Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-07-02
Sixth Annual Assembly Opened Sun
day Afternoon in Chautauqua
Park.
RAIN CURTAILED ATTENDANCE.
A Fine Musical Prelude Madame
Mountford Of Jerusalem
the First Speaker.

a y
The sixth annual Webster City
Chautauqua Assembly opened Sun
day afternoon in Chautauqua
Park, where huge tent and other
Chautauqua accessories had been in
stalled for the event A much-need-
ed rain somewhat interferred with
the opening session. The rain laid
the dust, cleared and cooled the at
mosphere, and rendered pleasant
what would otherwise have been an
intolerable afternoon. But it also
greatly diminished the attendance
at the initial session of the assemb-
ly. The rain also interfered with
the time schedule. But at three
o'clock, half an hour late, the tent
was well sprinkled over with hui
..manity. Then Mr.. Geo. G. Tucker,
president of the association, intro
duced Mr.. Arthur McMurray of
Ames as platform manager. Mr..
McMurray's success in this role last
year makes him welcome at the helm
Of the present program.
Rev. A. F. Colver, pastor of the
local Baptist church, opened the pro-
gram with prayer The musical pre-
lude was in charge of Mrs. w.
n. Cook of this city. Under her di-
rectfon the popular young ladies'
qufrtette gave an effective render
inA OF Schnecker's, 'In Heavenly
Love Abiding" The following la
dies constitute the quartette: Misses
Geneveive. Brown, Rosalind Cook,
Grace Lee, and Margaret Chamber
lin. 1t is matter of local pride
! that the opening numbers on the
program could be given by local tai
! ent. Many present felt that, given
the wide experience before large au-
diences and the prestige which be-
longs to talent at work away from
home, Webster City has more than
one set of musical artists who could
make their mark on the Chautauqua
platform. In her usual fine style,
Mrs. Earl e. Mason played beau
tiful Andante Religioso violin move
ment, and Mrs. c. A. Guyer of Saint
Paul, but recently of this city, rem
dered forcefully the solo, "The
Ninety and Nine
The lecture of the afternoon was
given by Madame Mountford--
"The Shepherds Of Palestine Mad
anne Mountford was born and
brought up in Jerusalem. "That
was the pit from which I was dig
ged, the rock out OF which ! was
I. hewn,' she exclaimed in the intro
duction to her lecture. There lays
her strong hold on her subject and
on her audience. The life of the
orient runs in her veins. Is part of
her very being. She dresses in the
costume of the shepherds Of Pales-
tine. and she looks and knows and
expresses the shepherd life with
picturesque force and nice fidelity.
She speaks correct English with a
delightful foreign accent that rend-
ers her speech musical and attract
i've. At the> same time she is at
home with the Arabic tongue, in
which she sings shepherd songs,
gives sheep calls, and carries out
vividly the life of mountain and
flcaqrt iu tho orient
In Madame Mountford's EXPOSE
tion OF shepherd life she makes an
Interpretation Of bible scenes and
characters. Under her skilful expo
sition even a Westerner learns the
: differences between the tent folk,
the village life, and the life in the
walled cities OF Palestine. In the
garb Of a shepherd she sets forth
the customs of watering the sheep
at noon, and Of bringing them back
to the fold at night. The biblical
rod" and STAR become full OF
meaning as she talks about them in
the language of the East. Scrip
and sling" she explains so that not
q boy present will ever forget. The
lecturer believes highly in David
and she ranks the psalms the chief
force In poetic literature. Her ex.