Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-03

thousands Of people opportunities of hearing
lectures and sermons by distinguished men,
whom otherwise they would never hear. And
day or SO of the enthusiasm which pervades
the place like an air, may be healthy stimu.
lus to those Of sluggish temperament, or who
have little attrftiOn with other minds But let
no one delude himself with the thought that
Chautauqua is place of rest or recreation. II
study, religion itself-is at high PRESSURE ia
but examine the program and the calendar
printed In the Evangelist of August Goth, and
you will see how any one who attempts to "do''
but a moderate portion of what is there laid
out, must be kept at full strain.
With all that people find admirable and at
tractlve about Chautauqua, it is open at many
points to severe criticism; and the true friends
OF Chautauqua ought really to welcome such
criticism crit ON the other hand, the votaries and
the leaders of the institution are VIGOROUSLY
touchy, and are apt to look askance at press
correspondents. Accordingly, one Of the most
entertaining and intelligent of Chautauqua's
reporters, noticing the paucity of newspaper
correspondents present this year, we'll remarked
in recentletter to the Buffalo Morning Express:
itself, against its demoralizing tendency to self
praise and constant laudatiOn of its works, be
they good, bad or indifferent, seems to be sadly
lacking" The wholesome and friendly criti-
cism of which the place stands hourly in need
is wanting. The Assembly Herald each morn
Ing gives glowing rose-hued description of
the events of the preceding day. Everything
is beautiful, grand, inspiring, magnificent, soul
uplifting; and there is no one to say the Herald
nay"
As matter of fact, howe yer, there are MANY
things that invite and deserve disparagement
In the first place, the very entrance to the
grounds is q disgrace. There is nothing in the
whole circuit of the lake so poor rs the miser-
able rickety wharf at which the steamers crowd
ana iand their passenges: Marrow, inconven-
imprfsoning the coming and going multitude
u until their passes can be yised besides being
And yet ponderous debt Of 81. has lust
been contracted for a chime of bells, which, i'll
AND While aeans and
dock, and the post Office and the school OF lam
guages have nothing better than poor shed,
and somewhat formidable debts are increas-
The Palestine park, about which great ado
has been made, is really structure which one
thing ought to be Tor not be at ALI, can hardly
mention with sObriety-a great unsightly ditch,
which might have been opened for a gas or
water main, representing the valley of the JOr-
dan, with one or two duck ponds in the bottom:
heap OF stones with pail of whitewash
little clusters Of DOH houses for Jeru a sHme
Samaria, and other towns. Everything is OF
course ludicrously out of proportion. A fine
large map were Infinitely better.
AS to the work attempted at Chautauoua.
after all the bOasting and enthusiasm it has
elicited, we are convinced that it is too varied
OF 1t to be practicable. Instead of encouraging
the 0utgrOwth of any more limbs from the
trunk OF this already marvellous, many-branch-
ing tree, We should say 1t were better to saw off
here and there q limb, and then resolutely keep
the thing In shape, TO become Sequoid gigd,aea
II 1t may be, but not a FFcus Indica, or Banyan
tree. To specify but one thing for particular re-
mark, what substantial good can be hoped for
from the department entitled "Normal School
ton in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Oriental tongues.
German, French and AnglO-SaxOn? Oxford
and Paris themselves do not pretend to 20
much beyond this. But here, instead of months
and years OF real study and training we have a
nashy course of three or four weeks. The whole
thing strikes us as an attempt at the impossible.
Even teachers, for whom we are told this school
Is especially designed, can learn little in it
which they could not learn a great deal better
somewhere else.
But the school of languages is only one thing.
There Is scientific course, teachers retreat,
school OF music, an astronomical department,
know what is to hinder the formation during
the next three or four years of q Chautauaua
t Gun club climbing company, sparring society,
guild and hundred Others.
We fear that all this encourages superffciality
That "Chautauqua Idea" once lodged in the
brain OF some people, appears Ia produce a fer
ment in the blood which lasts from tile close of
such people are very apt to give strangers the
impression that Chautauqua is a big balloon
imposing, snowy, gaseous, expensive exhilarat-
Ing; In charge OF good men, no doubt, though
not for that reason without its perils: making a
great fuss about education, but serving DOUBT
July as 10 any considerable promotion OF the
same; attempting q great deal more than it can
well perform, and filling all who ride in its car
with an exaggerated opinion Of their own wis
dom, virtue, and elevation.
We say these things In q spirit of perfect kind
ness and with full appreciation of the really no
Bile work that Chautauqua is accomplishing,
and is probably destined to accomplish. Ne guid
minis - q motto which ought long ago to have
been blazoned upon every tree upon the point
We fear, on the contrary, that the "Chautauqua
idea" II reducible TO any verbal formula would
prove to be Mos omnid possunsus."-W. W., IN
the El0nnRkisk - ~