Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-07-17
The lecturer was brought up il

1 l.
the free gypsy life and was essen
italy pagan until after the dealt
of his aunt. When she died she re
Imembered somewhere having heard {
Verse of a hymn which spoke of {
Promised Land and good Father IL
Heaven. She somehow laid hold o.
this hope and died in the faith. Tlli:
made such an impression on Gipsy
|Simon's father that he sought out {
Ichurch service, where he learned the
wonderful story of the good news Of
Jesus Christ. The gypsy came bacl
to camp, assembled the tribe ant
told them the message he had heard
That event made four gypsy minis
tiers possible. AS Simon Smith told
the story it sounded like the ta.e Of
Harold Beglie's Twice Born Men, fol
il illustrated the old fashioned pow
er CT the grace Of God in the human
heart.
With the conversion of this gypsy
family Gypsy Simon's father deter
mined to change his mode of life. In
the lecture Simon told of his first
Experience in a house, his first bed
stead, and how he fell out of bed
three times the first night, the first
time he went to school and his ex-
|perience there with the rod of disci-
pline. Eventually the good DR.. Ber-
nado, founder of the most famous OF
all homes for orphan and destitute
children, got hold OF Gypsy Simon
and sent him to Canada, where
Eventually he drifted into active
christian work, after being a roll
ing stone, which, if it did not gather
much moss, certainly had the cor
ners knocked off a little and received
! some little polish. In common with
all other Chautauqua speakers, Clip
sy Simon hit the liquor traffic hard,
declaring drink to be greater foe
| to the world than Prussianism.
There was a delightful charm about
the gipsy's speech, and his address,
both for the matter of it and for its
manner, will long be remembered by
Webster City Chautauquans.
For lovers of music the 1917 Chau-
tauqua is likely to be chiefly re-
membered on account of the appear
ance of Elsie Baker on the program
Saturday afternoon. In spite of
threatened rain, which did actually
come in downpour during the pro-
gram, Miss Baker drew an audience
which filled the tent. And she sent
everybody away charmed by an
Astounding personality, rich con-
tralto voice in perfect control, pro-
gram of classical and popular num-
bers graced with generous encores,
and a range of vocal expression
which revealed the artist master
in her chosen field. to.
| Miss Baker is an American prod
|uct. She began her career as a
singer in church choir in Phila-
delphia, and she is now sOloist in a
prominent church in New, York city.
She has been soloist for many of
the great orchestras, and her many
records for the Victrola have added
to her popularity. Miss Baker was
ably and artistically supported by
William Durieux on the yioloncello
and by Mr.. Axel Skjerne at the pi-
ano. Willem Durieux, 'cellist, was
born in The Hague, Holland, and
was for number of years profess
or in the noted Royal Conservatory
| of The Hague. He has appeared as
soloist with the Lamoureux orches-
ira of Paris. In this country he has
appeared with Walter Damrosch,
Modest Altschuler,. Victor Herbert
and Max Fielder. For some time
past he has been cello soloist for
the Kaltenborn string quartet. Mr..
Axel Skjerne was born in Copen-
hagen, Denmark, where he started
his musical education in the Royal
Conservatory Of Music at the age of
IA. He has also he'd the enviable
position Of pianist and accompanist
in Scandinavia, and has also trav-
eled extensively as accompanist for
great number of celebrated ar
fists. He has been in this country
some three or four months, but he
is already well on the way towards
the mastery of our language.
Notwithstanding torrential rain
Saturday evening, the tent was half
full of people to hear John B. Ratio
and see his program of impersona-
lions. Mr.. Durieux and Mr.. Skjerne
rendered brief prelude and then
for more than an hour, the time
seeming all too short, Mr.. Ratio held
H.