Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1922-10-19
CAPT. TRAVIS RECEIVES
AN INTERESTING ARTICLE

Mr. Joseph Il. HARRISON OF GIN
cinnati wrote letter to Mr.. Irven
Travis here. An extract from it
follows:
'It was nv desire that when /
wrote I would be able to say I had
read your paper in the 14th volume
Ohio Archaeological and Historical
Society. My volumes were stored
in the attic and I did not have a
chance to hunt them out until yes
terday. The first one I went after
! enthusiastically was the 14th, and
I read it through without putting
the book down. 1t contained just
what I wanted to know-something
of the early history of navigation
| on the Muskingum. The account is
very good and will be of permanent
value in the history of SOhio. In
1912 I made the trip down the
Muskingum for the first time, on a
boat, and its recollection stays with
me as one of the most interesting
that I ever made. One little thing
i impressed me, that I suppose you
have seen many times-the hand
! ling of Grated chickens without lift
! ing them--to push the crates off
/ on top of the lock wall, from the
lower deck when the down boat en-
ters the lock; then when the water
! has run out and the boat has gone
down, to push the crates back on
the upper deck. This is perhaps
only one instance of the many labor
saving devices which time and in
genuity have brought about in river
navigation. 1t was certainly
'far cry from the old canoe and
the pirogue to the steam controlled
rudder of the modern steamboat.
I am enclosing a little account of
my summer visit (1922) to McCOn-
nelsville, that was printed in the
Norwood Enterprise OF Aug. 81, for
any suggestive ideas, and there
| were many that / learned from your
people. and which I thought could
be copied with profit by Norwood,
where I used to live. I hope to Wis
it you again next year Please re-
member me to any inqu1rlng
friends, and believe me that l ap-
preciate your acquaintance and the
mutual interest we have in so
many subjects / enjoyed my taxi
ride from Malta to Marietta, and
thence to Cincinnati on the Gen
eral Wood"
The account printed in the Nor
wood Enterprise and referred to
above follows:
Dear Enterprise
IT has occurred to me that the
following may confirm = thought
useful in the production of the Nor
wood Chautauqua. which has been
so successful heretofore, and is
looked forward to from year to
year with SO much interest.
Tt has been my privilege to enjoy
it for several wears past, and I can
think Of nothing that brings so
many of YOUR citizens and neigh
bors together in such large num-
hers or is more of an uplift for
the community.
We must all have noted that
times change. and that " is tho nart
Of wisdom to ronet these chances
quickly and With enterprise when
the merits of new departure are
once known
The question how chautauGua
NAV be made the most helpful and
enjoyable is one which presents its
self In Norwood. it must be con
ceded that to the ladies great cred
it must be given for the success of
your chautauuua. and they are en-
titled to the best assistance that
you men can give them.
Ny point is, has not the time
come when the hot tent, with all its
discomforts of heat and storm
should be abandoned? I was out
one afternoon this year and ] near
ly died from the heat. Would It |
not he possible TO erect a suitable |
auditorium of the rustic style of
architecture. that might be used |
for years to come, for the chautau-
qua has come to stay? Also. if it /
could not be made an independent I
chautauuua, Norwood affair. I
I offer the experience OF that Of the
Muskingum Valley Chautauqua at
McConnelsville, Ohio, as an illus
tration. It is an independent chau
tauqua, kept up by the pride and in
terest of the citizens. I had the
pleasure of attending the whole
season this year and enjoyed it
very much 1t was their seven
teenth year The first year it was
held in a tent, but the second year
thew built an auditorium.
Their plan was to incorporate Ga
not for profit,) with
shares at $40 each They engage
their own talent, print their own
program, engage a good platform
and conduct it themselves.
The most of the work falls on the
secretary, who should be live man
or woman. At the close of one
the secretary begins
making arrangements, engaging
talent, ETC., for the next season.
Some years they have run a little
behind. but they are now out of
debt and have balance in the
treasury. Their talent costs them
about $4,000 each year. This year
they had among their speakers
Hon. s. d. Fess, Ex-Governor Hard
ing of Iowa and Webster Davis, Ex-
Mayor of Kansas City and former
of President McKinley's
cabinet, and two of the best orches-
tras in the country, the Scholle
Family and Hruby Bros.
Their auditorium is in the city
park, a pretty grove of giant elm
and sycamore trees, and inclines
to the rear and from the
treet to give each row of seats on
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