The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-08-23
POET and fighter
CLOSES ChAUTAUaUk
ON SUNDAY NIGHT
Management Of MaysylIle Chautauqua
Has Wisely Saved the Best for the
Last-Greatest Speaker Of I,
War to Be Heard.

A million dollars a minute. This is
what New York society paid to hear
Eignaller Tom Skeyhill speak in the
immense Metropolitan Opera House.
on the night of October ninth, 1918,
when, after one of the most brilliant
speeches of his career, at what the
New York Tribune termed "the great
est demonstration in the history of
any war loan meeting in any nation"
he single-handed raised the unprece-
dented sum of $25 100000 in twenty
five minutes thus establishing an alb
solute worlds record, and vindicating
the opinion of the leading American
and British newspapers, that he is the
greatest orator the war has produced.
The story of his oversight leap, from
simple country lad to one of the
great romantic figures of the war
reads like a chapter from the Arabian
Nights. At eighteen he was unknown
at nineteen he was a soldier--at
twenty he was in hell-crater in No
Mans Land, writing poems about fair
ies-at twenty-one he was in a hospi-
tai, bayonetted and stone bruised--at
twenty-five he was recognized as the
finest soldier speaker in the world.
His tour of his native land (Australia)
was so extraordinarily successful that
he decided to come to America. To-
day he is twenty-three years of age.
He has been in the states over a year
and has met with success, such as few
| men have even dared dream of. He
has also recovered his sight through
| the skill of an American osteopathic
| doctor. The authorities in Washing
| ton have featured him as a star OF
stars in all the big American cities
and today his record of the wal
speeches is unparalleled. A few of his
greatest triumphs are: Public Ii
brary steps, Fifth Avenue, before
President Wilson; Carnegie Hall, New
York City with Ex-President Roose
velt; Liberty Hut, Washington, d. c.
with Ex-President Taft; Metropolitan
Opera House, N. Y. raised $25 200, 900
Medina Temple, Chicago, with Secre
tary of War Daniels; American Bank
ers Association Annual Convention
1918; Carnegie Hall, New York City
| ,r,ith hn ath prAAll.,r, hna
denny Of Music, Red Cross Masset
Meeting; Union League Club, New
York City, with Mr.. Elihu Root; Pro
vidence, r. l.. with Secretary of Treas
ury, Glass.
Leading New York newspapers hav
sung his praises In big front page stor
les. The Literary Digest gave him al
most a complete page, and variou
magazines have featured him.
Press and public alike eulogize hir
as the greatest orator the war has pro
duced as the worlds silver-tongue
master Of eloquence, wizard of beau
tiful word pictures, and arch phrase
. ologist. His stories of battle are NOR
vivid and thrilling than those of an
other living soldier. Whilst the wa
was in progress he fought until h
was blinded, and then with that iI
i domitable spirit of the true hero h
: carried "the torch" through two grei
continents stirring the hearts of th
people and raising altogether 500
100000 for war funds.
His versatility is remarkable. H,
9 mour, poetry, and matchless pros
simply flow out Of him. He speaks {
, naturally as the lark sings, and a
4 most as sweetly.
On the famous Cernegie Hall pla
form with the late Theodore Roos
welt, urging the people of America
4 prepare--in the great Metropolis
4 Opera House raising millions of do
lars-with an irresistible plea-bef6i
1 some famous Women's or Mems civ
warning the members to do all In the
power to help rebuild the world aft
the dissolution of war, or In front
the English classes, in one Of Il
great universities or colleges, lectu
ing on the lives and worKs of b
brother war poets-it Is the same,l
thrills, enlightens and inspires.
He has just finished big tour wi
the J. B. Pond Lyceum Bureau OF Ne
York City, and has now entered up,
thirty-six weeks tour Of the Unit
States and Canada, after which he pr
ceeds TO Oxford University. His su