United States that you do not immediately find somebody predisposed in your favor. This club has had in the years of its existence only three Presidents: The first, Mrs. Emily Huntington Miller, who served for 8 years; then came Mrs. B. T. Vincent, who for 20 years wielded the gavel. These were rare women, gifted in many ways, and endowed with a marvelous spiritual nature; we can never pay the debt we owe them. The Club is particularly proud that both of these women were related to and bear the names of the two founders of this Institution. Later in the Biennial program you will hear Dr. George E. Vincent, the internationally famous son of Bishop John H. Vincent, but now it is a special pleasure, that on this opening night we have the daughter of the other founder of Chautauqua, Mr. Lewis Miller. Mr. Miller was a man who carved out his own fortune in the business world, and yet he was a man who was an idealist through and through, as so many of the American business men really are, in spite of what our critics say about them. Mr. Miller stood upon the mountain tops and looked over into the promised land and the vision he saw there he brought back to Chautauqua and made come true over and over again. We women are grateful to Mr. Lewis Miller, because always he stood for the cause and the rights of women. You know the next speaker as Mrs. Thomas A. Edison, the wife of the great benefactor of the human race-but in Chautauqua we know her as Mina Miller Edison-the daughter of Lewis Miller, but we prize her for what she is herself. Her love for and her loyalty to Chautauqua, her sincerity, her constant thought of others have given her a lasting place in our admiration and in our affection. Madame President, Delegates, it is my great honor to introduce to you Mrs. Thomas A. Edison. ADDRESS OF WELCOME. MRS. THOMAS A. EDISON. Little did I dream many years ago when Lewis Miller and Bishop Vincent had contentions over the platform privileges for women that I should ever stand upon this platform and address such a body of women as are before me to-night. After a long trial, Lewis Miller gained his point, as in so many far-reaching projects, and Frances Willard, at the beginning of her marvelous work and career was granted permission to bring her cause before a Chautauqua audience. In her modesty and charm she so captivated her audience that never again was woman's place on the Chautauqua platform questioned. Had I the eloquence of our President, Mrs. Winter, and our dear Mrs. Pennybacker, who has just spoken to us to-night, in which to tell you the enchanting history of this unique institution from the moment of its institution in the mind of Lewis Miller to the present day, I could hold you spellbound. You may find it something strange, something foreign to anything you have experienced before, but once you feel the thrill and fire of the Chautauqua spirit, you will never lose it. Fifty years ago Bishop Vincent came to my father's home in Akron to ask his co-operation in securing the privilege to hold a two weeks' Sunday School Convention in our church, something not so common in those days as now. Our church was one of the largest Methodist churches in the country. It was considered that Lewis Miller had worked out the first graded Sunday School and a unique plan in Sunday School architecture, known to-day under the name of the Akron Plan. Mr. Miller agreed to the Sunday School Convention, but wanted to have these meetings held in the summer and out of doors, uniting with the religious side other educational advantages such as literature, science and music, providing intellectual opportunities with wholesome summer recreation. He unfolded in his wonderful enthusiasm a most alluring program; from the very beginning he predicted that there would be no end of growth in such a movement. History has proven his prophetic words where we are to-day-the spot he named, which at that time was a beautiful woods with ferns growing most luxuriantly upon all sides. He had attended a camp meeting here, at which time, with his love for his fellow-men, he had the inspiration of this great thing. Bishop Vincent being strongly averse to anything like a camp meeting, felt skeptical about such a venture, but after long persuasion, Bishop Vincent was convinced that it was a far-reaching educational advantage for many who could not. afford to go to the cities for their enlightenment. For five dollars, which one speaks of unconsciously now, but which meant serious, hard work to accomplish, thousands were permitted to hear and see the fine men and women of the greatest reputation, both of this country and those beyond the seas, throughout the season of three weeks. Once created and launched, Bishop Vincent and Lewis Miller worked together like two giants carrying out the many projects. of two fertile minds. To-day I feel honored in addressing you and welcoming you in the name of this blessed father, Lewis Miller, who had the vision of women's possibilities and never wavered in his conviction, supporting and encouraging my own Mrs. Manley Huntington Miller in her efforts to organize the Chautauqua Woman's Club, of which she was the first President, and which has made so many happy in entertaining you, and under the leadership of our present President, our beloved Mrs. Pennybacker. Frances Willard was the great beginning which has grown into the magnitude of this large, influential body of remarkable women here to-day. When a mighty idea is rooted there is no end of growth and there will great things come from the progressive, earnest spirit of women, which is gloriously represented by you women who are the very essence of culture, which is shifting off the nightmare of self-consciousness, lost in the great hold on humanity, thinking of others, caring for others, admiring and loving others a great responsibility-but the women are meeting it in a magnificent way. Trusting that you will be happily impressed by your sojourn in this wood and that you will return home feeling that you have never had a better coming together and will want to come again, I extend to you a most hearty welcome. ADDRESS OF WELCOME. MRS. IDA B. COLE, Executive Secretary, Chautauqua Literary Chautauqua Institution has three departments: The Assembly with its eight weeks' program; Chautauqua Summer School with its six weeks' session, and the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, which with its home reading course-the all year-round Chautauqua-the part you take home with you-in behalf of this department it gives me very great pleasure to extend a most hearty welcome to the officers and members of this great Federation. We have opened our hearts to you and you have taken complete possession of them, and the C. L. S. C., as part of its welcome, opens its headquarters to you and hopes that you will take as complete possession of it as you have of our hearts. You will find our headquarters opposite the Hall of Philosophy. You will find there the most completely furnished rooms at Chautauqua— a sitting room, a tea room, and a big, comfortable veranda, and we hope you will all make yourselves welcome. We ask every delegate to this Federation to feel that this is your home while you are at Chautauqua. It has been said that the C. L. S. C. is the backbone of Chautauqua, started in 1878-four years after Mr. Miller and Bishop Vincent started the Assembly-it may be interesting to know that this Department-the Chautauqua Home Reading Course grew out of a man's limitations, and not out of abundant opportunities. Bishop Vincent when a young man of 19 years, in his native state of Alabama, became a licensed Methodist preacher, raised in a home where the standard of thought was high, but financial resources low, and he could not obtain a college education. This he found a great handicap and he resolved so to educate himself that he would never be embarrassed in the presence of college men and women. He carried out this resolution and became, as you all know, a prominent factor and figure in the popular education of the world. In 1878, it was suggested that a reading course be started at Chautauqua. Mr. Lewis Miller had long desired a movement for popular education and these two men formulated a four years' Chautauqua reading course. We trust that you will all become very familiar with this department of our work. You will find on the veranda our course of reading for next year, and some one there who will answer all the questions you may hope to ask. I am reminded of a story of a little girl whose teacher asked her: "Don't you want to learn so that when you are a woman people will look up to you?" "No," replied the little miss, "I want them to look around at me.' The members of the C. L. S. C. are the looking-up type of woman, and we have with you a great common interest to preserve and develop the finest type of Christian culture in our homes and communities, so, in the bond of this great common interest, and in the name of the C. L. S. C., I welcome you most heartily and cordially to our beloved Chautauqua. RESPONSE TO ADDRESSES OF WELCOME. MRS. THOMAS G. WINTER, President, General Federation of Women's Clubs. In accepting the hospitality offered to us, I cannot help thinking how very significant a thing it is that it should come first from a woman who symbolizes our relations with the great traditions of America through her presidency of the great D. A. R.-our sister organization; that it should come from the woman who is the President of a Club that represents every element in America, geographically, intellectually, and spiritually, and that should have as its good angel, for he is its good angel, the presiding officer of this Chautauqua Institution. I cannot help being tempted to tell you a little about angels. I had a little friend who asked his mother: "Are there no men angels, mother?" The mother said: "What do you mean, of course there are." The youngster replied: "I have seen lots of pictures of angels and none of them have beards." "Well," said the mother, "I suppose a few get in to heaven, but it is only by a very close shave," so you see our good angel is preparing himself for that celestial career. Chautauqua has a peculiar significance for the meeting of such an organization as ours, because it has stood for longer years than the Federation has been in existence for the kind of things we are standing for, and when we have lived here for two days we are going to realize what those are. You do not get them with the first moment, but you sit here a few hours, and let the hours lengthen into sun-rises and sun-sets, and a kind of serenity comes into your being. Last night, when I sat late by my window and looked out: no sound of street cars, no jangling bells, no flash of electric |