William Hamilton Miller: lecturer-humorist

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William Hamilton Miller
Lecturer—Humorist


A Conventional Announcement of an Unconventional Lecturer
WHILE this is a conventional announcement, it deals with an unconventional speaker, who, while specializing in speaking to conventions of business men, in many lines of trade, has yet found time to establish himself among the most successful lyceum lecturers of America.  William Hamilton Miller was well known for twenty years as a country newspaper man in Illinois.  (And is still a member of the editorial staff of the Daily Republican Times, of Ottawa, that state.)  For many years he made a close study of home life and the small town.  As years went by he was frequently called upon to discuss these themes from the platform of the farmers' institute, the Chautauqua, and at many gatherings of business men.  He grew into the work, rather than attaining a place therein by violent assault.

He handles these subjects in a way that compels attention, creates interest, and promotes good nature.  One live-wire has described him thus: He is no word painter, but rather is he a verbal cartoonist.  While he has been somewhat loosely classified as a funny man, his message has commanded the attention of serious thinkers and progressive business men.

In the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere he has participated in many campaigns for better conditions of production, merchandising, living, and housing, in which he has been associated with such well known agricultural experts as Prof. Thomas Shaw, Prof. Thomas Cooper, Prof. P. G. Holden, and Dr. W. E. Taylor.  His contributions to these campaigns have been along inspirational rather than instructional lines; making no pretense towards profound technical knowledge, nor to exquisite literary finish.  That his message is of real worth is proved by the commendation of men of the above class.

At no place where he has appeared has it been necessary for him to assume either an alias or a disguise, in order to return.  The message of this man is extraordinarily well liked by ordinary men and women.  He is a rapid fire speaker, crowding the ordinary hour and a half lecture into seventy minutes of good humor, that helps folks by heartening them.


Topics He Talks About

It Isn't Your Town—It's You
A home building, town building talk for folks who are home lovers, school builders and civic patriots.

Farming and Being Farmed
Concerning community crop failures.  One class of farmers farm the farms; the other class farms the farmers.  This talk teaches both classes how to get better crops.

When I am 'Old Bill'
This is a boy development talk.  It is Mr. Miller's Sunday talk—and it is the sort of talk that should be translated into life seven days a week.

The Hobble Skirts of Freedom
Originally prepared for a Fourth of July occasion, it fits into many places where it is appropriate to treat the development of the community from a patriotic standpoint.




COL. MILLER has earned, in an open field without favor, the title of the man who delivers the message of community development with a smile.  As a town doctor, diagnosing the ailments of failing towns, and pointing out the remedies, he has won substantial fame, based upon the solid common sense and real constructiveness of his addresses.  With the insight of the true doctor he sees that the way to put a town on the road to salvation is not to scold it, but to make it laugh at itself, and his hearers are always fairly convulsed at his word pictures.  Underneath the strong current of humor runs a vein of solid worth which makes individuals do constructive thinking, and gives new impetus to civic patriotism.  A twentieth century lecturer, voicing with candor and rare likableness a hopeful message.



Some Boiled Down Reports Indicating How He Makes Folks Laugh

His speech was full of logic, and still was so interspersed with humor that he kept the audience in one continual state of laughter.—
Courier, Polson, Montana.

He gives folks the real stuff, and in such a vein of humor that the message does not fail to go home.—B. F. Harris, Chairman Agricultural Commission, American Bankers' Association.

As an entertainer he is among the best.  His talk was punctured with satire, sarcasm and bits of humor.—Ravalli Republican, Hamilton, Montana.


Provoked many a laugh by anecdote and quaint expression.—
Dixon Tribune, Dixon, Cal.

His talk just bristles with wit and humor.—West Coast Lumberman, Seattle, Washington.


For fifty-six minutes by the watch, Miller, of Ottawa, produced a convulsed laugh every thirty seconds, scoring hits so frequently that they tumbled all over each other.—
Chicago Press Club Bulletin.


Lessons for honest living were sent home with a ringing epigram or a story that convulsed the audience.—
News, McMinnville, Oregon.

He certainly is a whirlwind on feet, and not only gives a laugh with nearly every sentence, but there is a point for every one.—W. R. Rucker, Chairman Lyceum Committee, Butler, Ky.


Kept the audience alternately smiling and laughing, and thinking.—
Evening News, Modesto, Cal.





William Hamilton Miller
PHILOSOPHER HUMORIST
The Man Who Delivers The Community Development Gospel With a Smile

Bouquets Along The Way
WITH HIS FIRST WORD HE CAPTURED HIS AUDIENCE

It was soon apparent to the audience that Col. Miller was capable of recovering any lost ground, tillable, fertile or non-productive, that might have been wished on to him by way of handicap.  With his first word he captured his audience, and with web of eloquence, woven of wit, humor, satire and pathos, he drew them to the front seats and held them in their varying emotions to the end.—Marin County Tocsin, San Rafael, Calif.

THROWING THE CLUTCH FOR THE OTHER FELLOW

Miller interests his audiences, compelling them as individuals to do some reconstructive thinking.  In some way he has the power of getting under the other fellow's crust of indifference, or inertia, whatever it is, and compelling him to put a whole lot of thinking machinery in operation.  He does it, too, so unconsciously that the other fellow does not realize who threw the clutch for him.  It's a great gift.—Prof. W. R. Foster, President of the Ottawa (Ill.) Chautauqua Association.

IDEAS OF PROFIT TO COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUALS


Mr. Miller is one of the most rapid fire speakers ever heard from any platform, and from the moment he commenced to talk, which was almost before he had set foot on the stage, until he said good night, he held the audience with him.  His speech was full of logic, and still was so interspersed with humor that he kept the audience in one continual state of laughter.  But when he was through and the people began to think over what he had said they found that he had left many ideas that would be of profit to them, both as a community, and as individuals.—
Flathead Courier, Polson, Montana.

JAMS HOME TRUTHS AND SUGGESTS PRACTICAL REMEDIES


Col. Miller has the very latest twin-six vocabulary on the market and he runs at high gear all the time.  He took all grades on high, skidded around the corners and held the throttle wide open clear into the home stretch.  His articulation is plain and distinct.  He bites his sentences off clean and jams more home truths and practical remedies into an hour and a half of rapid fire talk than any public speaker we have ever listened to.  He surely made a hit in Leetonia.—
Leetonia (O.) Reporter, Aug. 25, 1916.

DOES NOT SACRIFICE REAL FACTS FOR HUMOR

I have seen a good many things he has written and heard some of his addresses, and I want to say to you that he is a real live wire.  I have heard him talk to farmers' institutes in this state, and he gives them the real stuff, in such a vein of humor that the message does not fail to go home.  I am sure you will find him an ideal speaker.  In his humorous work he does not sacrifice the real facts and the real lessons.  He has written some of the most effective things that my committee on agriculture has sent out, and I do not know of any man who can do better in his line than can Mr. Miller.—B. F. Harris, Champaign, Ill., Editor Banker-Farmer, Chairman Agricultural Commission, American Bankers' Association.

WHERE THAT MARK TWAIN STUFF STARTED


Mr. Miller is a country editor.  If Mark Twain had died 1500 years ago, theologists could well claim that Mr. Miller was Mark's reincarnation.  He has the make-up, mentally, physically, and doubtless spiritually, that Mark Twain had.  If history was searched it is probable that about 1500 years ago, for that is about the time it takes for a reincarnation, it would be found that a great humorist died, and Mr. Miller caught his soul somewhere out in the big field.  His talk just bristles with wit and humor.—
West Coast Lumberman, Seattle, Washington.

CHARGED WITH WITTICISMS, FREIGHTED WITH OPTIMISM, REPLETE WITH EPIGRAMS.


Charged with witticisms, freighted with optimism, and replete with epigrams was the lecture given at Chautauqua Sunday evening by Col. W. H. Miller, of Spokane, Washington, in his unconventional message, When I am 'Old Bill.'  The address was intended for the young people and lessons for honest living were sent home to his hearers with a ringing epigram or with a story which convulsed the audience, which time after time broke out in applause.—
News-Reporter, McMinnville, Oregon.

SPEECH WAS THOROUGHLY USABLE AND KEENLY APPRECIATED


W. H. Miller delivered a lecture on Farming and Being Farmed, which was the feature of yesterday evening's Chautauqua program.  Col. Miller wasn't at all oratorical, he gave a practical speech, intended for practical men on subjects of intense interest to merchants and farmers.  The speech was thoroughly usable and keenly appreciated.—
Daily Missoulian, Missoula, Montana.

HOW TO APPRECIATE THE 'GREAT NATIONAL MEAL TICKET.'


W. H. Miller, of Spokane, a veteran newspaper man of Illinois, gave the audience the most agreeable sugar-coated pill of philosophy that it had ever received, and as it laughed at the numerous and pertinent stories which were strung upon the bits of wisdom contained in his address which he calls Farming and Being Farmed—or Community Development—they were at the same time imbibing many excellent suggestions of how to appreciate the great national meal ticket—the farmer.—
Idaho Statesman, Boise, Idaho.

TOUCHING THE RISIBLES AND SHOOTING IN HOMELY TRUTHS


W. H. Miller is something of a humorist and in his talk on Farming and Being Farmed, provoked many a laugh by anecdote and quaint expression.  While he was touching the risibles he was at the same time shooting in some homely truths.—
Dixon Tribune, Dixon, Calif.



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