The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-06-25
CHAUTAUQUA NOTES

In the cities 1t Is goal of all en-
tertainers to obtain the unstinted ap
plause of audiences. In our chau
tauqua entertainments it seems to b.
policy with the management t.
teach us that applause is a matter
Of cooperation. The platformer'
furnish the amusement and we fur
nish the appreciation.
There are always the children an(
the grown-ups who go to chautauQus
because everybody else does, and whl
make a picnic out of it at the ex'
pense of those who wish to listen.
DIR. Henry Smith Williams, oil
Tuesday afternoon, had message as
big as a palace-but we are just
plain folks. Most of us flee from
information as it were a plague. II
is a nuisance to follow talk that
goes from the beginning to the end
of certain subject. We prefer oral
wanderers and verbal picture max.
ers. 1t takes a man of wit and
humor to place any piece Of infor-
nation with us in permanent way,
Judge Baggott is the man for that
The Chimes of Normandie' was
we'll enjoyed. The cast was for the
most part quite young, and the stage
rather small. But their voices were
a joy to listen to, especially the
mems. The ensemble singing was
excellent. ... .~
| The Smith-Spring Holmes company
put on musical program that many
of us considered equal to any ma
nation was finely balanced, violin,
flute, cello, clarinet, and piano. The
cornet-trombone duets were excep-
tionally entertaining. The lady vio-
linist stands out in our memory as
the artist of the party. The selec-
tions from Giaconda made as near
symphony redition as we shall hear
in Blackfoot.
"On the Road to Tokyo" is pref
ty entertainment that lets shaft of
western understanding into the my
sterious character of the oriental.
The little piece has the nature of
an illustrated parable, and flavor
of the east. One section of our audi
ence Friday evening, mostly children,
marred the atmosphere of the piece
by mirth over the fact that they
could see the moving shadow-graph
Of an actor making up.
The water wagon lumbers past the
tent every evening several times dur
ing the performance. The railroad
engine let's out few shrill toots.
DR.. Bohn and Montaville Flowers,
Saturday afternoon and evening, car
ried each a message. 1t is not neces-
sary to keep up with the times, but
for those who do desire to put a
finger on the pulse of the world in
this. excited time these are the lee
lures to hear. ......
DR.. Bohn explains history on the
geographical basis. Surroundings
make the people what they are
Maritime peoples are peaceful mer-
chants-often developing strong
navies to protect their commerce. In
land peoples are aggressive or UNI
warlike, according to the lay of the
land they occupy. Germany has iron
and coal-invests at home, makes
money and wants to expand. France
is farming country Lives by thrifty
savings. England cares most for
merchandising and has navy to sur
port herself. Russia had to wait for
the railroad before commencing to
develop. American would have be-
come four princinalities, said the doc
tor, had 1t not been for the naviga-
ton of our streams and the railroads.
If only the school teachers could
hear such a man speak once a month,
what change for the better might
result in their attitude toward his
tory and geography, the things they
usually make so dull for children
What folly, as the doctor pointed
out, it is to teach the unsuspecting
children that the difference between
savages and civilized people Is In cos
tune and dwellings, which are pic
tured-the hut--the palace; the bear
skins-the fine modern clothes. We
have been taught that success in life
is based on material things that can
be measured and counted, said DR..
Bohn. but we are coming into a new
era when only that man who excels
in service shall be exalted.
He predicted the certain fall of
the German empire, because in every
way it is like the train Of previous
fulfil attempts at large empire.
Montaville Flowers accused us of
thinking first of our pocket-books,
whether it was the bond issue or the
price regulation. All advance in the
world is preceded by the Grady men
tai condition, he said, and just so
soon as the average head-top held a
vision of world peace and interna-
tional law respected we should enter
the better era, the united states OF
the world.
The chautauqua press agents are
too dressy in their praise of the tai
ent. They lead us unawares to ex-
pect a lift into the seventh heaven of
delight, and when the actual enter
tainment comes and we find 1t Is
only an entertainment-we notice
the difference. This is good for a
year or so, but in this instance 1t
has endangered the continuance of
the chautauqua. Goddard was over
advertised, as was also the Chimes
of Normandie." Why can they not
leave a little to our imagination?
They supply us with expectations too
great to be satisfied.
Mr.. Goddard is splendid singer,
a large and impressive man. His Sc