The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-03-11

Miss Lydia Strawn, OF this city, who gained
such laurels from her lectures in Joliet and 9TH
er places during the winter, has consented to de-
liver two lectures before and for the benefit of the
Ottawa Literary and Social Union, the first next
Monday evening, March 18th, and the second
on the Monday evening following, March 10th.
! both at the Court House. Her subject will be
I" The Internal Three but whether that means
the world, the flesh and the devil, or war, pesti.
lence and famine, or Babcock, Belknap and
Schcnek, the public will find out when they hear
her. Tickets to single lecture % cts, to both
! lectures 81 cts.
Miss Strawn is no stranger to Ottawa audiences,
and certainly can need no certificate from us as
to her abundant ability to prepare and deliver
such a lecture as would be creditablc to any ros.
trum. 1t may yet be premature to compare her
to Anna Dickinson, but Anna by no means occu.
pics an inaccessible plane.
In this connection it may not be out OF place
to add u word in regard to our Literary and So
cial Union, for whose benefit these lectures are
to be delivered Its organization dates bacl, to
about two years ago, and one would think, by
this time, it ought to be on pretty solid basis
1t has met with tolerable regularity during all
that time and its public exercises have generally
been of an interesting, entertaining and instruc-
tive character; yet it would be far too much to
say that the Society has met an appreciation on
the part Of the general public at all in keeping
with its deserts. We are justified, we think, in
this inference, by the following communication
which tells its own story:
| NessrS Editors:-A word about our Literary
Society. II has now been in active operation
over two years, and what are the results? What
is the class of people that have given their time,
money, and talents to promote the work in
which the society is engaged Have they been
the men and women of wealth and influence
The society started out hOl.iul of being the
means of bringing into safe ways many Of our
young men who had no better place Of resort
and amusement than the street corner, lager
beer halls or houses of sad repute. Have the
ADLER, weather., ineuential-ia short, " better !"
class OF our people given them any sort of coun-
tcnance and support? Let the reader attend a
meeting of the Society and he will discover that
ashamed to meet with the class OF people who
cannot afford to wear kid gloves, and support u
dog and Sold-headed cane? Or do they think
that their good advice, private prayer meeting
appeals and outdoor speeches are all that arc
necessary to carry on the association? Well,
after two years of membership, find that with
only such revenue as good advice, long prayers
and windy orations the Society has languishcd
and the morals Of the town have become degen.
crate, and that the few who now remain to keep
up the fire and stir up the minds of the young
men and women to the importance of literary
culture are becoming demoraized, and the union
OF purpose that gave the Society SO good start
has been severed, and no one in particular seems
| to give further thought to the matter.
Please give this matter some attention The
writer is but one OF thousand in our midst that
needs just such opportunities as these Societies
afford to gain more knowledge, and be naturally
sympathses with all young men who are thrown
out into the world aud to whom the benefits OF
such literary society cogld be made so invalu-
able, and he sincerely hopes our more wealthy
and influential citizeas and business men may
be led to see that the encouragement and sup
port Of our Literary Society in Ottawa is worthy
of their att enton.