Twain has many memories from his lecture tour in the late 1860s. He explains the "lyceum system," which was at its height during that time. Most lecturers made $100 per night, though a few knew their value and made more.
The speakers of "The Lyceum" began each lecture season in Boston. For about a month before the season began, the lecturers tried out their new talks in the surrounding towns. This gave them a chance to try them out and make revisions before premiering in Boston. Once the commercial success of a new lecture could be determined by Boston's response to it, the management knew what to charge in the other cities of the lecture circuit.
Twain's career with "The Lyceum" began with characteristic humor. In 1867, he ran into a friend named Frank Fuller.....
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