The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-06-24
CHAUTAUQUA ENDS
WITH fine SUCCESS
THURSDAY.


artists program. Mr.. Mercer is a
tenor of undisputed quality and
power, and his program was unique,
from the fact that there were quite
a number of airs, folklore and char
acter songs, at the same time very
few familiar ones. Annie Laurie"
was one of the evening songs, and it
kindled the audience to enthusiasm.
The violinist, Harold Ayers. is a
young man, but he plays with skill
which the unframed mind cannot
fully analyze, tho charming indeed
the general impression of his music.
The pianst contributed her share to
the performance which, altogether,
was a chautauqua topliner.
Katherine Ridgeway, who had
been much discussed as a talented
woman, was here Thursday evening.
She came out in q very elaborate cos
tune of white drapery, and there was
a mingled sensation of surprise and
uncertainty. If one had an idea,
however, of the danseuse, it was soon
dissipated. Also If one lad received
a nudge at the wealth of Mercer's
! repertoire, he had only hint of the
hidden treasure of Ridgeway's lore.
She is first woman of vitality and
animation. The next impression is
that she has spent much of her life
browsing in the works of creative
genius, and by no means the least
suggestive is her power of express
sion.
Miss Ridgeway drew from the
works of the ancients, as we'll as from
the medieval and modern periods.
She was versatile end imposing, and
if even hint of mannerism it was
soon dissolved into living imagry and
fantastic forms. TIE lingerie and
the linen were entirely forgotten
when the old man hushed the baby
to sleep. Probably the most appeal
ing part of her work was the closing
address. This was on the subject of
world disarmament, and Miss Ridge
way became for the time being an
advocate at the ba4 of justice for the
mothers of America. She drew the
contrast between the forces of brutal
war and those of universal peace,
calling as witnesses of war those of
the best of our blood and race now
lingering and dying in the hospitals,
pitiful remains of the youth and hope
Of America.
Miss Ridgeway spoke of the meet
ing to be held at Geneva, Switzer-
land, next fall, at which time and
place Miss Jane Addams, one of the
greatest American women is to pre-
side.
Miss Ridgeway's appearance here
was one of the events of the Redpath |
Circuit.
FRIDAY.
On Friday afternoon a lecture by
j. M. Phelps, of Lincoln, Nebr., was |
substituted for the lecture of Harry |
j. Loose, who was heard here last |
year. There was no report for this
paper, but we understood that Mr..
Phelps underscored the point made
by his two predecessors on the sub
ject of immigration. 1t seems that
the entire weight of the chautauqua
talent has been directed against the
influx of foreign immigration as
whole, and especially against the IL
iiterate slavic and colored races. The
last and probably the most compre-
hensive of all the chautauqua lee
turers here this year, Mr.. Loveland,
made no argument on immigration,
but he maintained that no republic
could stand with a polyglot popula-
tion.
On Friday night the Ben Greetl
Players presented Shakespeare's great
comedy, "As You Like It." Probably
the largest audience of the chautau-
qua was present. Grace Hasley Mills
was cast in the part of Rosalind.
Miss Mills was seen here before with
the same company and her return
was in the manner of very warm
She is by nature and all
the arts of the profession "hand in
glove" with the part. The assimula-
ton of the youth in male attire and
The ripening of concealed affection .
we're true to the best types of tradi-
ion. She brought us a Rosalind at
,nce recognized by Shakesperean stu !,
tents and accepted by the dramatic
,ult. The entire cast was worthy Of
praise. The lover, Orlando, the ban
shed duke; Jacques with his "seven !.
lges'' and wise shafts; Touchstone
With his wit, ''the quip retort, reply