The Washington herald., 1914-05-15
HISTORY BUILDERS.
Col. 'Bob- Ins.r.ou'. View. on C.
ficnIaf;nn
written expressiy for The HeraId.)
~ Nm. Y. =. EnwAuDs.

Written expressly for The Herald)
- DA z. ). EDwAnDs.
For some years Cot Robert @. Inger
son opened his house in washington, on
street every Sunday evening, 20 that
No might welcome those who cared to
share his hospitality. OccasionaIIy there
we're giances Of surprise and other sur-
gestfye manBerims Indicating that the
colonefs visitors thought they discov-
ered there some oneer people. But II waa
Col Insersolfs purpose to welcome any
respectable person. He was . true DEM
ocrst 20 far a. his personal relations with
the masses were concerned, although
there was no one who paid higher tribute
to the aristocracy which intellect creates.
He moved around among the company,
putting all his guests at their ease, say
ing few kindly words to each one and
making 1t manifest that he, more than
any one else who was there, found pleas
ure In the occasion.
Those were fortunate who remained
after almost all Of the guests were gone
for they had opportunity to hold informal
but delightful conversation with Col
ingersoil. Could competent STEM
ographe- have been there to record IN
the wisdom which characterized CoI
Ingersoll's conversation and then bay.
published these remarks, the public
would have learned that Col IngersoIl
was not only Q master Of oratory ana
rhetoric, but that he also had remarkable
talent for intimate conversation.
sat with Col IngersolI for an hour
one Sunday evening after nearly all III.
guests had departed. The conversation
turned upon oratory. and happened to
mention to the colonel thatiI had heard,
only q few days before. that Senator
George =. Hoar. who represented In part
Massachusetts, in the Senate, had said
when speaking to . friend of Edward
Everett that the great orator was prob
ably the most artificial of all American
speakers, although he had a wonderful
gift OF concealing his artifce. Senator
Hoar was quoted a. having said that
Edward Everett practiced his gestures
before a looking glass, studying the prop
er effect and the best methods Of emph-
ASKING his thoughts by gesture.
Il don't care what Senator Hoar saws"
Col. Ingersoll replied. NO man ever be-
came Perfect master Of oratory who
resorted to artifce. The Iooking-gIass
orator belongs to the early period of our
history as nation Today the people
have discovered that 1t is acting, and a
discovery Of that kind spoils an Grafton.
Il viii make one exception, however,
to that remar-, and that Is that believe
thoroughly In the cultivation of the voice.
For 1t Is the voice. after all, which is
half OF the equipment OF the great orator.
There are the best Of reasons why any
one who intends to speak from a public
platform should go to the hall and test
his voice so that he may discover the
acoustics OF the hall. Wendell Phillips [
am told, used to feel, so to speak, the
oratorium in which he was to speak in
the first few sentences Of his lecture.
myself always test In one way or an
other the acoustic properties of a hall.
The right use of the voice means almost
as much to public speaker as il does
to q singer. But as for practicing res-
lures and postures before a looking glass.
that Is what a monkey would do. I neye-
think Of my gestures. They are made
subconsciously. and some of the greatest
orators We ever had made use of few ~
any gestures. That was the case of wen-
dell Phillips
tCopyiEht. 1914. b. D.. Z. J. Edwards Al rishts
rservedJ
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards Will tell An
Anecdote Of Once-famous Railroad Pro-
moter"