Going through some things that need to be
scanned for the genealogical society, I came across a booklet entitled, The
Algona Chautauqua. I had heard of a
Chautauqua before and was aware it was a type of educational program, but
thumbing through this booklet made me want to learn more.
Chautauqua was an educational and social
movement which originated in the late 19th century. It was a method by which the average person
could continue their education by listening to nationally-known speakers that
covered a wide range of topics as well as enjoy some musical and light-hearted
entertainment. Scattered throughout were
sermons or lectures with a moral or religious message. These events were especially popular in small
towns without access to the variety of speakers and entertainments in larger
cities.
The fourth annual Chautauqua which took place
in Algona from June 24th to July 2nd in 1911 was just
such a program. Beginning at 3 p.m. each
day with the exception of Sundays, the presentation would commence with a
musical prelude which would be followed by a speaker. After a break for dinner, a similar format
was followed starting at 7:45 p.m. with musical entertainment after which the
same speaker from the afternoon program would expound on another topic or a new
lecturer or entertainer would present. On
Sundays a musical interlude followed by a sermon was added at 10:30 a.m.
With no local venues
large enough to hold the expected crowd, an enormous tent was erected on the
playground behind Central School. Adult season tickets were priced at $2.50 and
entitled the bearer to the entire nine-day experience. Season tickets were available for children
for $1. You could also purchase day
tickets for 50¢ each or single admissions for 35¢. More than 300 season tickets had been sold in
advance and the committee had hopes of selling another 700 at the opening.
The event schedule
included 18 programs and 36 separate entertainments during the Chautauqua. When the complete program was announced, the
locals were delighted to learn that the Williams Jubilee Singers would once
again be providing the musical productions during the first four days. Their previous concerts here had been very
well received and the planning committee knew they would attract a large crowd.
This troupe of black singers was highly trained and extremely talented. Their advertisement states, “Our selection of
songs varies from the Opera to the Negro Boat and Cabin Songs” and included a
large repertoire ranging from classic selections to plantation songs and even
ragtime. They had performed all across
the United States and Canada with much success.
Speakers for the
event included a United States Senator (W. S. Kenyon of Iowa), two state
governors (Mississippi and North Carolina), a congressman from Indiana, a
Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church as well as several other
clergymen. Other acts featured included
a humorist, ventriloquist, and a lecturer.
Perhaps the most unusual speaker was Tahan, the White Savage, whose presentation
almost did not take place.
Train travel in those
days was not always the most reliable.
With all of their celebrities coming in by rail and sometimes scheduled
to arrive only an hour or two before their scheduled presentation, it was
common for one or more presenters to either arrive late or not show up at
all. Such was the case for Tahan, the
White Savage. He was expected to arrive
on the 1:27 p.m. train on Tuesday afternoon, but the train itself was an hour
late. He was to give his presentation at
3 p.m. When the train finally pulled
into the depot, he was not on it. The
audience had gathered. What was the
committee to do? Thankfully, humorist
Opie Read had arrived in Algona early to have some quiet time to work on a book
he was writing. He was not scheduled to
present until Friday. Read was willing to
go on and gave the same lecture he had the year before. It was well received by the audience, many of
whom had not heard it before.
And, just as Opie
finished his speech, Tahan arrived on the late afternoon train. He had simply missed his connection in
Chicago. The committee asked him to stay
and promised him a spot if any other speaker did not show. He agreed and when W. S. Battis, the
interpreter of Dickins, failed to arrive on Thursday, the opportunity presented
itself. He appeared on the platform in
full Indian dress and proceeded to tell his story.
Joseph K. Griffis was
born in the frontier near where the city of Gainesville, Texas, is now
located. His father was a well-known
United States scout known as “California Joe” and his mother was a quarter
Osage Indian. When he was two years old
a band of Kiowas raided the Osage settlement where he lived with his
mother. She was killed trying to protect
him. It was the intent of the young
warrior who killed his mother to kill him too, but he reconsidered and the
child was presented to Kiowa Chief Zepkho-eete and his wife, Tsilta. When she learned he came from Texas, she
named him “Tahan” which means Texas man.
He was accepted into the family and raised with the chief’s other
children. As his life unfolded, at age
10 he was returned to an uncle in Texas but growing homesick, he returned to
the Kiowas. He served as a scout in the
Army, was court martialed when he refused the order of a young officer to
polish his boots, and sentenced to death.
While awaiting execution, he escaped from prison and wandered for three
years, suspicious and afraid. It was
while he was in London, Ontario, that he was befriended by a member of the
Salvation Army and became a Christian. He
learned to read and write, became a Presbyterian minister, and received a
pardon from President Grover Cleveland. |
| Joseph K. Griffis a/k/a Tahan |
The audience found
Tahan’s presentation very pleasing and many complimentary remarks were
received. Senator Kenyon’s speech was
also a highlight of the event. Some
other speakers did not receive such glowing remarks. Thomas Brooks Fletcher spoke on the topic,
“The Martyrdom of Fools.” The Algona
Courier described him as follows: “He is young, impulsive, and conceited and
possesses a good deal of natural ability.
He talked fast and furious and worked himself into a frenzy and a sweat.
. . His talk was at times highly dramatic and was interspersed with wit that
kept the audience in good humor. But he
didn’t know when to stop. He talked a
good half hour too long and made the audience tired and added nothing to the
essence of his lecture.” The
newspaper also panned the performance of Magician Hal Merton stating that “It
pleased the children though it was not a very good exhibition of magic art and
was scarcely worth what it cost.”  |
| Rounds Ladies Orchestra |
The other two other
musical groups, the Rounds Ladies Orchestra and the Castle Square Entertainers,
were found to be quite entertaining. The
orchestra consisted of nine women who played a variety of instruments as well
as performed vocal solos, duets and quartets. The group was directed by Herbert O. Rounds
and featured his wife, Flora Sprague Rounds.
The Castle Square Entertainers billed themselves as “a first-class
quartette of popular entertainers with excellent voices, whose ensemble work
has been perfected by several seasons of successful concert work.” Their repertoire ranged from humorous songs
to Irish monologues, and dramatic readings.
Both were well received by the audience, but it was mentioned that
neither measured up to the Williams Jubilee Singers.
On the last evening,
the Castle Square Singers closed the event with a concert of sacred music. Members of the Chautauqua committee then
addressed the crowd, thanking everyone for their patronage which allowed them
to cover all of their expenses leaving a modest balance. The audience gave the committee a standing
ovation in thanks for the excellent experience and unanimously expressed their
favor of continuing the Chautauqua another season.
The Chautauqua events
continued on for many more years, coming to an end in the late 1920’s or early
1930’s. Times were changing and the programs
no longer attracted the crowds of the past. But they were long remembered for bringing
culture and high-quality entertainment to small town America.
Until next time,
Jean
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