The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-03-05
THE new
CRUSADES
BY W|LLETT
From BlairsyiIle, pa. Courier
March 2 1906

March z; 1906.
Last week, to be precise, On Tues.
day, February 20, there came ID
Blairsyille d gentleman lnheralded
Land whose praises had been unsung,
He was the Hon Philip Willett. 81
Glarksburg, w Va the object of his
visit being to take the place Of i
lecturer in the Free Library course
Ewho was not able to fill the engage
ment. All that was known Of Mr..
Willett was what his managers said
of him, No one in town had ever
heard him and many started for the
hall in the belief that their time
might as profitably be spent at home.
Mr.. Willett's task was a difficult
one. He was here as substitute.
He had had no one to sound his
praises and when he stepped upon
the platform he faced an audience
sitting in cold expectancy. To the
great surprise, however, of his hear
ers, they soon discovered that new
star had arisen above their horizon
and that he who came so quietly was
the one who would be longest re-
menlbered and whose eloqnence was
50 charming, his wit so keen, his
intellect SO bright, his experiences so
varied, his language so correct, his
mannerisms so pleasing and his gen
eral style so captivating that within
fifteen minutes after he had started
10 speak he had captivated every
member of his large audience TO such
m extent that there was continual
itching of the palms to applaud.
II i impossible to do even ade-
|quate Justice TO Mr.. Wiilett and his
|ability in a newspaper report of his
lecture. Suffice it so say that he i
Ithe equal Of any speaker who has
ever appeared before Blairsville
|alidienee and that Is saving a great
deal when 1t is remembered that such
forensic giants hase spoken here as
i5ehn B. Cough. Waldo Messaros,
EGeorge R. Wendling, Col. Copeland,
|Col. Sanford and apyeothers ssas
great il not greater. /
II the managers of next wears
course give heed TO the4wishes Of the
lpeople, then the Hon. Philip VIII
lett will certainly be included in
their list,s many desiring an oppor-
tunity to hear his lecture 1sThe Law
of Shakespeare
The statement ''that / like to talk
and TO hear myself talk" was car
lfied out in the address made before
Ifhe large assembly that had gathered
lat the College Chapel, of this place.
Tuesday evening Of last week to hear
Mr. Willett's lecture. But even it
the Honorable Philip Willett does
like to-talk and hear himself aalI
everybody else likes to hear him. End
it may be said right here and now
there hasn't been a speaker in
Blairsyille for years who riyeted his
attention of his audience and kept
his hearers thinking so busily as did
this exceptionally forceful speaker.
Hon. Philip Willett is a man of
striking personality. He said dur
ing his address he has addressed all
binds Of audiences, criminals, church
congregations, a convention Of UNI
Edertakers, divines and others. His
experience in London gave him pres
Etige and he has been in many ways
{ marvellous man.
| His talk Tuesday evening was on
~Crusades,v For some length he
talked Of the first Crusades. The
subject was treated under three dis
ltinct heads. religious crusades, poti-
ltical cfusades and social crusades.
THE earlier efnsades had such Lead
ers as Peter, the Hermit, Sayonarola
land Martin luther. OF the latter
Ewere Napoleon, Mirabeau and Wash
lington.
| 1t seemed necessary to talk at
some length ON the old, crusales.
His description was of, the first one
in the eleventh century, in which he
graphically described the loss 81
blood and treasure and the suffering
of the early Christians. Then he
told of Sayonarola and his turning
to TIE people and helping them IN
1.-THE revival. His crusade vas
against The wees and taints Of the
ltimes. His teachings opened the
eyes Of the people and stirred Flor-
fence. His crusade was not witheu;
affect. In George Etliott's story
Ronola, the story Is iold and part.
were used in describing it for ths
Evansville audience.
Martin Luther and his Reforna.
tion, which was another religion.
crusade, was next talked about anc
Twas hurriedls passed over. 0liyel
Cromwell and his relationship ii
matters palitic and moral we're giVsI