The Republican journal., 1900-02-22
The Teachers Club Course.
An interesting Lecture by State Superb
tandent SfafSon


tendent Stetson.
| The fourth lecture in the Teachers, Club
course was given in the High school room
Friday evening, Feb. 18th. The room was
crowded, the aisles and all available floor
being occupied by extra seats. The meet.
ing was opened by musical program. as
follows:
Trio, Ra,sb.zz.r
Mr.: White, Mrs. Pitcher, Mrs Frost
Solo, Still with Thee,' Strelezki
Mrs. E. p. Frost.
Solo, GOOD Bye, Sweet Day.
Mrs. Florence A. Maynard
The speaker of the evening was Hon. W.
w. Stetson of Auburn. State Superintend-
ent OF Schools, and his subject "Some
men L have SEEN" He spoke without
notes, and his discourse abounded in telling
points and witty comparisons. He spoke of
the Importance of the study of people, and
OF the different classes into which students
OF human nature divide humanity. Some
recognize the rich and the poor; some the
educated and ignorant; some the good and
the bad, etc. The speaker divided the hu
man family into the leader and the led and
in this discourse he considered few of the
former class His acquaintance with Lin
coin was not personal, but through study
OF j. G. Hollands work. Holland caught
an insight into the character of Lincoln and
made his readers feel and appreciate the
gr eatness OF the man. The first of the great
men whom Mr.. Stetson had met was John
b. Cough, and he rode many miles when a
youth to hear him. Coughs eloquence was
wonderful; he could make his hearers see
and feel for the time being as he saw and
felt. He had something to co and he did
1t; he gave his life to the cause of temper
ance. Grant was born to lead, but his
strength lay not in eloquent words. He I'm.
derstood men and knew how to make the
best use OF the things at his command The
speaker met Gen. Sherman in San Fran
cisco. He was as unlike Grant as it was
possible for a man to be, yet he was a
great leader. Mr.. Stetsou heard Spurgeon
in Exeter Hall, London, where the great
preacher addressed an audience of 10000
people and held them spell bound He
thoroughly believed what he believed and
the people were made to feel the force of his
W
people cannot be reached in the same way
Gladstone was eloquent, but he was brief.
He said what he had to say in few words. .
In a visit to the House of Commons of Eng
land one night Mr. Stetson heard Gladstone
make no less than six speeches, none over
two minutes in length, but each one gave
the House just the information it wanted
L md "a ,l l,a
through and through. Like our own Lincoln
he looked into the future, and put his great
energies into play for the best interests of
his country. Josh Billings once lectured in
course on which Mr.. Stetson was MEM
ber of the committee. Billings was more
that wit. He was a man. Each of his
sayings, though clothed in his own peculiar
peculiarites of Billings as a speaker We're
mentioned and quotations given from his
writings. On one occasion Billings was
called upon to speak. without previous
notice, at a college commencement. He was
subject to peculiar form of stage fright, ,and
this attacked him on this occasion. He put
off his speech" until the very last, and
then, turning his back to the audience and
facing the graduating class he said: young
men, the best time to set hen is when she
wants to set" and he sat down. Mr.. Stet-
son, after relating this ancedote said: 80
l find that the time to stop talking is when
you get through" and he sat down.
Solos were sung by Mrs. E. S. Pitcher and
Emery White.
The next lecture in the course will be by
Rev. Geo. S. Mills; subject, Protector and
King; the case of Oliver against Charles