The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-24
SWEET BARD OF AVON.
RIRTHDAY AND MEMORY
BIS STILL GREEN
,ha Minds of the wheeling
l" shaEespeare Club - what
Th.y said aud Did AT
Their AnniVersarJ
Last Night.


Their Anniversary
Last Night
Three hundred and fourteen y'a'' ago
,s,,plght 10 the rambling, OuI-o-:he-
town of Slatford-on- Avon, child
r.bsred into the world with little
,,r and certainly without anything re-
,nhl,pc silver spoon in his mouth.
u;,rspe was William ShakesP'a-e and
i, honor snd remembrance of his birth
I,v. the Wheeling club which bears his
,,ms As ra.ron and inspirer, last night
,.s.-0d in the evening with due cere.
Inv in their hall in the Odd Fellow
h,fting The Shakespeare Club has
,,., in existence for almost five years
,,8 through all this time Mr..
william Leighton, Jr. hiss been
;,. presid ent. The club purchased
~. Iss-s and furniture OF Weisel
vs,Isshort time age, and became reg
,,,Iy incorporated body according to
na Stat, law. The membership is lin.
a.3 to twenty. FIVE, but number Of ex-
r,nbers took part in the celebration last
night. .,,.
v,,e none were present save those whose
r,nes were upon the roll OF the Society.
The club holds regular weekly meetings
8. ssch Of which, portion or the whole
,i one of Shskespesre's plays is read, a
,,,, Of the play having been previously
m,ds by committee appointed for the
pJrpose. The regular meetings of the
'gb sre usually suspended during the
sumner MOI tbs.
Mo. ). Long delivered the
CPENING ADDRESS.
GgYTLENEN: / know OF nothing that
+. -ul,e new that can be said about the
,sgius the history, OF the fame OF VII.
lam Shakespeare For nearly three hun
sraI wear, the miracle OF his mental
p,gsr hiss extorted the admiration and
Excited the wonder of men; and innu-
nsrsb J.oErsphers, editors, COmmeuta-
,-.. esssyIs,s sGd sCtOrs have set forth
s.lbs, can be known coHcernnL Lhe
m,n, and aIl that the present state OF
earning nas sttaluel in reference 10 the
lraz
p-sres name. No other book Ia hu-
usn lsuguage-except only the Holy
Bble-hss received such deep and
earned scrutiny, such close and scholarly
s,sIysls. such wealth of criticism and
e1nuent, Is have been lovingly be
rowed upon Shskespeare's plsys. There
g1omsn who has ever lived and bresthed
.ss common slr, into the minute de-
ala and sets and thoughts of whose
Everyday life there has been closer sCru-
inv snd more minute Investigation ~
,..l,lny and investigation somewhat
pguei and stimulsted in modern days
by me little tnst can be learned OF the
PERSONAL lie OF Shakespeare, and by the
rgr5w limits within which all that Is
saown o; bic biography Is confined.
We have historical proof that William
Shakespeare WAS born in England, 10
1854 sad thst between the years 1884
s,ll6l3. were written and given TO the
world the plays and poems which are our
priceless heritage and our con ant Won
Der. It's no. surprising that, Incredu-
1ls that one human mind could have
g1cgved and written the works now
generally accepted as Shakespeare S, some
el5'. hs, been male - rob him of their
vs.sr1Ity aud suggcs: the work Of cOtem-
p5-sry pens. Bu, investigation has only
u.is more clear the fact Of Shskespesre's
s-.horship of all that wor!hily bears
Bis Uamp aud has pOndingly
Strengthened the wonder and confirmed
he sslonishlnrnt of those who before
could scarce believe. Il is not that, lesv-
llg Shakespeare alone out OF the Ques-
ton men hsve grown less in these latter
csy.-aut that there is less OF mental
y.,5r les breadth Of Imagination, and
as power Of expression-than was CON-
non smgng educated men in the ELzs-
Latham sge. Upon the contrary the
-
sli think may say truthfuIly that
.-e'9 Is no one OF Shskespesre's cOntern-
P.'sry writers whose works are not eX-
cslsd by the product of more modern
pens Nor hss poetic fire faded before
'le advances OF stern science, and knowl-
s.gs Of stubborn fact, which have
wolgh. such signal Lriumphs in our own
lay. The poets of the prese t age have
sung IS swee.'y and loltily rs any of their
predecessors except only one, snd our
modern drsmatists have gwen US better
lSy. .1sn any other than Shakespeare
ever s'P'o1lce5
Hsno, .ha. We are degenerate sons
o. noble slrCS, but that Shakespeare
lovers so 'ar above his own and all sue
N7s-.1s sEes that we are yet but slowly
.'noirg the sleeps upon whose summit
' genus sits supremely and alone.
"..Lo-. apparent CONSCIOUSNESS of the
s,sA!wofks Reproduced bestowing more
t-'io1s care and soIicitude upon the
pen; which are now ranked As the lesst
worthy productions Of his working
i -a'.e and heat Tor money and not for
wiring plays as the mere business
A,- l'1dgery Of lfe, and giving to the
|,Ame creations Of his fancy little care
culture or correction sf.er they were
III spoken upon the stagc-he bestrid
'-' world IS 81 intellectual colossus, snd
A's' three hundred wears OF endeavor
81. Of progress our highest minds still
,yA Up to Shakespeare's intellect with
'ooder skin to swe.
easEespeares works achieved as rapid
a. they were written and given to the
,...l' vel. deserved popularity. They
'''s q. "hsPPy hits" and commanded
- -saes. prices paid BY theatrical
-.A-Age'; Of lhst time Having par
,-,''- p,sy II those days when there
40 n 10 Law OF copy y-right-the owners
I've prevent its publication, in order
'-e enjoyment OF their sole and exclus.
,,. ' nights, 70 It's representation on the
se' But then, as now, their property
,,..,!.en - o.!en stolen by writers who caught
~ !ley could OF the language Of actors
=, -t'a I1e -er and published for iudivid-
s..I2! - I,2a! lne ill-gotten play. In this
G-.sPHuoaE wsy the greater number Of