The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-03
SLANG SINGERS"
Lecture by Rev. I. Chalmers
Easton at Calvary Church.
First Open Meeting of the Twentieth Century
Cuban Appeal for Purity in Our
Homes and Conversation.

The lecture-room Of Calvary Church was
well filed last night with the friends of the
members of the Twentieth Century Club on
the occasion of their first open meeting. The
President of the club, j. d. Cook, occuple
the chair during the transaction OF the regu-
lar business and the opening exercises.
SUGGESTIVE NAME.
The feature of the entertainment was
lecture by Rev. Il. Chalmers Easton, DID,,
on the subject of "Slang Singers" The
very name suggested an entertainment
Of more than usual merit, and a Pc
,uliar enjoyment was anticipated, from the
fact that it was understood by every one
present that the reverend gentleman would
handle his subject in a mastery manner.
The entire address was of such SURPRISING
excellence that synopsis would only spoil
most royal feast OF reason, but general
idea of the scope of the lecture may not be
uninteresting.
AN oUTGRowTH OF IMP URITY.
He first spoke of slang in the abstract.
1t was the outgrowth of impurity, and was
impressive only because it conveyed mean
ing that could not otherwise be expressed.
There was Congressional slang, legal slang,
musical slang. political slang, ministerial
slang. newsp per slang. the slang OF the
theater, the bar-room, the negro minstrel, OF
Judge and of Puck. Slang often contained
sting, and slang phrase published in
paper regarding public individual was
often held in greater fear than the open at
tack of the most mastery mind. 1t was to
be avoided. The English language, which
the speaker believed would eventually be
lie language of the world, should be kept
pure. Coed books, good society. good conf
pany were the enemies OF slang.
FEW INSTANCES.
He instanced some phases of the evil. The
morning after election friend met MN ana
asked him, .'Weil, doctor, where is Grover
Cleveland now?" 'Well, really, am una
Ss to Ia Ws mfs ane FeP don say sO
Why. what do you mean? What kind of
soup?" "Consomme." All of when was
not very ineligible. Another man was
told to come eff, although he did not ap-
pear to be on anything. On one occasion,
when cOnyersing with friend, he asked
him, What are you giving meg? although
lie was willing to be qualified that he had
| not even offered him anything. Another
man gravey informed him that mutual
friend had passed IN his checks, meaning
that he was dead a friend met him one
day and said, speaking OF another friend,
that he had gone up the spout" Looking at
one of the leaders on the houses the doctor
replied that lie must nave been fearlully
emac ated to be able to perform so wonder.
ful feat. ooh, don't you tumble to me?'
asked the friend. Il had no idea Of doing
anything so absurd was the doctors an
sNer.
KEEP IT OUT OF THE FAMILY.
These are very few of the many instances
of the use OF slang that the lecturer gave,
keeping the audience in parOXysm OF sup
pressed laughter He showed the evil in
1uau1ps nF The habit and said that IL shOuiQ
lie kept out of the family, and under n CIR
cumstances be allowed. But there were
other evils to be guarded asanst-the SIAN
derer and the gossip The pIllory should
have been REFINED, and the gossip should
be hung by the tongue, and the one who
listens to gossip by the ears. AS for the
slanderer the Law could take hold OF him,
lie showed When speech was silver and
silence was gold. A certain New York edl-
tor never lost an opportunity OF slanderins
General Grant, until finally Grant was sun-
moned to Washington to answer the
charges. Having listened to them. he said,
Put my actions against that mans asser-
tions and decide which is to be taken" and
turning On his heel LETT the room.
MAKE HOME PLEASANT
Sink the shop" 1t is slang, but 1t con-
veys meaning. When you 90 home or
INFO society do not carry your business with
you. He knew persons who were in the
habit of talking continually about their
business wherever they were. The mer-
chant would tell all If his troubles; the
lawyer. the doctor aud the minister would
talk about their business or their neighbors,
and the women would wash their dirty
dishes wherever they happened to be. Men
should tell their families just so much Of
their business as would keep them posted
with reference 10 tine real condition OF al
fairs, and then devote themselves to making
every one around them happy. The idea
conveyed was that purify Of thought, speech
and action would make pure homes and
necessarily pure nation.
A PLEASANT INTRODUCTION.
Before the lecture Miss Katherine Hey
man favored the audience with banjo I'M
itation on the piano, which showed the young
lady TO be a proficient IN the use of the in
strument. After an encore, Miss Gertrude
Aud, Sacramento young lady whose Won
derful vocal powers are only now being
shown in public, sang 'Che Gioja," with
such perfect trutbfulness Of Interpretation
and such thorough control of her pure and
flexible voice as 10 cause a spontaneous burst
Of rec guiiion OF her powers. For an encore
she SAM, II CANA leave the auld folk, we'd
better Dide wee" The next entertainment
v,sflI ha S..ra shar