Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-06-30
UNGRATEFCL ~IT1NERANTS.
George C. Min Compliments Butte and
Denounees Its Defamers.

The audience which listened to George c.
Min . lecture last evening at the q
Opera House was not SO large a. the merit
OF the entertainment deserved. What the
audience lacked in numerical strength was
fully made up in intelligence, however, and
very few OF the fine points made by the
lecturer passed unnoticed or without ap-
probation. Before commencing his lec-
ture, Mr.. Min paid the following fine com
pliment to Butte and its people:
uNGRATEFUL rNERAS1s.
"Ladies and Gentlemen-Many harsh
words, and words OF Misrepresentation
have been spoken touching Butte City.
For myself, before I leave it, I wish t.
record my good opinion OF it. I am well
aware that there is a large amount Of
esotism wrapped up in an individual en-
dorsemept Of a whole community, but it
has occurred to me that an egotism Mingled
with an element OF justice might prove ex.
ce;.tionally refreshing to the citizens Of
Butte, who have SO frequently been
the subjects OF ISLANDERS made
up OF equal parts Of vanity,. ignor'
ance and lying. How stupidity alb
surd is the course OF any man who drops
into a community for the purpose OF de-
liveriug a lecture, and, after accepting the
hospitality OF the place. and carrying away
as many of It's dollars as he can lay his
hands upon, iallsinto a~slanderous twaddie
about it equally composed OF absolute
falsehood and Intellectual attempts at
faced and foreshortened wit. There was
a man here awhile ago who gave two lee,
lures which were well patronized and
out of which he derived considerable profit.
While here he displayed g morbid anxiety to
survey the cutters 1T the city. Garbage
heape and swili tubs seemed to possess a
peculiar fascination for him. In a word,
he was bound to see the worst OF the town,
and to take q taste OF it. When he went
away he dropped into s!anderous inveetive
about it, everything and every one in 1T.
The city government, the newspapers, and
even the clergy, were metamorphosed into
ca-rion by this itinerant v~ulture, and for q
few paltry dollars he fractured every law
of hospitality. gratitude and good fellow
ship. l will not further advertise him
by mentioning his NAME. The SUI
preme imrertinence OF any man
who draws q moral chart OF q
com munity upon an acquaintance of "
days is a sufficient index OF bis mental
qualities.
"For my part, I have but looked upon
the surface Of Butte. I kno+ that every
community has its cesspools, and that in
a small place they are concealed with less
skill than 10 the great cities, but I have
not had time to make O tour OF your
sewers while here. From what little l have
seen while here I am bound to say I have
met as refined, bright, enterprising and
kindly men, as gentle and beautiful wo-
men as I have encountered any
where else in my travels. The name OF
Butte will always be ~synonomous in my
mind with spontaneous, ~unsou.ht, i'm
pulsive and most generous hospitality.
The audiences I have played to have been
as well behaved and as intelligent as We
cite, the methods of business as exact
and reliable, and the gentlemen OF the
press as afiable, cnnsiderate and generous
as any poor player woo struts and frets
his hour upon the stage" need hope to find
in his wanderings. 1 should Dc myself an
injustice if I left this place without saying
a simple "thank you'-it is all I can say, it
is all that can be said. We say it to a
servant for a glass OF water, we can say
no more to one redeems usfrom misery and
care and crowns with the glory Of i'm
lerishable love-"
THE LECTURE.
Candles and Footlights; or, the Church
Ot1Au u uVONC 10 / AASAAAy OAS was
the subject intelligently discussed by Mr..
Min. He drew O parallel between the
moral influence welded by the stage and
the pulpit, and quoted high clerical authori-
ties who were manly enough to confess that
as much, If not more, practical Christianity
has been derived from reading pure plays
and seeing them enacted rs has been oh.
tanned from listening to pulpit orations.
In the earlier ages the church and the
theatre were synonymous as a factor for
doing good, but as time advanced they were
divorced by the j~ealousies and bigotry OF
men. The lecturer believed, with George
Augustus Sala, that 1.-THE drama should be
considered not merely as an amusement or
recreation, but as a distinctly educational
and moral agency" 1t is simply want OF
space that prevents The MINER from pub
fishing in full the intellectual tre at delivered
by Mr.. Min. It is to be sincerely hoped
that the gentleman will soon revisit Butte
and repeat his lecture.