no CHAPTERS IN RURAL PROGRESS 



broken upon the wheel of labor have heard some of 

 America's orators, have read some of the world's best 

 books, because of this movement, and their lives have 

 been made happier, more influential, more hopeful. 



Thousands of people have been inspifed, made better, 

 at the Hesperia meetings. 



In western Michigan the annual gathering at 

 Hesperia is known far and wide as "the big 

 meeting." The following extract from the 

 Michigan Moderator-Topics indicates in the edi- 

 tors breezy way the impression the meeting for 

 1906 made upon an observer: 



Hesperia scores another success. Riding over the 

 fourteen miles from the railroad to Hesperia with Gover- 

 nor Warner and D. E. McClure, we tried to make the 

 latter believe that the crowd would not be forthcoming 

 on that first night of the fourteenth annual "big meeting." 

 It was zero weather and mighty breezy. For such a 

 movement to succeed two years is creditable, to hold 

 out for five is wonderful, to last ten is marvelous, but to 

 grow bigger and better for fourteen years is a little short 

 of miraculous. McClure is recognized as the father of 

 the movement and his faith didn't waver a hair's breadth. 

 And sure enough there was the crowd — standing room 

 only, to hear the governor and see the great cartoonist 

 J. T. McCutcheon of the Chicago Tribune. For three 

 evenings and two days the big hall is crowded with 

 patrons, pupils and teachers from the towns and country 

 round. During the fourteen years that these meetings 

 have been held, the country community has heard some 



