The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-22 00:00:00

MILITARY PRESENTATION.

The sergeants of the :ffith Brigade Depot, entertained in
their meas-rooms at the Barrack., WeyiuTith, on the ffitt
just, Colour Sergeant Charles Williams, 7tl, Regiment,
he being about to return to civil life, after a long and
honourable career in the non-commissioned ranks of the
army.
SergtsMajor Alexander McKw, who presided, alluded
to Sergeant Villia.uso aver in highly eulogistic terms,
he had been upwards of Id years a non-com aaa issioned
officer, over It of which, as a colour and may-sergeant; he
served in the Indian Mutiny, gained a medal, and was
recommen•knl for the medal for long service and good
conduct. In the name of the sergeants, conjointly with
that of his own, as a slight token of esteem, Sergt.-Major
McKie presented him with a ery handsome and valuable
silver teapot, beating a suitable inscription.
Colour-Sergeant Wikbiairs suho was evidently deeply
atiecte‘l, having replied in suitable terms, the beverage
was introduced and the royal toasts given and most
loyally received, nut the least that of " tise Duke
of C.unbrillice," as nut 011 If " the head" bet "the heart "
of the army, the CUAIRMAN remarking that the " back-
bone" (a term in the army for the non-cond., would nut
bend where the action of the heart stopped.
Next in order was given that of "The Officers of the
Brigade Depot," and it was equally well receives'; then
" The Guest of the evening with his wife aipl family."
Harmony then commenced., and m the last of any many
pleasant evenings was spent an company with CaL-Sergt.
and Mrs. Willis,,,; also a number of the Sergeants' wives
and a few friends of the different arms of the service,
RE., and Army Hospital Corps.

SPELLING BEE AT TIIE WORKING MEN'S CLUB.
The large lecture-room of the Working Men's Club was
crammed to excess on Tuesday evening last, when the
competition in spelling came off. On the platform were
Mr. G. Eliet, (president) as interrogator, and the Rev. .J.
Miller, Mr. G. It. Crickmay, Dr. Moorhtsad, and Mr. T.
Gibbs, the umpires, armed with dictionaries. Although
the room seemed densely packed at first, more out more
pressed in, till there was not standing room for any more
and seine had to cluster around the platforn, the com-
petitors being in the wing.—Mr. Eliot explained the
regulations of the "bee." The competitors were to be
arranged in order, and the words drawn promiscuously
from two bags, commencing with one containing less
difficult, and the other more difficult words. Any failure
would involve the retiring of the competitor, and so they
would go on till the competitors were reduced to six, the
number of the prizes and these six would spell for choice
of prizes. One prize was reserved for members of the
club. A number of friends had provided prizes.—Dr.
Moorhead, Dr. Rhodts, Dr. Drew, Mr. Aylesbury, Mr. W.
Eliot, and himielf—(applan,e). The spelling to lie ”ral,
the Imperial Dictionary the standard of coreetnese, the
Interrogator to repeat the word if requisite before an
attempt had been made to spell it, but not after, none to
be allowed a second trial, and none to pass a word, if it
were not spelt in a quarter of a minute, the competitor to
retire. Mr. Mliot referred to a dispute between literary
gentlemen about the word " Hibernian." whirls got so hot
that they cause to broken hcads—(latightts); but he hoped
ali would agree to-night—(heark
. . . . .

The competitors bere,l about two been or 3g,
among them were 'several ladies, and with two of the
gentler sex the spelling began. One gave the "violet'y its
proper beauty, but the next scorned "clique so much
that she gave it "cleak," and had to leave her party ;
" thynne" WiLS rightly gathered. and "crescent" gave an
increase of confidence ; but a young man spoiled his
" symmetry" by spelling it "cetnetry, awl his hopes were
buried ''widgeon" flew safely over, though a "Cl 14,411
followed but the next speller tsale a "jest" of "gist,"
and so failed in the mailipoint ; there was no "appeal"
required from its spelling, but a young man WWI . 'cash-
iered" because he thus spelt • iW4Cia . the interrogator
tried to take the " gauge • of the next, but he threw
down his "gage" and it Was decidod not to contest the
point A youngater meant "Imainess" front the correct
way he went through it, and the " tranquillity" of the
following Was perfect. A" tore" was very correct,
but an uncle lost his " niece" through wit putting her "
in the right place. "Whoop" was " hoot .1 down, yet
" onion brought the tears to no one's eyes. The coin-
Petitors then did their best to " transcend ;" "scissors"
were well ground. and the interrogater failed to make
another go by a hint to " aremle ;" but "awkis" was a
pour 'tat.' of "urehis," and though a gentleman went
the " circuit" all rya, • little girl was not so sharp but
that a "whetstone rohlosi her down, and her neighbour's
"yacht" was run down for she went to "t" too soon.
The interrogator uttered a " sarcimio" on this, but it stuck
not in the " larynx ." and, though a "weakly" attempt by
Mr. Eliot followed, the competitors were still the winners,
and a soldier passed onto heautiful "scenery" in triumph,
and his neighbour "perceived" it rightly; nor could the
next be upset by being "maligned" Igiugliter was. then
"rife." for a girl gave !t "arid ;" but a ** poultice' was
soon " privileged" to be pat 'in a subject"( " rheumatism."
while an "epaulet" was the next reward. A speller
then lost his "berth," though it was explained to be
on board ship, and though the "rhyme" came out
smoothly in the next verse, a gentleman thought the
following word too "irrelevant," and was silent. "Emil"
for "easel," held up a.. gentleman to be painted out; but
"receive,' " besiege, " " dependence," and
"ceiling; were all spelt aright. A lady started well with
" marr but trying it a second time, made a " marmage"
of it, as second attempts at "marriage" often are. -One
man was offered° "demise ;" but he choosing as "demesne,"
lost the offer, and the laughter of the audience was
aroused br a boy who began to spell " sepra ate " "ripe r.
After the 'requiem" of the "czarina," and" moustaches,"
in as "pageant" of "grandeur,' a lay showed himself to
be, it a gardener, very mercenary, for he preferred
"salary" to "celery," when Mr. Eliot changed hit
"tactics," and "catechist " was !,taxte,! " cavu," amid cries
of "Oh !oh !" One 111,111 buried himself by spelling
" muncher), " with an "a," and another remained too hum
"bilious,. for he tried two "l's," a following would not
have the help of a "k" in " mackererundi he *sin had
other flab to fry, a fourth altered his " Minn" to " meigu,"
and a 111th fell with "ieronauti." for he "ran" in the
middle of the word. "Obscene language was avoided
by the next, he left out the c, and l.y the time the spellers
had inserted no "advertisement" with an "advan-
tageous " "addreas," and the interrogator was "aghast"
at finding them take is kindly to "sane," there were only
six left Oue gentleman, Mr. Dowding, announced that
he would not take a prize, so that was offered 144 a
Consolation Prize for the unsuccessful, A lady was
spotted for " piebald," in which she put a y, and a
gentleman was not "allowed' to have the second
prize, for he spelt it too much "aloud," while a
third chose a "lachytuose " fate, while if he'd spelt
it "lachrymose," he might have dried his tears. Some-
body's "ceilingovax" was cracked, and the best speller of
the eveningcould not stand soft-" solder," pronounced
"sodden". He protested, and it was ruled that the
interrogator should have pronounced it "solder," so that
leak was tinkered up. The word-proposers were soon
shown not to be farmers, for a sentence was read about •
" belbwether " wearing "her " bell, which reminds us
how a reporter on a county contemporary was once
quizzed for a month out of all the farmers' clubs, for
writing • market paragraph about " wether ewes.' But
this was successfully weathered. The honours were thus
won :

Mr. Dowding, first, honour, only.
Corporal U. Lemmn, writing desk.
Mr. Sturmey, photograph album.
Mr. Rolls, Mr Purchase, Miss Good, boots.
The Consolation Stakes were then competed for, and there
Wl5 some fun, as all lunl to spell out. " Reliquary " was
shortened to "relic-", in "catechumen " the &Red ran,
"microscope' was binocular (it was seen with two Ps),
" ipecacuanha," was been like an epicure, but the Teller
threw it up; • cobblers "awl" was a bad '''aul, and
after a youngster bad skscriinsl Isis " rhinoceros" through,
he brought the "c" to him and lost him- that barbarous-
looking word " fuchsia" was begun with a "fuss," and
"bicycle" wag thought to require another i " sleigh " was
too slippery, and a "sledge" was sulmtituted ; but it
would not go; the h was cut out of "schism," and a
speller was thrice-liberal of co in ' acrostic;" but the
Interrogator separated off his name. " Ecstasy" and
" apostasy" were spelt in the old style with penultimate
c ; but the referees and their dictionaries (slave to the
Greek derivation, which indeed makes them right so far.
A lady was so " harrassed " that she sought more ees than
good for her, and the Consolation Stakes were left to a
young man named Pond.
The CHAIRMAN named another spelling Dee, which the
audience approved by acclamation.
Mr. CRICKMAY proposed a vote of thanks to the donors
of priges—(renewed applause).