Putnam patriot., 1915-05-28
Born In the East, t Has Had Its Greatest Activities in
 the Middle Vest.
But Now In It's Fortyrfirst Year It Is Becoming Well Acquainted With the Land of It's Infancy.
 Something About the
 Great Movement.

One of the strange facts about the Chautauqua movement is that. al- though 1t was born in the east. the west and middle west have become far more intimately acquainted with it than has this section of the country. It will be forty-one years old this sum- mer and can only now be said to be looming home." To change the figure of speech, the Chautauqua tide is sweeping eastward with wonderful force
 It is doubtful if very many people know the real history of the Chautau- qua movement, and as We are to have seven days of these high grade pro- grams this year We are sure our read CTS will appreciate the following bit of history and the picture of Bishop John H. Vincent whe founded the movement.
 Bishop Vincent Is now living in Chi cago. He celebrated his eighty third birthday anniversary on the 23d of last February. Almost as prominent in the launching of this movement was Lewis A. Miller of Akron, O.. inventor Of the Buckeye mower. Mir Miller died some years ago.
 A Living Example.
 Bishop Vincent was born in Tusca- loosa. Ala. of northern parentage. The family moved to Pennsylvania while he was still child. In his youth he became a schoolteacher and soon began holding classes out of doors whenever the weather would permit, thus showing the first sprouting of the Chautauqua idea. He was denied the opportunity for a college educa- ton, but ''trampled circumstances un- der foot" and became an example of what the Chautauqua has inspired in others.
 He was living in Plainfield, N. J.. when the Chautauqua idea began to grow upon him. While he was work ing at it as a potter does his clay. mold ing it to the desired form and perfec- ton, Lewis Miller came into his life. At that time Mir Vincent was forty two years of age.
 Miller. the practical business man, and Vincent joined hands to work out the Chautauqua plan, Miller really be- ing the first one to suggest the assem- bly, in the woods. Immediately Vim cent saw that this was the solution of the problem with which he had been wrestling. and the first assembly was held in the woods on the shore of Lake Cbautauqua. New York in the fall of 1874 Many people who visited that first Chautauqua went expecting ts find a camp meeting. Just as many to- day who have never attended d Chau tauqHa go expecting 10 find a new kind of camp meeting or else a earni- val in disguise. But they found some thing entirely different They found the first bud of one of the greatest movements for good the world has ever known.
 Growth Of the chautauqua.
 Last summer there were approxi- mately 2,Jo0 Chautauquas held in diff ferent parts of the United States. This summer there will be many more. And the strange fact, as mentioned at the beginning of this article. Is that. al- though it was born on the shores of Lake Chautauqua. New York, and is therefore an eastern institution, the middle west has been quicker than the east to recognize its worth. Ks re- suit the west Is today "old Chautauqua territory" while the east is just be- ginning to receive it Of course Chau- tauGuass have been held here and there in the east for years, but the other sec ton of the country has been its strong mold. But now it is sweeping the east It has spread throughout the world in fact
 You may not be surprised to learn that England has built up her national home reading movement upon the Chautauqua course. but ii probably will surprise you to learn that Austra- Ha has followed the leadership of Eng land in this matter. And over in Rus- sia an article on Cbautauqua published iu one of the Russian magazines brought forth such a fioed of inquiries that the editor found himself obliged to publish a list of Russian books that would be suitable for home reading Sweden sent an official representative is Chautauqua to make an official study of important social conditions, and that representative went back 10