Culver's Big Week

Chautauqua Supasses Last Year and Goes On Record as a Splendid Sustained.

What a glorious week it has been for the people of Culver and vicinity!

The weather has been of the real Chautauqua brand, and the programs have been fine.

The attendance has been largely in excess of last year, and enough pledges, in conection with the guarantee of a few citizens, have been secured to encourage the local association to sign a contract for next year.

The community must not be grudging in giving to the men and women who have put in their time and labor, and taken a financial risk, full credit for the splendid work they have done.

It is only because there are people who have the good of the community nt heart that it has been possibe lto bring a Chautauqua to Culver.

It would be ft amail-souled individual who would entertain any other feeling except that of approval and kindly appreciation for the work done.

It is gratifying to record that the attendauoe on the part of the farming community is considerably larger than last season. Considering all the work that has to be done on the farm this month, it is asking a greater or less sacrifice to supplement a long day in the field or home to "dress up" and take a drive of several miles.

The date of the Chautauqua, however, cannot be controlled by the local committee.

Friday, the opening day, brought the University Players, a musical organization of seven" young men from Cleveland, and Rev. Thomas McClary, a witty Irishman who was once a circuit rider in the Northwestern border states. The University Players were more noisy than melodious. Mr. McCiarv's lecture was humorous and philo sophical. He emphasized the importance and blessedness of cultivating the spirit of cheerfulness and mirth. His central thought was that cheerfulness, kindness, optimism and politeness can be cultivated quite as easily as pessimism, rudeness and a censorious spirit. The world has no use for a grouch.

Saturday gave us the Bunnell-Weller company and Tom Cor-wine in the afternoon, and the Bunnell-Weller company and ex-Gov. Patterson of Tennessee in the evening. The Bunnell-Weller company included Miss Nell Bunnell, soprano, Miss Beatrice Weller, cartoonist, and an accompanist. M iss Bunnell and Miss Weller were excellent. Mr. Corwine is a marvelous mimic. Nature has en dowed him with vocal organs capable of reproducing the sounds of animals and machinery with start ling exactitude. Gov. Patterson is a speaker with a dignified and impressive address, and when he concluded his lecture on "Why I Changed Attitude on the Prohibition Question" King Alcohol was dethroned.

On Sunday the Price Concert company, vocalists and instrumentalists, reinforced with a reader, gave us two programs of real ar tistic merit.Prof. William Lloyd Davis of the University of Wis consin spoke in the afternoon on Rudyard Kipling, giving in addition to a curaory analysis of the poet-author's literary work recita tions most effectively delivered. In the evening Prof. Davis talked on ''Community Welfare." Here be showed himself to be a man surcharged with a message. He pointed out that Culver has natural advantages- for building up a model town and enough men and women of intelligence to bring about, if we co-operate, auy improvements we desire. Work together, help each other, praise each other don't be afraid of commending some one for work well done back up your town authorities, your preachers, your teachers and your editor. Don't hang back from helping and then find fault with those are doing something in the best way they know. Prof. Davis said we should oil our streets and alleys, have our garbage collected regularly, and the county should employ an agricultural expert to increase our farm productions. He scored the public school system which is based on the theory that all our young people are going to college when only 3 to 6 in 100 ever see the inside of one. We could have dispensed with the pictures which followed Mr. Davia and listened to him indefinitely.

Ex-Senator William E. Mason, as the program has it, but "Billy" Mason, as his Illinois friends call him, spoke on Monday afternoon on "Presidents I Have Known." Mr. Mason's long public career has made him a storehouse of interesting reminiscences.When, however, he expounds his views on governmental policies, he reveals his partisanship and is again the stump orator of campaigns long past. But it is. one of the admirable features of the Chautauqua system that any question may be discussed .rom any standpoint. No audience can listen to Mr. Mason without being interested, and he is the more interesting because he is one of the old order of politicians and office-seekers now passing into the archives where we enshrine our memories of a fading generation.

The Royal Black H ussar band gave two splendid concerts on Monday. This well-balanced and well-trained organization of eight-een pieces is equally at home in the execution of the stately measures of Verdi, the dancing melodies of Rossini or the sonorous strains of Beethoven.

Miss Belle Kearney, the speaker of Tuesday afternoon, is a plat-form orator of unusual force and interest." Her pleasing personality and ringing, clear-cut sentences, not a syllable of which escaped her farthest listener, held her audience perfectly in spite of the intense beat in the auditorium and the lateness of the hour. Miss Kearney's lecture, "The American Woman of Tomorrow," was frankly an equal suffrage speech. Apparently Miss Kearney's suffrage argument fell upon unsympathetic ears, judging by the lack of enthusiasm with which her most telling points were received.

The Hazel Folsom-Ddggy Con cert company gave delightful programs in both afternoon and evening. They were among the choic est entertainers of the week.

Dr. George La Monte Cole, who has for 17 years given his time to archeological work among the ruins of the cliff dwellers, exhibited a fine collection of pictures accompanied by an instructive lecture. This number was alone worth the price of admission.

Wednesday was the concluding day with a star program by the National Grand Opera company and Congressman Jackson of Kansas -Citizen - July 23 1914