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THE ALKAHEST L YCEUM SYSTEM:
Since the days of Aristotle, the founder of the
“Peripatetic” School of Philosophy, and since the
time of the wandering minstrels who by word of
mouth carried to the people instruction skilfully
combined with entertainment, it has been recog
nized that the most forceful and effective method
of transmitting knowledge is by spoken words. This
fact is the foundation of the spoken lecture as an
educational method, rather than the written text
book, and the most recent students of pedagogy
have declared that the lecture even to beginners in
education, is vastly more satisfactory than a close
adherence to any text book, however well prepared.
Educational Value of the Lecture.
Thus with the precedent of the ancient Greeks
as well as of the Anglo-Saxon forbears of our
race we of today must fully recognize the value of
the lecture as an educational influence, as well as
of the effectiveness of the musical or humorous en
tertainer when brought before an audience of refine
ment and culture.
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S. RUSSELL BRIDGES, General Manager.
But the occasional lecture, given at indefinite and
indeterminate times, loses much of its force and
may even be lost sight of altogether because of con
flicting personal engagement, as well as for many
other reasons. This fact emphasizes the usefulness
of a special set course of lectures, recurring at fixed
dates, and given with a view to diversity, effective
ness and enjoyment. That such a set course must
be of benefit to any community goes without saying
and The Golden Age must ever applaud such a sys
tem and advocate its continuance.
The “Alkahest System.’’
Because of its geographical position the South is
often debarred from the visits of the foremost lec
turers and entertainers of the country who find a
wide field among a few large cities of the North and
West. This fact being well recognized it was
found necessary to employ some plan by which the
South might be assured regular visits by a fixed
number of eminent thinkers and speakers, and in an
effort to meet this need there was organized in At
lanta, about seven years ago, what was known as
the “Alkahest Lyceum System.” The enterprise
was comparatively speaking a new one and required
much careful management. During its first few
years it met with many and various vicissitudes—
so many, in fact, that about four years ago it was
re-organized with Mr. S. R. Bridges as president
and Mr. F. M. Loveless as secretary and treasurer.
Both these gentlemen, having been connected with
the enterprise from its very beginning, were ably
fitted to meet and overcome the disabilities of
the original enterprise. Atanta, being a central
city of the South, was continued as the headquar
ters of the company and a systematic course of
work was outlined.
Complexity of the System.
To the uninitiated it may seem a simple matter to
conduct a course of lectures in the chief cities of
the South, but when it is considered that the terri
tory covered extends from the mountains of Virgin
ia to the gulf coast of Mississippi and from the
everglades of Florida to the prairies of Texas, and
also that each individual community has distinct
and separate desires as far as a lecture course is
concerned, some small idea of the work of a Iy-»
ceum system may be imagined.
The Golden Age for October 18, 1906.
Then, too, there is the broad question of en
gaging suitable talent to meet this wide and varied
demand. And perhaps this is, after all, the main
difficulty to be met and overcome. In the case of
the Alkahest Bureau, which we have under con
sideration, this feature seems to have been well
met, but again, with what effort it is difficult to
determine.
Personality of the “Entertainers.”
A lecture course to be successful must be first of
all an entertaining one. No matter how useful a
man’s philosophy may be to the world at large, the
general public will not listen to an exposition of it
unless this exposition be clothed attractively.
A preacher may have a burning message for the
WO rld—-he may be able to write it with scholarly
pen and in rounded graceful sentences which will
hold his reader for hours at a time, but unless he
can also give the supreme touch of personal mag
netism to his spoken words they fail of their pur
pose. And it is this “supreme touch” that the
Lyceum manager must discover and then “grapple
it to himself with hooks of steel.” or as is more
frequently the case in these utilitarian days, with
contracts of law made binding by adequate mone
tary return.
Personality of the Movement.
Both Mr. Bridges and Mr. Loveless feel that in
introducing a lecturer to a city the personal en
dorsement of the Bureau is given as to the efficien
cy of the entertainer, and this sense of responsi
bility insures to the public a fulfillment of every
promise made. But the Alkahest Bureau does not
deal directly with the public—each city must of it
self have a committee, and association or the like, to
choose the platform attractions for a certain season.
These men are supposed to know their own indi
vidual publics and to accept the of the Ly
ceum management as to the fitness of each number
selected from a long list.
Scope of the Work.
This plan has proven eminently successful, and
today this association covers 200 cities and does
an annual business of over SIOO,OOO. Yet so varied
are the attractions offered that it is but seldom
that two cities will have a like list, and closely ad
jacent towns are not encouraged to engage similar
talent.
F. M. LOVELESS, Secretary and Treasurer.
The Central Bureau or Agency, deals directly
with the talent offered and the different cities, after
determining on their course do all their own ad
vertising. exploiting, etc.
“Frederick Warde in Atlanta.”
Occasionally the “Alkahest” may not include on
its list some specially desired lecturer; this was
the case when the Atlanta Lecture Association
wished to have Mr. Frederick Warde included in the
Atlanta course. The move in such a case was for
the management of the Bureau to confer with Mr.
Warde’s personal management and provide this at
traction for the city of Atlanta. And a most po
tent attraction it proved to be. Mr. Warde is the
greatest living interpreter of Shakespeare
we have today; his work as a Shakespearean stu
dent has attracted widespread attention and the
two lectures which he delivered during the past
•week in Atlanta were marked with a grace, a
charm and a polish which must give to his hearers
a yet keener appreciation of the rare genius of
the “Bard of Avon.”
The Lecture in the High School.
It means much to young students to have a sort
of object lesson of their work brought forcibly be
fore them, and such was Mr. Warde’s lecture at the
Girls’ High School of Atlanta. His subject was
“The Wit and Wisdom of Shakespeare’s Fools,”
and as the classes he addressed had all studied the
works of Shakepeare it seemed a sort of living por
trayal of these great characters to hear their mar
velous lines spoken by a true artist and a lover of
the great poet.
The Golden Age believes in the lecture platform
as a strong factor in educational movements as well
as a higher form of amusement. All methods
which bring good to the people are endorsed by us
and we are glad to give hearty and unstinted com
mendation to the Alkahest Lyceum Bureau or to
any other source the work of which is in consonance
with our ideals. ,S. T. D.
Sam Jones in Oklahoma.
(The following communication reached the office
of The Golden Age only a few minutes before the
dispatches that announced the death of the great
evangelist.—Editor.)
Dear Brother Upshaw:—
Since our first letter God has been coming very
close to Oklahoma City. Not in the history of the
city has there been inaugurated a religious move
ment of such magnitude. Hundreds and thous
ands of lives have been touched and moulded for
God. To see the thousands of eager faces is enough
to move a heart of stone.
Rev. Sam P. Jones has had the very best health,
and been in the best spirits. He has never preach
ed with more vim and power. Perhaps the crown
ing service was his “Stag Party.” Five thousand
men were present. He preached on “Escape for
Thy Life.” A more powerful sermon was never
heard in this new city. Mr. E. O. Excell sang,
“There is Glory in My Soul.” He was never in
better voice or fuller of the Spirit. The great
audience was broken up with the message of song.
Fully 2,000 people came forward and gave Brother
Jones their hands, promising God a better life.
At the same hour I preached to women in the
First M. E. church. The large church was filled to
its utmost capacity, and hundreds were turned
away. Many were converted and reclaimed, and
the great audience came forward, promising to
lead a more consistent life. Mr. Smoot sang, “He’s
the One,” with telling effect.
Each day Brother Jones has preached to large
audiences. Sometimes we alternated in the morn
ing services; and I took the afternoon services reg
ularly. God’s power has been in evidence at all
the services and lives have been changed.
The meetings will close Sunday night. Mr. and
Mrs. Jones will leave for Cartersville for a few
days’ rest. Mr. E. O. Excell will return to Chica
go for a week’s rest, before going to Mississippi.
Mr. Edwin Smoot leaves today for Holly Springs,
Miss., to organize the choir and get the meeting
in good shape. Mrs. Pyron, Miss Jones and myself
■will leave Sunday at midnight, for Holly Springs.
I will keep the meeting going until Brother Jones
arrives.
Will send you greetings from Mississippi. With
best wishes for The Golden Age, Sincerely,
Walt Holcomb.
Oklahoma City, Oct. 12, 1906.
The most common cause of disease infection is
through the medium of the house fly and the prin
cipal breeding place of this small insect is in the
vicinity of stables. As the house fly carries the
most deadly germs it may be said to slay many mil
lions each year and no precaution should be deemed
too strenuous or too vigorous to protect food from
flies as it is through that medium that the poison
is conveyed from the insect to the individual.
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