Father Vaughan, the great dramatic orator

              Father Vaughan
The Great Dramatic Orator
Father    L.   J.   Vaughan
INTRODUCTORY
We PRESENT Father Vaughan for his seventh successful season.  Such general popular successes occur but once in a lyceum  decade. Father Vaughan's every appearance not only spells a return date, but goes over into mathematics and adds from one to three extra engagements under other auspices. The sun of day first illumines the east. This evening star has come out of the west. The east is waiting. As a dramatic orator he has no superior. His magnetic personality is the very essence of eloquence. He presents great truths as vividly as flashes of lightning. He has the rare power of making popular the classical lecture. His past experience before the footlights has given him perfect control of his powerful voice, and this, with his fine presence and dramatic delivery, combine to thrill his listeners with the great truths he has to present. €[[ His interpretation of Shakespearean characters is equal to that of the greatest actors of the day.  He speaks with authority. He has a message. There is neither a dull sentence nor a moment that is not charged with magnetic power.   Father Vaughan is great.
SUBJECTS:
Sermons from Shakespeare
The Power of Love
The Light That Failed
The Land of Possibilities
Is Life Worth Living?
Shylock
Julius Caesar
A Light on Richelieu
Edwin L. Barker, Chicago, in The Lyceumite — Father Vaughan is one of the huge successes of the present lyceum. Swift as his rise has been it is not meteoric. There is plenty of room on the platform for more lecturers of his kind. I have heard some of the anvil chorus wonder at his success. I won¬dered a bit myself, even though I thought I knew. When I heard him I knew I knew and knew I had known all the while. The same fire that has kept the name of Bryan burning in the heart-shrine of the people is the underlying principle of Father Vaughan's success—honest convictions and sincerity of purpose. In listening to him you never think of Father Vaughan—you think only of his message, his ser¬mon, and the sincerity that lies back of it.
La Fayette (Ind.) Journal—Father Vaughan is one of the most brilliant speakers upon the American lecture platform. His lecture was " Sermons from Shakespeare." A more able address has never been heard in this city. The speaker was at one time on the stage, and this experience is now making itself felt in his presentation of Shakespearean lectures. Rev. Vaughan possesses many of the characteristics of Richard Mansfield, and many times yesterday after¬noon in his recital of the lines of Julius Cesar could be seen the same effect as presented by Mansfield at the Grand Opera House a short time ago. He has a magnificent voice, powerful and appealing, and in every way admirably adapted to deal with Shakes¬pearean subjects.
Chicago (Ill) New World—Father Vaughan is especially well fitted to speak on Shakespearean sub¬jects, having been on the stage for twelve years before he entered the priesthood, a part of the time playing Shakespearean roles. Father Vaughan has mastered his subject, mastered it by close study, while his view of Shakespeare is broad, generous and in part unique. There are five sermons in his lecture, the first being ''Vanity: or the World without God." This is preached by the drama of Julius Caesar, where Rome, with its glitter of wealth and power, was an example of the fleeting vanity of life. Caesar, the king today, the lifeless heap of clay tomorrow. "The World with a God" is the subject of the second sermon, and Father Vaughan finds this in Henry VIII.,where Cardinal Wolsey, on his death bed, addresses Crom¬well. This sermon is given with the feeling of one who knows the allurements of ambition, but who also has tasted its futility. "Woman; the Sermon with¬out Words" is taken from Hamlet. This is his ser¬mon to women, their work and their mission. ' 'Hy¬pocrisy: or A Satire on Christianity" is the fourth sermon and is taken from the Merchant of Venice. Many believe this sermon to be the best part of the lecture. Father Vaughan holds that the play is not a comedy, but the greatest satire of the language upon Christianity, where its characters constantly pro¬claimed the principles as taught by Christ, but who failed to practice them until they made of Shylock what he was, grasping and revengeful, but with enough strength and dignity to remind us that his was the race which produced an Abraham and a David. "Death" is the text of the last sermon, taken from Hamlet's soliloquy, and also from the graveyard scene, where Hamlet addresses the skull of Yorick, the jester. The climax of the lecture is here. Hamlet, looking into the empty sockets and grinning face of his old friend, asked the same ques¬tion that the followers of Christ asked when they found the empty tomb, "Where is He?" and the answer was—"He is not here; He is risen."
Hamilton ( Ohio ) Republican - News — Father Vaughan plunged at once into his subject and his audience was immediately impressed with the deep powerful tones of one of the best voices ever heard in the Jefferson Theater. It took him but a moment to assure his auditors that a lecture of more than ordi¬nary worth had commenced. His rendition of the death scene from Julius Caesar was very fine and showed Father Vaughan to be an actor of great abil¬ity.   The audience was more than pleased.
W. J. Eddy, Supt. Schools, Croswell, Mick.—The most magnetic speaker we have ever had. Father Vaughan is a whirlwind. We want another date this season.
Elgin (Ill.) Daily News — Again has Father Vaughan appeared before an Elgin audience and once more has he thrilled his auditors with his peerless oratory. He carried his audience from thought to thought with an ease and eloquence that brought him supreme admiration from all.
Sterling (Ill.) Evening Gazette—Father Vaughan is one of the most polished orators who has ever spoken in Sterling. The lecture was couched in a most beautiful flow of English. While it was filled to the brim with scholarly thought, pure and whole¬some in its every sentiment, at times it reached mag¬nificent heights of eloquence which held the sym¬pathetic and admiring crowd in rapt attention. Father Vaughan is by common consent one of the most delightful speakers to whom Sterling people have ever listened. He scored a pronounced hit at the recent session of the Sterling Chautauqua, but his effort last night was a distinct triumph. His beautiful address on "The Land of Possibilities" will never be forgotten by those who heard it.
Waterloo (Iowa) Times- Tribune—Father Vaughan, with his kind-hearted ways, soft voice and good line of thought, was greatly enjoyed by the people. He was considered one of the leaders of the Chautauqua program.
Peoria ( Ill.) Herald - Transcript — Father Vaughan delightfully entertained a large audience last evening in Spalding Institute with his lecture, "Sermons from Shakespeare." Father Vaughan is without doubt one of the closest students of old authors now before the public on the platform, and that he has a thorough acquaintance with Shakespeare, and that he is emi¬nently competent, from an oratorical standpoint, to handle his subject, was attested by the enthusiastic applause.
John E. McGovern, Rochester, Minn.— In behalf of the Ancient Order of Hibernian Society of this city, I wish to thank you for the courteous treatment which we have received from you, and especially for sending us Father Vaughan. His lecture on the "Power of Love" was the finest thing ever given in Rochester. This is the sentiment of everyone who was fortunate enough to attend the lecture. I have heard a great many of the older people say it was the best they ever heard, which of course means a great deal. Should Father Vaughan ever speak here again, he will have a packed house, and it is our intention to have him again, if possible.
P. W. Scanion, Manager Salem (S. D.) Lecture Course — Father Vaughan's lecture, "Is Life Worth Liv¬ing?" is concise, eloquent, and vivid. He pleased greatly.
D. H. Harts, Supt. Lincoln (Ill.) Chautauqua, in his report to the Lyceumite — Father Vaughan was the bright particular star of the Assembly, closely fol¬lowed by Wm. Jennings Bryan.
Mason City (Iowa) Globe-Gazette—The Assembly of Clear Lake, Iowa, has, for this season, one of the best programs that it has ever given. Yesterday Father L. J. Vaughan delivered his great lecture on "The Power of Love." For dramatic illustration; for word painting; for choice language; for constant and unre¬mitting flow of eloquence and oratory, the Reverend Father stands in the first rank of public lec¬turers of this country.
Racine ( Wis.) Daily Journal—Eight hun¬dred of the leading and cultured people of Racine assembled at Belle City Opera House last evening and listened to a splendid lecture on the subject, "The Power of Love," by Father L. J. Vaughan. It was full of power and elo¬quence and at the same time wit and wisdom, given with great force and drew the closest attention. There was an unity and completeness of thought clothed in the language of a master. Nearly two hours were consumed in de livering the address, and there was but one expres¬sion after it was over, "The finest thing I ever heard." H. H. Raschig, Chairman of Entertainment Committee of Cincinnati (Ohio) Teachers9 Club — As to the merits of Father Vaughan as a lecturer, I will say that he was the star attraction last winter among the several lecturers—all good—and I am sure we want him next season. He was an inspiration and we would have more of him.
Springfield (Ohio) Daily Sun—Father Vaughan is a painter of word pictures. In fact his greatest strength as an orator lies in his ability to frame dra¬matic situations, true and appropriate to the point in view, and then drive them home to the hearts of his auditors. He has the power to move hearts and he has the disposition and ability to move them in the right direction.
Dubuque (Iowa) Times—Father L. J. Vaughan is a speaker of great force and eloquence, and has a direct way of addressing his audience that compels attention. He is an orator of ability and one that it is a delight to hear.
Springfield (Ohio) Press-Republican—The Rev. Father L. J. Vaughan, as the third number on the lecture course of the Knights of Columbus, pleased a large audience. He did not merely please, but made a deep impression upon the minds of many, and he will be remembered for years by his Spring¬field hearers.    He is possessed of a strong voice, and as a dra¬matic orator he is the best heard here this season.
Richmond(Ind.) Eve¬ning Item — Father Vaughan's strength lies in his familiarity with his subject mat¬ter and his dramatic manner of delivery. His voice is powerful and the control he has over it is wonderful. From the first sentence he holds his audience's attention until the close.
DeKalb (III.) Chron¬icle—Plain truths and lessons were jeweled with such oratory as is seldom listened to by a DeKalb audi¬ence, and his earnest, forceful reasoning was to make the way clear to a better life. Father Vaughan ranks among the fore¬most of those in the lecture field. Intellectually and oratorically it was pronounced the finest lecture given in DeKalb in many years.
H. A. Whipple, Baraboo, Wis. —I desire to write you an unsolicited testimonial of our appreciation of your lecture, "Sermons from Shakespeare," which you gave before our High School Lecture Course audience of one thousand people last night at the Grand Opera House. Our people have been used to listening to the best men and women on the lecture platform, but I think I am stating a fact when I say that we have never had a number in our course which gave more general satisfaction than did your lecture. I hope we may be able to arrange with you for a second lecture at some later date.

Damen Council. No. 650
To the public:-
Our Council engaged father Vaughan for a lecture on November 30th, 1904.    He had been recommended very highly to us by our state Deputy Grand Knight and we   found his lecture way above expectations.   He gave us "The power of Love" and our audience sat so spellbound that we re-engaged him before he left the Central Y.M.C.A. Hall, where the lecture was held, end announced him for "Sermons from Shakespeare" for Jan. 30th, 1905.      Our people were delighted over the prospect of   hearing him so soon again   and ticket were sold In blocks   of twenty-five and fifty,    we made no attempt to sell tickets for his second lecture,-merely placed them on sale and advertised where they could be secured,- thus placing the event in competition with the many   theatres and other places of amusement of Chicago.      At his first appearance, Father Vaughan spoke to seven hundred people, while his second audience numbered nearly one thousand. We do not believe there is another lecturer in America who draws so well and then delights, inspires and uplifts his audience so highly„ we have engaged him for another lecture in May and have decided to have him for   our opening number on the Course of lectures and entertainments we are planning for next season,    We cannot find Words to express our appreciation of and admiration for the great work Father Vaughan is doing.
Sincerely yours,
Grand Knight.