Eeen observers said to be the
ablest man in public life today, and a
most remarkable orator; Senator Jo-
seph NJ. Dixon, Roosevelt's campaign
manager and an orator of great abil-
ity; Ex-Governor j. Frank Hanly OF
lndscna, rated as one Of the greatest
orators America has ever heard; Dr.
Newell Dwight Hills, successor TO
Henry Ward Beecher in the Plymouth
pulpit and almost his equal as 4
preacher and lecturer; Captain Rich
mond Pearson Hobson, naval hero, |
and most forceful
speaker, who has more than held his |
own in a series of brilliant joint de !
bates on the disarmament of the ma
lions, Governor Hanly taking the af-
frmative; DR.. Hugh Black, once Scot.
lands greatest preacher, now an
American citizen and a world famous
author and lecturer; Mark Sullivan,
editor of the militant Golfers Weekly,
and a forceful speaker; Hon. Victor
the Kansas insurgent and
leader Of the Progressives in the ma
-ional house; DR.. Russell H. Conwell,
Tor ffty-one years on the platform,
having earned over a million dollars
with his one lecture, Acres of Dia-
nonds," which Is a Lyceum classic;
Gillette, Americas greatest
living actor, who has retired from the
stage and will devote some time TO
he Lyceum in a lecture he calls
'Drama-and Some Other Things"
md Senator William S. Kenyon, for
ner Judge and government prosecu-
or, who is one of the younger leaders
n the United States senate.
Surely an imposing list, and to 1t
ould be added other names, as we'll
,nown, like Henry j. Allen, John Ken
rick Bangs. Hon. Herbert S. Bigelow.
sho will debate with Governor Hanly
n the Federal Constitution; Bishops
rank NJ. Bristol and William NJ. Bell,
,r. Harris r. Cooley, Senator Luke
lea, Robert Parker Miles, Ralph
'arlette,, Senator Miles Poindexter,
acob A. Riis, DR.. George r. Stuart,
.lbert Edward Wiggam, Hon. Lincoln
Writ, Benjamin Chaplin, Leland T.
lowers, Elias Day, Ross Crane, Mar
aret Stahl, Sidney Landon and Ed