Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1918-08-22
CHAUTAUQUA WAS
GREAT SUCCESS
Closing Days of Redpath Enter
tainment Marked by Highly
Interesting Lectures.
COMING AGAIN NEXT YEAR
Over Hundred and Fifty Business
Men of the City are Back
of Movement.

highly successful weeks engagement
here Monday evening with the close
of the Dunbar Revue OF the Allies,
and left here in Alma far greater
number of friends than 1t has ever
had here before.
The high standard of the lectures
and the entertainments given this
wear has insured the return of the
chautauqua to Alma again next year.
Thursday evening the people OF the
city were asked TO get behind the
guarantee for the return of the chau-
tauqua in 1919, and during the course
of the evening one hundred and forty
nine men of Alma signed up to back
the venture next year. Since that
time several others signed the con-
tract, so that there are now about one
hundred and sixty men of the city
backing the chautauqua for next year.
On Thursday evening Sir John
Foster Fraser, F. R. G.. s., of London,
England, gave his address on The
Checkerboard of Europe" which was
listened TO with intense interest by
large audience His wide experience
as a war correspondent fitted him
well for such lecture, having given
him every possible chance to study
European conditions at first hand.
He took up the Russian situation,
giving many things in regard TO
Russia which were entirely new TO his
audience. The part that the various
countries are playing in the great
world war was brought out, particu-
larly that of England The audience
was told things in regard to the
United States that are enlightening,
particularly our opinion of ourselves.
Friday afternoon James Pershlng,
brother of General Pershing, who is
leading the American forces in
France, drew large crowd with his
lecture, Backing Up the Boys" The
stores of the city closed for the lee
ture. Mr.. Pershing did not dwell on
the reputation of his brother, as some
expected. Neither did he prove to be
a speaker secured because of his
brothers reputation. He was an able
speaker and pounding home point
after point in regard to the way we
at home should back up the boys in
the trenches. The lecture made a
deep impression on the audience.
Friday night the light opera lovers
were given a rare treat with the pro-
duction of the Chocolate Soldier" by
company of thirty, including the
orchestra. The production made as
big a hit as the production of the
"Mikado," an opera given at a pre-
vious chautauqua.
Saturday afternoon music lovers
were delighted with the concert given
by the Chicago orchestral band, which
rendered a number of selections that
were particularly pleasing.
Capt. George Frederick Campbell
of the British Royal Flying Corps,
the attraction for Saturday, night,
made big hit with his lecture, "a
Soldier of the Sky" For the most
part the lecture was a thrilling mar
rative of the experiences which Capt
Campbell had gone through, and held
his audience spellbound throughout.
He told in a vivid manner of his first
encounter in the clouds, sixteen
thousand feet above the earth, when
he was wounded and came down in
No Mans Land His lecture ended
with plea for backing up the men at
the front, the men who are removing
the Hun scourge from the earth.
Monday afternoon Or. Frank w.
Gunsaulus of Chicago gave his lee
ture, America and the World War"
1t was a most impressive lecture. It
told Of the designs of the Huns, de-
signs created in the distorted brains
of the Hun leaders years ago, designs
of autocracy for world power. 1t told
of the formation Of America as the
home of liberty; Of the inevitable
clash that must come between the
two, between autocracy and democ-
racy. He spoke of the great part
America is to play in that great
world struggle which has torn to
shreds the peace Of the world and laid
Europe low, bleeding and struggling,
fighting against horrors such as the
world had never known in the past
Monday night the chautauqua was
closed with the Dunbar Revue. fea-
turing the Grand Parade of the AL
lies, in which girls in native costume
representing the different nations at
war with Germany appeared, and
then the appearance of Joan of Arc
TO lead them forth TO victory