The masters interpreted: Charles Montaville Flowers

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SHAKESPEARE
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HUGO

The Masters Interpreted
Charles Montaville Flowers


Ad astra per aspera


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WALLACE


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DICKENS





A COLLECTION OF CRITICISMS UPON THE MONOLOGUE ENACTMENTS OF * * * Charles Montaville Flowers



MR. FLOWERS PERMANENT ADDRESS, NORWOOD, CINCINNATI, OHIO
.




PRINCIPAL BUSINESS AGENCY, THE INTERSTATE LECTURE BUREAU, CINCINNATI, OHIO
.





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T
HIS book is issued for those who do not know of the character and quality of the literary recitals given by Charles Montaville Flowers.  Its purpose is to apprise such of the high position he holds upon the Lyceum platform, and to substantiate the claims made concerning him.  In making an estimate of merit in his field, these things must be considered:  The quality of the literature presented, the excellence of the presentation, the genius required to produce such material with such excellence, and the impressions abiding with the audience.  Nor should the ideals or motives of the artist be forgotten.  One prominent entertainer, speaking of the secrets of his success, has said:  
One must fit matter and manner to the audience.
  Another said:  
Entertainment is the first object of a successful impersonator.
  But in high contrast, Mr. Flowers' work is based upon this declaration:  
My ideal is the artistic interpretation of the great masterpieces of literature.  I cannot depart from that, be the popular result what it may.  I choose the monologue or the enactment as the most interesting, forceful, and comprehensive means to this end; and I hope to be so true to life and the heart that every normal man will perceive in every recital an enlarged picture of his own experiences.




The practical results of this ideal, as his hundreds of friends and these pages testify, have been the noblest success in entertainment, and the happiest adaptation to the people.




Ad astra per aspera.






Repertory of Monologues Arranged and Adapted by MR. FLOWERS.





BEN-HUR
,


Lew Wallace




LES MISERABLES
,


Victor Hugo




A 
CHRISTMAS CAROL
,


Charles Dickens




THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
,


Shakespeare







Interpretative Readings





MARMION
,


Walter Scott




JULIUS CÆSAR
,


Shakespeare







Recitals





SHORT SIXES
,


A collection of good, short stories




A 
LIFE STUDY
,


Scenes from great dramas







THE METHOD.



By a critical study of the author and the work to be presented, Mr. Flowers determines the essential elements of the plot of the story.  He then selects throughout the book those scenes which develop and complete the plot, using the language of the author.  These are then so connected as to present a unified whole.  The characters are given the personalities created by the author; and these are impersonated so far as permitted by the laws of refined art, and the powers of one man.  The result is a clear, truthful, scholarly interpretation of the masterpieces.






The Press



All the press criticisms herein contained may be grouped under three heads:


First
—
Those that assert Mr. Flowers is without a peer.
Second
—
Those that say he has no superior.

Third
—
Those that make no comparison, but pronounce him master of his art.




The Reader will Observe:


First
—That there is a remarkable similarity in the language used.


Second
—That whatever form the criticism takes, the language is uniformly superlative.






Charles Montaville Flowers Without a Peer.



The Sun, Nashville, Tenn.


Charles Montaville Flowers gave a great reading of Ben-Hur at Ward's Seminary last night.  The splendid success of his 
Christmas Carol
 on the evening before, when he carried the audience away with his matchless powers, had raised expectation to a high pitch, and he fully met and gratified the most exacting.  After a brief but complete analysis of this great masterpiece, he entered upon a portrayal of thought, character, and emotion which was thrilling and grand.  No reader in America has ever demonstrated to a Nashville audience such a combination of literary insight, elocutionary excellence, and dramatic power.




The Leader, Pittsburg, Pa.


He is all and more than is claimed for him.  Nothing too strong can be said of him.  He is equal to the best and surpassed by none.




The Republican, Shelbyville, Ind.


In the changing tones of the voice, and the portrayal of character and emotions, as shown by the face, Flowers surely has no equal.  Each conception was perfect and perfectly executed.




The Union Herald, Circleville, O.


If we were to attempt to give him credit for his most excellent delineation and his extremely humorous impersonation we could certainly do him only an injustice.  He presented his characters with such a profusion of
 dexterity that we could scarcely refrain from addressing them then and there.  He made us love or despise the people most heartily, and then brought about all kinds of changes in our feelings.  In short, this recital so far surpassed anything that Circleville people have ever had to enjoy that those who missed it lost the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Kentucky Democrat, Catlettsburg, Ky.  (First appearance.)


Mr. Flowers is certainly a master.  He possesses a wonderfully expressive voice and broad dramatic ability.  His changes of character are often startling, and always artistic.  He is the greatest we have ever heard.




News-Herald, Hillsboro, O.


Montaville Flowers' interpretation of Dickens' 
A Christmas Carol,
 unquestionably surpassed everything in that line ever given in our city, and that is saying volumes.  The people of Hillsboro are cultured and critical, and have been treated to the best talent on the American platform.  Flowers is magnificent; he is immense.  Every character he impersonates is given with a perfect imitation of voice and manner, and his transitions, so instantaneous, are made without any jar or interruption, and with a natural ease that is perfectly delightful.  The universal verdict here is that Flowers stands at the head of the character delineators, unapproached in excellence, and unapproachable.




The Little Courier, New Castle, Ind.


The audience was first pleased, then entranced, and finally spellbound to the end of the program.  Many pronounced the entertainment the very best ever in the town.




The Eagle, Sharon, Pa.


Mr. Flowers is without a peer.




The Times, Portsmouth, O.


Mr. Flowers' Ben-Hur was pronounced by all the very best impersonation the audience had ever heard, and we have had the masters.  Mr. Flowers is, without reserye, the very best in his profession.




The Telegram, Youngstown, O.


Montaville Flowers has won the distinction of being the most brilliant character delineator on the American platform, and he merits it.  Certainly his entertainment was the finest of its kind ever given in Youngstown.  On the American platform he has no superior.




The Gazette, Paris, Ill.


Mr. Flowers, with rich dramatic talent, brought out vivid pictures of character to the delight of the audience.  He is at the top — perhaps, without a peer.




The Courier, Charleston, Ill.


All who heard Flowers last night are enthusiastic in their praises of his wonderful talent and ability.  His conception and interpretation of Ben-Hur were flawless.




The Times, Mattoon, Ill.


A happy circumstance:  A story by Charles Dickens, the prince of story writers, interpreted by Charles Flowers, the prince of impersonators.




Evening News, Princeton, Ind.


Ben-Hur given the second time to the same audience in the same place in the same season; and it was better than the first time.  We reaffirm all we said before — Mr. Flowers surpasses them all.





The Kentucky Democrat, Catlettsburg, Ky. (Second appearance.)


To attempt to give a description of his interpretation is entirely beyond our ability.  He simply captured his audience and held them enthralled for the entire evening.  His work is wonderful, superlatively wonderful, and his climax is worthy a McCullough or a Booth.




The Democrat, Brazil, Ind.


Mr. Flowers, in his second appearance here this season in Ben-Hur, more than sustained his reputation; he won higher opinions.  The Ben-Hur he presents is as complete a piece of acting as it is possible to conceive.  Indeed, its conception is masterful, its execution is great.  Perhaps, what impressed the audience most about him, is his versatility in creating two works with such remarkable contrast as Christmas Carol and Ben-Hur.  For, the moment he began upon the analysis of the plot, the audience felt a new atmosphere, one foretelling the beauty, gravity, and dignity of what was to follow.  We may say in the Carol he is a comedian, a humorist.  In Ben-Hur he is a tragedian of the loftiest type.  It will not be long before he will take, without dispute, the place he now really occupies — the greatest character delineator on the American platform.




The Democrat, Brazil, Ind.


For the third time in less than a year Mr. Flowers faced a large Brazil audience; this time in his new creation from Hugo's Les Miserables.  The task of reducing a work of fifteen hundred pages into a recital an hour and a half in length, maintaining the story in dialogue largely, and with language of the author, was accomplished with splendid fidelity and clearness.  This
 achievement alone is sufficient to rank Mr. Flowers among literary connoisseurs.  His characterizations were strong, his work well sustained, and he again added to his laurels in Brazil.


The Press, New Harmony, Ind.


Charles Montaville Flowers in his Ben-Hur — the rarest literary treat we have ever enjoyed here.  From the moment he began till the close he held captive his audience, and it was a cultured one, too.  His conceptions appear so true, so complete, that the book will be better than ever after he has thrown upon it the search-light of his philosophy.




The Journal, Albion, Ill.


So realistic and impressive is Mr. Flowers' impersonation of his characters that for long intervals the attention of the audience is absolute.

Possessed of marvelous versatility of facial expression, a voice that is deep, harsh, and commanding, or soft, sweet, and feminine, as he wills it; a graceful form, that can assume any pose ranging from childhood to the infirmities of old age, Mr. Flowers is at once one of the most capable men before the public.




The Leader, Pomeroy, O.


We can't tell what it was like.  It thrilled one's soul.  It was one of the rare good things of this life; Charles Montaville Flowers in Victor Hugo's masterpiece.




The New Era, Hopkinsville, Ky.


As an exponent of the monologue Montaville Flowers is a great man.  A better platform entertainer never visited Hopkinsville.  He is an artist in every respect, his voice is magnificent and under perfect control, and his impersonations but little short of marvelous.





The Daily Gazette, Springfield, O.


Such expressions as 
delightful!
 
best star entertainment I ever attended!
 
hope he will come again,
 were freely heard as the vast audience withdrew from the opera house last night after Montaville Flowers scored his hit in 
A Christmas Carol.




The Gazette, Washington, Ind.


Mr. Flowers work last night in Ben-Hur was by far the best impersonation ever given in Washington.  The rounds of compliments bestowed upon him attest this beyond doubt.  He is simply a master of his art.




The Herald, Liberty, Ind.


We feel unable to describe Mr. Flowers style and ability, nor to tell much of the entertainment, except it was one of those feasts in which a cultured audience can take extreme pleasure.




The Chronicle, College Corner, O.


Flowers, in a 
Christmas Carol,
 is beyond the power of description.  His Ben-Hur is simply wonderful.  This is the verdict of every one who heard him.




The Evening News, Princeton, Ind.


Mr. Flowers is the ideal dramatic reader.  His conceptions are perfect pictures of the characters, and his execution in every detail is without and beyond criticism.




The Democrat, Mt. Vernon, Ind.


Mr. Flowers completely fascinated the large audience he had last night.  He has a deep, melodious voice, perfectly controlled and pleasant to hear.  His impersonations are perfect; his rapid changes are marvelous.






Charles Montaville Flowers Has No Superior.



The Christian Register, Boston, Mass.


Charles Montaville Flowers made, perhaps, what would be vulgarly called the 
greatest hit
 of the camp.  One afternoon after Dr. Holden had described the process of digestion to an audience, the larger part of which did not seriously care whether it had a stomach or not, and Booker Washington had spoken an hour and a half in his eloquent and interesting way, at almost supper time Mr. Flowers was called upon to give his rendering of Dickens' 
Christmas Carol.
  Imagine an audience on a hot day, that had been listening intently for three solid hours, seated meanwhile not on cushions, but on plain unplaned boards.  Yet such was Mr. Flowers' power, that, instead of diminishing, the audience increased to the close.  One old gentleman, from Sand Creek, or somewhere else, fifteen or twenty miles away, was listening, all attention, when his good wife gently reminded him that it would be dark before they got started home.  
I don't care,
 he whispered, 
I'm going to hear the end of that Scrooge if I have to sit here on this bench till midnight.
  And he sat it through, as did more than a thousand beside.  The Sunday night following Mr. Flowers was announced to give 
Ben-Hur,
 and although the night was pitch dark, and the roads very muddy from the heavy rains, the tabernacle was filled.  Mr. Flowers is a noble man (
the most perfect gentleman I ever saw,
 a friend adds), with a desire to uplift the world by his talent.  All of us were gratified by his immense success.





The Progress, Orleans, Ind.


We would like to be able to immortalize this man in a description of his work worthy of him.  He is superb.  He is a perfect artist.  He is all you could expect or wish him to be and more.  Charles Dickens himself would certainly feel honored in seeing his characters live in this marvelous impersonator.




The Democrat, Corydon, Ind.


Mr. Flowers is an artist.  His Ben-Hur, from the standpoint of art, was the greatest achievement ever in Corydon.




The Times, Pittsburg, Pa.


Charles Montaville Flowers, in Carnegie Hall, gave a novel presentation of Victor Hugo's masterpiece, Les Miserables.  He is possessed of remarkable dramatic ability, and his vivid work was one of the greatest successes of the season's course.




The Telegraph, Sharon, Pa.


The immense audience that greeted Mr. Flowers last night never spent a more enjoyable evening in their lives.




The Chariot, Crawfordsville, Ind.


The book Ben-Hur affords the best possible field for monologue artists, and among them none stands higher than Mr. Flowers.  Simonides Court, No. 1, T. B. H., attended in a body, together with the supreme officers of the Order.  No higher praise is possible than that given Mr. Flowers by these men, and we commend him most highly.




The Church at Work, Cincinnati, O.


The Carol is superb.  Flowers is a master.  He is the peer of any man we have ever heard on the platform.





The State Journal, Point Pleasant, W. Va.


Daniel Webster said Charles Dickens did more to ameliorate the condition of English poor than all the statesment Great Britian had sent to Parliament.  Dickens himself said he had laughed more and cried more over the humanity of the characters of Christmas Carol than any other of his creations.  Charles Montaville Flowers is doing more to popularize the great sentiments of this story than any who have ever tried it.  The ultimate moral results of his recital must be immeasurable.




Cleveland Leader, Cleveland, O.


The great story Ben-Hur, comprising all the characters, was enacted at Wilson-Avenue Temple last night by one of America's great impersonators.  Without scenery or costume, Mr. Flowers, by gesture and facial expression, portrays every character with such remarkable accuracy that the audience imagines it sees and hears every personage in the story.  The chariot race, as given last night, has never been excelled.




Ohio State Journal, Columbus, O.


The State Convention of Elocutionists last night heard Charles Montaville Flowers in his Ben-Hur, and his success was greater than has been achieved by any of the younger men on the platform.  In fact, it was a great success.  All the characters seemed present, living and speaking.  One felt that through a magic lens he viewed the real historic personages and events.  The whole rendition pulsed with life, and won most enviable reputation for the artist.




The Times, Sullivan, Ind.


Charles Montaville Flowers in Les Miserables was a grand success in every particular, and he excelled himself in his second appearance here.





The Times, Mattoon, III.


Wonderful,
 
Grand,
 
Splendid,
 
Book him for next year,
 were the remarks heard last night.  And this is his second appearance here.




The Sun, Vincennes, Ind.


In artistic and forcible character-acting Flowers cannot be excelled.  He stands at the top in monologue work.





Charles Montaville Flowers 
A Master of His Art.



The Commercial Tribune, Cincinnati, O.


The Unity Lecture Course closed its nineteenth season at the Grand Opera House yesterday with the monologue presentation of 
Les Miserables.
  Mr. Flowers reception was more flattering than that of any of his nine predecessors of this season, as there was not a vacant seat in the house, and several hundred had to content themselves with standing room.  It was with almost breathless attention that the audience followed Mr. Flowers as he traced the career of the hapless yet grand hero of Victor Hugo's masterpiece.  He told the story with rare dramatic force.  All the characters necessary to the completeness of the story were introduced, the individuality of each being preserved with an ease that showed Mr. Flowers to be a thorough master of his art.




The Express, Terre Haute, Ind.


Charles Montaville Flowers, the man who has become famous as a character delineator, gave a recital last night in Normal Hall, which was a surprise and delight
 to every one.  It was the product of genius, culture, experience, applied to the interpretation of a masterpiece.  His creation of Old Scrooge is a gem.  And to trace Scrooge through his various changes, transforming him from the hard old sinner to the jolly old merchant is a masterpiece of character work.

The American, Nashville, Tenn.


Mr. Flowers entrance was graceful and taking, and he at once magnetized the attention and won the sympathy of his listeners, who alternately 
laughed when he laughed and wept when he wept.
  Dickens' 
Christmas Carol,
 abridged and arranged by Mr. Flowers, was the exquisitely charming and unique program, and his rendition of the entire Carol was, without doubt, masterful, both in conception and execution.  His easy, natural transition into its different characters; his clear, pure tones of voice, and gentle pronunciation, his magical facial expressions, all harmoniously combined, critically place him as well-nigh perfection on the stage.  The writer very much doubts if the spirit impersonation in 
Marley's Ghost
 can be excelled.  He brings the living form of Scrooge before his listeners with powerful force, and it is simply wonderful how he so quickly passes from him into the tender, childish accents of Little Fan and Tiny Tim, and then as suddenly emerges into the merriment of the Cratchit's Christmas dinner and the Fezziwig ball.  He furnishes indescribable fun, pathos, and a general toning up and whetting of pleasant intellectual enjoyment.




The Enquirer, Cincinnati, O.


Dickens' 
Christmas Carol
 was presented last night to a delighted audience by Mr. C. M. Flowers, and he held his audience interested to the end, without a weary
 moment to mar their pleasure.  It was the familiar sympathetic story enacted on the stage to real life, embodied and expressed by the voice and actions of one man.  It was beautifully portrayed.  Action fit the sentiment and sentiment the action.  In the proper inflection of the voice, in clear enunciation, which rose and fell without sameness, Mr. Flowers showed he is thoroughly imbued with the principles of elocution without being stiff or conventional.  He has learned to acquire art in order to facilitate the reach of nature.



Louisville, Kentucky, Press.  Brief extracts from long articles in Dramatic Notes.



The Times, Louisville, Ky.


His audience in the Temple Theater was most enthusiastic; he assumed many roles, all widely different, yet his work in each was excellent, and his production must be classed as an artistic success.




The Post, Louisville, Ky.


A man of fine dramatic gifts.




The Commercial, Louisville, Ky.


It is rare on the modern stage or lecture platform that one can hear one represent a multitude of characters, and represent them all well.  This Mr. Flowers did most successfully.




The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.


Charles Montaville Flowers showed last evening what one man can do in presenting a play with many characters—a thing obviously difficult.  To attempt such a performance is a pledge of courage, to succeed in such high degree, as did he, is to claim more than a mere accomplishment, and to call forth all the more praise.





The Post, Louisville, Ky. (Second Recital.)


Mr. Flowers last night produced 
A Christmas Carol
 with great dramatic skill and fine effect.




The Courier-Journal, in 1898, at the Second Recital of Ben-Hur.


Mr. Flowers is not a stranger here, and that he has won admirers here was clearly attested by the great audience that assembled at Library Hall last night.  He speaks easily and with a thorough understanding of elocution.  His character-work is especially good, and he always rises to the occasion in dramatic passages.  He leaves nothing undone to make his production one of absorbing interest.




The Journal, Henderson, Ky.


Mr. Flowers presented Dickens' 
A Christmas Carol
 last night under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A., and scored a decided success.  He is a great artist.




The Banner, Nashville, Tenn.


Montaville Flowers is a pronounced success.  All who heard him last night noted him a very superior artist.




The Herald, Madisonville, Ky.


It is useless to attempt to portray either the man or the subjects.  His delivery is splendid, his enunciation clear, his speech forcible, his climax thrilling; equally at home whatever his subject.  The people of Madisonville have cause for congratulation at having heard him.




The Mail, Madisonville, Ky.


A man of great ability, fully deserving the high and honorable reputation he enjoys.





Western Christian Advocate, Cincinnati, O.


The Methodist Preachers' Association of Cincinnati enjoyed a rare treat when Mr. Flowers gave his celebrated interpretation of Ben-Hur.  The high reputation he has already gained has been most honestly achieved.  The hall was crowded to the door.  At the close, Dr. Howard Henderson, himself a king on the platform, offered a resolution of thanks and commendation, and the President, Dr. Guillette, not content with the usual method of applause, called Mr. Flowers forward to receive the Chautauqua salute.  Mr. Flowers shows power in philosophic analysis, as well as rare skill and ability as an impersonator.




(For the resolution see page 42.)




Daily Advertiser, Huntington, W. Va.


The presentation of Ben-Hur last night was a work of art.  Old and young alike enjoyed the treat.  Mr. Flowers has no superior, and few, if any, equals.  His voice, facial expressions, and gestures are perfect.  The changes of voice and expression in the development of characters are wonderful.  The transitions of Ben-Hur and Messala from boyhood to manhood; the subtle artifice of Iras; the rage of Sheik Ilderim; the perfect rendering of the deformed Simonides; the chariot race; and especially the parting scene between Iras and Ben-Hur become too real ever to be forgotten.




The Gazette, Delaware, O.


A large audience, testing the seating capacity of Monnett Hall Chapel, greeted the masterly presentation of Ben-Hur by this talented impersonator.  Vividness, wonderful truthfulness of interpretation, characterize it; one could almost forget his surroundings, and think the thoughts and feel the emotions which prompted the
 Roman and the Jew.  The characters moved before us as living beings, and we dwelt amidst the scenes enacted years ago.  The effect of the presentation of the story was greatly heightened by the clear analysis of the book, given as an introduction.  This gave a psychological meaning and artistic interest to the personations.


Daily Democrat, Lancaster, O.


He captivated his audience.  He is a fine impersonator—dramatic, versatile, and eloquent; he possesses all the qualities necessary to make him a popular platform success.




The Democrat, Connorsville, Ind.


Charles Montaville Flowers made a big hit with his monologue Ben-Hur in the lecture course last night.  His work is magnificent.




The Democrat, Bedford, Ind.


Mr. Flowers, in his Carol, reminds one of Sol.  Smith Russell.  He is a masterful artist—superb, and beyond criticism.




The Gazette, New Albany, Ind.


The characters in the Carol were so well impersonated that they seemed to live before the audience.  He is a most successful impersonator.




The Daily Republican, Ironton, O.


His recital was a revelation to all who had read the book, and gave a very correct conception of it to those who had not.  Mr. Flowers is a great delineator of character, and thoroughly established himself in the good opinions of all who heard him.




Daily Sun, Springfield, O.


An impersonator of great versatility.





The Sun, Chillicothe, O.


In the scenes from Hamlet Mr. Flowers was put to a severe test, yet they were finely rendered, and at the conclusion of his remarkable work he was warmly applauded.




The Sun, Chillicothe, O.


No entertainment of this kind has ever been so well presented in Chillicothe.




The Daily Herald, Circleville, O.


Mr. Flowers work is, in every particular, high class and artistic; he always captures his audience and holds them at will.  His various appearances in Circleville have been thorough successes.




Daily Democrat, Springfield, O.


Extremely versatile.  A big success.





L
etters From Notable People



Educators in Public Schools,


Academies and Universities,


Clergymen of Many Denominations,


Secretaries of the Y. M. C. A.


Managers of Chautauqua Assemblies,


Officers of Teachers' Institutes.






Letters from Notable People.



A Tribute from the College of Music, Cincinnati.


As a tribute to the work Mr. Flowers is doing, the College of Music of Cincinnati invited its patrons, friends, and the public to its spacious Odeon, to hear Mr. Flowers give 
A Christmas Carol.
  In introducing him, the chairman said:  
The College of Music takes great pleasure in honoring Mr. Flowers with this reception, in recognition of the industry, perseverance, and thoroughness with which he has pursued his studies here for the last ten years; and we esteem it a pleasure to pay this tribute to his ability and his attainments as an elocutionist, and wish for him everywhere the splendid recognition his knowledge and powers merit.




The Times-Star, Cincinnati, O.


After this most enjoyable entertainment, an informal reception was given to the gentleman upon the stage.  There he met and was congratulated by many distinguished ladies and gentlemen.  Mr. Flowers was surprised by the presentation of an elegant edition of Dickens' Christmas Carol.




This is the inscription:




Dear Mr. Flowers
—The President of the College of Music, the members of the Faculty of the Department of Elocution and Oratory, and representative pupils from that department, tender this testimonial as a token of their appreciation of what you are doing for the entertainment, the education, and the elevation of your fe0low men.




The Journal, Crawfordsville, Ind.


GENERAL LEW WALLACE IN THE AUDIENCE.

A representative of the 
Journal
 interviewed General Wallace at his home yesterday, and when asked what he thought of the monologue arrangement of Ben-Hur
 by Mr. Flowers, he replied:  
It was a most excellent arrangement of the story, and Mr. Flowers displayed splendid judgment in his adaptation.  It meets with my hearty approval.


What of his elocutionary power; is it suited to the work?


Admirably.  He presents the scenes and incidents of the plot in a charming manner, and his work in the presentation was by far the best I have ever heard.


Has Mr. Flowers' work your stamp of approval?


It has.  It is the revival of the ancient Eastern custom of story-telling.  It is a recreation of a lost art.  It is in safe hands with this young man, and will prove an attractive form of high-class platform work.  I wish him great success.


The General was very much pleased with the entertainment, it is to be seen, and this is quite a victory for Mr. Flowers.


Yesterday morning, upon invitation of General Wallace, Mr. Flowers spent part of the forenoon at the Wallace home, and was shown the many things of interest to be seen there.  Mr. Flowers greatly appreciated the opportunity of sitting under the tree where much of the story of Ben-Hur was written, and especially in company with the man who did the work.



General Lew Wallace.




I am interested to hear of your brilliant success and your appreciative audiences.  I have no doubt they will continue, for your methods are original and meritorious.  You have my best wishes.




Wm. B. Melish, Cincinnati, O.
 33°, Past Grand Master, F. & A. M. of Ohio.




So far as the artistic merits of Mr. Flowers are concerned I can assure you that they are of the highest
 order, and that he cannot fail to give great satisfaction to the people of your city.  His rendition of Ben-Hur is, in my opinion, one of the finest things on the lecture platform to-day.  He has appeared several times under the auspices of Masonic bodies of this city, and we know whereof we speak.




Egerton B. Young, Toronto, Canada,

Missionary and Lecturer.




The two hours spent in listening to and witnessing the splendid delineation of the principal character and events of Lew Wallace's masterpiece by Mr. Flowers will long live as very pleasant memories.  Mr. Flowers impresses his audience with the thought, that by some subtle inspiration he has caught the very spirit of the author, and thus made the actors and their deeds live before us as they must have appeared before us when created by the author.




A. W. Whelpley, Cincinnati, O.

Librarian of Public Library, Cincinnati, President of the Unity Lecture Course.




I am glad to be able to congratulate you on your successful rendition of Ben-Hur in my Unity Sunday Lecture Course.  I can truthfully say that your monologue of the great novel Ben-Hur (which is worthy to take rank with Ivanhoe) is a work of art in its construction, and it gives the hearer who has read the book a connected series of pictures which make a perfect whole; while to those who have not read the book (who can they be?) the monologue is of sufficient interest to induce them to become acquainted with the work.  You, I believe, if you are true to yourself, will have a marked career in your chosen work.




I found the audience listening closely, and fearful to spoil any points of interest by ill-timed applause.  All
 left with an air of satisfaction that told its own story of a well-spent afternoon.  For myself, my enjoyment and appreciation was such as to induce me to write these lines, which I hope will be pleasant reading for you.




John S. Van Cleve, Ph. D., Chicago, Ill.

Professor of Belles Lettres.




Having frequently heard Mr. Flowers deliver both single selections and entire dramatic productions embracing many characters, I cheerfully indorse him, and express the opinion that any public will be amply repaid in attending his performances.  His native gifts are decided, and his culture is of a high order.




John Uri Lloyd, Cincinnati, O.

Author of Etidorhpa.




I cannot forbear writing you to congratulate you on last night's reading.  To say I was delighted expresses but feebly the sensation of pleasure your exquisite rendition gave me.  The most difficult parts were presented with masterly power.  Mrs. Lloyd and myself spent one of the most delightful evenings we have enjoyed in Norwood, if not 
the
 most delightful.  What a world of study and work it must take to produce a reading like that of last night!  You have my admiration.




Aroni in Louisville Courier-Journal.


Charles Montaville Flowers presents a story involving many characters of widely differing manners and voices, and conflicting purposes and deeds; sometimes a wrathy patriot, an impulsive Jew, a love-sick maid, a fierce warrior, a manly youth, an avaricious Scrooge, a drunken roisterer; an undertaking in itself obviously difficult.  Unless well given, a monologue of such complications and elaborateness is apt to descend into a farce, and
 the speaker into a caricaturist to be laughed at.  He must be natural; he must not overdo; he must not become monotonous; he should not allow the auditor to become drowsy and uninterested.  Ever on and on to the climax, he must work gradually, strong enough at the beginning to start the listener, yet not so strong as to weaken the sweep of the denouement when it shall come.  He must keep his characters distinct.  He must be dramatic, but subdued; he must read with proper and fitting tones, but he must not really act in a theatrical sense.

Mr. Flowers meets every demand, and meets them all pleasingly.  He is an impersonator of great versatility and wide resource.  He succinctly tells the story in dialogue, culled from the original; happy in his choice of passages, because keeping in mind that the dramatic quality is the indispensable essential to prevent monotony.  Thus he has a story full of spirit, and one that in itself holds an audience.  He develops it with evenness, and throughout it wears the language of the author.  Mr. Flowers' work, as presented in the series of recitals here, is something to be proud of.




Moses True Brown, A. M., Boston, Mass.

Formerly President of the Boston School of Oratory.




I had the great pleasure to hear Mr. Flowers render his excellent version of Ben-Hur.  He presented the gist and essence of the entire novel.  His characterizations were admirably given.  I have rarely, if ever, listened to so magnetic and forceful a rendering.  This young man will be heard from.




F. L. Snyder, Crawfordsville, Ind.

Supreme Scribe, Tribe of Ben-Hur.




In behalf of Mr. Charles Montaville Flowers and his monologue, Ben-Hur, I can unhesitatingly say to the
 public in general, and to all our Order in special message, that the performance can be spoken of only in the superlative.  His conception of the plot, his selection of scenes, and his rendition of characters, are simply masterful, and cannot be excelled.  On the score of merit for what he presents and the way he presents it, Mr. Flowers deserves the audience of every person who uses or understands the English tongue.  I was entertained, thrilled, and uplifted by him.  I trust every son and daughter of Hur throughout this land will consider this a personal note to him or her to hear Mr. Flowers in an interpretation of our great book and its great characters, that stands unrivaled and alone.



D. W. Gerard, Crawfordsville, Ind.

Supreme Chief, Tribe of Ben-Hur.




The rendition of Ben-Hur by Mr. Charles M. Flowers has my full, hearty, and unqualified indorsement.  As a work of platform art it is most excellent, and as an interpretation of Ben-Hur it is correct, complete, and powerful.  I commend Mr. Flowers to our Order, and would be glad to have every court in the land hear him.




Letters from Educators.



E. R. Booth, Cincinnati, O.

 Principal of the Cincinnati Technical School.


It was my good fortune to hear your recital.  The fact that your large audience sat spell-boundt hroughout the entire program, is sufficient evidence that you are more than an ordinary success.  I shall esteem it a privilege to help others to profit by hearing you.





Geo. W. F. Price, D. D., Nashville, Tenn.

President Nashville College for Young Ladies.




I esteem myself very fortunate in having had the opportunity to hear you in our college chapel in your admirable presentation of 
A Christmas Carol,
 by Charles Dickens.  You have imbibed its genial spirit, its kindly philosophy, and its effective moral lessons.  Your delineations of the various characters invested them with a life-like reality that was at once interesting, vivid, and effective.  Your rapid alternations of facial expression and vocal utterances were made with an ease, naturalness, and pertinency which invested each character with its own distinctive and original personality.  I was never more deeply moved, alternating between smiles and tears, than when listening to your absorbing presentation.  These lines have been dictated 
con amore
.




From H. S. Lehr, A. M., Ph. D., Ada, O.

President Ohio Normal University.




The recitals given by Prof. C. M. Flowers were the best I ever witnessed, and the best entertainment of its kind ever given in our halls.  His clear, resonant, strong, flexible voice, and the spirit and perfection of his impersonation, combine to make him one of the best actors before the public.  His selections from Shakespeare were so perfect that one forgot it was only acting, but conceived it to be real life; and when he closed with the 
Grave Scene
 from Hamlet, he proved himself the equal of the best masters on the stage.




W. S. Reese, Westfield, Ill.

President Westfield College.




Mr. Flowers is a master of his art, and always delights his audience.





J. M. Davis, Rio Grande, O.

President Rio Grande College.




Mr. Flowers is much more than a mere elocutionist.  He is an elocutionist of rare excellence; he is also a student of literature and life, and is able to contribute largely to the intelligence and refinement of audiences.




Gross Alexander, Nashville, Tenn.

Professor in Vanderbilt University.




On February 28, 1898, at De Funiak Springs, Florida, I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Flowers recite his arrangement of the story of Ben-Hur.




In the first place, his arrangement of the great romance is an admirable piece of literary work, and displays decided literary ability and culture.




In the second place, his impersonation was one of the most finished I have ever heard.  The vividness and power of his portrayal held me as with a spell from the beginning to the end of the performance.




Prof. W. O. Sproull, Ph. D., LL. D., Cincinnati, O.

Ex-Dean University of Cincinnati.


I heard your rendering of the 
Christmas Carol,
 and was struck by three things:  First, your flexibility of voice; second, your impersonations in general and of certain characters in particular; third, the fact that although you spoke for two hours, your voice seemed not to have suffered either in strength or clearness.  Your success is complete.




J. H. Martin, Moores Hill, Ind.

President Moores Hill College.




Mr. Flowers greatly delighted the faculty and students of Moores Hill College.





Prof. A. J. Bigney, Moores Hill, Ind.

Moores Hill College.




Mr. Flowers has given two of his monologues before Moores Hill audiences.  The people were captivated both times.  Everybody desires to have him return.  He is a very fascinating impersonator, and has no superior in this country in my judgment.  No audience will be disappointed in having him in their course of lectures.




A. H. Yoder, Vincennes, Ind.

President Vincennes University.




Mr. Flowers has appeared before our students three times with increasing success.  Our estimate of him is measured by the fact that we now look forward with pleasure to his next visit.




R. Heber Holbrook, Clarion, Pa.

Professor in State Normal School.




I know of no one who can furnish a more charming and instructive evening as an impersonator than Mr. Flowers.  He is a genuine, delightful artist.




D. B. Gilbert, Mitchel, Ind.

President Southern Indiana Normal College.




As an interpreter of good literature Mr. Flowers has no superior.  As an impersonator he is superb; his work is clear, elevating, skillful.




Claude B. Davis, Wooster, O.

Director Department of Oratory, University of Wooster.




Mr. Flowers was brought back within six weeks of his first appearance.  He is a sterling artist, the peer of any man who has ever appeared before a University of Wooster audience.





S. B. Harding, Bloomington, Ind.

Professor of History, Indiana University, Bloomington.




I have had the pleasure of listening to some of the work of Mr. Flowers in reading and elocution, and can truthfully say that it is of a very high order.  Altogether his work in this line is the most satisfactory that it has been my lot to listen to.




Warren Darst, Ada, O.

Professor of Literature, Ohio Normal University.




Mr. Flowers does not attempt to catch the popular ear by noisy declaration or ridiculous exaggeration, but gratifies refined taste by exhibiting true art as conceived by the great masters whose characters he impersonates.




B. F. Cabell, Bowling Green, Ky.

President of Potters College.




Mr. Flowers, of Cincinnati, appeared before the students of Potters College.  We shall have him again and again, if we can get him.  He is good enough.




Dr. R. S. Copeland,

Professor in the University of Michigan.




It gave me the greatest pleasure to listen to Mr. Flowers' impersonation of Ben-Hur.  I soon forgot the personality of the speaker and seemed actually to be in the presence of General Wallace's characters.




On no other occasion during my attendance at the Mountain Lake Assembly did I observe the same interest and marked attention given Mr. Flowers.  The large audience was enthusiastically appreciative.  Most cordially do I commend this chaste, instructive, and inspiring entertainment.





R. E. Crocket, Elkton, Ky.

President Vanderbilt Academy.




Mr. Flowers is a man of uncommon ability, and it is a pleasure—an intellectual feast—to listen to his chaste, powerful interpretation.




L. J. Corbly, Huntington, W. Va.

Principal State Normal School.




In a city of the size of ours we are cursed with a heavy influx each year of miserable third and fourth-class entertainments of all conceivable classes now being crowded upon the unsuspecting and, too often, too easily satisfied public.  Last year it was a great relief to turn aside from such and be 
entertained
 by a man who can entertain, instruct, and elevate at the same time.  Mr. Flowers in Les Miserables was really a 
brilliant success
.  He stood easily at the climax of all our public entertainments of a higher order last year.  
He is a success
—a success without ugly flaws to mar.




J. W. Zeller, Findlay, O.

Superintendent Schools.




I have heard Mr. Flowers in some of his masterly interpretations.  He is master of his art, endowed with a keen literary insight, an eloquent voice, and wonderful dramatic ability.  His recitals elevate classic literature and dignify the platform.




M. Fillmore Andrew, Linwood, O.

Superintendent Schools.




Like Widow Bedot, I can contain myself no longer.  I want to congratulate you on your success in 
Marmion.
  It was magnificent.  You surpass yourself.  You deserve your success.  I shall read Marmion with new interest.





C. C. Miller, Lima, O.

Supt. Schools, and Ex-State Com'r of Schools of Ohio.




Mr. Flowers is a scholarly, trustworthy artist; what I have seen of his work makes me believe he will never lead one astray in his art.  His renditions are in every sense artistic, worthy, and popular.




W. McK. Vance, Urbana, O.

Superintendent Schools.




Mr. Charles Montaville Flowers is an impersonator of quite exceptional faculty.  He brings to the work of interpretation ripe scholarship, fine dramatic instinct, a pleasing presence, and a voice that is an organ of marvelous beauty and power.  I have had the pleasure of hearing him on two occasions—once in his incomparable Ben-Hur, and once in a mixed program.  The average elocutionist makes life a burden, but Mr. Flowers adds to the refinements and enjoyments of the human race.




J. H. Rowland, Middletown, O.

Formerly Superintendent Schools.




Flowers, before teachers' institutes, is a great success as a lecturer.  But the great power of the man cannot be appreciated until one sees him on the platform.  Here he is the embodiment of eloquence, wit, pathos, power; in fact, his versatility is unsurpassed.  In Ben-Hur he has no equal.




W. H. Cole, Maysville, O.

Superintendent Schools.




The monologue recitals of Mr. Flowers are not only interpretations, but revelations.  These evenings with great authors are of the highest educational value, and should become an integral part of all lecture courses.





F. B. Dyer, Madisonville, O.

Superintendent Schools.




It has been my pleasure to hear Mr. Flowers in various rôles, and I wish to say that I consider him one of the finest impersonators on the American platform, and one of the finest lecturers on elocution and literature combined to whom I have ever listened.  I do not know his equal in either of these lines.




H. M. Parker, Elyria, O.

Superintendent Schools.




Mr. Flowers, in 
Ben-Hur,
 held an Elyria audience spellbound from start to finish.  He possesses wonderful power as a delineator of character.




Edward B. Cox, Xenia, O.

Superintendent Schools.




I heard Mr. Flowers give his 
Christmas Carol
 and 
Ben-Hur,
 and was pleased with both.  Indeed, both are artistic and masterly, characterized by keen literary insight and dramatic power.




Francis Benedict, Worthington, Ind.

Superintendent Schools.




Mr. Flowers is a master of his art, and can reveal more of the life and thought of a great author in one evening than the student can get from many evenings.




J. D. Simpkins, St. Marys, O.

Superintendent Schools, St. Marys, Ohio, Member State Board of School Examiners.




Institute committees will find none superior to Montaville Flowers as an impersonator.  There is absolutely no risk in securing him to entertain teachers.





W. T. Brown, Bloomfield, Ind.

Superintendent Schools.


Flowers is a decided success.  To hear him once is to desire to hear him again.  And he always has a larger house the second and each subsequent time.




Richard Park, Sullivan Co., Ind.

Superintendent Schools.



Charles Montaville Flowers is a master artist.  His work is simply grand.




W. S. Cadman, Norwood, O.

Superintendent Schools.



His Christmas Carol and Ben-Hur I have heard, and consider them equal to any work of the sort I have ever heard, and far superior to most of it.




C. W. Bennett, Piqua, O.

Superintendent Schools, Member State Board of School Examiners.




I can say anything you want me to say.  You are certainly in the lead on the American rostrum in skilled interpretation, cultivated taste, and dramatic force.  I look upon you as a shining star.




C. H. Workman, Mansfield, O.

Formerly Professor of Rhetoric, Ohio Normal University.




A man of excellent character and superior attainments, and his readings bear the stamp of the man.  Nothing is low or little in what he either says or does.  Art and education seem to be his chief objects.  He attains both, and holds his audience from beginning to end.





J. P. Sharkey, Eaton, O.

Superintendent Schools, Member State Board of School Examiners.




I have known Mr. Flowers as a great student, a teacher of eminent ability, a successful institute instructor, and an unequaled impersonator.  His education and experience make him a safe man to lead.  He is a success everywhere.




J. W. MacKinnon, Middletown, O.

Superintendent Schools.




His repeated recalls to so many places is sufficient testimony to his ability and popularity.  Any course of lectures will add to its popularity and pleasure by giving a date to Mr. Flowers.




Howard Sandison, Terre Haute, Ind.

Superintendent Schools.




Dickens' 
Christmas Carol,
 as presented in monologue by Mr. C. M. Flowers, furnished an evening of both interest and profit.  The variety of characters introduced and represented rendered Mr. Flowers' task a highly difficult one.  The very difficulty, however, added to the audience's appreciation of the artistic presentation.




John S. Royer, Versailles, O.

Superintendent of Schools.




I have heard Mr. C. M. Flowers in his wonderful rendition of Ben-Hur, Marmion and Douglas, etc., and his readings and impersonations did me more good than the performances of Booth, Barrett, Jefferson, and McCullough, all of whom I heard in their best characters.  I therefore strongly recommend Mr. Flowers to teachers and others who desire first-class service in institutes, lecture courses, or entertainments.





Letters from Clergymen.



Bishop John W. Walden,

Of the Methodist Church.


I heard Mr. Flowers read Dickens' Christmas Carol a few months since.  The reading was intelligent, forceful, natural; a satisfactory interpretation of the thought and spirit of the author.




Bishop John W. Hott,

Of the United Brethren Church.



I heartily congratulate you.  Your comedy has given me sufficient laughter for a week, while your work in Ben-Hur is simply magnificent.  I will commend you to all our colleges.




M. W. Reich, Cleveland, Ohio,

Secretary of the Temple Society, The Temple, Tifereth Congregation.




I take great pleasure in expressing to you my sentiments, as well as those of our patrons who heard your masterly interpretation of Ben-Hur in our course on the evening of the 10th.  The verdict was unanimous, 
It was grand.
  The story, as told by you, was intensely interesting, and held our audience to the last word.




Harley J. Stewart, D. D., Ph. D., P. Sc. D., Belpre, O.

Formerly Pastor Westminster Pres. Church, Cincinnati, O.




Mr. Flowers has a voice of remarkable compass and flexibility, and he has so mastered the science and art of elocution that his art is so subtle it conceals art, and we imagine the characters he impersonates as really present with all their humor or their pathos.





Resolutions offered by Dr. Howard Henderson and passed by the Preachers Association of Cincinnati:




WHEREAS, The artistic monologue reading of Mr. Flowers has been heard with absorbing interest and profit, illustrating the efficiency of the human voice in interpreting sentiment so essential to the right and reverend reading of Scripture and hymn; be it




Resolved,
 That we assure him of our high appreciation of his splendid entertainment, and heartily commend his monologue recitals as educative entertainments, yielding pleasure and profit of the most elevating character.




Rev. W. G. McCready, Newport, Ky.

Archdeacon of the Episcopal Church.




I desire to testify to the peculiarly artistic gifts you manifest in the impersonations incident to the recital of Dickens' 
Christmas Carol.
  I feel that you must be heard to be appreciated.  Let me know when you have recitals in Cincinnati.




Rev. Joseph Franklin, Bedford, Ind.

Pastor First Christian Church.




Mr. Flowers' recital was entertaining, instructive, dignified in every part, and in every way becoming and suitable to be given in a church.  His delineations were wonderfully varied, and could not be excelled.




Rev. Thomas Turnbull, Pomeroy, O.

Pastor Presbyterian Church.


Charles Montaville Flowers in Ben-Hur last night was pronounced by all a high-class success.  The entertainment was one of the very best I have ever heard.





Rev. R. W. Bell, Paris, Ill.

Pastor First Baptist Church.




He completely captured his audience with his masterly rendition of the 
Christmas Carol.
  Their unanimous verdict — 
come again.




Rev. J. L. Douthit, Shelbyville, Ind.

Pastor Unitarian Church, Manager Lithia Springs Chautauqua.




We have had some of the first impersonators and elocutionists in the land, but all who heard Mr. Flowers concede we have never had his equal here.  Not only a great artist, but a manly, scholarly man, consecrating genius to the highest uses of humanity.




Rev. Geo. V. Morris, Batavia, O.

Pastor M. E. Church.




Last night's entertainment was one of the finest I ever heard.  I was proud of you.  That selection of Dickens, rendered as you render it, will hold any audience in America.  It was chaste, elegant, refined, and forceful.




Rev. W. T. Groom, Shelbyville, Ind.

Pastor Christian Church.




Mr. Flowers surpasses all of the brightest expectations.  He is truly an artist, a student of human nature, and not only entertains, but instructs the heart in ways of wisdom and happiness.




Rev. S. R. Frazier, Youngstown, O.

Pastor United Presbyterian Church.




Montaville Flowers' superb rendering of his great task — Ben-Hur — in which he succeeded so admirably, puts him easily at the front on the American platform to-day.





Rev. E. T. Wells, Dayton, O,

Presiding Elder M. E. Church, Dayton (O.) District, Cincinnati Conference.




His style is his own, his manner natural, his speech peculiarly clear and distinct.  The absence of bombastic, declamatory, artificial delivery in Mr. Flowers is truly refreshing.




Rev. John Phillips, New Albany, Ind.

Pastor Memorial M. E. Church.




To say I enjoyed him is putting it mildly, indeed.  His conception of the different characters was equal to anything I have ever seen in the way of delineation.




Rev. R. C. Reed, Nashville, Tenn.

Pastor Woodland Street Presbyterian Church.




We were there because it had been our good fortune to hear him once before, and we shall be there next time and each succeeding time.  All who hear him once will be there the next time.  For tasteful, refined, and vivid rendering of a 
Christmas Carol,
 Mr. Flowers just simply cannot be excelled.  One does not need to hear all the other distinguished impersonators in order to pronounce this judgment.  It is enough that Mr. Flowers leaves no room for improvement.  He makes each character stand out with perfect distinctness, and you recognize it as the very identical character which was created by Mr. Dickens.  He incarnates the creations of the author's fancy without the slightest addition or subtraction.  Nashville never hears anything better in the line of professional reading than the performance which we enjoyed last evening.




Charles Montaville Flowers in Y. M. C. A's.



Rev. C. Hely Moloney, Charleston, W. Va.

Formerly Secretary Y. M. C. A.


Mr. Flowers is inimitable.  His characterization of 
Christmas Carol
 is without comparison.  Our people unanimously pronounce him a grand success.  In fact, I can't make this indorsement strong enough.




Geo. F. Tibbetts, Cincinnati, O.

General Secretary Y. M. C. A.




One of the most interesting and satisfactory entertainments held under the auspices of the Association for many a day was the evening with Dickens, on November 19.  It was certainly a delight to the large audience to hear brought out so vividly, and with such real strength, the characters in the 
Christmas Carol.
  We have heard many monologue entertainers on our platform, but none have been able to hold the audience spellbound to the end with such success as did Mr. Flowers.  We are ever ready to recognize real merit, both in character and in talent.




Edgar R. Mathers, Cincinnati, O.

Y. M. C. A.




From personal knowledge of his merits I can most heartily recommend him.  His excellent work in our Association and elsewhere has placed him at the top.




Mr. Wilcox, Frankfort, Ky.

Secretary Y. M. C. A.




Mr. Flowers' versatility is surprising.  He is an artist throughout.  We have never had his equal.





L. B. Mumma, Hamilton, O.

General Secretary Y. M. C. A.




The 
Carol
 held the audience spellbound for two hours.  His Ben-Hur is a marked success, a striking production.  I heartily endorse the work of Mr. Flowers, and recommend him to any, especially Y. M. C. A. entertainment committees.




The Gazette, Xenia, O.


The recitation of 
A Christmas Carol
 at the Y. M. C. A. was a wonderful piece of work.  Mr. Flowers has a fine voice, and his presentation of the character of 
Scrooge, the grasping old sinner,
 was capital.  The other features of the story were as dramatically presented.  He captured the audience.




W. C. Paige, Henderson, Ky.

Secretary Y. M. C. A.




Mr. Flowers' two recitals here have been highly enjoyed.  He shows refined, artistic judgment in impersonation, and his work takes rank with the finest ever seen here.




Henry C. Nauman, Pana, Ill.

General Secretary Y. M. C. A.




He is a man of highest moral type; scholarly, and of artistic attainments almost miraculous; his entertainment of unsurpassed choice.




Mr. Frazier, Springfield, O.

Secretary Y. M. C. A.




Flowers made a big hit with us.  I regard him as the equal of the man who for some time has been considered the greatest impersonator in America.





A. C. Bridgman, Mattoon, Ill.

Y. M. C. A.




I regard Mr. Flowers as one of the very finest impersonators in the country.  I know of none better.




The Daily Times, Dayton, O.


The Y. M. C. A. Hall was well filled to hear the distinguished impersonator, Charles Montaville Flowers.  He gave his rendition in masterly style.  He fully deserves his high reputation.  Daytonians never have heard a finer in his line.




D. A. Sinclair, Dayton, O.

General Secretary Y. M. C. A.




Mr. Flowers greatly pleased our people.  We will have him on our course again.




The Courier, Evansville, Ind.


Mr. Flowers was highly successful at the Y. M. C. A. last night.  He is a very superior and powerful artist.




Chas. B. Jamisen, Crawfordsville, Ind.

General Secretary Y. M. C. A.




I listened with pleasure to Mr. Flowers in 
A Christmas Carol.
  His creation of 
Scrooge
 was of the highest order.  He is particularly good in the tragic passages.




J. W. Crook, Terre Haute, Ind.

Treasurer Lecture Course Committee, Y. M. C. A.




I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Flowers in 
Christmas Carol,
 and, with possibly one exception, consider him the best reader and impersonator before the American public at the present time.





H. L. Whitehead, Indianapolis, Ind.

Chairman Lecture Committee, Y. M. C. A.




A few days ago I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. C. M. Flowers give his monologue reading of Ben-Hur at Crawfordsville, Indiana, before an appreciative and cultured audience, Gen.  Lew Wallace being among those present.  Mr. Flowers has given Ben-Hur profound critical study, and presents it in the manner its well-know literary and dramatic merits deserved.




Mr. Flowers is a gentleman of unusual histrionic talent, highly cultivated in the best school of dramatic art.  His entertainments are popular with all sorts and conditions of men, and equally befitting the church and lyceum platform, and I have no hesitancy in commending him as worthy a place in the leading lecture courses of the country.





Charles Montaville Flowers Before Teachers' Institutes.



Pickaway County, Circleville, O.

M. L. Smith, Secretary.


Mr. Flowers gave his monologue presentation of Ben-Hur to our teachers and the citizens of Circleville.  A crowded house greeted his presence, and never before in the history of the institute was a production so well received.  It gave perfect and universal satisfaction.  His instruction in reading was the best we ever heard.




We believe we can truthfully say that Mr. Flowers has no superior in his line of work.  He has our fullest and unqualified endorsement.  Our committee will engage him for next year.





Hamilton County, O.

W. G. Williamson, President.




Mr. Flowers was a brilliant success before our institute.  His taste, judgment, and enthusiasm inspired confidence, and his art won the audience.  He cannot be excelled in his line.




Montgomery County, Dayton, O.

H. W. Mumma, Chairman.




We had heard the impersonations of Dickens' 
Christmas Carol,
 by Mr. Flowers, and were so pleased we secured his Ben-Hur for an evening's entertainment for our institute.  It is but fair to say that he held the audience of over seven hundred teachers and their friends spellbound for two hours, and excelled anything ever previously given before the Association.  The committee have been eagerly congratulated for having secured such a matchless reader.




Mr. Flowers' appearance, and his clear, well modulated voice, put an audience in perfect sympathy with him at once, and secure their attention to every word uttered.  We unhesitatingly recommend him.




Gallia County, Gallipolis, O.

G. E. Neal, Chairman.




We cannot speak too well of the instruction and entertainments given by Mr. Flowers before our institute.  The productions were all of rare merit, and enjoyed from the moment he began till the close.




His rendering of Ben-Hur was so strikingly natural and vivid, that one seemed to be actually witnessing these thrilling scenes found in that superb production.  We wish every teachers' gathering in the State could hear him.





Perry County, New Lexington, O.

C. L. Martzolff, Chairman.




We take pleasure in recommending Mr. Flowers as an impersonator.  He has a faculty of holding an audience spellbound from start to finish.  His Ben-Hur is the peer of anything that it has been our pleasure to witness.  We especially commend him to Executive Committees of Teachers' Institutes.




Monroe County, Woodsfield, O.

Charles F. Troy, Chairman.




Mr. Flowers gave our institute his Ben-Hur and a program of selected readings.  The high favor with which he was received may be known from the fact that he booked two nights in Woodsfield, and was also re-engaged by the new committee for 1897 before he left the institute.



Charles Montaville Flowers 
in Chautauqua Assemblies.
 The Havana Chautauqua, Havana, Ill.



Havana, Ill., Chautauqua.

THREE RECITALS OF BEN-HUR AT ONE ASSEMBLY.



Mr. Flowers was engaged to give three recitals at this Assembly.  He made his first appearance in Ben-Hur.  His success was so great that he was asked to repeat the same on the following day, and did so.  On the third day he was again urged to give Ben-Hur, and complied, making three recitals of this one program at this assembly.





Illinois State Register, Springfield, Ill.




Charles Montaville Flowers delivered his masterpiece, Ben-Hur.  It was a marvelous characterization, and he made the most pronounced success ever made at the Chautauqua.




The Chicago Record.


Mr. Flowers delighted his audiences at every appearance at Havana Chautauqua.




M. P. Wilkin,

President Havana and Beardstown Chautauquas.




I take pleasure in saying that no man has ever given greater satisfaction on the Riverside platform during the four years, both to the management and the hundreds of people, than Mr. Flowers.  In the best sense, he produced a profound sensation, especially in Ben-Hur.  While personally I expected great things of him, I frankly confess he went beyond it all.  A clamorous demand exists for his return next year.






The Florida Chautauqua, De Funiak Springs, Florida.




W. L. Davidson,

Superintendent of Instruction of Six Great Chautauquas.



Mr. Flowers gave his interpretation of Ben-Hur at the session of the Florida Chautauqua, season of 1898, and scored a triumph which has rarely been secured on our platform.  His keen analysis of the play and the judicious selections of characters and situations, which is original with him, shows the true artist.  In presence, in voice, in gesture, in facial expression, he is an impersonator without rival.  There is nothing of the ranting type about him.  He is quiet and conscientious in all his work, yet immensely clever and engrossing.  He is a consummate artist, and furnishes to thoughtful and cultured people an evening of the rarest enjoyment.






Wallace Bruce,



Mr. Flowers is one of the men on the platform who began his career with high ideals, and has won by natural genius and honest work a widely-recognized position as interpreter of the great masters of literature.  His superb rendition of character won the heart of every one.  Wherever he goes once he will be insured an invitation again and again.






The Mountain Chautauqua, Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.




At Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.




Conspicuous among the attractions of the Chautauqua have been the marvelous impersonations of Charles Montaville Flowers.  Though the critics have exhausted their vocabularies in his praise, and you go to hear an unusual rendition, you are totally unprepared for the revelation that awaits you.  He seems to have dedicated his life to the 
proper study of mankind, man;
 his work is not like that of the majority of artists, a manifestation of his powers, but losing himself in his art, he makes his whole being an instrument to portray humanity in its ever-changing variety of type and expression.  How he dignified and glorified his Ben-Hur by the soul-stirring introduction.  Mr. Flowers has made a wonderful cutting of the book, and has preserved the plot with its powerful characters.




The divine influence of the Messiah is felt throughout, but only once does this loving Savior speak, when he stretches forth his hand to heal the leprosy of Ben-Hur's cherished sister and mother.




Looking back upon this rendition it reminds one of a magnificent painting which remains in its somber
 and majestic dignity the wonder of the beholder, and a monument to the genius of the master.



Not less massive, but totally different in character, is Dickens' Christmas Carol.  It is a flawless mosaic, replete and glittering with its touches of tone color, faultless in outline, perfect in symmetry.  It is impossible to point out the best effects Mr. Flowers made in his portrayal of character, for each in turn was not only beyond criticism, but so full of unexpected subtleties of expression and astonishing transformations, that it left nothing to be desired but the repetition of the entire Carol, with its tight-fisted, shrivel-hearted Scrooge; its blood-curdling spirits, with their messages and visions, which can scarcely be distinguished from realities; the whole-hearted, effervescent Fred.  Merriman, who wins you by his first hearty laugh; the patient endurance, the cheerful gratitude, and the touching simplicity of the Cratchit family—these and many more flash before you—such characters as only Dickens could create, and none but Flowers can re-create.





The Kentucky Chautauqua. Lexington, Kentucky.



The Argonaut, Lexington, Ky.


Mr. Flowers was the attraction yesterday.  A thousand throats might have resounded bravos had tongues been loosed.  His Ben-Hur was given in superb style, and with accurate delineation.  His chariot race has never been equaled on the Lexington platform.  
Never
 is a strong word, but we hold to it.




The Herald, Lexington, Ky.


His presentation of 
A Christmas Carol
 was as artistic and as successful as his Ben-Hur.





The Daily Leader, Lexington, Ky.


Mr. Flowers' personation of Ben-Hur was perfect.  He was graceful and easy, with a fine, rich voice, showing no strain; the characters were wonderfully brought out by his realist dramatic talent.  It was a real delight to hear him.




The Asbury Heights Chautauqua, Asbury, W. Va.


He is a master of his profession, and his special study of the works he interprets causes his hearers to literally live with Ben-Hur and know him.





Lithia Springs Chautauqua, Lithia Springs, Ill.



The Union, Shelbyville, Ill.


No greater compliment could be paid Charles Montaville Flowers than to say that after nearly three hours' sitting the large crowd remained, listened, laughed, and applauded for another hour.  He came a comparative stranger; to-night everybody knows him, lauds him, and he certainly made the most pronounced and emphatic success ever made here.  Everybody is talking about his marvelous impersonations of the various characters in Dickens' 
Christmas Carol.
  Tall, handsome, a face full of character, eyes that fascinate, and a voice the like of which you have never heard, such is Flowers—and yet he is more.  Add to this the power of changing in the flash of an eye from one character to another—a complete change, not only facial, but of form, voice, and action, and this, too, without any stage effects or make-up.  You forget Flowers, and his personality is such that he is hard to forget; but you do forget him, you see only the characters in the monologue, and 
Scrooge,
 and 
Fezziwig,
 and the
 others live and act before you.  His character of 
Scrooge
 is worthy a place with the finest work of Mansfield, Willard, and Irving; aye, it is even greater than their work, for he does not depend at all upon stage effects and a supporting company.  He is the one man; you would have none other; he stands alone.


The Union, Shelbyville, Ind.


Mr. Flowers again, and the expectant audience greeted cordially a great favorite.  On this occasion he gave us a miscellaneous program, every piece new, and each number entirely different in style from the preceding one.  Mr. Flowers is not only great in character work, but wonderfully versatile.  In plain descriptions, in ordinary dialogue, in mimicing children, and in forceful heavy elocution he is equally at home.






EARHART & RICHARDSON PRINTERS CINCINNATI




Figure