The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1917-08-31
Chautauqua Notes


The ninth annual Paw Paw Chau- !,
tauqua is now history.
y 4 -
The old Court House grounds
looked like deserted village Wednes-
day morning. 1t gave one a sort OF
home sick feeling to see the workmen
tearing down the tent and seats.
Il 4 ***
The receipts this year fell little
short of $500, about 5000 less than
the total receipts last year. Fae
single admission tickets sold were
about the same as last year, but the
season tickets fell about one hundred
short.
The Midland Chautauqua Bureau
has been very courteous and lenlent
about guarantees, none being required
for the last two seasons. Next sea-
son however, they want guarantee
of five hundred season tickets, and no
one can say that such a guarantee is
unreasonable. Four hundred and
thirty tickets were pledged before the
closing number Wednesday evening,
and it is quite probable that the
balance will be signed to secure the
Chautauqua again next year
Local manager Henry Shaefer is
entitled to more than passing credit
for the success of the Paw Paw Ghau-
tauquas. For nine years now he has
looked after the local details Of the
business and his genial courteous
ways, and efficient management have
played no small part in the success
of the venture. Patrons of the Chau-
tauqua are hoping that he may be in
duced to remain as local manager as
long as there shall be Chautauqua.
#**
Some low lived william cut the main
guy rope on the south side of the
tent last Sunday night Had strong
wind been blowing at the time, the
tent would undoubtedly have collapsed
with consequences too horrible to
contemplate. 1t. is to be regretted
that the perpetrator of such das-
tardly trick could not have been
caught in the act and have received
his just deserts.
One of the most important features
of the Chautauqua was the Junior
Department under the supervision of
Miss Dunning. The splendid deport-
ment of the children during the pro-
grams was one of the direct results,
and the fine program furnished by
them the last afternoon was one of
the most enjoyable features of the
week. The children enjoyed a "Melon
Feed" after the program.
1t is utterly impossible to please
everybody, but the concensus of
y opinion, so far as we have been able
to ascertain, is that this was the best
program taking it as a whole that
was ever put on here. Some of the
musical features were not strong, but
it was a pretty we'll balanced pro-
gram all the way through, and gave
good satisfaction.
Strickland Gillian was easily the
star of the week. He is great man
and top notch humorist. Chautau-
qua patrons were indeed fortunate to
have an opportunity to see, laugh and
enjoy the man who wrote "Of Ag'in,
On Ag'in, Gone Ag'in, Finnigin."
Lieutenant Lee Nichols gave an
illustrated talk on "The Human Side
of Trench life" He is a Britisher
who lost an arm in one of the early
battles of the war, and while he is in
no sense an orator, his personal par
ticipation in the things he talks about
gave the talk touch of realism that
made it intensely interesting. He
was handicapped somewhat by the
receipt of an anonymous letter in the
afternoon making a bitter attack on
his native country, Great Britain,
and calling upon him to explain how
he could condone the many offenses
of his country in the years gone by,
which the writer of the letter enumer-
ated in bitter sarcastic language.