Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-04-27
FROM WATERLOO.
WATERLOO. AnriI 20. 1870.


EDITOR REPUBLICAN, We are very lit
erary in our village, and what with lee
lures, literary societies, temperance meet
ings, exhibitions, &C., there is no village of
lts size in the State that has had so many
things this winter to interest and profit. 1t
| has been great advantage to have a new
and commodious town hall, wi tn broad side
walks leading to it from each side of the
village. This winter our village has not
given any great encouragement to travelling
concerts, ''nigger shows" and the like.
There have been one or two exceptions
where concert of proved merit, has been
well patronized by our citizens. But gen
orally our home s'doingS' have been the
best attended, and have deserved to be.
The first in the order of time was the
Waterloo Literary Society. We have had
several such societies here in past years, but
none that promised to be permanent till
this winter. 1t has been carried On by the
leading men of the place, and has been more
interesting than a debating society usually
is. Besides the debates, there have been
lectures before the literary society by Rev.
Mr.. Sale, on "License in London - by Rev
Mr.. Wight, on PRUSSIA y by ]. Mosher,
Esq, on Temperance; by Hon. S. W. Bud
long, en- "Free Masonry" and by W. c.
STAN, On "The Culture of Small Fruits"
These home lectures were all Of them good
things. Each of the speakers had a subject
which he had studied carefully, and the lee
lures therefore were we'll worth hearing.
Early in the winter the Con sregational
Society secu. ed a series Of lecturers; among
them were Judge orion, President Chad
bourne, and.Rev Mr. Richards. all of Mad
ison. The latter lectured twice. The sec
ond twice to fulfil the engagement broken
by Rev. Mr.. Allison, Of Milwaukee. To my
taste Rev Mr. Caverno, and Prof Emerson,
of Beloit College, gave the best lectures, but
tn public generally seemed 10 like Rev.
MIR. Richards best of all. Every one of the
lectures was a rich treat. Several of the
lecturers are already well knawn through
out the State, and the others are rising
young men who are now making their rep
utatIon; and these last are, to my thinking,
fully as apt to do web as those who have
their re puJations already made Altogether
this first 'course of lectures in Waterloo
was a success.
Elder Sale has lately delivered two lee
lures on Scenes in London, for the benefit
of the Baptist Church, drawing good-sized
audience.
The temperance meetings | can well class
with ether literary doings, for their effect
in reclalming drunkards or shutting up the
saloons has not been remarkable, though
they have doubtless helped the general SEN
timent of our village on the subject Of TEN.
perance, still they have been more enter
tanning than instructive, and more instruc-
tive than practical, as is apt to be the case
with all efforts for reform which rely upon
talk alone. a meeting was held Feb. %,
and since then, every Tuesday. these
meetings ha We been well attended. There
has been great freedom of speech by both
men and women. The pledge has been cir
culated freely, and people have been made
to think. So much at least can be said tor
them Let US hope that more tangible good
will also result from them,
An exhibition was held here few weeks
ago for the benefit Of the Congregational
Society, and was decided suctess. The
Town Hail was crowded two nights in sue
cession.
This was SO successful, and so enlisted the
enthusiasm of the voting people, that an
other exhibition was started Immediately,
the proceeds of which are to form the nest
egg for a public library and reading room.
So you sec we have taken quite start
this winter IN the line Of inelle ctual cul-
ture in WATERLOO.