Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-05-01
Birthday

SHAKESPEAR'S BlRTHDAy
Appropriately Observed by Admirers o,
the Great Dramatist.
The entertainment given ON Friday
evening at "Springdale,m the pleasant
home of Mr.. and Mrs. r. F. Connor by
the Shakespeare Club of this city in
commemoration of the birth of that
great genius whose name the society
bears, was one of the most delightful
literary and social events ever held in
the Hills. Elaborate preparations had
been made by the members of the club
for the proper celebration of the event
and the exceeding good taste and pains
taking care of the ladies was apparent
on every hand. The parlors were
rendered extremely attractive by the
artistic arrangement of beautiful and
fragrant flowers and potted plants. The
members of the club were attractivelya at
tired in costumes designed to represent
some of the leading characters of Shake
speare's dramas and the effect was at
once striking and picturesque. The
impersonations were, without exception,
strikingly realistic, as interpreted and
presented by the leading dramatists
since Shakespeare's time, and were
evidently made up with great care
after much diligent study of the char
acter assumed. The members present
and characters impersonated by each
were as follows: Mrs. j. H. Boomer,
Queen Catherine; Mrs. James Bradley,
Portia in Merchant of Venice; Mrs.
j. M. Butler, Queen Constance, mother
to Arthur; Mrs. A. B. Connor, Joan
of Arc; Mrs. K. F. Harris, Juliet; Mrs.
j. A. Stanley, Ophelia; Mrs. w. j.
Thornby, Lady Macbeth; Mrs. j. l..
Burke, Miranda; Mrs. W. H. Stanley,
Jessica; Mrs. Kelley, Cordelia; Mrs.
Houghton, Duchess of York; Mrs. r.
F. Connor, Queen Margaret.
The evenings entertainment opened
with we'll executed piano solo by Miss
Charlotte Dennan, after which the
roll was called, each member present
responding with quotion from the
character impersonated by her. Mrs.
A. b. Connor gave the following inter-
esting history of the club:
On the 24th day of the last month of
the last year of the rule of Benjamin
of the tribe of Harrison, there assem-
hlcd. by invitation, at the home of
Mrs. a. b. Connor the following named
ladies': Mesdames Kcllar, Eastman.
Eaton, Stewart, Sawyer and II. +. Con-
nor. Their purpose was to organize a
reading club. With due observance
of parliamentary usages they selected a
president to preside over the meetings
OF the club. What more could the club
desire or who more appropriate than
the namesake of the Goddess of Wis.
dom so Minerva j. Eaton was elected
the first president of this society. The
treasurer without bonds) Mrs. G. d.
Sawyer; secretary, Mrs. II. T.. Connor.
After some discussion Il course of
reading was mapped out, principally
Shakesperian. The secretary was di-
rccted to prepare Il constitution and
bylaws for the government of the club
which were to be acted upon at the
next meeting A time and place for
the next meeting was selected and the
club was fairly launched. The work
begun then has never lost interest to
this day. The first few months of the
Clubs existence was somewhat uncer-
tain, and it was said to have been kept
alive through the summer of '93 by the
faithful four"-the worlds fair claim
ing the presence of SO many of the
members that only limited number
could be found at home at any one
time. A few new members were added
to the club during the first six months.
and on the 25th of August, 1893, oc..
CURED the first semi-annual election.
The same officers were reelected with
the addition of Mrs. James Bradley as
vice-president. Late in the fall of '93.
the worlds fair being over and people
home again. the club began to increase
in numbers. During the winter fol-
lowing it was found necessary to limit
the membership, lest the club become
too large to be accommodated in the
rooms of the members. 1t was de-
cidedthat larger than twenty
five could not be made comfortable.
1no lAmlC was soon reached and most
excellent work was done by the club
during the year.
The second semi-annual election
came on the second day of the first
month of the second year of the second
term of the great ruler, Grover the
First.
The meeting was held at the home of
Mrs. Boomer. Mindful that the initial
letter "M' had been successful leader
and appreciating the excellent work
she had done through the previous
year, the club was wise enough to
choose for their. second president
another whose name began with the
magic letter; Marguerite, a lieutenant-
colonel of the house of Kellar, and she
proved a "pearl" indeed of great price
to the club. In addition to the presi-
dent the following officers were elected:
vice-president, Mrs. j. III. Boomer: sec
retary, Mrs. j. A. Stanley; treasurer.
Mrs. H. T. Catlin; critic, Miss Matte
Q. Allen. must not forget to chroni-
Gle the fact that after the election the
club sat down to sumptuous banquet.
During the year following the efforts
rNf tho n, h, v,y<>rv,oeo.xl