The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-27
Frederic Haskin's Letter
tapes., carrespoodencs a
Our Intellectual Circus.

morning and afternoon programs
for the children. One teacher in a
southern school stated that the
Chautauqua meant as much 10 her
pupils in culture, right living and
inspiration as a whole year in
school. The Chautauqua is intro
ducing the iong-frowned upon
'cramming" idea fashionably cloth
ed and dignified as intensive train
ing"
A Century Old.
What was evidently the life germ
of the whole Chautauqua idea was
the plan which originated in the
brain of one Josiah Holbrook. son
of a Revolutionary veteran. when
he organized 40 farmers and MO
chanics into Mi!lbury BrJRch num-
Der one of the American Lyceum in
Massachusetts in 1926 Er. Ulol.
brook later founded the Concord
Lyceum and the Boston Lyceum of
which Daniel Webster was the first
president.
The e.olutiUn Of the lycsum into
the ChautayGHa, however was the
iGea of ;hc late Bish p John =.
Vincent # the fIethOdis- Episcopal
church. 1t is interesting to note, in
this col ec;i II. that I'ishop Vim
cent, like Abraham lincoln, wqJ
was a fr;auG and admirer Of tn"
bishop, was sell r.,ucated by cabin
fireplace. His motto was 'EdHCa-
ton ends Only viii lie" Or. Vim
cent was responsible for tile first
meeting on the shores OF Lake
Chautauqua, New York, OF what
has become known as the Mother
Chautauuua of the World" in 1879
DR.. Vincent undoubtedly had a
deep understanding of America AID
her people Uncounted homes have
felt the influence of his life. Mil
lions If people who had been finan.
cialIv OF otherwise denied the rriYi-
ieges of college education had the
sting removed from their regret
when Lake Chautauqua, under the
supervision of DR.. Vincent, opened
possibilities of achieving "Concen-
trated" wisdom. Both the summer
school and the home reading
courses offered through this med
iurn have proved exceedingly popu-
lar.
Many, also are the distinguished
men and women who have spoken
from Chautauqua platforms all
over the country. The American
sense of humor has made much of
the. fact that statesmen, returned
travellers, writers and other pro-
fesionals temporarily out of a job
have taken up Chautauqua leCtur-
ing in homeopathic doses. Most Of
them have been successful in inter-
esting the public or they have graft
fed that innate curiosity which al
ways invests the human spectator
when viewing much-talked-Of
specimen of more or less zoologi-
cal oddly. In the latest fashions
of Chautauquas, however, in addi-
ton to the especially prepared
mental menus, there are some
Chautauqua systems which choose
their men and give them assign
ments to go out into the wide, wide
world and manufacture material to
interest the ChautauQua of the
future.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was the
first famous professional lecturer
OlI d lyISulI1 VI OSA Gill 14S SpOhG IL
one hall SO times without pay for
his services but before he finished
he was getting $500 a night Henry
Ward Beecher, another of the piO-
neer Iyceum and Chautauqua lee
turers, was fond of telling the story
of how "once down east l was paid
for my services with IL bushels Of
potatoes"
Other famous ChautauQua speak
ers are: Mark Twain, Oliver Wen
dell Holmes, James Russell Lowell,
Louis Agassiz, Henry James, Mat
thew Arnold, Julia Ward Howe,
Irwin S. Cobb, former President Taft,
w. J. Bryan, Rear Admiral Cary 7,
Grayson, physician to three presi-
dents, Stephen Leacock, Senator ".
S. Kenyon, DR.. Harvey Wiley and
Edna Ferber.
Larger each day is the number Of
talented individuals who are com
ing to realize that if they have 4
real, sincere message to get Oycr TO
the American public, the Chautau-
qua is enc of the happiest mediums
available. No one has ever yet at
tempted to dispute the fact that we
may be young but we're perfectly
willing to learn anything that
comes our way The American pub
lie can be depended upon TO stop,
look and listen whenever it pays to
enter a khaki-coVered college.