Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-14
ROOSEVELT AS HEAD
Talk of Another University in
Washington.
ENDOWED WITH MILLIONS
Current Talk of q Rumored Plan of
Andrew Carnegie.
HIS RECENT BENEFACTIONS
Popularity Of the Free Lectures
Given in New York for the
Working Men and Women.
HIS RECENT BENEFACTIONS
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and tn
Chicago Record Herald.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW YORK. May L. 1908.
Nearly million and half of people
attended the free courses of lectures
which were given in New York city last
year under the direction of the board of
education for the benefit OF working
men and working women" as the law
which authorizes them puts it, This plan
of furnishing intellectual entertainment
for those who cannot afford to pay high
prices charged by the lyceum bureaus and
the regular lecture courses was adopted
about twenty years ago and the first year
it was a failure Only 1900 people at
tended. There seemed to be a prevailing
suspicion that the object was to preach
religion or morality or something of that
sort under the guise of amusement. Hon.
est working people resent that sort OF
thing. If they want religion they will
go to church; if they want lessons III
morality they know where to get them
and they resent any attempt to give them
sugar-coated pills: 1t required several
for whom these free lectures are intended
that no trap was concealed within them.
and then an interest was awakened and
in four years the attendance was IN
creased to more than half a million. And
ever since then it has been going up un-
til last year 5.464 lectures were delivered
to audiences aggregating more than
million and half.
Wide Range of Topics.
Every Saturday morning the newspa-
pers contain the program for the week
the names of the free lecturers the place,
the date and hour. SO that people interest
ed can cut out the slip as reminder. And
you would be surprised at the nature Of
the topics that seem most popular. In
looking over the programs tor the last
two or three weeks find the following:
Fundamental Democracy" by Presi-
dent Stryker of Hamilton College.
Forestry" by Overton w. Price, as
sistant national forester.
Mozart illustrated by musical Sc
lections. by Daniel Gregory Mason.
Economic Subjects of Timely Impor-
lance" by Walter +. Clark.
France Before the Revolution of SO.
by Prof. Georges Castesnier
| Peckham.
England; How 1t Is Governed" by DIR.
| William Farley.
The Panama Canal" by Prof. W. s.
Rowe.
| Immigration and Emigration" by
James Newton Gum.
THE Canadian Rockies by John J.
| Lewis
The Awakening of the Far East" by
Elwood Tewksbury.
steel: How II is Made and What it
Costs" by Prof. H. r. Mussey.
Iron; How 1t is Made and What 1t
Costs" by Prof Bradley Stoughton.
Insects by George FrancK
Progress OF Civilization in Africa by
c. c. Adams.
The Nature of Electricity" by Prof.
| Frank l.. Tufts
| Democracy and Socialism in Europe.
1 by Prof. Charles L. Beard.
The Rise Of Art in Europe" by Prof.
Ernest F. Fenelosa.
Modern Achievements Of Botany" by
! Prof. Herbert Maule Richards.
Magnetic Survey of the Pacific Ocean,"
| by DR.. A. L. Bauer.
The Care of the Teeth by DR.. Victor
c. Bell.
The Republics of South America. by
THE Importance of Pure Water" by
| Thomas A. Fulton
"Wagner's Operas" by Reuben Gold
mark.
The Clearing House System by Will
liam Sherer. manager New York clear
| ing house.
Our Short Story Writer'S" by Marian
| Leland.
Alcoholism by DR.. Pierce Bailey
Japan and It's People," by George Will
| liam Knox.
The Story Of Ton of Coal" by Prof.
j. Russell Smith.
These lectures were interspersed with
concerts. debates. moving pictures and
other lighter amusements. all Of which
were highly appreciated by the most In
| teliigent class of wage earners In New
York and have given them not only
pleasure but valuable information. From
| the list Of subjects / have given you can
see that the committee in charge have
shown a practical sense of their duty, as
we'll as desire to crafty a variety OF
| tastes. The attendants at the public
| libraries say that there Is invariably a
large demand for books bearing on the
| topics of the lectures for a few days fol-
lowing their delivery, which shows a per-
manent interest.
The lectures are held in from twelve to
nfteen schoolhouses every night In diff
ferent parts of the city. Many of the
speakers are paid a small fee and their
expenses-about half as much as they
would receive from an ordinary lyceum
| bureau.