The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-08-18
CHAUTAUQUA CLOSED
Sunday Night and the Program gave
Splendid Satisfaction. No Con-
tract Made for Next Year.

The fourth assembly of the Leon
Chautauqua under the management
of the Redpath-Vawter Chautauqua
System closed Sunday night, and we
voice the sentiment of all who attend
ed the weeks program when we say
that this year, taken as a whole, the
program was the best we have ever
had. True, on some occasions the at
fractions did not please everybody,
but you must remember that what
pleases and delights one person does
not always interest another person.
The Chautauqua was not the fl
nancial success it was hoped for. The
Commercial Club had guaranteed the
sale of nine hundred season tickets,
but they did not dispose of all of
them, and the individuals who stood
back of the clubs guarantee had to
go down in their pockets to the tune
of something over 5000, but they did
SO cheerfully and the Commercial
Club made a full and satisfactory
settlement with the management.
The RedpathVawter System have
held Chautauqua in Leon for four
years and we have never met with a
finer lot of men to do business with
They work hard the year around to
make their Chautauqua success,
and we have heard nothing but good
words for them. They have every
facility for securing the best talent,
and although it is a very difficult
thing to arrange a program so that
all classes of people will be satisfied
they come pretty near filling the bill
to everybody's satisfaction. At Osce-
ola and Mt. Ayr contracts were made
Tor the Chautauqua to come back
again next year, at both places one
thousand season tickets being guar
anteed.
One of the best features of the
Chautauqua was the splendid lee
lures by George r. Laird. He is a
splendid talker and never failed to
interest his hearers, the interest in
creasing each day at the morning
session. On Tuesday afternoon he
delivered the afternoon lecture, his
subject being .'Why the World
Laughs, and it was one of the gems
OF the entire season. We will not be
surprised next year to see Mr.. Laird
appearing as one of the regular
lecturers.
Rev. A. G. Bracket, of Sabula,
the superintendent, made many
friends during his stay in Leon. He
is pleasing gentleman, thoroughly
familiar with his work and takes a
deep interest in the Chautauqua
movement. He was always ready to
put the audience in a good humor and
did not monopolize the time of the
speakers with long winded intro
ductions and announcements Every
body was pleased with his work in
this city.
resume of the program for the
first two days was given in last weeks
4.eporter. On Wednesday afternoon
the musical numbers were furnished
by the Lady Entertainers Quartet,
who worked under disadvantage as
Mrs. Watson, the leading lady was
sick and could not leave the hotel,
but the others did the best they
could under the circumstances and
the audience appreciated their efforts.
The speaker of the afternoon was DR..
Willets, and while he made a good
talk, his subject being Sunshine y
he was somewhat of Disappointment.
He is a man eighty-eight years of
age, and no doubt has been a splen
did lecturer, but he has now reached
that age where he is too old for the
active work of a Chautauqua lecturer.
His lecture carried the idea that we
should all do whatever lies in our
power to make more sunshine not
only for ourselves but for everybody
else.
In the evening the Lady Entertain
ers' Quartet again appeared and al
though far from well Mrs. Watson
made her appearance and the quar-
tet made good furnishing delightful
music The speaker of the evening
was DR.. Edward Russell Perry, of
New York City, his subject being
Samson Aroused a splendid dis
course upon graft and official cor
ruption. The speaker was wonder
fully in earnest and did not mince
words in his charges. His intense
earnestness took hold upon the au-
dience and they listened with great
interest. His plea was that people
should get all the money they can,
but get it honestly and not by graft
anu corruption or at the expense of
the honest toiler. His address was
one of the good things of the as
! sembly.
Chautauqua week. The music was
provided by the Fox Sisters orches-
ira. The organization consists of
five talented young ladies and their
mother, who plays the piano and
leads them. Their music was both
artistic and popular, each lady being
a soloist and they made themselves
popular with the big audience. The
speaker of the afternoon was Con.
gresham Henry T. Rainey, who fo1
many years has represented dem.
ocratic district in Illinois. Being
one of the old members of congress
Mr.. Rainey was familiar with all the
inner workings of congress. He is q
fighter too for what he considers
right, and is a thorn in the side Of
any clique who try to pass Legislation
in the interest of corporations, trusts
and combines He told of the buzz
err system now in use whereby con
grsssmen enjoy themselves in theil
private Office and car remain away
from congress until the buzzer warn,