The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-03-03
THE GOOD DONE BY
THE CHAUTAUQUA,
DeFuniak Breeze.

, A correspondent of the Mariana
Times-Courier, writing from Cypress,
asks the question (more, evidently.
as text from which to preach general
condemnation of it than from a real
desire 10 secure information) What
good is the Chautauqua?' and then
proceeds to read it out of existence.
Not that it will accept his decision in
the. matter, but that some things
which perhaps the general public may
not have considered may be brought
to their attention, this is written.
In the first place, we make the
statement, without fear of successful
contradiction, that at the rate charged
by the railroad for excursion tickets.
the opportunity for the people to mix
and mingle together, free from i'm
moral or unpleasant surroundings. is
worth the cost. There is nothing that
will do more to awaken interest in
life and an aspiration for a wider out
look among the young people than get
ting out in the world and seeing whar
others are doing.
But here it does not stop at that.
Some of the best attractions in the
world of music, literature and art are
here brought almost TO the very doors
of thousands of people, both old and
young, that otherwise would rarely. il
ever, have the opportunity to see and
hear them. 1t is unfortunately true
that some, even many of those who
come. are not interested in such
things, but where else could those
who have any desire for the higher
things of life have gotten what the au-
dience of last Saturday did for the
cost?
Had the correspondent referred 10
been here and heard the music. the
lecture and experiments of DR.. Krebs
we are of the opinion that even his
pessimism must have melted. II is
true that the greatest good of the
Chautauqua is not realized by those
who come only on Saturdays. for on
that day the programs are ALWAYS CT
the more popular character. but there
Is always enough of the more solid
character TO make it worth while for
the studiously inclined to attend.
But this bare assertion, without
f-SA- - Aob Always Satisfactorily. Few
sections OF the state have been in the
past more sparsely settled than West
Florida, and nowhere has there been
fewer opportunities. aside from the
Chautauqua, for the people to get in
touch with the big outside world and
yet there is no section of the state to-
day where there is the culture and
intelligence among the people at large
than there is in this section. No
where else in the state is there 81
large a percentage of the young men
and women who are enthusiastic i'm
their endeaVors to attain prominence
IN the intellectual world To none
other than the influence Of the Chan
tauqua can this be attributed.
Another feature that should not he
overlooked is the prominence that mas
Deen given this section OF the stare
oy the location of the Chautauuua ana
the advantage il has been in attracting
10 West Florida the more desirabJe
class OF immigration, thing in Itself
tnat has been worth far more than
the cost has been TO all West Florida
mao II been all the advantage derived
II the correspondent is a person ~
average Intelligence. with any aspira-
tion Whatever, and OF fair judgmens
and VIII spend week here and at.
TEND the lectures, and at the end OF
mat Tune will not say that his judg.
hent mas been at fault, we will engage
20 pay MS expenses for the trial.