Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-08-31
REVIVED INTEREST
|NSURES SUCCESS
OF q cAAUTAuQyA
ATTENDANCE AT PRESENT AS
sEMBLY EXCEEDS THAT OF
FORMER YEARS AND MAKES
CERTAIN BIGGER AND BETTER
ASSEMBLY FOR 1922.

A keen interest has been revived
in the Ottawa Chautauqua While
the number of campers at the 1921
assembly is smaller than in previous
years, the attendance at each even
ing program is almost double that of
last year
Last night the big auditorium was
practically filled with Ottawuns who
gathered to hear the address By DR..
Merle Stevens of Peoria, and the
music by the Charles Link Concert
Go. The program was one of the best
of the session.
| This afternoon at o'clock a large
audience had. gathered TO hear the
musical program given by the Chimes
of Normandy Co. The program was
varied and the company which is com
posed of nine artists made a decided
| hit
Tonight at 7:30 o'clock, Col p. T..
| Holp of Chicago, one of the best au-
thorities in the country on American
ization work, will give his famous
| lecture entitled "The American Way"
"All the Worlds a Stage" quoted
Or. Merle Stevens on the opening of
| his lecture last night. DR.. Stevens
| who is Congregational minister at
| Peoria, explained that he was adver-
| tised as a humOrist for the first time
this summer and that he was simply
humble minister of the church.
| To int Of hp
finest humorous lectures ever given
from a local platform, Dr. Stevens
has appeared before local audiences
before, but he never scored the hit
The did last night
His address was filed with ance
dotes and clever story that kept his
audience roaring Between these he
was able to Slip in some solid and
sound philosophy, which was grasped
by the audience without them feeling
that they were being lectured
He quoted DR.. Henry Van Dyke
Robert Burns and Shakespeare or
numerous occasions during his talk
MANY times DR.. Stevens was forced
to stop speaking until the laughter O
the audience subsidized and was in
terrupted by applause.
He told how William Shakespeare
the greatest author Of them all, Wht
knew life better than any other man
after a careful study had realized tina
the world was full of trouble, ant
had the character of his plays will
mirth
cone OF the troubles of this world.
! | Il rfff h
greatest thing in this world has go
2 off on the wrong foot in the grea
4 drama of life God has made som
/ people whose business it is simply t
make us laugh"
Q He went on to tell of the mistake
! idea which prevails thruout tn
t world. that religion and solemnity
0 hand in hand and that prominen
:. church workers always are long facet
It "The humor of life is one of tn
!. worlds greatest benefaCtors." Fl
stated. "Where did we get this ide
q OF sOberness and religion going t.
A, gether. certainly not from the bible
d Or. Stevens then quoted scripture
=. ishow how the bible spoke of eve
mature and the animals showing the
JOY.
. Taking up the characters of tt
q play he showed how some people
a the dream of life are destined to I
1.-THE sheros.n and the stars viii
10 Others must be the 'prompters' an
: stay back of the scenes, but play
,g very prominent part in life's work.
- Having faith in ones self was spo
=, en- OF at length. He described the
- titude the people of today have adoT
-o ed of Letting George Do It, wh'
it came to taking the worlds respo
sibility DO you know why u
world is in the state it's in to-day? L
OF because we do not feel importai
n. Name one great poet that is writii
no poetry today. There is not a OF
~, There isn't a great statesman in I
world today There isn't a great noN
Continued on page 3, column g.