Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-11-08
THE LYCEUM COURSE
One Way to Make Winter a Joy
In the Smaller Towns.
VARIETY OF ENTERTAINERS.
Growth OF the Lecture Bureau" Busi-
ness In Recent Years-Fine Chance to
Entertain Citizens and Attract Out
siders In This Way.

entertain SihiEChS o'H 'H~~
sders In This Way.
Now that the Chautauqua season Is
closing towns throughout the United
states are beginning TO look forward
10 the winter lecture course. During
the past few years the lyceum bureaus
ha,e been the means of giving much
amusement and edlfication TO many
small towns and cities which In other
davs were devoid of such enterprises.
Nlnnv towns now have summer Chau-
tauqua assemblies lasting for a few
DAYS. or in some cases for few
weeks. which bring thousands OF out
siders and furnish entertainment to
the residents as well. The outsiders,
Of course, spend considerable money
In a Chautauqua town. AS a rule they
are city people or those from neigh
boring towns and from the country
who are out on their summer vacations.
They want to have good time and
get some benefit out Of the lectures
and other entertainments. No town
with a Chautauqua assembly ever re-
grets 1t, because the enterprise helps
local trade in practically all branches.
The winter lyceum or lecture course
is distinct from the Chautauqua, be-
cause 1t is spread over a much longer
period. 1t is chiefly for the home
people, though many persons from
neighboring towns without a lyceum
course are attracted to the entertain
ments.
One Of the finest things about a win
ter lecture course is that It enlivens
the town. Winter has dull days and
nights, and when the people are pre-
sented with an opportunity to attend
musical entertainment, hear a celebrat-
ed lecturer or see high class variety
performance 1t does not require an
overmastering advertising genius to
make a success out Of such course
Usually the agents Of the lyceum bu-
reaus begin the work of establishing
course, but any citizen can do this.
There are excellent lyceum bureaus in
cities like Chicago, Boston, Memphis.
Kansas City, Los Angeles and Allan
ia which supply complete courses Of
entertainment. The average course
comprises about half 4 dozen numbers,
with two or three weeks between
dates. There are many talented per-
sons doing this platform work. There
are humorous lecturers, musical
troupes, individual singers or instru-
mental musicians, lecturers with sters-
optican adjuncts and a vast variety of
entertainers from whom to choose the
talent" In the language Of the lyce-
um these people are called talent
Some of them are more talented than
others, but that is not the point.
Any person in any town may organ
ize a lyceum course II he or she has
the requisite enterprise to stay with
the proposition until 1t is a go. The
public school principal frequently starts
fhe ball to rolling. He gets the Meth
odist preacher and the Baptist preach
er and the Presbyterian preacher In
terested. He lays his plans before the
persons llterarily or artistlcally In
cllned or those who like solid lecture
on solid topic now and then, and be-
tween them all they hit upon a series
Of performances which suits all tastes.
The lecture bureaus supply talent at
che prevailing rate. For some towns 1t