Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1926-08-26

kindness. In fact, is there any In
vestment of such little cost that pays
bigger dividends than kindness?
DR.. James Ball Naylor lives in
Malta, which is the town on the 9th
er side of the Muskingum from Nc
Connelsville. Besides his medical
practice these years he has written
many novels with settings in that
valley and over the Buckeye state.
And he has written books of verse.
Some years ago he went out on the
platform and gave programs OF read
ings from his own books. He has
had a long career of local and ma
tional appreciation.
A Real Chautauqua
This is the twenty-first season or
the McConnelsville Chautauqua. All
these years they have spent about
$1,000 a year to carry on their Chau-
tauqua, and they have never charged
more than SO for the season-ticket
for the ten days. That is ten cents
a meeting. The big men and wom-
en-. the big speakers and singers and
players have been going there, and
the people have been hearing them
right along for dime. That is great
cooperation The one who wants to
have reserved seat can have it for
ten cents more, or for $50 for the
season. Thus NcConnelsvillites
have ten days Of daily outing in their
beautiful park on the edge of the
city, and have daily band concerts,
have lectures, music and all The
rest for $3.50, in a reserved seat.
Artists and Models want that for
one exposure in Chicago.
About IS local citizens form the
Chautauqua association. and nearly
all Of them have been on the COM
mittee unchanged since the begin
ming. One of the key men is j. E,
Fosbert, the secretary these years.
He told me that this, the 21st
year their Chautauqua is even more
and prosperous than it was
in the years it was novelty. The
that seats perhaps 1000
people was jammed at times, with
more people standing outside.
This auditorium is unique affair
a rectangular wooden building
with the stage in one angle and the
seats spreading out fan-shaped over
a concrete floor rising to the rear. 1t
has beautiful platform and set
tings, splendidly lighted. The wall
ed sides of the enclosed platform are
done with the rounded slabs of logs
with the bark on, giving a rustic eff
feet. Around it in the shade of the
park are bandstand and various
pavilions. With festoons of lights it
made an enchanting meeting place
during the balmy weather, and
almost the whole population turned
out to enjoy it.
McConnelsville-M Malta people are
OF English, Yankee and other Amer
lean stock. The region is SO iso-
lated from great city influences that
a Chautauqua such as this can pros
per and be appreciated. The peo
pie are of the highest type of intelli
gence, and Mr.. Torbert explains that
this is the reason the Chautauqua is
SO firmly established there. This is
partly the reason. But one of the
main reasons is that Torbert is
there. He is a Chautauqua enthu
siast, and loves to work with it. He
is one of the publishers of local
newspaper there. Some time ago
he went over to Sebring, o., a manu-
featuring town established by the
Sebring family, and established a
there. Now this new
town with all nationalities and with
an extremely thin layer of Chau-
soil is maintaining a seven
day Redpath circuit Chautauqua
Torbert there is the. main reason.
Again the fact often stated Of old:
You can run a lyceum or Chautau-
qua anywhere outside of a grave
yard, if you can find the Man.
DR.. Charles A. Gage, pastor of the
Hyde Park Methodist church of Chi
cago, is the platform manager, and
he also breaches, lectures and con-
,erts besides leading the singing.
He appears more than a dozen times,
and has been going to McConnels- !
Vile Chautauqua for many years, so
that he is friend of the COM
Gage has a row of towns
10 manage for Loar that way, that he .
has been visiting season after sea-
son. He used to be a member of the
Preachers Quartet.
The bus left McConnelsville for /
New Lexington at $50, so I had to
get up at s. Now when the hotel /
man pounded on my door at s in the (
| would have given a mil !
lion dollars for another hour of 7
sleep. There was the visiting late
at night and the frescoed ice cream !
and the limeade, and then to bed be- !
side the court house where the big /
bell gongs forth every few minutes.
You know how you retire after you
get your stage finery back into the |
bags, with only a few hours to sleep
before the cruel bureau route sheet /
makes you rise and rustic. and you |
Just can't sleep for worrying about /
having to get up so soon. You feel
ike a martyr.
But as many times before, when | !
oried my eyes open and got into ac-
ion. it was JOY to get out into the .
world when morning was young. l
was so proud Of myself to be up and .
stirring as nature woke. / felt so
superior to pass houses and hear
adult snores. The birds and bees
we're happy with me. The fresh
summer morning was delicious. II