Page "John Bartholomew Gough" Paragraph 4

He set forth, carpet-bag in hand, to tramp through the New England states, glad to obtain even seventy-five cents for a temperance lecture, and soon became famous for his eloquence.

An intense earnestness derived from experience, and his power of imitation and expression, enabled him to work on the sensibilities of his audiences.

He was accustomed to mingle the pathetic and humorous in such a way as to attract thousands to hear him who had no purpose but to be interested and amused.

In the first year of his travels, he spoke 386 times, and thenceforward for seventeen years he dealt only with temperance.

During that period he addressed over 5, 000 audiences.