The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-08-29
special correspondence OF THE MONITOR.
CHAUTAUQUA.

in corridors have been called into requisi-
ton, and much doubling up in the cottages.
1t is also the warmcst days (hot is a more
suitable world of the year, and the immense
crowds are undergoing great deal OF dis
comfort to obtain what good can be derived
| from the "Chautauqua idea Every boat
and train of cars have come loaded with
humanity The days have been eventful.
The lectures by Principal \. NJ. Fairbain,
of Aylesford University, Scotland, whether
on ..Positivism, Science and the Prob
lem of Life" Mills and his Son, Her
bert Spencer each and all have COM
manded most profound regard for the sub
| iect and the master mind of the Professor.
The lectures on various topics i'll the Hall
of Philosophy; the School of Languages;
the lecture by Rev. Dir. Lyman Abbott, cd
itor Chlfstian Jnion, addresses by DR.. Hat
field. of Chicago, and many other worthless
of the pulpit and platform; the magnificent
chorus of three hundred voices. marshalled
under the baton of Prof F. w. Sherwin;
the sweet singing of Prof. E. o. Excel $
quartette; the original colored troupe, the
Tenneseeans: the double quartette, Yale
College Glee Club, have all combined to
make the woods, hills and valleys echo and
re-echo with wondrous melodies. Then, too,
who ever will forget the concerts on the
| lake? Out half mile from shore. the
| tones coming from clear-throated songsters.
distinct. mellowed by the atmosphere and
the distance, as they come floating over the
the bosom of Lake Chautauqua, produced
a wonderfully charming effect; then sud-
denly as with cnchantment there
burst forth rocket after rocket-the whole
| heavens seemed to be aglow with most
beautiful colors of fire. Eight steamers
slowly and with military precision, moved
in and out. completely ablaze with parti-
colored and variegated Chinese lanterns;
again sending forth. titfully, streams of
! fire high up in the air, witt. all manner OF
smaller sailing craft, decorated with per-
feet maze of brilliant and dazzling illum-
nation. Then, upon huge raft towed out
into the midst of all this midnight grand
eur there came sucli succession OF vari-
Gus display of fireworks as to bewilder one 5
| fancy when, all at once, the entire scene
on lake and on land seemed to be floating,
or all seemed to be surrounded by one all
pervading mass of rosy haze, or cloud of
carmine. Jasper. and cardinal as the colors
came and changed. Such a magnificent
pyrotechnical exhibition can never be for
gotten. 1t is such attractions as these that
Chautauqua offers to those who can afford
to visit it, and sometimes it costs good
deal more than is anticipated
The fact is there is a large amount of red
tape connected with Chautauqua which at
times is an intolerable bore. After you
have purchased your ticket you must pre-
sent it every time you wish to enter or
leave, and have it punched. Should you
be so unfortunate as to lose your day-ticket.
you cannot leave the grounds without pay
ing forty cents per day for every day since
the assembly opened, ecea Mough yoa haze
just druced. The ticket system seems to
be based ON the theory that everybody is a
|
\ small audience at Chautauqua is an
exception. not the rule. \ simple an
nouncement of a lecture, or concert, or SER
mon is enough. The amphithcatre is sure
to be filled | have even seen three
thousand in attendance at the 8 A. NJ. de
votional meeting. So the day set apart,
the GOTH for the National Temperance So
ciety. brought to the three services an av-
erage of 1000.
The speeches of Finch and Balm were su-
perior to any l have ever heard from them.
They outdid themselves. Without being
deemed invidious. it can be said all did
we'll The closing of Hon. J. B. Finch was
a magnificent eulogy and vindication of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
Finch did not hesitate to indicate his poll
teal preferences; anybody could see that
he was for st. John. And, now, why a
'vindication' of the w. c. +. T.? Let us
| see:
Saturday morning. August 10Th, with that
day still on their hands, the Woman s
Chistian Temperance Union, duly assem-
bled at Chautauqua, had for their morning
perusal the following excerpt from the
daily AssemJly Herald, published here
"A WORD TO THE ELECT LADIES.
| You are doing a splendid work for a
noble cause But let us ask this plain
question: Is it wise, or even prudent, to
| project the political party phase of the
temperance question into promiscuous as
sembly?' Certainly it is i'll bad taste on
the Chautauqua platform. This is not a
political assembly. Your candidate for
the presidency, good ladies, may be pre-
scented in political meetings, but please heed
your friends, and forbear dragging politics
by the ears into an assembly like this. You
will do more for your cause by exercising
more discretion in advocating a temperance
political party. We believe in the w. C..
T. t., and believe i'll more things than a
good many of you do, for the triumph of
woman and temperance, but do not forget
that you may wreck the the W. c. T. L.
on political breakers. You are making a
venture which you may regret when re-
pentance will not rescue the W. c. 7. l..
i. Il 1 -