The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-06-24

tunate opportunities for the students
of the public schools, as well as for
many others, that this masterpiece,
interpreted by a capable company Of
actors and readers, was presented
here at the chautauqua meeting
when so many could be present. This
play abounds in the wealth of the
bard's philosophy, at the same time
it is a delightful comedy with a
happy denouement. Unlike the trag-
edies of Richard the Third and Mac
beth, there are no unpleasant en-
counters and disagreeable finales.
.tAs You Like 1t" has occupied a
very important place in American
standard drama, with such talent as
Modjeska and Julia Marlowe in the
character of Rosalind, and it was
indeed treat to the patrons of the
chautauqua in Union City.
| SATURDAY.
On Saturday afternoon and even
ing we had the National Male Quar-
tet. First and last the chautauqua
has given us some good quartet
music, but it is hardly possible
that anyone did not have agood word
for this organization. There were
four young men with four fine per-
sonalities and the four grand divi-
sions of music assembled with the
finest results. The selections were
popular and timely. One specially
fine hit was the burlesque rendition
of the selection from Rigoletto,
which was few days before given
true rendition by the Chapel Sing
ers.
During the evening performance
Mr.. Cox was heard in some imita-
tions. The first was of Bert Will
liams, who was seen last winter at
the Winter Garden in New York, and
this was really the first big comedy
hit of the chautauqua. His next was
a Harry Lauder sketch in costume,
and it was really treat to most of
us who had not enjoyed the pleasure
of seeing Lauder himself. The Ma
tional Male Quartet, we believe, can
be cIassed with the best of the chau-
tauqua offerings.
Frederick Monsen wac the speaker
of the evening. "The Truth About
Mexico was the subject. DR.. Monsen
is scientist and was engaged in
some explorations in Mexico. He
was in that country for twenty years
or more and became thoroly familiar
with the people and the governing
classes. His lecture was illustrated
with some slides of his own make,
photographed and colored with rare
skill by the artist that he is. A
number of views of the cities, land-
scape and natives were shown. The
most remarkable of these were the
churches, some of them triumphs of
architecture and art, built as far
back as four centuries. Some of the
churches were constructed with a
great deal of solid silver interior
work, which came from the rich sill
yer mines of Mexico. These, of
course, were Catholic churches built
under Spanish rule.
DIR. Monsen speaks with slight
accent, but he is man with fine
and presence.
He recited the leading incidents Of
the Mexican revolution from the
time of Porfirio Diaz, who became
President of Mexico in 1876. It |
seems that after the conquest Of Mex
leo by Spain, or rather by Cortez, and
for some centuries the Indians, which
even now some three
fourths of the population, were liv-
ing on their own lands practically
But Diaz came in, the
most supreme dictator probably of
any republic. He had two great
trunk lines of railroad constructed
the capital, Mexico City,
with the rest of the world. When
.hese roads were finished the lands
became more valuable, but there was
/ lack of labor for cultivation, and
0iaz conceived the idea of dispossess-
ng the Indians and forcing them to
work on the plantations. This he
lid by notifying them that they had
10 titles from the Spanish crown,
md they must give way. This then
the Indians. Francisco Ma
lero, seeing the part that Diaz was
,laying, became the leader of the
evolutionary forces. In the mean
ime, or probably little before Ma
ero entered the conflict, the Gov
rnor of one of the Mexican States
ecame involved in local affair. The
amily Of Villa (Veeya) lived close
y, who made small living by mar
of;ror rn;Jl ouA nhoaco uil1o hoA