Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-26
POSTERlTY
Prof. John B. DeMotte Delivers
Eloquent Lecture Last Evening
HIS FOURTH APPEARANCE HERE
Eminent Lecturer Gives Practical and
Timely Talk Illustrated With Stere-
opticon Views-Was Fifth Number
of Y. M. C. A. Star Course Series.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
Brimful of interest from beginning
to end was the lecture delivered last
evening by Prof. John B. DeMotte as
the fifth number of the Y. M. G. A.
star course series. 1t was a represen-
tative star course audience that gath
cred to listen to the popular lecturer,
who last evening visited here for the
fourth time, having gained friends and
admirers at every visit. Mr.. DeMotte'S
lecture was of a scientific-sociologica
nature and was eXcellently illustrated
with stereopticon views His subject
was "a Plea for Posterity; or, The
Problem of Heredity," and a striking
effect was made on his hearers by the
eloquent portrayal of the strong part
which heredity, mental, moral and
physical, had in determining life.
Stands in First Rank.
Prof. DeMotte stands in the first
rank of scientists and lecturers and no
introduction is ever needed when he
appears before an Ottumwa audience
Few men possess his versatility, per-
sistence and energetic enthusiasm and
his lectures are always aimed to in
spire higher ideals among his hearers.
He has lectured upon a different SUBJ
ject at every appearance here and at
no previous time were his eloquently
spoken thoughts carried more clearly
to his hearers, nor a more lasting i'm
preston made than last evening.
Hereditary Transmission.
Prof. Denote opened his lecture
with illustrations of the Arabian horse
and showed how this most perfect of
animals had for 1000 years been rear
ed and cherished by the Mohammedan
priests, who had been taught by Mo-
manned that every grain of barley fed
to a horse forgave a sin. s'The Ara
bian horse, the steed of the desert"
said Mr.. DeMottte, "affords striking
example of the hereditary transmits
sion of marked characteristics from
generation to generation. We of our
day are using up the vitality of our
children at an alarming rate. AS
look into the eyes of children nova
days l see vast amount of expert
ence. They live different life from
the boy who was raised on the farm
years ago. The question is, and it
cannot be settled tonight, whether the
new condition will be as good as the
old"
Effects of Alcoholism.
What do we inherit? We inherit
our bodies; we inherit the tendency
to grow fat, regardless of the amount
of food we eat; we inherit the ten
dency to grow thin, to die young or
to live long" Prof De Motto then
displayed two charts showing the eff
fect of alcoholism. On the first chart
was shown likeness of four Canadian
collies, which had been secured by a
Boston man for experiments with al
cohol. Two of the collies were fed
alcohol each day in small quantities.
They soon showed a disposition to
stink away without cause when ap-
preached. He then gave figures of the
longevity of their offspring. OF the
alcoholic pups the greater number
were either born dead or soon died,
while the offspring of the healthy col
lies showed very light death rate.
The same results were shown in hui
man families, when it was seen that
of the children of ten alcoholic par.
ents but ten children survived, while
fifty-fouf lived in the families of
ten healthy parents.
The Plea for Posterity.
The lecturer told the Bible story of
the good Samaritan and the lesson of
charity it taught, but he said it was not
enough to rescue those who had fallen,
but to stop producing them. On the
next chart he gave some statistics
| showing the immigration in the past
| years and how the class OF immigrants
had changed from the sturdy ances-
tors of the present generation to the