Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-23
SPONSORSHIP WITHDRAWN

If the Radcliffe Chautauqna comes
IN yorkyillc on August &c. - ana 90
il will come under its own auSi'''''
and ON its own responsibility.
This Is the ultimatum OF the lork-
will, people who had assumed 10 s'a'''
sn,nsor for the chautauqua agsresh,
tion during a proposed three DAYS
engagement in Yorkville. and VINO III
.dJition intended to guarantee TO inc
ou,Gt n generous profit above All w
ncnses incurred In the coming.
It is alleged that the chautauqua peo'
plc did not play fair; that they maa'
n suecific promise as to what thes
would do and would not do anu ',ei,
took steps that indicated an mtehueu
disregard of the agreement.
II was like this: When the aseh'
of the cbautauqua, quite handsome
vouny woman, came around, shc pro-
,osed TO bring the outfit here Tor So
much money to he guaranteed p'
..,,oin number Of individuals, each
individual standing for his pro rata
mart of an aggregate that "ou'o
amount to quite a handsome h''''
sum.
Itut there had been chautauquas
her. before, and the people had some
information as to how they were ope'
r-,ted. The main idea was to secure
an engagement at u larger cehliai
point on basis of quite liberal and
attractive guarantee, and after clhch-
ing this central engagement, 10 huke
similar engagements at smaller ad-
iacent points on q basis OF SUCH guar
antces as could be secured, often III
considerably less sums than the hrs'
enpnpemcnt, For instance. iorkrille
could be told she was to have u
great musical, dramatic and orator.
cal feast served up by u dozen or
more noted artists in their respective
lines. and after Yorkville had signed
up the leading men Of nearby smaller
towns would be approached with the
promise of the identical entertainment
that Yorkville was to get at much
lower rate of guarantee. And just as
Yorkville had been previously led 10
believe that she was to have an at
traction that would warrant people
in coming long distances, the other
smaller places would be roped in with
the argument that for considerably
less money than Yorkville was paying.
they would have exactly the same at
traction right at their own doors and
they would not have TO come to York
vile. Then after all had signed up
and the advertised date had rolled
round 1t frequently happened that in
stead of the really attractive pro-
gramme that had been advertised,
there were changes and substitutions
that were in effect frauds on the pub
lie that paid the bills as well as upon
the people who had agreed to pay
those bills in case the public did not
pay.
Because Of what they had learned
in previous experiences, when the
agent for this chautauqua came
around, the people to whom she ap-
piled, agreed to stand for the attrac-
tions represented on two conditions.
One was that the show was not to be
presented In any other York county
town, and the other was that there
were to be no substitutions. The agent
was at first quite loathe to agree to
either of these conditions; but when
II become evident that there would be
no trade otherwise the condition was
accepted.
Then after the Yorkville committee
began advertising the coming OF the
big show In q way that was calculated
to make everybody in the county want
to go, another York county town be-
gan to advertise that the same con-
Germ would also be there along about
the same dates,
This is where the Yorkville COM
mittee bucked. II said in effect, Yes.
you've got a good show and we would
like to see It; but you have not play
ed fair and we will have nothing
more to do with you. The show peo-
pie came back with the showing that
no matter what the agent may have
promised verbally. 1t was not written
in the contract that there were to be
no substitutions and there was to be
no entertainment In any other town Of
the county. They would stand by the
written contract, they said.
The people who had signed the con-
tract in behalf of the guarantors held
q meeting on the subject on Tuesday
morning. They considered the whole
subject thoroughly. The concensus of
sentiment seemed to be one OF regret
at such q development, There was no
question of the attractiveness Of the
promised programme, and that 1t was
we'll worth the money all were agreed.
As To what was and was not printed