Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1920-07-08
CHAUTAUQUA WEEK
COMES TO CLOSE

From that opening night Of the Chat
tauqua when everything save the
enthusiasm of the audience was
dampened, the interest Of the peo-
pie of Payette never Tagged: it
ydidnt get a chance to.
The weeks program was varied
jhe, TO suit all tastes.
Mr.. f. b. Fish, Judge Alden and
Judge Bale Tor those VINO relish
strong brain food; the Pereira Quin-
tet; The Royal WelCh Lady Singers;
and the ParnelIs for the music; while
the wonderful play KINDLING so
splendidly presented by the Maurice
Browne Players, suited all tastes
and all people.
Twice daily the largest Chautau-
qua audience ever gathered i'll Pay
cite, assembled in the big tent to
enjoy this "Open-Air University as
it has been so aptly styled. Every
available seat was occupied, more
chairs were produced by the ushers,
and even then many had to be salts
with standing room only.
On the first night Mr.. julius
Caesar Maple captured his audience
by his witty and yet pathetic ac-
count of how a stranger feels on
first coming to a strange country
and having to learn a strange Ian
guage. At the close of his lecture,
SO full of humor and stirring human
interest, Mr.. Naphe gave an exhibit
ton of wonderful Greek costumes,
and strange Greek customs, assisted
by some of the leading women of
Payette, who demonstrated that
the West can look just as charming
in the styles of the East as she can
in those of Paris and New York.
On the last night came very
different group of people to enter
tain and teach us. The Maoris of
New Zealand with their weird beau
tiful music, their wonderful dress
and their strange feasts and cere-
monies will not soon be forgotten
by those who saw and heard them.
The Maori entertainment was pre-.
ceeded by a highly interesting talk
by Mrs. Bloomfield, New Zealandeg
by birth, whose explanation of the
conditions both among the whites
and the Maoris, enabled the audi
ence to better follow the native ex-
hibition. The week between those
two nights was crowded with other
good things-TravelOgu lectures
and music.
While here the Chautauquans were
most Hospitality entertained by the
people of Payette-hospitality which
took the form Of auto drives, gifts
of fruit and flowers, and other atten
tions which are so much appreciated
by those who ocme as strangers to
a town.
And now Chautauqua is over for
another year. The big tent-like the
Arab-has silently fitted away
leaving nothing but a delightful mem
ory and the pleasant surety that
next year there will be some more
Chautauqua.
In this connection it might be in
teresting to recall how this wonder
fri Chautauqua was first started.
Some fifty years ago in the state of
New Yolk, on the shores of Lake
Chautauqua, which is an Indian
word meaning 'bag-tied-in-the-mid-
dle-with-string gathered a devoted
little band of worshippers to hold an
annual camp meeting. Each year
more people came, but the great
problem facing these religious en-
thusiasts was how to hold the young
people who were not nearly as en-
thusiastic as their elders could
wish. Then the idea was hit upon of
procuring lecturers and entertainers
for the benefit of the younger mem
its fame spread so rapidly that peo-
pie came from far and near to at
tend the meetings. AS a result other
centers of a like nature were estab
lished and named after the original
ne-Chautauqua. They grew stead
lily in public favor until some one
had the inspiration of bringing the
Chautauqua to the people instead of
having the people travel to the Chau
tauqua. And it is owing. to this in
spiration and its wonderful out come
that the people of two continents
now look forward each year to hav-
ing the Chautauqua delivered at
their door, G. o. d.