The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-11-28
Our Olio.
The Chautauqua Literary and Scien'
tific Circle.

and Scientific Circle in all sorts of unex-
pected places. What is it? Can an old
hack, used to condensation, tell in twenty
FIVE hundred words Let us try.
l. 1t is based on a plan of home-reading
in regular system. At this moment it
consists of about one hundred thousand
readers, more or less, who are reading in
the system proposed. Most of these are
in America, some are in Japan, and the
rest are elsewhere, in Europe, Asia, Africa,
the islands of the ocean, or tossed upon the
sea in ships.
2. The reading is selected and arranged
for men and women, not boys and girls.
The average age of the readers in the
Circle is probably above thirty-fve years.
3. The course of reading is in the Eng
lish language.
f. 1t is arranged for four years. sup
posing at the least, say, five hours reading
a week But it is so elastic, above this
minimum, that a member of the Circle re-
ceives instructions and suggestions for a
much wider range; and in fact, [ think,
most members read much more than five
hours week within the broad directions
of the course.
5. 1t follows, to certain extent, the
outlines Of an old-fashioned college course,
omitting the mathematics entirely. Where
it is followed with the supplementary
reading, it gives a student much such a
general knowledge of literature, physical
and moral science, and mental philosophy,
as in an old-fashioned college the average
student received But it makes no attempt
to give the knowledge of ancient or foreign
languages which he receives, or that of
mathematics.
At this point the professors in old
fashioned colleges hold up their hands in
holy horror, give the magazine to the poor,
and go out to make original researches on
the Pro-paroxytone. Let them. You and
|, dear reader, will advance calmly and
make some calculations.
The college student spends half his
time at lectures or in the recitation-room
The reader in the c. L. S. c. cannot spend
any of his time so. The average college
student spends half his time in study of
Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian,
Spanish, or Hebrew. The reader in the
G. L. S. c. cannot study either of these
languages, in its course. OF the remaining
time of study, the average college student
gives, say, one-third to mathematics. There
are no mathematics in the Chautauquan
course.
Now, suppose the average college stu
dent takes forty-eight hours a week for
study, lectures and recitations. One-half
of this, in study, will be twenty-four hours;
one-half of this, on languages, will be
twelve hours. Deduct one-third of the
remaining twelve hours for mathematics,
and you leave him eight hours a week
reading of literature, physical and moral
science, mental philosophy and social econ
omy. 1t is in these studies only that
"Chautauqua" undertakes to lead its circle
of readers. Those readers who take ten
hours only week pass the average of
study of the average college student in
those lines.
The Chautauquan student reads when
he can, where he can. He works witnout
the advantages OF thepresence of a teacher,
and Without Its disadvantages. He works
| withont the advantages of studying two or
three languages at once, and without the
disadvantages.
He forms the habit of daily reading on
system,-the habit which probably does
more for the happiness of the man who
forms it than any other indoor habit which
could be formed Fortunately, too, he can
read outdoors very often.
OF the hundred thousand readers in the
"Circle, also, every one is reading because
he wants to- This is much more than |
could say of my average college students,
regarding whom, indeed, | have now moth
ing more to say.
1t will, of course, happen that if in any
neighborhood several people are reading at
one time in the system of the "Circle, "
they will find each other out, they will
meet together, in more or less form, as a
local circle, for mutual help, or for the
pleasure or stimulus of society. When
you see in your local newspaper the an
nouncement of "Chautauqua meeting, it
is probably that of some such local circle.
But there is no need of "local circle. "
There is many "Chautauquan" who reads
quite alone, with no other knowledge of
other Chautauquans than he gains from
the monthly journal in which he receives
his instructions But undoubtedly, the
spirit of the local circles helps forward the
interest of the readers, and is a good fea-
ture of the plan. 1t is very good thing
to have the best people of the same village
all interested in the same thing in some
one winter, and to have that same thing
something better than personal politics.
/ To have young men and women, old men
and old ladies, middle-aged men and mid
dle-aged wives of theirs, interested at one
and the same time in Browning'S poems,
hunting up the things alluded to, guessing
the conundrums, puzzling over the sugges-
tions, and wondering at the mysteries
this is great improvement on leaving them
to wonder why the Simpkinses shut up
their house and did not leave Mary Nor
gan in it, as they did last year.
1t is very interesting to see, when you
give the diplomas to those who have gone
through the course, how they really rep
resent call sorts and conditions of men. "
OF class of twelve or fifteen hundred,
who have been reading for four years, |
gave the certificates of study to about one
hundred. Twice, in this company, came
on father and daughter who had studied
together Many of them were men and
women older than [ am; that is to say, born
before General Grant was born, The
whole class has representatives in almost
every State, and would include people of
almost every occupation. All that it needs
to belong is the disposition, decent pre-
liminary common-school education, eight
dollars a year for books and fees, and the
command of five hours week, or more, of
ones time. This is to say, in general, that
the course is open to any one.
1t is ten years since the great series Of
plans for public education known as the
"Chautauquan plans" were fairly started
Many men, of many minds, have contrib
uted suggestions which have been embodied
in them.
But it is always to be remembered that
the founder of the Chautauqua Summer
Meetings was Mr. Lewis Miller, of Akron
Ohio, a distinguished inventor, for years
devoted to the cause of popular education
He saw the possibility of making use oi
the admirable machinery which had giver