Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-24
SAINT PATRICK CONCERT
SIX HUNDRED PEOPLE AT OPERA HOUSE
Celebration Planned by Young Ladies'
Sodaity Bright and Successful
Event

|
| patriotic son and daughter Of Erin and
all their friends, the demonstration
taking its usual form Of respectful trib-
ute to the memory of the patron saint
i'll promiscuous wearing of the green by
| Irishman and non-Irishman alike. AT
st. Peter and st. Pau's church, IN the
! forenoon, there was a celebration OF
high mass by Rev. Father Van Ross
malen.
In the evening, at Grand Opera
House, there was a concert given under
auspices of the Young LADIES' Sodallty
Not less than six hundred persons,
young and old, paid the admission price
of Is or 25 cents and took seats in the
audience room, the young ladies'
receipts for entertainment being S126.50.
| Of this amount, a nice sum of SOL
remained net for the church after all
| expenses were paid. The following
anniversary program was taultlessly
rendered.:
PROGRAM.
Isish Observation-Disclosures Miss Katie Waters
| Kentucky Babe-Song ............"..Male Quartette
| The Exile of Erin-RecitatiOn...
| Miss Gretta Collins, Stevens Point
l Love You in the Same Old Way.-Solo...-..
u u COX
Irelands Great Men-Oration ...........
| ..............Mr. John f. Dougherty, La Crosse
Selected-Solo ............M1ss Katie Waters
| st. Patrick Day-Solo.. Master Howard Crotteau
Selected-Solo...Mi Miss Alice Gross, Stev vens Point
Benedict Arnold-Reading... ng.........................
| Mr.. John T. Dougherty
| Come Rise with the Lark-Song Male Quartette
Male Quartette-Louis Ciosuit. Chas. La Breche
Irving BraZeau, Chas. PodaWiltz.
A special number on the program was
the elaborate discourse of John F.
| Dougherty. the young attorney from La
| Crosse, who in an oratorian manner
eulogized some of "Ireland's Great
Men" In last weeks REPORTER, the
writer, having had a slight university
| acquaintance with Mr.. Dougherty, ven
tured to tell our readers that he was a
polished and entertaining speaker"
Mr.. DOugherty's clearcut diction, digni-
fed style and pronounced skill in talk
ing before the twin city public, does not
make it necessary for US to retract any
part of last weeks statement. He is
all of that and more. He held his
audience for almost an hour and pleased
them by his eloquence. In response
to request for a reading the gentleman
pictured "The Death-Bed of Benedict
Arnold" in manner proving him to be
trained in elocution as we'll as oratorv.
He spoke, in part, as follows:
'Great men are benefactors of the
human race. They belong to no nation
mon property of mankind. If we would
rob Greece of her great orators, her
sculptors and her philosophers, Greece
would be gone. If We would rob Rome
Of her great laWgivers and statesmen,
Rome, with all her splendor, would be
consigned to the forgotten past. Take
| from England but one of her great men
the myriad minded Shakespeare-and
it is impossible for our minds to con-
ceite the effect that it would have upon
the English language and literature, the
proudest inheritance of the Anglo
Saxon race. Take from America her
contribution to the worlds great men,
| her Washington, her Lincoln, her
| Webster, her Marshall, and American
life for the past century may be likened
to a vast arid plain-unbroke by hills,
unwatered by any stream.
In honoring st. Patrick we are doing
| honor to a great mau-a man who be-
longs not only to Ireland, but to the
whole world. st. Patrick was born in
the province of Gaul about 800 Taken
captive to Ireland he remained here as
slave for six years. He resolved to
convert Ireland from paganism to Chris
tianity. Escaping from slavery, he
went to the continent and spent twenty
years in preparation for his work. He
landed in Ireland for the second time
in 432. Ireland was the only nation
that remained unscourged by invaders
during the dark ages.
To St. Patrick was entrusted work
which few men are called upon to do.
He found Ireland pagan; he left it
Christian. He codiied hel laws, he
established her schools, he educated
her people and they in turn gave the
fruits of his labor to all the world One
thousand, four hundred and SIX wears
have passed away since St. Patrick
having completed his life's labor, laid
down to rest, yet his memory still lives
as fresh in the hearts of the Irish people
as the shamrock, which carpets in green
their native land.'
Another particularly enjoyable part
of the program was the solo by U. S
Express Agent 0. G. Cox. Mr.. Cox is a
newcomer here and twas his first public
appearance in our city. He has a rich
voice and knows how to play it; should
he at any time in the future condescend
TO appear in a similar role he can
depend upon the assurance that we al
delight to hear him sing in the same
old way. He was enthusiastically
encored, but did not respond. Mr.
Cox express wagon was kept ROLLINS
around the city all Friday afternoon
gathering boquets.
Master Howard Crotteau in bis sole
entitled "St. Patrick's Day" made 8
decided hit and won deafening applause
J from his hearers. He has naturally
| E.