The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-12
ADDITIONAL SOCIETY
Eastern Star Annual De-
lightful Social Fete Of
Hillsboro People

The yearly social fete of Hillsboro's
-four hundred. the Eastern Star an
nual, was given with the usual pomp
and glory. by the Hillsboro chapter of
the o. e. s., Friday evening. Prof.
Friedrich Koch. of the state university,
was the chief entertainer on literary
program, after which the guests ban
quoted and danced.
Following a series of pleasing instru-
mental and vocal ,sh n1moe SiSn s scSooi
double quartet. Prof. w. Warren An
derson, of Hillsboro, gave his Iowa
state championship Grafton, vengeance
Is Mine. With exquisite charm ana
stirring pathos he argued for prison
reform and that the spirit of brotheriy
love be sustained in the hearts of the
American people.
Then. after musical interlude' Pro-
,fessor Koch took the floor. He dwelt
first upon the necessity of studying
Shakespeare in North Dakota; acting
and seeing it acted, studying 1T in real
ity, not as a mere matter Of form me
people of our country are a hard. cold,
money-making, race-realists OF the
first rank, he said. Our love OF art, our
aesthetic spirit needs development and
the best way in which to secure this is
through Shakespeare, the fairy writer,
the painter of human nature. the Gre
ator of all things beautiful in dramatic
literature.
But the professor also demonstrated
other ways in which this greatest OF
all playwrights can influence us. Bill
Shakespeare was man of the common
people, a prophet of democracy, he said.
So he wrote for them; his characters
and his plots were for their benefit The
immortal Hamlet and his problems can
be found in everyday life and he has
Influenced more characters than any
other living figure in history,
Mr.. Koch explained that his motive
was to bring this real Shakespeare and
his benefits to the people of our state,
with the hope that in the. years TO come
would come from out of the North Da-
kota prairies to press on and immortal
iZe our state forever.
Turning to his reading, the speaker
first asked the audience to concentrate
upon the prolog of Midsummer Nights
Dream, which was charmingly played
by Miss Lenora Schwartz. He first
sketched a glowing sunset picture of
that ANCIENT city Of the gods. Athens
with it's beautiful temples and the
sinking sun wreathing 1t in purple
mist.
the play. and referred to this delight
full little fantasy of fairy life, exquisite
and charming, as the very height of the
expression of Shakespeare's aesthetic
nature.
Professor Koch concluded his lecture
with a representation of the concluding
act of the play; the laundering efforts
of the butcher. the baker, the candle
SHOEMAKER of the countryside, who
present the tragedy of Thisbe and
Pyramus before the duke on his we'd
ding day. at night The side-splitting
actions of these rustics who turn the
tragedy into a comedy were perfectly
executed by Professor Koch, almost
throwing his audience into Mysteries.
Promptly at IL o'clock, the guests
adjourned to the dining hall, where din
ner was served. Toastmaster Theo.
Kaldor called upon several speakers,
who kept the audience swaying from
deep thought to roaring laughter.
Among them were Sen. John e. Paul
son, Rev. J. p. dickinson, p. G.. Sven
son and Mrs. E. c. Haagensen.
Following the banquet, informal
dancing was INDUCED in until the wee
small hours of the morning.