Evening journal., 1913-06-11
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How Edward Everett Pro-
duCed q Dramatic Effect
B, Holland.

! was chatting with Senator Chaun-
cey NJ Depew. one afternoon year
or two before his term in the United
States Senate was ended. and the
conversation turned upon modern
oratory as it is exemplihed by the
men in the Senate or the lower
House. who frequently speak
THE oratory OF today" said Sena-
tor Depew. is very different from
that of the time when Webster or
Rufus Choate or Henry Clay was. in
the Senate think that Edward
Everett was the model upon which
many Of the young Americans of the
mid-years. Of the past century mod
eled themselves.
Did you ever hear Edward Ever
ett?" asked the Senator.
"Oh, yes, 7 heard him several times
lin my college days at Yale and was
fascinated by his wonderful charm
as an orator When | was more ma
ture and of greater experience
heard ,him several times and ! under
took to analyze and study his method
and style.
81 made some inquiries of those
who we're familiar with Edward Ev-
erctts methods and | learned that he
, owed his distinction as one of the
pre-eminently great American orators
to almost indefatigable industry. He
had singular power of realizing
what the highest dramatic effects to
be produced by the powers Of speech
were. He would spend days i'm work
ing up a dramatic effect and so elab-
Grating Il that il seemed TO be per-
fectly spontaneous and absolutely
free from artifice. lie would spend
hours before his looking glass re-
hearsing. practicing gesticulation and
studying the expression of his coun-
tenancc almost exactly as an actor
uses the looking glass. so that he may
know when his facial makeup is per-
feet
"ln that respect. however. Everett
was not different from other distin-
guished orators. William Pinkney, OF
Maryland. as brilliant a speaker as
the country possessed in the early
third of the nineteenth century. used
always TO practice his oratory before
a fuii-length looking glass.
Edward Everett was also very
fertile in providing means by which
he could secure the appearance OF
spontaneity or of sudden inspiration
so that his dramatic episodes were
perfect illusions.
"I remember having heard many
years ago story of Everett. which
illustrates this point perfectly Only
recently | was speaking to Senator
Hogr. my cousin. about this incident
and he told me it was true.
1T was at the seventy-flfth ami.
versary OF the battle of Concord
Bridge. A celebration was arranged
in commemoration Of the event Ed
ward Everett was to be the speaker
IL was to be held i'm Concord. There
lived at that time two survivors o.
that first Revolutionary battle. The,
were TO be made guests of distinction
and honor
"They were seated conspicuousl.
directly in front Of Mr. Everett The.
watched him with intense interest
He did not appear TO be conscious o
! their presence for some time. A
last he seemed of a sudden to recog
nize them He paused In his speecl
and looked directly at them and be
gan to address them They Instant,
stood up When they did that MI
Everett stopped. raised his han,
dcprccatingly and then told them {,
sit down, saying that il was for thosl
who were present to stand in tn
presence of the survivors of the bat
tie. They looked queerly at one an
other but they obeyed Everett ant
sat down. The incident created
tremendous impression.
After the ceremony was ended on
Of these men said to Senator Hoar'
father: i don't understand just wha
Mr.. Everett was driving at. A littl
+ while before he began speaking h
came to us and told us that we mus
stand up when he addressed us. We'll
We did stand up just as he told us &
do. and he right away told us to ST
down again. So we did. but for tn
life of me ! can't understand VIII
he first told MS to stand up and the
told us TO sit down so that othe
poople could stand up
There" said Senator Depew. lis
perfect Illustration OF the way I'd
ward Everett worked up his dramati
effects"
Copyright. 1913. by Il. j. Edward
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will te