And now, a few words of explanation as to this particular book. The tendency in preparing such a work is to make it documentary, the recital of programs, speakers, and subjects. In order to lighten up the pages, I have sought to tell the story of small things as well as great, the witty as well as the wise words spoken, the record of by-play and repartee upon the platform, in those days when Chautauqua speakers were a fraternity. In fact, the title by which the body of workers was known among its members was "the Gang." Some of these stories are worth preserving, and I have tried to recall and retain them in these pages. JESSE LYMAN HURLBUT. Feb. 1, 1921. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE vii CHAPTER I.--THE PLACE 3 II.--THE FOUNDERS 11 III.--SOME PRIMAL PRINCIPLES 27 IV.--THE BEGINNINGS 38 V.--THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT 63 VI.--THE NATIONAL CENTENNIAL YEAR 72 VII.--A NEW NAME AND NEW FACES 93 VIII.--THE CHAUTAUQUA READING CIRCLE 116 IX.--CHAUTAUQUA ALL THE YEAR 141 X.--THE SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES 160 XI.--HOTELS, HEADQUARTERS, AND HANDSHAKING (1880) 172 XII.--DEMOCRACY AND ARISTOCRACY AT CHAUTAUQUA (1881) 187 XIII.--THE FIRST RECOGNITION DAY (1882) 196 XIV.--SOME STORIES OF THE C. L. S. C. (1883, 1884) 209 XV.--THE CHAPLAIN'S LEG AND OTHER TRUE TALES (1885-1888) 224 XVI.--A NEW LEAF IN LUKE'S GOSPEL (1889-1892) 239 XVII.--CLUB LIFE AT CHAUTAUQUA (1893-1896) 253 XVIII.--ROUNDING OUT THE OLD CENTURY (1897-1900) 271 XIX.--OPENING THE NEW CENTURY (1901-1904) 283 XX.--PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AT CHAUTAUQUA (1905-1908) 295 XXI.--THE PAGEANT OF THE PAST (1909-1912) 308 XXII.--WAR CLOUDS AND WAR DRUMS (1913-1916) 321 XXIII.--WAR AND ITS AFTERMATH (1917-1920) 338 XXIV.--CHAUTAUQUA'S ELDER DAUGHTERS 361 XXV.--YOUNGER DAUGHTERS OF CHAUTAUQUA 385 APPENDIX 395 INDEX 420 ILLUSTRATIONS