A World Tour Through Richland's Parlors
The local Evangelical church hosted a unique 'Trip Around the World' fundraiser, transforming neighborhood homes into international destinations.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
One of the most unusual as well as instructive entertainments which the Richland people have had a chance to participate in for a long time was the 'Trip Around the World' under the auspices of the Woman’s Missionary society of the Evangelical church. Three classes of tickets were sold: first class, entitling the holders to make the journey in autos; second class, which entitled one to ride in the surreys and buggies; and third class was the good, old-fashioned hay rack. The first stop was at the home of Mrs. John Martin, decorated to resemble the land of cherry blossoms, where refreshments suggestive of Japan were served. From there, the next station was at the Hartung ranch, representing Germany. The next station was the home of Mrs. J. M. Breithaupt, representing England. The terminal station was at the home of Mrs. M. D. O’Connell, representing the United States, where Ross Page played President Wilson and Clarence Yedica served as Uncle Sam.
“Three classes of tickets were sold: first class... in autos; second class... in surreys and buggies, and third class was the good, old-fashioned hay rack.”
This event captures the social creativity of early 20th-century church communities. In an era before easy global travel, such 'armchair' world tours were a popular way to build community and bridge the gap between small-town life and the wider world.
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