The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-08-15
ChAUTAUQUA IS OVER
Closed Saturday Night. Program
Pleased and Everybody Wants
Another One Next Year.

Closed SATURDAY NIVuIs ITOVToun
Pleased and Everybody Wants
Another One Next Year.
The Leon Chautauqua closed Sat-
day evening with the largest at
tendance of any day during the
week. The program got better
each day and the attendance in
creased every day. Taking it all in
all it was the best balanced and
most satisfactory program the Red
path-Vawter System has ever given
us. And it was week of solid en-
joyment, the music each day being
fine and the speakers were both en-
tertaining and instructive.
The music on Wednesday was by
the Balalaika Orchestra, composed
of nine young Russians, and their
leader was the only one who could
talk English. But if they could not
talk our language they could make
good music which was understood. d.
The Balalakia is a Russian three
stringed instrument, a cross between
a mandolin and guitar, and 1t
makes weird music. Some one has
said that it sounds like the wailing
and sobbing of an oppressed people,
but it was enjoyable music and the
young men could perform on brass
instruments equally as we'll. The
speaker of the afternoon was ex-
Senator Burkett, of Nebraska, who
took the place of Senator Luke Lea,
and we'll did he fill his place. His
address was one of the finest ever
heard in this city, and probably
gave even better satisfaction than
Senator Lea could have given. In
tho evening the entire program was
py the Balalakia orchestra, and for
more than two hours they delighted
the big audience with their fine
music.
Thursday was another big day,
entirely musical, the attraction be-
ing Thaviu's great band and the
grand opera singers, and 1t was
without question the greatest at
traction of the entire week. We
pity the man or the woman who can
not enjoy good music, and that is
the kind that Thaviu's band plays,
and the big audience evidently ap-
preciated it, Judging from the
hearty applause given each number.
Every variety of music was given
from the latest fancies to some Of
the heaviest classical productions.
Thaviu is certainly great band
leader. The interpretations given
some of the old masterpieces was
simply wonderful. At times the
great band sounded like a magni-
ficent pipe-organ, again they SEEM
ed to be great orchestra, then
again they would play 40 softly as
! the cooling of a dove. The audience
seemed to be under the spell of the
matchless harmonies. In the even
ing after number of fine selections
by the band, the grand opera sing
ers presented sketches from the
grand opera I'll Travatore" which
is among the best of the grand
operas. The music is simply beau
tiful and each of the singers was
star. All are better and happier
! for having heard it. Music has a
refining influence on all classes OF
society. If we have the Redpath-
,Vawter Chatauqua again next year,
we believe we voice the sentiment OF
all the patrons when we say, "Gtve
us Thaviu again next year."
Friday was another big day. The
Boston Lyrics furnished the music
and it was good. They can sing.
play and amuse their audience. The
speaker at the afternoon was Mrs.
A. G, Zehner, of Texas, who was ad-
vertised as a suffragist, but not the
kind that many thought she was.
Mrs. Zehner is typical southern
woman, and her address was one
of the finest ever heard in this city.
We believe the majority of the
Chautauqua attenders will say that
hers was the best address heard
during the entire week, and there
were a number of good ones. Mrs.
Zehner has travelled extensively
both in this country and in foreign
lands. She is deep thinker and
has made a study of civics, state
and national problems. She is a
member of the national suffragette
league, but she says: II am op-
posed to the idea that woman are
necessity in the cleaning up of
politics in this country, If the poll
tics of the country is dirty the men
made it so. l believe in the man
hood of this country, for three
reasons, if for no other, namely:
My father was a man, became the
WIG u q uoA wy NOAAOO0l(S e1Au
under the providence of God be-
came the mother of a man. I do
not believe that women are neces-
sity to inspire courage in the con-
victions of the men of America and
that until the men have this cour-
age the politics will never be clean"
Friday evening was another
grand treat. After a very pleasing
concert by the Boston Lyrics, Alton
Packard, the cartoonist, held the
big audience for more than an hour
and half with his artistic drawing,
his witty stories, his original music
and songs, all of his cartoons tell
ing story with an object. Pack
ard is the best entertainer, the best
cartoonist, the best all around
Chautauqua entertainer we have
ever seen and heard. There was
not man, woman or child in the
big audience who did not enjoy
every minute of his time, and he
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