H.W. Sears, humorist

              H. W. SEARS, Humorist
H. W. SEARS, “The Taffy Man”
HAPPY is the man who finds his mission in the world. Dr. H. W. Sears found his when he began by his lectures to drive out the blues and rout the demons of grumbling with his scourge or satire, wit and humor. Like the poet, the lecturer is born, not made. Such is the inimitable Dr. Sears, with his word pictures, sound logic, true philosophy and gospel ethics, seasoned with good spirits, pathos and soul-stirring eloquence. He is Sam Jones and Dr. Willets in one, for he has pungent  sarcasm  and  brilliant  gift  of the one  and the
pathetic and inspiring power of the other. Dr. Sears is unique and -without a peer to entertain and edify an audience on any occasion. He is one of the greatest entertainers and best drawing cards on the lecture platform today. Every lecture course is richer when he is in it, and every Chautauqua program is sadly defective when he is left out.     You have not heard the best until
                you hear him.    He is always at his best.
SUBJECTS:
More Taffy and Less Epitaphy
Grumblers
Evils of Worrying
Crises of Life
A Few Words  from Public Men
W. H. Gibson, General Secretary Y. M. C. A., Lancaster, Pa. —Lancaster has had many men, prominent in all the various walks of life, lecture before the Young Men's Christian Asso¬ciation, but no one man has thus far ever -won the hearts of the thousands of persons who heard him as Dr. H. W. Sears. He gave three lectures within ten days and addressed the men s meeting on Sunday afternoon. His geniality, big heartedness and sunshiny disposition are like a tonic and as contagious as an epidemic Everybody went away better for having heard Dr. Sears. I certainly commend Dr. Sears to organizations looking for a lecturer who will not only entertain, but do good.
Cape. Richmond Pearson Hohson—l have heard Dr. Sears lec¬ture, and commend him most heartily and enthusiastically. Aa a humorist he has no superior.
Lou F. Beauchamp, "The Laughing Philosopher," Hamilton, Ohio—I have heard Dr. H. W. Sears in his lectures on "More Taffy and Less Epitaphy" and "Grumblers and Their Cure." He touched in me the fountains of laughter and tears, and won my affections, respect and love. He is a great-hearted, great-Brained, great-souled man and the platform needs him.
Col Geo. W. Bain—Dr. H. W. Sears off the platform is a very lovable man; on the platform he makes others lovable. He has a remedy for every human fault and his medicine is as palatable as ever mortal swallowed. The person he cannot entertain I pity, and those he betters and blesses are many. He is worthy of any platform.
Dr. A. A. Willets-Dr. H. W. Sears' lectures are good for dyspepsia; they exorcise the spirit of grumbling and despon¬dency; they drive all the "blue devils" out of the windows. Mingling with his irresistible merriment are most earnest and eloquent appeals to true manliness and true womanliness, while his clear and resonant voice stirs the pulses of patriotism like the notes of a bugle.
S. R. Bridges, President Alkahest Lyceum System, Atlanta, Georgia—Dr. Sears, I am certainly glad to have this oppor¬tunity to bear witness to the fact that your lectures and lyceum work both on and off of the platform in our territory are all that could be desired. You certainly "made good in the highest sense of that term and I wish you continued success wherever you may go.
H.  W.   SEARS— "The  Taffy Man
WHAT DR. FRANK W. GUNSAULUS, PRESIDENT OF THE ARMOUR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CHICAGO, SAYS:
I have asked Dr. Sears to come to the Armour Institute of Technology, Chicago, and give his eloquent lecture on "Grumblers" to our thirteen hundred students, for the reason that I wish them to hear and enjoy a clean, ennobling and profoundly sensible lecture, one which made me laugh more advantageously and more constantly than any lecture I have heard since the days of dear old John B. Gough, of whom the Doctor reminds me so much.
AND THIS AFTER THE LECTURE
I have  only  this to   say about your lecture before our Armour Institute boys:    We are rapidly getting them back to business, hut some of them still laugh out in meeting, and others of them are besieging me with the  question,  "When  is  Dr.  Sears going to come back?      You would better print this in your notice" because,  if staid  old professors do not wish to have their proprieties broken in upon by good humor and mixed with wisdom, they ought not to hire you to give lectures.
Among the  Chautauquas
Rochford (Ill) Chautauqua—Dr. Sears had his audience convulsed with laughter all the way through his lecture last night.
Bethesda(O) Chautauqua—Dr. H.W. Sears lectured to the largest crowd of the assembly in his second lecture, "Grumblers and Their Cure."     It was Sears, the moralist, and not the humorist, talking.     He concluded his lecture   with  a  peroration,  the magnificence of which held his audience enchanted.     As he reacted the climax the applause was spontaneous, prolonged and loud.
F. CB. Sheldon, Superintendent Chautauqua, Beatrice,  Neb. — I   can  truthfully  say that during the Assembly just closed no man on our platform gave more universal satisfaction than Dr. H. W. Sears.
Columbus (Ind) Chautauqua—The   lecture
in the afternoon by Dr.  H. W. Sears was one of the brilliant stars that illuminate man's  pathway leading to better and nobler things.
Kankakee (Ill) Chautauqua—Dr. Sears’ lecture yesterday afternoon was a revolution. Those who came to frown remained to laugh.
Urbana (O) Chautauqua—One of the best lectures ever delivered on the grounds.
Winona (Ind) Assembly –No audience was ever better pleased and more thoroughly entertained than the one which heard Dr. Sears last night. 
Mont Eagle (Tenn) Assembly—The largest and the most appreciative audience of the season greeted Dr. Sears of Illinois, who lectured last night. No better lectures have ever been heard here.
C. E. Byrd, Superintendent Louisiana Chautauqua—We have had many of the most noted men and distinguished lectures on our Chautauqua platform for the last ten years, but we consider Dr. Sears the best of all.
Lexington (Ky) Chautauqua—Dr. Sear’s lectures are a happy combination of wit, humor and good sense.
Old Salem (Ill) Chautauqua—The big feature on Wednesday proved to be the lecture by Dr. Sears, “More Taffy and Less Epitaphy.” Dr. Sears was the first and only man who held his audience to the end. He quit with several hundred more people than when he began. The managers of Old Salem voted to have Dr. Sears return next season and to give him an afternoon audience.
H.  W.   SEARS — "The  Taffy Man"
Press Commendation
El Dorado Springs (ftfo) Sun—Dr. Sears,     La Junta (Col) Parish Qleaner—"Tho they "'the taffy man," who was one of the attrac-     may forget the singer, they will not forget the tions on our lecture course last winter and    song. True of the great lecture. If Water-who entertained his hearers in such a royal     loo Drought fame to Wellington, "More manner, will again give one of his splendid     Taffy, Less Epitaphy, * should hnng immor-lectures in this place tomorrow evening. Dr.    tality to Dr. H. W. Sears. Cure for bad Sears hears the unique distinction of heing the     liver, death to dyspepsia, Colorado ozone to only lecturer who was so popular with his     to the human compound. The sanest hit of hearers that he was returned for a second en-     philosophy in the lyceum banquet hall. An gagement; and this is sufficient proof of his     ideal address hy an ideal man, insuring moral popularity, for any speaker that can break into     uplift to the procession of hearers fortunate the good graces of an El Dorado audience to     enough to sit at this man's table. More taffy such a degree that his return is demanded, is     next year—the Sears kind, certainly a good one. Dr. Sears is no experi¬ment. He has heen here hefore and proved     Montgomery {Ala) Advertiser—Those who his worth and as a consequence he should he     keard Dr.  Sears   last night compare him to
Galveston (Texas) News—Galveston has had many men, prominent in all the various walks of life, lecture in the Star Course of tke Young Mens Christian Association, hut it is safe to say few men ever warmed the hearts of the hundreds -who heard him as did Dr. H, W. Sears last night in "More Taffy and Less Epitaphy/' His address was one of the sanest and brightest bits of philosophy listened to in Rosenberg Hall in some time, and his audience attested their appreciation in innu¬merable ways.
Peoria (111) Journal—Dr. Sears' lecture in the
evening on "More Taffy and Less Epitapny   proved
highly entertaining.     The Doctor is so ingenuous, so
naive in his humor, so  intensely interesting all the
way through, that he captivated his audience at the
very   outset and   carried them through to the end
without a single one feeling tired or wishing to go     more thoroughly enjoyed. Governor Bob Taylor. He is a Chautauqua favorite. He lectured tonight to a large audience on "Grumblers, and held his audi¬ence spellbound by his matchless oratory and imagery. He has but few equals as a popu¬lar lecturer.
Reading (Pa) Times— TV speaker of the afternoon was Dr. H.W. Sears, the popular lecturer, who with his sparkling wit, intense earnestness and dramatic eloquence, held his audience for a full hour as he presented his recipe for the true philosophy of life.
New Orleans (La) Daily Picayune— The crowning event of the evening was the lecture at 8 o'clock by Dr. H. W. Sears of Decatur, 111. Every one is in love -with Dr. Sears. He has become the great Chautauqua favorite. The audience yelled and cheered at the deserved tribute he paid Jen Davis.     No  lecture was ever given here that was thoroughly enjoyed.