The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-28
JOHN B. Couch AT BABCock's H.

JOHN B. COUCH AT BABCoCKs Hall
A GREAT AUDIENcE-PEcULIAR PEOPLE
We have have never witnessed such a rush
| of people to Babcock's Hall, as on Wednes-
day evening,to hear John B. Coughs lecture
| ON Peculiar People," and the audience was
composed of the most intelligent people of
Rock Island, Moline, Camden and the sur
| rounding country. 1t required all the efforts
of the executive committee and officers of
the society, aided by the police, to prevent
pie. An extra train of cars brought a CAPT
| tai addition to the assembly, from Moline
| the beauty and intelligence of that place
and they have a good deal of both up there.
A large number were also present from the
country-people who would not stop for bad
roads, when so rare a treat was offered.
At about O'Clock Mr.. Cough was intro
duced to the vast audience, by J. NJ. Buford
Esq, President of the Young Mems Associa-
ton, who announced the subject selected
by the society for the lecture.
Mr.. Cough was received with immense ap-
plause, and commenced his lecture by giving
| general view of animated nature inhabiting
earth, sea, and air. He said that he did not
propose to speak of the peculiarities of par
ticular individuals, but would treat the sub
Ject in a manner which he hoped would prove
advantageous, especially to his younger
| hearers. He enlarged upon the common &C.
ceptation of the terms gentleman and
LADY, as used under various circumstances.
Go to the Police Court, and you will see two
women arraigned for disorderly conduct
One will explain to the judge in this wise:
"hIe and this other lady had few words,
| when l told her piece of my mind, when
| she up with pail OF dishwater and threw it
| all over me, and | resented it with brick
bat" We often see men who are dressed
well, and are called gentlemen, or those who
live at ease by gambling or swindline-
often the swearing, staggering loafer is call
ed gentleman because in his outer appear
ance he resembles one. The speaker con-
trasted the various phases in which individ-
uals both in Europe and America, hold
| tHSHlSeIfcS DIS Seutlcultu
Society is composed of individuals mutually
| dependent upon one another, whether they
| will or not. But there are persons whose
| pecularities are to render themselves pc
culiarly unpleasant to everybody they come
in contact with, while others, peculiarly
enough-carry with them ray of pleasure,
halo of good nature, wherever they go.
The speaker dwelt at length upon the pc
culiar whines of people, such as fault-fnding,
sensitive, thin-skinned grumblers; and the
geniality of those who understood and prac-
| tice the art of making themselves and all
around them happy. To those who think
| this such cold, selfish world, Mr.. G. de.
clared that they would lose sight of these
Irregularities" if they would study and
practice beneyolence and do all the good
in their power for benevolent and pa
triotic purposes. Let man be true to him
self, his country and his God, and he will
not see so much selfshness as others imagine
to exist.
In turn he gavea graphic description ofbores
of all classes and descriptions, and of both
sexss-scientiic, social, religious and other
wise-of the practitioners, believers and
promulgators Of the several ologies and isms
of the past and present, portraying the pecu-
liarity of that class who everywhere and
upon every occurrence throw out their hobby
into every PERSONS face who is so unfortunate
as to come in contact with them.
| The Americans are peculiarly prone to
xaggeration-"cold as ice'-"run like light
ningn-"tickled to death"-"would give any
thing in the world"-are phrases of every
day use in which those who use them sacri-
fee the truth by exaggeratioH.
No other class were placed in a more ri
, diculous and unenviable position, in his life
pictures, than the rich men of the city,
, OF various casses-and their spoiled sons
and daughters whose lives run to waste for
the want of proper employment. But as
Cough knows the depths to which intern
= perance will sink man, so were his delinea-
e | tons OF the characters who chose the bubble
e of pleasure true and graphic, and his discus.
4 sion of the question of "what is worth living
e tor?" was just such an exhibition of the sub.
: ject as might be expected from this remarka-
:, BILE man whose every act is full of eloquence
;, His description of an aimless life, and Of
? its opposite-the true worker, was, to us
the best part of his lecture. The reference to
5 the feelings produced by working for others
C found many secret response, while the il
a lustration used, of the young lady in the hos
n pital, brought tears to many eyes. To the
C noble mothers of the land, who bravely bat
: tie with the trials and privations of this life
y for the good of their children, he paid {
It most glowing and eloquent tribute,-and hi
, illustration, by reference to the patient indus
g trious, patriotic old widow who, seating
% drinking, sleeping, knitting" raised up, fol
q, Hod and their country, her half-orphan boys
d was one of the grandest scenes he SO graph
t. cally described.
n MIR. Coughs lecture was most complete
:. life-like panorama of society as IL 10 in II.