Plain Talks by a Plain Man

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Plain Talks by a Plain Man is an article published in The Yonkers Herald on 13 november 1894.

Report of the lecture "Readings and Reminiscences" given by Arthur Conan Doyle on 12 november 1894 evening at John Kendrick Bangs' home (Yonkers, USA).


Report

The Yonkers Herald (13 november 1894, p. 1).
The Yonkers Herald (13 november 1894, p. 4).

His Creator Lectured Last Evening at the Yonkers Lawn Tennis Club.

READINGS AND REMINISCENCES

Dr. A. Conan Doyle Relates Early Recollections, Tells of His First book and Reads an Extract from one of his Last Stories.

The commodious yet cosy home of the Yonkers Lawn Tennis club has been the scene of many brilliant events, social and otherwise, but it probably never was filled with such an ultra-fashionable audience as gathered in its handsome hall last evening to listen to the Readings and Reminiscences of the distinguished English author, Dr. A. Conan Doyle.

The platform was tastefully arranged with palms and ferns and a ripple of applause ran through the room as Mr. John Kendrick Bangs, the president of the club, stepped before the audience closely followed by Dr. Doyle.

The first thing the audience did, of course, was to contrast the English man of letters, with the American, Mr. Bangs seemed quite slender and Sherlock Holmes like, beside Dr. Doyle's bulky frame and, in fact, it would be difficult to imagine a greater literary contrast than the two men presented, one with sharply defined features, and nervous build ; the other with his full, florid, thoroughly English face, and peculiar weather beaten appearance.

Dr. Doyle is built in athletic mould, and has a rugged and strong personality. that would hardly seem in keeping with the nervous timbre of some of his stories. Strength seems to be his prominent characteristic.

Mr. Bangs introduced Dr. Doyle in a neat little speech in which he told of having once been invited by a friend to a dinner of canvas back ducks. Four courses had been served and no ducks having made their appearance he cried "I'm tired! Bring on the ducks." Mr. Bangs said he thought the story had a moral for presiding officers and so he would not allow the audience to tire and would therefore "Bring on the ducks."

Dr. Doyle who is as easy upon the platform as an old glove upon the hand, began as follows:—

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—

It is a reversal of the usual order of things to find a large number of people not only willing but anxious to hear a man talk about himself and his own work, for never until a man attempts to talk about himself and his work before an audience does he realize how insignificant both are. But the demand of my friends both English and American seems to be to hear something of


SHERLOCK HOLMES. Continnmed from Firat Page them. because perhaps | have written stories that have created a bond of syin- pathy between us,

The lecturer gave reminiscences of his childhood, his remembrances of his father. the predecessor of John Leech and George Du Maurier, also of Thack- eray. and other diterary notabilities Which want of space alone prevents tts from reporting in full.

Much of the lecture was devoted to an interesting resume of the vicissi- tudes of a young author; and many will agree with the doctor that the actual harpooning of a whale or shoot- ing of a bear in the Aretic Occan or among the Rockies, ix not nearly so ex- citing as those we have slain within the playgronnds of our country or town homes. Dr. Doyle has no reason. to complain of the success that has greeted his efforts as an anthor, though he secmed to imagine it had been bardly earned, Many men have been glad to achieve such a position when their hair has turned gray in the service of liter: ature; but Dr. Doyle hit on ai vein that smited the public toa T -and= con- scquentiv is one of the most snecessful authors of the day.

His lecture was flavored with a rare modesty that added to the breezy can- dor of its delivery; and his readings of various extracts from the adven- tures of Sherlock Holmes added zest to the performance; but the hit of the evening in that respect was the re- cital of the thrilling episode in the Chateau Noir where the German cap- tain 18 alternately tortured and de- livered by the French Count in revenge and gratitude for the contumely and kindness bestowed on his only son when taken prisoner by the Gemrnans.

It is a powerfully weird story and proves that Dr. Doyle is capable of greater things than he has vet at- tempted. His forte is evidently his- torical romance and though thousands upon thousands of readers bewail the untimely fate of Sherlock Homes, and as the Doctor says have unmerci- fully blackguarded him for what they term bis murder, the public may de- pend that under his experienced guid- ance there are hours of pleasure in store for them in those historic fields where he delights to linger and the nooks and craunies of which he is so well able to explore.

At the conclusion of the lecture a re- ception was held at the foot of the stairs and many of the andience were presented to the Doctor who chatted pleasantly with those around him.

Among those in the audience we noticed Rev. Alex. B. Carver. Rev. James T. Bixby, Rev. E. Eracst Magill, Dr. and Mrs. Trotter, Dr. and Mrs. Callan, Mr. Theodore Silkman, Mr. and Mrs. J. Foster Jenkins, Mr. and Mrs, William A, Butler jr.'Miss Butler, Mrs. W. D. Baldwin Miss Upham, Mr. W. F. Cochran, Mr. and Mrs, Thomas Ewing jr. Mr. and Mrs. Lasher, Mr. and Mrs. Skitt, Dr. and Mrs. Benedict, Mr. W. H. Doty, Mr. and Mrs. J. G. P. Holden, Commander and Mrs. Bronson, and Mr. Richard L. Condon.