Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-05-15
FROM NEW PROVIDENCE.

EDIToRs CHRONICLE We have
had cur spelling match, and | will tell |
you how it was, for it was good thing. i
They spelled, and spelled, and kept
spelling, and it happened thuswise,
thusly, viz: Capt. Herndon, he was a
captain, and j. q. Kendrick, he was
captain, too, and they drawed straws to
see who should have pick and choice.
Well, Capt. Herndon, he got the pick,
leaving the choice for Capt. Kendrick.
After the forces were rallied on either
side. Prof. Dinwiddic (the man what
give the words ouD announced the
programme, which was as follows, viz:
That the first one missing word should
have speller. the next one missing
should have ginger cake, and the one
missing the least number of words
should have s. gold piece. 1t was
also announced that If any one missed
word, he or she could retain the sit
uation by the payment of ten cents,
this right extending only twice. At
this stage of the game, Prof. ID. Nj.
Quarles and II. w. Watts were select
ed as judges. These two gentlemen
assumed their duties with mighty SOL
emn dignity. I tell you, and then the
skirmi,hing began.
1t was really nice to see and hear
these people spell. The crowd was
composed of a few from GAINESVILLE
and the surrounding country. | tell
you they spelt right straight along for
awhile, and | commenced thinking
that they didn't have quite premiums
enough to go round. At last, however,
John Osborne could find no room IN
the inn, and he had to take shelter IN
a manger with his spelling book; the
next was Newt. Brandon,S failure, and
the Professor had to rap him down !;
JEFF. Herndon was too modest to spell
it damn, and his spelling was con-
demned; Orrin Watts spelt it SITE, ia
stead of cite, but brought forward the
cash, and retained his ste DAVIS Turn
ley did not have a lawful lien upon ms
word, and, of course, went under-he
cashcd Orrin Watts did not know
what lyng was, never having seen
one, and he, too, forked over again {;
Bob Howell could not manage skein.
although he is called a first-classc clerk
Mrs. Jones made too heavy surge al
serge, and the keller was forthcoming
| Miss Lula Po.ndextcr had but little
idea about military officer, especially
4 as low a grade as sergeant, and she
failed to spell it, but if it had been as
| high up as a colonel or general, maybe
she would have done better; the bank
Immediately was at discount of ten
| per cent: Jerome Duncan didn'tknow
anything about military matters, and
he. too, missed the same word proba-
bly, his daddy intends to make preach
| er of him, and thinks knowledge OF
martial phrases unnecessary, Jerome
paid; Davis Turnkey could not spell
| prairie, and he c1shed again. We need
not feel surprised at his failure on this
word, as we are convinced that they
raise but few in GAINESVILLE, where he
lives. Mrs. Wyatt had never been 20
| Cincinnati. and did not know how
they spelt it up there. More money.
Mrs. Homar being delicately organized,
went out on valor. Mrs. Mckormac,
not feeling hungry, nor being DESTROYS
of making pastry just then, concluded
it didn't make much difference how
she spelt dlLspice. j. ID. jenkins, not
having the fear Of punishment be-
fore his eyes, spelt it cdUit}rOH. He
was instantly poorer by ten cents. Da-
| Wis Turnkey finally took grass on uen-
eerfng, and retired to rest. Burr Cole
man, never besieging nor having been
besieged, couldn't come it on sortie.
He paid. B. K. Gold and Webster
had little dispute over the word guer-
don, but Webster had the dead Woo"
on him, for he had put il down on pa
per, and Ben hadn't. Ben gave it up,
and gave the money down. Burr Cole
man was fault in spelling Briton, and
drew another sight draft for ten cents.
At this stage, several parties missed,
and Mr.. Burr Coleman again floated
to the surface, and made a desperate
assault upon an entire platoon, which
was ambushed behind Webster S
breastworks, and he, (Coleman) being
repulsej, was ruled out, just as he pre-
dicted he would be. Miss Bette How
ell can write a beautiful story, but,
never having the necessity of using the
word ,cOOlly, she couldn't spell it. A
check was handed in. Miss Dryden,
whose duties require her constant at
tention in the school don't know
anything about men or their peculiar
manners, hence, when the word man
nash was given out, she failed to spell
it. b. X. Gold again came forward on
a parallel line, but unfortunately he
was too far off, and failed to spell it
correctly, but Ben said that he knew
that he had spelt it correctly, for he
had been spelling that very word all
day, he reilly believed that he had
commenced on it little before break
fast. Miss Elmonia Whitfield, not
being skillful in tying the nuptial knot,
nor indeed, any other kind of knot,
failed, as most of the others had done
Mrs. Thomas, never having had the
measles, could not manage said disease
Miss Marian Crabtree failed to spell
negroes, and she took her departure
for the shades of quietude. We can
readily account for her missing this
word, as they are all free now, and she
has long since ceased to feel any inter-
est in them. Miss Fila Blakeny,
never having the necessity of smelling
ore, failed on t0rrefy, and she, too, re-
tired gracefully. iiervcy Whitfield,