The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-07-15

In the Fargo Forum of Saturday eve.
ming Melvin Hildreth, the Forums spe.
cial writer, had the following we'll
written story Of Valley City and the
Chautauqua:
The Valley City Chautauqua is q
real community institution in the
broader sense.
Although this is but the fifth year
the Chautauqua already has a nation
al reputation and it has assumed q
definite place in the list of institu.
tions of our state. The session which
closes tomorrow has been successful!
from every standpoint. The attend.
ance, in spite of several days of bad
weather, has increased 10 per cent
over last year, $500 tickets have been
sold and rs per cent of the campers
states Lawrence Bohnhoff of the camp
ing department, come from outside
of Valley City.
The Chautauqua has beautiful
location on the banks of the Sheyenne
river north of the city. The river is
quite high at this point making bath
ing and boating practicable. Last
evening nearly 100 boys from the
farm boys camp were swimming 1T
one time Over a thousand people
camp on the grounds, and police and
sanitary provisions have been made.
The grounds are remarkab bly, free from
insects, due perhaps to squad of men
who spray the grounds and ponds
thoroughly every day.
The Chautauqua is named the Valley
City Chautauqua, not because the peo-
pie of that city lay any claim to the
ownership of the enterprise, but
simply because it is located there. 1t
is true it was founded by Valley City
people but it has long since ceased to
be local institution, it is statewide
in it's attendance and national in it's
influence.
Prof. P. G.. Holden, the "corn king"
stated recently that II wish delega-
tions of business men and farmers
from every city in the United States
could visit the Valley City Chautauqua
and catch something of the inspiration
of movement of this kind; they
would certainly go home determined
to have Chautauqua. of. the highest
type in their home community"
The Chautauqua at Valley City aims
to do something for the community.
Its object is not alone to furnish polite
entertainment while the patrons lazily
listen, to the thoughts of men life
time in the making. 1t has an ideal
of citizenship and of service which
finds expression in several movements
all having for their object the upbuild-
ing of North Dakota.
Child Welfare
Take for example the work of the
child welfare department, started three
years ago in a very modest way by
Prof Rudolph Acher Of the Normal
school, 1t is fact that in, North Da-
kota 900 babies die every year under
/ year of age, who should have lived
and become citizens. We cannot af-
ford to lose them. The object of the
child welfare department is to see that
some of the attention given live stock
is given human beings. Thus it is that
every mother, having child under
school age, can bring him to the child
welfare tent, where a competent doc
tor and a trained nurse (both donat-
ing their services) will give the baby
a careful scientific examination. If
perfect, the mother will be told so, if
not, she will be told, and instructed
just what to do to give the baby a
better opportunity in life. The work
this year is under the direction of the
Child Welfare club Ia pioneer organ
ization for this work in North Dako-
ta), Of which Mrs. Harvey Pray is
president and Mrs. E. C. Hilborn sec
retary. The new (and it is really new)
doctrine of mothercraft, is preached
continually and no one can doubt but
that children, if watched as carefully
as we watch blooded COW, will in
few years, when they reach the school
age, prove that the. work Of the child
welfare department has not been in
vain. 1t is hoped to have a special
building just for this work constructed
in few years. Last year by the way,
over $4,000 was added by the iperman-
ent endowment fund Of the Valley City
Chautauqua.
Fairgrounds
The Chautauqua is complete, even to
the mosquito exterminators we men
toned a moment ago. The children
have well organized and well con-
structed playground, consisting Of
slides, swings, sandpiles, and ropes to
climb The W. G.. r. II. has special