Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-21
AUGUSTA LOCALS
GILLIAN AND
PACKARD DELIGHT
LARGE AUDIENCE
In Opening Entertain
ment of August a
Course Tuesday Eve
ming at City Hall

With one OF the most popular en-
tertainments that has ever been given
in this city the Augusta Entertain
ment Course was opened Tuesday eve
ence that packed the floor and the bal
cony to the doors. 1t was certainly
program of great merit. the per-
formers of the evening being Alton
Packard. the master American car
toonist and humorist, and Strickland
w. Gillian. who has been often called
Americas foremost humorist today.
IT was a program of fun and MesSrs.
Packard and Gillian proved that they
were able nirth- producers by keeping
their audience in laughter throughout
the evening. There was not dull
moment throughout their performance
and the entertainment as well as being
popular was oneSof high class.
The program was opened by Mr..
Packard, who in q series of cartoons
and character sketches kept the audi
ence amused. The rapidity with which
Packard worked was surprise to all
master cartoonist kept up a steady fire
of breezy talk. He pictured the de
velopment of baby into a boy, who
had aims to do big things in life, and
he showed how easy it was for this
boy to be sidetrscked in his ambitions.
BY simply placing a tray upon the out
stretched hand of the boy speechmak
er, the entertainer did the stunt, show
ing the chap as waiter instead OF an
orator.
Packard drew pictures showing the
four stages of a gentiemans hat from
the time it came from the factory to
the time it was discarded into the ash
barrel. And then with few skillfuI
lines Packard gave his audience a good
idea of the types of men who wore
the hat in it's different stages, the hat
in its last stage being in the posses
sion of Happy Hoolisan from Hobo
Vile.
When an artist did not know what
else to draw he always made a picture
of a girls face" said the cartoonist as
he proceeded TO pay tribute to the
feminine sex in number of crayon
sketches
The tint of pathos was found in the
entertainers story of the Master
Painter" And While telling the story
Packard made remarkably fine
crayon picture representing the paint
ing that was the master work of the
artist of the story.
Packard was not only a genius with
the crayons, but also gave humorous
readings and sang selections, which
won applause from all parts of the
house.
The last entertainer of the evening,
Mr. Gillian, in his opening remarks
showed that he was no less of a gen
uine fun-maker than Packard. and al
though he did not draw cartoons, he
told jokes and humorous stories that
We're irresistible and he recited poetry
Of his own composition. Gillian. who
is the author OF that familiar ballad
OF Agin, On Agin, Gone Agin, t'inni-
gin, gave monologue in which there
was nothing dun and his manner of
telling story as well as the stories
themselves made his part of the pro-
gram especially attractive.
After telling number of stories of
humorous vein, Gillian dropped his hu-
NOR Tor moment and spoke seriously
OF the magnitude of the war in which
tle united states is now engaged and
he predicted that before we finish We
shall win the greatest and most last
ing victory the world has ever known.