The age-herald., 1897-10-24

With the following cast:
 Felix Featherly.... :. Frank Mansfield Frank Icebrook.. :. James s. Wightman
 .ssf william Mckinley Trap.... ...... ........... Henry Durcan Mrs. Major de Bnots.. .... Alice Oress Mrs. Swarldown. -. ... .Lottie Trusedale Fannie........ Lizzie Woodruff Doors open.... ......... ......7 o'clock Youngstown Ree;ster Print
 The writer of this was a student in the Poland Union Seminary at the time and figured on this occasion as member of the Poland string band and was present at the rehearsals, and, of course, at the entertainment Since then I have had the opportunity of seeing the part of Major de Boots performed by many em- inent actors in this ccuntry and in Lon- don, and always measured even the ex- cellence of John Sleeper Clarke. in this pans by my youthful impressions of Maj | McKinlsy. It is needless to say he was as great a succesa with hls rural audi
 ence as was his fellow membeIs of the society, and played ithe pant with dash
 and ease that made him more admirable
 in their eyes than the uniform and the
 promotion he had won in the army. The village of Poland is in Mahoning county Ohio, six m,les south of Youngs-
 town, and was and is yet one of those | quiet and restful 1itItle towns which are common in the western reserve of Ohio, and are the stamp of higher civili2a- ton than was found elsewhere in the early settlement of the west, placed there by the grantees from New England. Poland was once great educa tional cen- ter, and at the outIbrs ak of the war had a flourshing law school, which clo=ed its term a few days after the calling out of 75,00o men for three months. All of it's stutdenits-I have heard everyone who could pass the physical examina- tton-enlisited, among them William Me- Kinley, then in his last years class. He left his family, consisting of his widowed mo thef, two unmarried sisters and his younger brother. Abner, then only a. child, in the little frame house on Main street, where they remained nn- til the major came. home, was admitted to the bar and took them with him to Canton During that time the major supported the family out of his army pay, and was the admiration of the teachers at the seminary-the Rev Drs. | Ma oMasters, Miss Blake1y and her sister, | Mrs. Beauchacnp- -becaus~ of his filia1 conduct. Mrs. Bsauchamn. who after, wards became principal of the Girls Episcopal collage at Cleveland, had even | in those days great faith in the majors
 future, and it was she who cast the
 play and gave the part of Major Well
 lington de Boots to McKinlsy.
 After the law school closed, the Poland
 Union Seminary, another building.
 opened it's doors chiefly to girl students and youth too young to go to the war, and was fiourishing when William Me i Kin1ey came home. About the same time arrived other soldisrs, discharged by rea- son of wounds or sickness, or having served out their time, and took up their classes in the Union Seminary. They l wore their uniforms, some as privates,
 others as line and staff officers. and they , pursued their studies in earnessness and | courage. ]; s4pA 7,sa4
 The Everett Literary society was conn
 posed of students, male and female, and younger citizens of the town, ard Mai 1 NiIcI<inley was an active member. It he d
 dts session every Friday evening in it's
 hall in the seminary building, and gIat- flied and instructed itself by pracfcing | parliamentary usage, delivering declam- ations, reading selections and holding
 debates. Maj. Mckinley was great de
 batter, but by no mcars ths best. Clark
 Rice, Alexa nder Anderson, Thomas Sex | ton and Dallas Mays were quite his
 equals and the good citizens of. mature | years were accustonsdl to attend and | sit as judges. not on the merit of the 1 questions, but on Ghe.iyalue of the argu- l ments adduced- The ma1or had at diineu to l1rows that in the opinion of these l Judges he had been defeated.
 In mentioning Maj McKin1ey's then