Mower County transcript., 1908-06-03
CHAUTAUQUA SCHOOL PRIZEs,

CHAUTAUQUA SCHOOL PRIZES.
Several months ago ago, the Red
path Chautauqua bureau offered
prizes to the pupils of Mower county
for the best essay on The Benefits of
q Chautauqua to Community.
districts have taken
part in the contest and committee,
consisting of Misses Ida M. Anshus,
Almeda Truesdell and Jennie Teeter,
nave read all the papers sent in and
have made award of the prizes. The
first prize of SO is won by Louise
VanDegrift of district 115 and the
second prize of 81 by Leo Coughlin
of district 73. We print both these
papers in full below. In addition to
these prizes a season ticket to the
coming Chautauque assembly at Aus
tin was offered to the pupil in each
district writing the best paper Of
any in that district. These season
tickets have been won as follows:
District Ill, Nellie Berge; 12S,
Hans Anderson; 55, Marguerite Cot
ter; A, Hazel Blowers; g., Eva
Johnson; %, Mildred Crandell; 6S,
Gertie Pinkava; 43, Dena Weber; 70,
Josephine Cafourek; ia, Freddie
Augustine; 40, Robbie Hobson; 3S,
Alvin Olson; 81, 1Iaude Hill; Al,
Marion Lewis; "a, Clara Helgeson;
115, Louise VanDegrift, list prize;
70, Leo Coughlin. End prize; %,
Julia Benning; 35, Clayton Quack-
enbush; 10, Mildred Brown; "a,
Loretta Enright; 46, Teresa E.
Downey; 20, Nina Hickok.
The ADVANTAGE Of a Chautauaua to
a Community.
| In writing on this subject, would
! place the educational value of a
| Chautauqua among the foremost OF
| it's advantages. Here one has the
opportunity OF listening to lectures
| given by the best speakers OF our
country, and Of listening to great
musicians and artists. People who
! have not had the privilege of col
| lege education may for small ex-
penditure Of money at a chautauqua,
gain some knowledge Of the world in
| which they live, which they would
not otherwise do if they had never
had this opportunity of attending a
ChautauQua.
To illustrate: In a certain town
| where a ChautauQua was held, a
farmer bought seven tickets, five for
adults and two for children. He said:
Il don't see how we can get educa-
tion any cheaper than that" And
l think he was correct in his state
ment.
The second advantage is the great
moral uplift. People try to do better
after hearing the lectures given.
The third advantage is along the
social line. You meet your friends
from other towns and become ac-
quainted with other people. Families
who come long distance may gather
with friends and have picnic dinners
and suppers.
Another advantage is this: The
people living in the town where the
Chautauqua is held, take pride in
beautifying their city. Visitors and
outsiders will notice whether the
town is kept up as it should be or not
And if it is, they will tell their
friends about it and inthat way it
will be a great boom for the town
in which the Chautauqua is held.
Two minor advantages which
T. might mention here are these: In
tile Chautauqua held in Austin las
year, the children especially enjoyed
| the performance Of birds and dogs
and it showed how we'll birds an(
animals can be taught to perform
| tricks if treated in the right way.
The recreation advantage is an
| other, and this alone, the chance o
having somewhere to go and some
thing to see and hear is almost worth
the price of ticket
Louise Vandegrift, Age Is, Dist. 115
The Benefits Of Chautauoua.
| In the year 1874, the first Chau
tauqua was organized by DR.. JOhl
1Vincent- It was organized in Chau
ltauqua village, a small summer re
1sort ON Lake Chautauqua in tn
Estate of New York.
This society was first organize
for the benefit of Sunday Schoo
teachers and consisted of about 20
members, but it gradually spread an
later on it took up the work of direct
ling the reading habits of the people
At present this society is formed in
to smaller clubs, in different cities
which give series of lectures an
musical entertainments. These en-
tertainments tend to elevate tn
minds of the people by having ther
hear the best of lecturers and musi
clans. 1t tends to make the peopl
more sociable by bringing them to
gether. 1t also gives the poore
classes the opportunity of hearin
those high class lecturers and mu
sicians at moderate price.
brings the people in from the countr
and the neighhOriug towns and il