But my vacation was about over. Besides raising the wind, the lectures
had stirred up a great demand for telephone lines. The public was ready
for the telephone long before we were ready for the public, and this
pleasant artistic interlude had to stop; I was needed in the shop to
build some telephones to satisfy the insistent demand. Fred Gower, a
young newspaper man of Providence, had become interested with Mr. Bell
in the lecture work. He had an unique scheme for a dual lecture with my
illustrations sent from a central point to halls in two cities at the
same time. I think my last appearance in public was one of these
dualities. Bell lectured at New Haven and Gower gave the talk at
Hartford, while I was in between at Middletown, Conn., with my
apparatus, including my songs. It didn’t work very well. The two
lecturers didn’t speak synchronously. Gower told me afterwards that I
was giving him, “How do you do,” when he wanted “Hold the Fort,” and
Bell said I made it awkward for him by singing “Do Not Trust Him, Gentle
Lady,” when he needed the trombone solo.