The Chautauqua Idea

Owii'jr to t lic ccmmencemeni 01 me season of the Chaiitauqua circle In this city, the followinjr WCMint by lila A. Harper i.f the work in this itate may be of interest. He who liM (Vdiired there was "notlin_' ncw tinder the sun" did not tontee the "Cbuutwiqua movement," cerUlnly a most orisfinal conceptinii and ooe of the greatet edueational factors of the age. Sincc this "movemei t" striick Michigan, only two years íro, it lias spread like a Ibrest firê, and a short review of the novement"itelf aud ts rcinarkiihlc progresa In this state muy prove of enera! interest. The Sunday School Aosemhly, which held its tirst teMlon at ChautauqUH, X. Y., August, 1874, was the out¦ow tb aud expansión of the tline-houored eamp-meetlng, and was planned and carrii-d out by Lewif Mlller, Esq., of Akron, O., and Dr. John H. Vinoent, of l'lainiield, N. J. These gentlemen have held ever since the respective positions of President of the Board of Managers and Superintendent of Iiistruction. The site selected tor this memorable ttrgt meeting was on the horen of beautiful lake Chautauqua, in Noithwestérn New York, and the basis of the work was announced to be "a normal training lor the pur pose of linprovinjr of instructlou in the Sunday school and family." From Sundiiy school work to the great "wtek day" work of the world is but a step. In the language of Dr. Vincent: If general education be a good thing for Sunday school and other teachers; if acquaintunce with the every day world and and ability to grapple its forces in the in terests of our youlh- to ward off evll influences and to use the good- be so desirable on the part of those who teacli 1" the schools one hour on Sunday, orflvehours a day for five days In the week, and the parents whose blood, oplnions, personal authority and unconscious influence mold charitcter, tix creeds and determine all the radical movements of early llfc! And Cliuiitauqua made answer to the questions to which her inltial work gave birth. The liifht slie had started at the alter of the Sunday school she took linally with bold hand, and lighted every one of the seven lamps on the golden candlestlcks In that 'holy place,' the home. The family circle was made a school. Books were brought in, pictures were hung up, telescope and microscope were adj usted, the Hible was opened, the tires of devotion on the home alter kindled, and lull grown people were set at work, rendlng, talking, teacbing." This expresses briefly the objects ot Cliautauqua, and to carry tbem out In a systematic manner there was formed the great Cliautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, which all truc Chautauquans express by the magie letters, C. L 8. C 'l'his comprises a full course of literary aud scientific sttidy, requlring one hour's reading each day ior four years. It is impoeslble in this brief space to enter into a detailed account of the rise and progress of tlils great "Chnutatiqna idea.' To indícate the hohl lt has obtained upon tlie people, it is only necessary to say that trom the four or live hiindicd elect tudantl wlio carne together at Chautauqua In 1874, the number wlio are now taking thii coun-e of sludy has increascd, aceording to tho records, to 1ÜO,O(K). There are Cliautanqua clrcles in BlfDOtt all of the United State, In Canada, England, RUMÍH, India, China, Japan, South África and the islands oí the Pacit'u1J5ut all the world canoot go to ChantaiKiua, and yet these loyal and devoted j-iiidentsloveto meet together onceayear and enjoy the lectures, the ninsic, ïoiiiid table?, vesper services, camp lires, receptions and ali the delighttul features of the Cliautauqua Unlversity In New York. To supplv tbi growing demand it has become a custom to have branch assembiies in varlous localiües, which should offer all tlie pleasant and prolïtable characteristics of the central institution. There are now in a flourishing state of cxistence forty of these brancli assemblies, one ol' the latest and most vigorouabeinglocated at Bay View, in luis state. The Ohiuitniiqiiu Idea has been slow in strikiug root in Michigan, tint It found the soil prepared and, in the short pwM "f tWO years, has attained a hardy ti(i permanent growth DflMEftaiMd in iny otbef state. We would withhold honor white honor is due if we dld not give the credit for a great mensure of this success to Mr. John M. Hall, of Plint. Himself an ardent dtctple ofdiautaiiqua, he saw the necd of a thorough oigauizution in the state, and through his systematic ifibrts there are ut present in Michigan 200 Chautanqiia fMding circles, nnmbering i,00 ineinbera. Ot' theso over (01) have linished the four years' course of reatltug, p.tssed the regular c.taininations and received the diplomas of the "Chaulauqua University." Michigan enjoys the distiuction of being the lirst to orgauize a state departnient of the C. L. 8. C. This also is due to the efforts of Mr. Hall. Kecognizing the valuable adjunct of the Chautauqua to church work, Mr. Hall began orgaohv ing the circles through the medium of the cliurches. Hissuccesssoon attracted the i tt nlion of Dr. Vincent, and he was apliolnted by the central office state agent for Cliaulautqua work. So rapidly dii the luimber of circles increase, and so phenomenal was tbe interest awakened, that it soon became evident that Michigan must have her own assembly. In this state of many sununer resorts it was not difflcult to find a desirahle location, and certalnly no inore beautlful sitecould have been 6electcd. Bay View is one mile above Petoskty, open cars and boats running every half hour betweeu the two places, and also connecting theni with Harbor Springs, Harbor Point, We queton-sing, Oden and othtr watering places. The elevatlou is 200 feet and the round decends in natural tenaces to the lake shore. It is thlckly wooded and supplied wlth excellent water f rom natural 8j)rin's welling out clear and cold from a pilurisquespot, reverentially called Mt. l'isgah. The assembly was opened last year as an experiment and was so very siiecessful that the ground was formally leased tïotn the Methodist Camp Meeting Association and arrangements made to put it on a permanent basis. Alre:idy about J00 cottages have been built, ranging In prlce from the elegant one of J. W. Moon, of Muskegon, at a cost of $5,000 to the little Grand Kapids " ready made" at $100. Most of the cottages are exceedingly tastful and ornamental, while nniny have the appearance of having been built for homes all the year round. A large and airy amfitheater hai been built at. i cost of $1,200. Department Hall is an other commodious strueture for iissembly purposea. These are surrounded by the Öecretary's office, (J. 1. S. C. book store, etc. The building dearestto all meinbers of the "eircles" is Chautauqua Cottage, jnst linished at a cost of $1,000. It is a handsomc two-story building, surrounded by broad verandas overlr.oking the lake. The lower story is diviiled by ly lolding doors Into two plcasaiit apartmentH, htiug with choice engravings und embellished with Japanese work, l'cnis, grasses, etc. Here are held the round tables and the vesper services, and hcre, was organized the Btate branch of the C. L. S. O. The assembly ha9 been an unqualilied success. There have been from six to seven thousand people in atte:idance and all seemed delighted with the exercises. Science is simply coinmon sense at its best; that in, rigidly accurate in observatlon, and merciless to fallacy in logic-