Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-06-16
SEEING THE NORTHWEST.
BY ]. o. Knott.

Imagine four persons in a finely
equipped auto, going on an average
of fifty miles day, stopping at the
end of each journey at well-sited,
well-seated, well-filled tent, to lecture
twice and give two concert entertain
ments. Imagine the roads of gravel
make, and straight rs an arrow. run
ming through a country with pastures
as green and Juicy as those of Holland,
and the rich fields dotted with white
and hlack-spotted Holstein cattle.
Imagine farms laid out in what is
known here as manifestations, half
sections and demonstrating that
farms of one hundred and sixty acres
make quarter section, and every
square foot under cultivation, and not
a rock in sight. Also imagine the
soil as black as your hat, very level
or but gently rolling, with every barn
having a Silo attachment, and equip
ped with galvanized ventilatOrs, while
the houses are uncovered in trees 10
protect them from ting north winds oil
the winter. These are some of the
characteristics of this wonderful cOun-
try through which we are passing Just
now. We have passed through some
parts of Iowa, much of Minnesota, ana
we are now for month in Wisconsin.
| confess that | have had hitherto a
very strong anti-west feeling. Some
how | associated the west with boost,
bluff, certain decided want of cul-
ture on the part of the people. and
Oklahoma, which | cordially hated.
But the "lure of the west" possesses
me now. OF course we see the cOun-
-
.orablc conditions.
The Gerhart Concert Company, CON
stitutcd Of Mr.. and Mrs. Gerhart AMI
third member, has kindly added me,
the "iirSt-day lecturer" to their party;
and with a spacious auto we travel thus
practically all the time. When the
journeys are very long and maybe haz-
ardous, Mr.. Gerhart requests me to go
BY train and thus obviate accidents both
to his auto and to our arrival at our
towns on schedule time. We four MAKE
up the first day attraction" Of the
Chautauqua, and while | give an after
noon and evening lecture, the Ger
harris always precede me with con-
cert and other features of imperSona-
tons. readings and the like. may say,
in passing. the company is one of the
best in the work.
Of course, one naturally compares a
tour like this with the tour of the south
last summer. In making this COmpar-
ison | may bring out definitely the
northwest characteristics as We have
seen them so far.
In the south we were constantly see
ing comic situations which relieved the
tedium of slow travel and poor hotel
Accommodations. The negro OF the south
afforded us perpetual amusement, while
the picturesque "oldtimer," seen here
and there at railway stations, and in
our Chautauqua gatherings, gave 1cst
TO our work. But in this section OF
the country one is struck constantly
with admiration for the beauty Of the
scenery and particularly over the mum
berlesS lakes freSh-water lakes oil
every hand
have not noted anything in OF out
of our tents that might call for amusc-
ment or that makes a human bit of the
picturesque. The hotels, in the small
places even, are well-equipped Elec-
tricty and such modern Injuries is TO
be expected as matter of course. Our
audiences generally, particularly in
the evenings, take up all of the seat
ing capacity of our tentS-and this
means an audience of from three hun
drcd to five hundred We do nor h1yc
ary demonstration when orr concrr-
GERMANY plavs "Dixje." as lis closing
number This is the first sectjy, of
the country thar | have exnerienced
the absence of some demonstration N
Inc rendering of This southern air
And, consistent with the abScnre Of
demonstration AZ "Dixie." Is the ab.
scnce of that almost scream of A.
plause which characterizcs So many
southern audiences We are iust now
in \ section of Wisconsin ,neo~ IN, mid.
die west of in where Norwrcinns ba4
settled in the early lum5er Jlvs, "nJ
their posterity now own the farms and
conduct the dairy business IN - crrat
scale These pcop;r are ufhcrans in
religion and nnitr dicniG,d ana nm