The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-29
STAMFORD
ur. Craft-The Shakespearian Recital
 Brilliant Audience e-Sunday Ser.
 vices = The Annexation Scheme = Whist ltems-Birthday Party.

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 More than one hundred people as sembled at Red Mems hall last night 10 listen to Rev. D. J. Crafts mas terly rendition of portions of Shakes peare's Julius Caesar, tRichard hi, and the Tanning of the Shrew It IS a long time sincs such an interesting wonderful and profound 1nterpretauon pf the immortal poet has been heard, not only in this town, but in any other MT. Craft is a past master as ah orator, he has a prodigious memory and recited his lines for an hour ana half without the least hesitation or single break. He would rank well with the best Shakespearian actors seen on the American stage for many years He is more like Edwin Booth than like Irving, who was more in tense and dramatic, but MT. CraIt can be compared with Forest, or Band mann, or any other of the great ac- tors, in that he is more dign1f1eo, noore nrofound. more seIf-poised in his manner and utterance. It was aa Intense delight to listen to him ana all the more remarkable m lndC no had no stage effects to neIp out one lmagination and took all the cnarac- ters himself He began by alludlng 10 the controversy about the authorsnIp of the Shakespeare dramas, ana was content to give the praise to ShaReS- sneare whom he considered trans cendent genuis, towering aooVe all other men in the field or literature, as B mighty oak towers in the Iorest pr a cloud capped mountain Lls r1o head above the rest of the range. He spoke of the poets early life ana was rather glad that he left school before he had received a classical eoucatIoL . otherwise, said Mr. Craft, ne Wouiu have been a mere imitator. Now we have an original man, ana we hnoW him as he was. MT. Craft nrSt sdse the conspiracy scene in the senate chamber when Julius Ceaser was stao- 70 and reminded one of the masterly picture by Gerome which hangs m Ihe Corcoran gallery at WaSh1ngton- iho speech of Mark Anthony at the Iul- eral of Caesar was rendered in very powerful manner, as were all the oth- CT selections which were given rom the three plays making up the pro gram A sketch of the situation, time end history of each drama was given, before the verses were reclteo- ine entertainment was concluded with an original and very dramatic renoerIhs of Poe's Raven. MT. Craft tn1nhs lne $ s.T eonora is a synonym for lost op- portunfties which come but once to man. and that the croaking or the ra- ven is but an expression or oespdlr; He considers this poem to be the nnes1 piece of American hterature ye'
 ten.
 The audience was a very brilliant one and included Rev. MT CornMan who introduced the speaker, MT VII VII nam IF. Fryer, MT. Townroe. Miss F.iI.n Mrs stevens. Mrs. Adelaide Gunther, Mrs Dunbar, Miss Jula Fairchild. Miss Florence Allen. MISS Anna Kerbiersky, Miss Emma F. Al len. Miss Edith Leggett, Miss Alice Curtis. Mrs Flemming, Mrs. Jonn Holmes, Mrs. Will Holmes, Misses Mildred and Ethel Holmes, Mrs. F'reo Curtis, Miss Helen Curtis. Miss Fran ces Russell Miss Lettie Bennett. Miss Bessie Houghton. Miss Edna Sammls; Miss Esther Lewis, Miss Claribel Lewis, MT. Herbert Fryer. Miss Nina iAufford. Miss Louise Fryer, Miss Fshe1 Houghton, MT. and Mrs. David n Rhoades, Mrs. Clara M. Porter, Misses Celia and Cornelia Curtis, MT I. E. Peck, Mrs. Greeley Miss Mauoe Hull. Mrs. Andrew Graham, Mrs By. Holmes. MT and Mrs. Charles Judson' Miss Ella Jackson, MT. Ransom Bur rftt. Miss Burritt, Miss Libby Burritt, Mir Arthur Powell, MT. Ed Burrltt' Mrs. Burlock, Judge and Mrs. H. J. Curtis, Mrs. A. Beden Benjamin, MISS Anna Braithling, Miss F1orence Braithling, Miss Ruby Knapp. Miss Florence Bacon, Mrs Lowell, Miss Alice Lowell, Miss Eleanor Hines, Miss welles, Mrs. Walter Wilcoxson. Miss es Alice, May and Georgie Wilcoxson, MT. Charles Wflcoxson. Mrs. Clarence Gooden. Messrs Frederick and Theo- dore Lewis. Mrs. Frank Hanson, Mrs. Lorenzo Beers, Miss, Florence Beers, Mrs William B. Futile, Miss Alice Judson. Miss Hawley, Miss Hurd, Mrs. Sniffin Misses Winnifred and Alice Todd and many others The enter tainment will net from $50 to S5 TOT the fund for lighting Christ church
 At the Methodist church tomorrow the pastor. Rev. Geo. F. Farrer will observe Memorial Day by special sermon at 7:3O in the evening. At 10 o'clock the newly instituted class meeting will be held in the Sunday school room, and the pastor will be present. The subject of the morning sermon at 1O:45 will be ''The Divine Overseer," Sunday school at noon The Epworth League meets at 6:45 when the subject will be Profitable Hospitality" Mrs. Gilbert is thu leader The regular monthly meeting of the Official Board will be held next Tuesday evening; A week from e to- bers and celebration of the Holy com rnunion.
 One of the surprises at the recent birthday celebration of MT. Johr Holmes was a fine large birthday cake made by Mrs Samuel w. Beardslee 1t had 12 candles each representing years, and was both artistic and pal atable.
 If the question ever comes to a vot' in town regarding the annexation O. Hollister Heights to Bridgeport may we'll be expected that vigorou! opposition will be manifested There are those who look upon the propo sition as a political move, for the pur pose of preserving the balance of pow CT and permitting things to run on il the same old way they have been go ing for many years The town ma, be very conservative, in spots, bu there are those who fancy it will be good thing to give the dry bones, i there are any, stirring now ant then It is known that the town + heavily in debt, and there may b' some who believe that if Bridgepor will assume that portion of the deb