CHARLES CLARE.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 96, 16 November 1877, Page 2

CHARLES CLARE.

As this famous lecturer is malting Ms re»appearance m New Zealand, tho follow* ing notice of bis farewell appearance in Melbourne, extracted from a New South "Wales newspaper, will be read with interP9t :— " The Clark fever is now raging furiously in Melbourne. The rev. gentleman (Heaven only knows why) has resolved to goto America; and tickets for his farewell lectures are afa premium. The Eistori excitement was nothing to it. Eight o'clock is the time of commence" | ment, but at sis o'olock, evening after evening, people begin to assemble on the steps of the town Hall ; and at seven o'clock, sometimes earlier, when the pave* i ment lias become inmnssable, the doors are thrown open. During the next hour the magnificent hall presents a singular appearance. Merchants, clerks, ware • housemen, tradesmen, male and ■ female shop assistants, are leisurely taking their tea, having come straight to the ball from thf ir various places of business ; other visitors are reading the evening newspapers; whilsfHheir wives snd sweethearts have brought their work • with them, and some of them are probably busy finishing sHppers or braces for the silver- voiced orntor. At about twenty minutes to eight the 1200 reserved sent* holders begin to sail in, the barriers between the different divisions of the area being kept by- the servants of the mana?e« menfc and two or three constables. The latter officials, however, are of no practical use, the Supreme Court having recently ruled that a theatre is not a 'public place' within the meauing of the Act, and that consequently the pob'e-3 have no right to interfere unless there occurs an actual breach of the peace. At eicht o'clock everybody is in lm place, either sitting w standing, and precisely as the clock strikes, the little door to the. rigbtof the organ is seen to open, and from it, with light elastic step, emerges the Eov. Charles Clark, • King of Lecturers,' wjio. as he mounts the orchestra and takes, his seat, is received with- a deafening salute by his devoted subjects. ; After .pouring out a glass of water, which however he does not taste, the, lecturer l advances to tbe footlights, wJn'cb, he ' always has turned fall on ; and thf nhe ] proceeds, to deliver one of those delight- ■ ful lecture entertainments, the fame of ' which has gone forth all over Australia, 1 and the success of which has enabled Mr ' Clark to realise sums beside which the j earnings, of Qur biggest, operates. ais.

theatrical stars seem insignificant indepd. 1 * Mr Clark's re-appearance in New Zea-« iand has been equally gratifying. Tho Choral Hall, Auckland ->- tho largest building of the kind in the country—was found utterly inadequate to accommodate the crowds that flocked to hear \ and in Wellington night and night both, auditorium and stage of the Oddfellows* Hall have been thronged with delighted listeners.