Wisconsin (Milwaukee).—The C. L. S. C. is booming here. The “Bay View” local circle recently organized by Rev. B. F. Sanford has thirty members, and has live meetings. This one and one on the south side are part of the result of Dr. Vincent’s late visit.
Iowa (Muscatine).—The local paper of Muscatine says: There is probably no town of its size where so much genuine literary taste abounds in society, as in Muscatine. Last evening, the third Chautauqua circle was organized with a membership of twenty-five, and the other two are flourishing like green bay trees. It will be said by the cynic that these organizations lack true cultus and real literary taste, the cultivated man and woman having little occasion to put themselves under an arbitrary discipline to compel the prosecution of their reading or study, and feeling little sympathy for a movement that violates the sacred privacy between author and reader, and refusing to submit their literary tastes to the procrustean exercise of any man’s dictation. We have heard these things said against the Chautauqua system, but if a tree is to be known by its fruits, there can be but one opinion of an organization that is rearing so many youth of our land of both sexes in the cultivation of their mental powers and graces, informing them in history, philosophy and art, bringing them betimes to the streams of pure literature, and accomplishing them so thoroughly in their wide range of study as to make them authorities everywhere by reason of the universality and accuracy of their attainments. It is thus that we find the advanced Chautauquans whom we have the honor to meet, and so are they impressing themselves upon the whole country.
Dakota (Yankton).—Our circle of ten or twelve members has had an existence of something more than a year. Our meetings, held once in two weeks, are intensely interesting and instructive, and each member seems enthusiastic in appreciation of the work. The interest has been such that one of our most difficult problems has been how to condense the discussion of the various points of interest in our studies, in order to close at a reasonable hour.
Dakota (Faulkton).—The former president of the C. L. S. C. work in Muscatine (Iowa) has removed to Dakota. The following notice from the Faulkton (Dakota) Herald proves that Chautauqua has not been forgotten: Last Friday evening a goodly number assembled at the residence of Major J. A. Pickler to discuss the advisability of forming a Chautauqua circle in Faulkton, and all appeared to be highly interested in having a society here. After some few remarks the Chautauqua circle was organized with Mrs. J. A. Pickler, president.
Kansas (Leavenworth).—This is our second year. We organized in March, and although five months behind, we succeeded in completing the first year’s work; but were thereby compelled to double the lessons and omit the observance of the Memorial Days, and the following of the admirable plan laid down in The Chautauquan; but are now marching ahead with the class of ’86, and find the enthusiasm somewhat increased. Our meetings are conducted on the conversational plan, being led by one of the best instructors, a former Professor in our public schools. We find it more interesting to assign portions of the lesson to each member for discussion. We appoint a critic at each meeting, and at the close of the lesson he brings his criticisms before the circle. On Memorial Days we briefly discuss the life of our character, and give our individual opinions in regard to his characteristics, and each member gives a selection or quotation from one of his works. This is the fourth year for one of our members, who, before the organization of the circle, pursued the course alone.