The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-29 00:00:00

THE DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS AND AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1876.

the Rev. T. Russell• Wright, anned with an abbreviated
edition of the Imperial Didimiary, filled the roles of
arbitrators.

The ladies isivi gentlemen wh • had entered their
names having been duly ranged "in ,w." the rev,
interrogater announced that no words wenn be asked
that were of as obsolete character, or, a* 141 as he knew,
not in common u.e. This great objection to many
spelling bees being this avoided gave considerable satis-
faction to the awlicnce. A large number of words were
then put and spelt Correctly: hut shortly after a lady hod
the honour of carrying off the wooden Apo ,u. One of the
most useful features in connection with the entertain-
ment was the asking of words presiunably similarly pro-
nounced but differently spelt. With all due deference to the
rev, and learned interrogator, had we been a competitor
we should have taken more than one exception to his Pro-
nunciation. For instance, "seen, scene, and seine" we
hardly fancy are pronounced alike ; the last we should say
would be more correctly rendered if pronounced
" sane. " However, those words were got over.
Shortly followed " Hugh," " hue" and "ewe." Now to
pronounce "ewe" as 'hue" is certainly • provincialism,
although, we believe is Somerset, that is at the present
time the recognised method. "Ochre," then threw over
the first gentleman who retired after spelling it "Getter,"
which the Interrogator hardly thought would do. The
young gentleman who made his bow to the audience, was,
we hear, understood to observe it was an " Ockar'd" worJ
to spell. Then we had the word " verdigris," which was
submitted as " verdi-grease," a slippery interpretation,
that was surmounted by a young lady whose spelling Wag
not sacrificed to the pronunciation. The next word was •
puzzle—"cog," a fishing boat, or to deceive. Gamblers, not
' too conscientious may know what it is to "cog," a die but
the word went the round of the class, and after a lady had
been allowed to have a guess at it, spelling it with two
" fes" it was abandoned. Some unkind individual in the
audience, upon the referees being appealed to suggested they
might to be called upon to settle the matter in dispute,
without referring to their dictionaries. This mild request,
we need hardly say, did not meet the approval of the
judges, "Claire," a sword which was also presented as
the verb glair that does not boast of an " e " WSW correctly
spelt by a gallant sergeant In the Artillery amid rounds
of applaise. After the other competitors had made glaring
mistakes, a young lady's "recoguisances" were estreated for
the 'ranter a "g": and a gentleman offered the interrogator
his choice of "apostasy "or "apostacy." "Camelopard,"
which the interrogator pronounced "camel-lermanl "quite
upset • lady who retired with the convincement that it
was a " spot " too many for her. "Cork" and " caulk "
were given as words similarly pronounced ; and
"Pharisaical," which fell to the lot of a rev. competitor
drew forth • quiet laugh. A young lady gave "quinsy"
an unrequired "e,"—at least so it was ruled, although
Nutletl spells it so—and she also had to take her seat
among the audience. "Grisly," horrid, ghastly,
fearful, did not frighten any one. " Pommel "—pro-
nounced as spelt, instead of " pummel " was easily sat
upon by the Sergeant "Cromlech," a Celtic word for a
tomb, caused the retirement of no less than three gentle-
men. We may here say the words had been written
down on cards, and put into a box, and thoroughly mixed.
The way in which they fell to the spellers was in some
instances very amusing. For instance, two rev, gentle-
men who out of good nature had entered the class, had to
spell first of all "solemn" and "fossil," and then "white-
bait" and "sirloin," a task which they accomplished
amid some applause and laughter. The memories of bye'
gone days did not help a gentleman to spell "wale "—the
mark of a rod. As, however, it was put as "weal" there
may be an excuse. Perhaps the saddest fall of was
that of a young lady who couldn't spell "eligible." Let
us hope some one will enlighten her upon the matter.
" Supernumerary " sent out the last of the ladies, and
then a gentleman followed who carried the "I" of a
" villain" into" villany." Walker and Nutted' both imions
a one-eyed villainy and spell it as the competitor did.
"Porphyry" did for the Artillery Sergeant, who retired
amid a boisterous round of cheers; and "fanfaronade"
disposed of one of the rev. gentlemen who pot in an
unrequired "n.' This left ILI prize winners the Rev. P.
Sylvester, and Major Lee, the Rev. 11. B. Williams, and
Sergeant Murray. In the awanl of the prises the three
first competitors kindly refrained from taking the first
prize and left it for the Sergeant.
The proceedings of the evening were agreeably diversified
by readings and musical selections. Mr. Wolseley
favoured with another selection from the Pickwick papers
(Charles Dickens) awl gave Longfellow's "The Bridge"
admirably He obtained a well-deserved encore. In com-
pliance with the request he sang a very happy and
appropnate song "the Spelling Bee" which was humorous
and a decided improvement upon the intimatiou that "he
could play on the big drum, little drum," Jsc. Mr. C. T.
Atkins capitally played some selections upon that too
much neglected instrument, the Digital' concertina, and
won warm applause. A duett between him and Miss
Parmiter was highly relished. Mr. Jameson recited a
couple .4 Barnes's Dorset Poems and proved himself •
" native." "God Save the Queen,- and a vote of thanks to
the Mayor concluded a most agreeable evening.