The Story of Chautauqua Part 13

O. Excell, and Miss Tuthill, soloists. Dr. Charles J. Little gave a course of lectures on English literature; Dr. Henson, Miss Susan Hayes Ward, Dr. J. W. Butler of Mexico, and Dr. S. S. Smith of Minnesota were among the lecturers. We heard Ram Chandra Bose and Dennis...o...b..rne of India, and Sau Aubrah of Burmah, a most interesting speaker on the customs of his country and his impressions of ours. Princ.i.p.al Fairbairn of Oxford made the history of philosophy interesting, and the Rev. A.

J. Palmer of New York won instant fame by his great war lecture, "Company D, the Die-no-more's," given on Grand Army Day to a great concourse of old soldiers.

On Sat.u.r.day, August 23d, a reception was given to the Governor of Pennsylvania, Hon. Robert E. Pattison. Friday, August 15th, was observed as the decennial anniversary of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

I find on the program of that year a series of colloquies named "The Socratic Academy," conducted by Dr. H. H. Moore. I know not what subjects they discussed, nor how they discussed them, but I remember Dr.

Moore as one able to shed light on any subject that he chose to present.

As I read the program of any one of those years at Chautauqua, I realize how utterly inadequate must be any sketch like the above to bring it before a reader.

By this time three cla.s.ses of the C. L. S. C. had been graduated, '82, '83, and '84. Four more cla.s.ses were pursuing the course, so that C. L.

S. C. members present at Chautauqua might now be counted by the thousand. There was a strong cla.s.s-spirit. Each cla.s.s had its name, its motto, its badge, and its banner, and ribbon badges were fluttering everywhere. Every day came announcements from the platform of cla.s.s-meetings, and it was sometimes difficult to provide for them all.

During the season of 1884 two cla.s.ses united their interests, raised money, and purchased a small octagonal building near the Hall of Philosophy. These were the cla.s.ses of '83 and '85. The movement for cla.s.s headquarters was growing; all the other cla.s.ses began the raising of building funds, and those who looked into the future saw all around St. Paul's Grove the prospect of small buildings rising. How would the grounds appear when forty cla.s.ses should have little headquarters--a C.

L. S. C. village? The plan began to be mooted of a Union Cla.s.s Building, to be realized later.

CHAPTER XV

THE CHAPLAIN'S LEG AND OTHER TRUE TALES (1885-1888)

THE twelfth year of the a.s.sembly, 1885, opened with a preliminary week, beginning July 7th, for the Teachers' Retreat and the School of Languages, and closed with "After-week," making the entire session fifty-three days long, ending on August 28th. But the official "opening"

did not take place until the traditional date, Tuesday, August 7th. For years, indeed from the beginning, Dr. Vincent had set his heart on having a chime of bells at Chautauqua. The practically minded trustees urged for some needed improvement, and buildings for the growing schools, but the poetic conception carried the day, and in 1885 the Meneely chime of ten bells was heard at the opening in July. Some common souls in cottages around complained of their frequency, awaking folks early in the morning and breaking their naps in the afternoon, but to most their mellow music was a welcome sound.

It has always been the rule that quiet must reign on the grounds after the night bells at 10:00 P.M., and watchmen have been wont to knock at doors where the rule was honored in the breach instead of the observance. A parlor full of young people enjoying themselves does not always come to silence in a minute. I remember one house near the Point where dwelt an elderly lady with abundant gray hair but a young heart, and also with an attractive daughter. That home was exceedingly popular among the younger set, and their meetings--doubtless held for the discussion of serious subjects, for the voices were sometimes loud--were often prolonged beyond the time of the bells. One night an unusually imperative rap of the watchman's stick on the front door startled the group. The door was opened a little and the matron put forth her head with the words loudly spoken, "Shoot, if you must, this old gray head!"

whereupon the watchman departed without a word.

In the revolution of the Chautauqua Circle, 1885 was known as the Roman year, having as its major subject Latin history and literature. The studies of the "Foreign Tour" in the a.s.sembly program embraced lectures, with ill.u.s.trations on Italian cities and scenery. Dr. Vincent's fertile mind conceived a plan to aid the students of the course, and incidentally to advertise it, by a series of object-lessons. He divided Pratt Avenue, the path leading up to the college on the hill, into sections corresponding by their relative lengths to the periods of Roman history, and erected at the proper points along the road, posts to commemorate the leading events, with dates and names of the great men of the several periods. These milestones were black, with inscriptions in white. As people pa.s.sed by they would be reminded of the leading facts in the story of the Eternal City. Often might be seen members of the C.

L. S. C., notebook in hand, storing their minds with the dates and events in the annals of Rome. The coal-black pillars had a somewhat sepulchral look and suggested a graveyard. One lady who was a stranger at Chautauqua, and evidently not a member of the C. L. S. C., asked Dr.

R. S. Holmes, one of the leading workers, "Can you tell me why all these tombstones have been set up here. Surely all the men named on them cannot be buried along this street!" The question was also asked if it was proposed each year to set up a row of trophies on other streets for the American year, the English year, the Greek year, and by degrees to turn all Chautauqua into a memorial grove for great men and great deeds of all the ages; but at the close of the season the monuments were gathered up and carried away, leaving no successors.

The lecture platform of 1885 was as strong as ever. Dr. Charles F. Deems of New York delivered the baccalaureate sermon on Sunday, August 16th, an unique discourse on the short text, "One New Man" (Eph. 2:15), and the Recognition Address on the following Wednesday was by Dr. E. E. Hale of Boston. A special series of "Yale University Historical Lectures" was given by Professor Arthur M. Wheeler. Bishop Cyrus D. Foss of the Methodist Episcopal Church preached on Sunday, August 23d. Dr. John P.

Newman delivered a lecture on August 25th in memory of President U. S.

Grant, of whom he had been a friend and pastor. This year a young man made his first appearance upon the Chautauqua platform, not yet as a lecturer, but introducing speakers in felicitous sentences and presiding with the ease of an experienced chairman. This was Mr. George Edgar Vincent, just graduated from Yale University, from whom Chautauqua and the world in general was to hear before many years.

In 1885, the inst.i.tution received a new charter from the Legislature of New York, giving it the name "Chautauqua University" and the power to confer degrees. By vote of the Board, the t.i.tle "Chancellor of the Chautauqua University" was given to Dr. Vincent. It was hoped to establish a college for study by correspondence, with reviews of the subjects taught in the summer meeting. But the expense of a professional staff was great and the number of students was not large enough to support it without an endowment. The Chautauqua University might have won a place in the world of education, if friends had been found to bestow upon it a liberal endowment, but among the varied gifts of Dr.

Vincent was not that peculiar talent for raising money. The University did not prosper, and in 1898 the Trustees voluntarily surrendered to the Regents of the University of the State of New York the examination of candidates and the conferring of degrees. Again the t.i.tle was changed and the University became "The Chautauqua System of Education."

The year 1886 ushered in some improvements. In place of the old wharf stood a new pier building, three stories high, with stores on the upper balcony, for the steamboat still brought most of the Chautauqua crowds and at their arrival a throng was always present to greet them. Above the building rose a tower, from which sounded forth over the lake and through the Grove the melody of the Chautauqua chimes. On the hill was the new Jewett House, given by Mrs. A. H. Jewett as a home for self-supporting young women, teachers and others, while at Chautauqua.

The program of that year shows that a faculty of sixteen conducted the work in the Chautauqua Teachers' Retreat, and fifteen others gave courses in the School of Languages. Lessons in Harmony, Organ and Piano, Drawing and Painting were also added. The Chautauqua School of Physical Education was established under the direction of Dr. W. G. Anderson. All these were signs that the system of summer schools at Chautauqua was increasing its range of study, as well as growing in the number of its students.

One of the lecturers at this season was Professor Caleb T. Winchester of Wesleyan University. It was a privilege to listen to his scholarly yet delightful account of a ramble in the English lake country, with estimates of the literary lights who made that region famous. Dr. Wm. H.

Milburn, the blind chaplain of the United States Senate, Dr. Russell H.

Conwell, with his lecture of "Acres of Diamonds," Dr. Edward E. Hale and Mrs. Mary A. Livermore also gave lectures. Dr. Hale read his story, _In His Name_; and at the close of his reading came a general rush for his autograph. I happened to be in charge of the platform, and tried to excuse the speaker from adding to his burdens, but he declared his willingness to meet the demands of the people and wrote in every alb.u.m offered. In the crowd was a little girl, shabbily dressed, who had no alb.u.m, but brought a sc.r.a.p of brown paper which she had picked up. Dr.

Hale looked at the torn fragment, then took the copy of his story from which he had been reading, wrote on its fly-leaf his name, and handed it to the little girl.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Athletic Club]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Boys' Club Headed for Camp]

Two lecturers from the South attracted attention. One was the Rev. J. W.

Lee, an able, broad-minded man; the other was the unique evangelist, Rev. Sam P. Jones, whose utterances were sometimes eloquent, sometimes jocose, sometimes shocking, but always interesting. Dr. Willis J.

Beecher of the Auburn Theological Seminary, Dr. John Hall of New York, and President William F. Warren of Boston University were also among the speakers.

Readings were given by Will M. Carleton, George W. Cable, and General Lew Wallace, from their own writings. An immense crowd packed the Amphitheater to hear General Wallace read from his _Ben Hur_ the story of the Chariot Race. But candor compels us to say that it was not very thrillingly rendered. One who listened said, "He never got his horses off the walk." Other readers were George Riddle of Boston and Professor R. L. c.u.mnock of Northwestern University. This summer Mrs.

Frank Beard collected and conducted an Oriental Exhibition.

Almost every year Frank Beard was at Chautauqua, teaching a cla.s.s in art, making pictures in the children's cla.s.s, giving one or two crayon lectures, and occasionally on Sunday evenings an ill.u.s.trated Bible reading. As already intimated, that was the age when there was a craze for autographs, and everybody carried around an autograph alb.u.m, seeking signatures from the celebrities. After a popular lecture a crowd hastened to the platform and a hundred hands, each holding an alb.u.m, would be stretched out toward the speaker, demanding his autograph. Of course every child, and nearly every grown-up, must have Frank Beard's autograph, and with it a picture drawn by his hand. Frank said once in a religious meeting that his idea of heaven was a place where there were no autograph alb.u.ms.

Every year at Chautauqua is held a National Army Day, when the Civil War veterans from near and far a.s.semble, wear their G. A. R. uniforms and badges, and listen to an address in the Amphitheater. One year, I think it was 1886, but I am not sure, the orator was late in coming, and Mr.

Beard, himself a veteran of the war, was called upon to fill the vacancy. He told the story of "The Chaplain's Leg," of which some incredulous people have doubted the authenticity. As I remember it was somewhat as follows. He would come forward, slapping his right leg, and saying:

That is a good leg, but it isn't mine. It belonged once to the chaplain of our regiment; I was in a battle and happened to have a tree between myself and the whole rebel army. There was a change in the front, and I started to make a detour to another tree. Just in the middle of my march I ran against the chaplain, who was also making a detour, and at that moment came along a rebel sh.e.l.l, which took off one of his legs and also one of mine. We lay on the ground only a minute or two, and then an ambulance took us and the two legs on board. They carried us to the field hospital, and put on our legs, which grew just as they should, so that after a few weeks I was dismissed as cured. Well, I had been a long time, for me, without liquid refreshment, and I knew that out in the woods near the camp was an extemporized bar, in the shape of a board laid on two stumps of trees. I found it hard to walk in that direction, and had to pull my right leg along; but I thought that it needed only a little practice to be as good as ever. I got to the bar and ordered a gla.s.s of something; it might have been ginger-pop or it might have been something else. Just after it was poured out and before I could take hold of it, that right leg of mine lifted itself up and kicked over the whole contraption--gla.s.s, and jug, and bar, and then in spite of all I could do, stumped me back to camp!

And on the way I pa.s.sed the chaplain who was being dragged out _to_ the bar, while I was being pulled away from it. Then I knew what had happened in the hospital; they had put each leg on the wrong man, and I must carry around the chaplain's leg as long as I lived. The leg took me to church; at first it was pretty tough, but I got used to it. That leg brought me to Chautauqua, and here I am to-day, brought by the chaplain's leg. Some time ago I gave by request a lecture with pictures in the Sing Sing prison, and there among the convicts sat my old friend the chaplain, wearing a striped suit. What brought him there I can't imagine, unless--well, I don't know what it was.

The a.s.sembly of 1887 was fifty-eight days in length, from July 2d to August 28th. The schools were still growing in the number of students and enlarging their courses. Some of the new departments were the Arabic and a.s.syrian languages, mathematics, chemistry, oratory and expression, stenography, mineralogy, and geology. To house these cla.s.ses and the army of students, buildings were urgently needed, and this year a College Building arose overlooking the lake. It stood until two years ago, when on account of its dilapidation as well as its incongruity with the modern plans of the schools, it was taken down.

During the season of 1887, the Fourth of July Address was given by Hon.

Roswell G. Horr, member of Congress from Michigan. Dr. Fairbairn from Oxford was with us again, also the Rev. Mark Guy Pea.r.s.e of England, Dr.

Charles J. Little, Dr. John A. Broadus of Louisville, one of those scholars who know how to present great truths in a simple manner, Chaplain McCabe, Dr. Charles R. Henderson, on social questions of the time, and Mrs. Mary A. Livermore. Rev. Sam P. Jones was also on the platform for the second season. He gave his powerful sermon on "Conscience" with not a sentence to provoke a smile, but a strong call to righteousness. Another address, however, contained an application which called forth a smile all over the audience. It was known that Dr.

Vincent was being strongly talked of as a candidate for Bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in the following May, 1888, he was elected to that office. Dr. Vincent was presiding at Mr. Jones' lecture.

In the address Jones managed to bring in an allusion to bishops. Then turning halfway round toward the chairman, he said, "Doctor Vincent, I shouldn't wonder if they made you and me bishops before long. You see the thing's coming down."

The cla.s.s graduating this year in the C. L. S. C. was the largest in the history of the Circle. It included in its members.h.i.+p the Rev. G. R.

Alden and his wife, and was named in her honor, the Pansy cla.s.s. At this time the enrolled members of the C. L. S. C. were more than eighty thousand in number.

The a.s.sembly of 1888 opened on July 3d and closed on August 29th, fifty-eight days in length. The summer school was now announced as the College of Liberal Arts. I notice in the list of subjects taught: Old French, Scandinavian languages and literature, Sanskrit, Zend and Gothic, Hebrew and Semitic languages, and philology. It is not to be supposed that all of these cla.s.ses were overcrowded with students, but those in physical culture and arts and crafts were very popular. The annual exhibition of the gymnastic cla.s.ses has been for years one of the most thronged events on the program, and in antic.i.p.ation the Amphitheater is filled long in advance of the hour for beginning the exercises.

Among the lecturers of this season were Mrs. Alden, "Pansy," who read a new story, _The Hall in the Grove_; Dr. William R. Harper, Dr. Frank W.

Gunsaulus, Dr. Joseph Cook, Dr. Talmage, Dr. Hale, General Russell A.

Alger, and George W. Bain. Dr. Phillips Brooks, giant in body and in soul, preached one of his sermons, sweeping in swift utterances like a tidal wave. One hardly dared draw a breath for fear of losing his mighty periods. Bishop William Taylor of Africa, was also present, and thrilled his hearers, yet in a calm, quiet manner, absolutely free from any oratorical display. There was a charm in his address and the most critical hearers felt it, yet could not a.n.a.lyze it. I met, not at Chautauqua but elsewhere, a lawyer who admitted that he rarely attended church because he could not endure the dull sermons; but after listening to Bishop Taylor, said that if he could hear that man he would go to church twice, even three times, on a Sunday. And yet in all his discourse there was not a rhetorical sentence nor a rounded period.

Mr. Leon H. Vincent was again at Chautauqua, with his literary lectures.

Either during this season or the one when he came next--for he was generally present every alternate year--it became necessary to move Leon Vincent's lectures from the Hall of Philosophy to the Amphitheater, on account of the number who were eager to hear them. Among those who gave readings were Mr. Charles F. Underhill of New York, Mr. George Riddle, and Professor R. L. c.u.mnock.

The Methodists, both of the North and the South, have always formed a large element in the Chautauqua const.i.tuency, partly because of their number throughout the continent, but also because both the Founders of the a.s.sembly were members of that church. This year, 1888, the Methodist House was opened, in the center of the ground, and at once became the social rallying place of the denomination. Its chapel, connected with the House, was built afterward by the all-year residents at Chautauqua as the home of the community church, which is open to all and attended by all, the only church having a resident pastor and holding services through the year, nominally under the Methodist system, but practically undenominational.

In May, 1888, Dr. John H. Vincent, after twenty years in charge of the Sunday School work as Secretary and Editor, was elected and consecrated a Bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church. For some years his episcopal residence was at Buffalo, within easy distance of Chautauqua, but his new duties required him to travel even more widely than before, and he needed an a.s.sistant to care for the work of the a.s.sembly. Mr. George E.

Vincent, able son of distinguished father, was this year appointed Vice-Princ.i.p.al of Instruction, and a.s.sumed a closer supervision of the program of Chautauqua.

In this year, also, Dr. William Rainey Harper was made Princ.i.p.al of the College of Liberal Arts, all the departments of the Summer School being under his direction. Another name appears on the record of 1888, the name of Alonzo A. Stagg, haloed in the estimate of young Chautauqua with a glory even surpa.s.sing that of the two Founders. For Stagg, just graduated from Yale, could curve a baseball more marvelously than any other man in America. He was one of the instructors in the gymnasium, and organized a team that played with most of the baseball clubs for miles around Chautauqua, almost invariably winning the game. It was said that the athletic field rivaled the Amphitheater in its crowds when Stagg played.

CHAPTER XVI

A NEW LEAF IN LUKE'S GOSPEL (1889-1892)