Putnam patriot., 1910-12-16
Lecture % he Psss,ss riay.


older Episcopal churches in Brooklyn,
y. Y, whose Gothic architecture, "a 1t |
proved, made IL difficult for the speak |
ef 10 be heard distinctly by distant |
auditors. drawback considerably |
offset By the numbef and good hand
Hing OF the splendid slides with which
the lecturer illustrated his subject.
The story Of Obef.AmmeTgau must
be pretty well known to your readers:
how the people Of an Alpine village in
Southern Bavaria. some three hundred
years ago, vowed that, II they should
he delivered from a plague then rag.
ing, they would ever aftefwafd, ut ten
year inter- ais, present the incidents Of
the s5aHIent's Passion and Death in
dramatic form; aud how this vow has
been since carried out with ever in
creasiug skill and fidelity tothe intense
interest Of an overwhelming audience.
The last point is illustrated hy The fec.
That the records Of the year 1900 show
thai the Play drew some 10000 souls
10 the village that summer. and that
tie indications this summer were that
this number would be nearly doubled.
We realize That great fact like the
Passion aud inflicted Death Of Jesus,
central and fundamental in all forms Of
organized Christianity, accounts for
the inception Of that interest which
draws such worldwide attention TO
6ter-ammergan In The years of tie
Play. But If we examine the peculiar
conditions Of the place and people, and
Of their history, we shaii find much
more 10 explain II.
referred, nj the outset, TO the excel
lence of the slides used by the iectuf-
er. These consist Of photos taken OF the
men aud women of the place, selected
To represent the leading characters Of
the Play, their houses in the village.
salient features OF the landscape like
the kofel cfag, crowned with the cross
and conspicuous as the train enters the
village, We
(ihc Bayafian Capital, and great Art
! center, some three hours away. and
afe pronounced by those who have seen
The Play TO be admirable reproductions.
The forms and faces of the people show
physical type Of high order II Is said
that one Of the famous roads which led
north from laneient Rome over the
Alps, passed through this valley. May
not race which had, aud retained,
through the decline OF Roman civiliza-
ton, the health and strength charac-
terlstic Of mountain tribes, have gained
also mentally by contact with intelli-
gent travf as II passed up and down
the imperial highway
The Passion Play Is the life and sti-
mulns Of 0ber Ammetgau, during the
years which separate the deeennial
summers.
a committee Of leading and respon- |
sible citizens Is appointed, with full |
power, TO select from the people those
who are 10 personate In the Play. chill |
dren grow up In the hope aud ambition
that this or that honor may fall 10
them. Looks, age, ability, and, not
least character, all are elements of con.
sideralion, and the part of Christ,ts,
when assigned, is naturally esteemed
one of he greatest Of earthly honors,
ns il must be, doubtless, one of the
most difficult parts 10 FIJI The total
number OF persons who take part iii
the Play, old aud young, has been va
fiously estimated. From GOO to 100, are
believed 10 have appeared In the pre-
sensations this summer. These were
given In n large wooden structure with
covered stage and seating 100 specta.
tors.
The Play of this year was given,
through the summer season, ON sun.
days and Wednesdays, with eNtfa pre-.
sentalions ON the days following, hen
de mand Justified The time consumed
AT each recital vas FROM $ II. m. to d p.
m, with two hours Of intefmissieu be
tween u and : o'clock. The Play be-
ting locally regarded rs "a solemn ae, of
religious worship, aud presented with
the "greatest reverence, there would
be but little 10 make Sunday seem, Ia
any sense, an Inappropriate day for II,
IL is naturally asked, whether an in.
stitniion which has 50 rapidly Won the
popular heart OF Chfisteudom is not
likely Ut last, 10 DC commereialixed- Ito
have its Vitality Slapped by subdivision,
annual repetition at It's home OF imita-
iens elsewherve And answers from
all thoughtful sources come promptly
back, No, this little German valley
is sanetited as the one place OF pre-.
sentatten, these people are all tiabued
with the religious atmosphere of the
Play, aud the years between is decen-
NAL occurrences are all wanted aud
used for the local study of lis de-
mands
The temptation 10 disloyalty have,
indeed, been many and various, but 50
far, ali have been successfully resisted
The proceeds of each presentation
Mere, In 1900, divided into thtFds-one
third going to the municipality, Two
thirds to those who take part IN the
rlaN.
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