The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-03-22
OLD TIME SPELLING MATCH.


'rwCnty-hNc 20 take tho PFlErs--Ast stOnish-
Ing Ampndmcuta 10 Webster.
On Staten Island M old.fashioned
spelling match was held, and il is thus
described:
The room was crowded, and every face
wns expectant with the expression Of
hope OF being called, il only for the
pleasure of having chance to refuse,
and this interest did not cease until
namo after name Ind been called, and
eleven gentlomen were ranged in each
opposing army. Then Mr.. Eadie led n
lady to his side, and while Mr.. Sexton
looked on in dismay, Mr., Herman Brown
Of Wall street, ono Of Mr.. Sexton's
men, balanced tho honors by securing
anothor lady and leading her to his scat.
Two moro were afterward induced to
compete, aud then the twenty.six spoilers
were ready for work. .s
Embarrassment " was tho first word
given out by Pioneer spaguc. "E.m-
b.a double r.G.double s-m.e.n.t," quickly
rcptied Mr.. Sexton. "Intelligiblo,h u
said tho pioneer. "I.n.in-t.o.l-tel.intel.
i.i-li--intelli.g.i.gi-int "ble--in.
telligible, responded Mr.. Eadie, amid
the applause OF the house.
So things ran smoothly on until ono
Of Mr.. Eadie's mon tried to make
"t-y-r-A.n-i.c.l.o" spell "tyrannical, 4"
and Mr.. Sprague invited him to step
down Rnd ont. "A.q-u-e.s" for
g'Ha-q u.c.o.u.s" cost Mr.. Sexton's army
a man, and "e.x.h.i.l-l.i.r-a.t.e" carried
off another. "D.i.s.c.e-r.n.ab.l.e" and
"i.r.r-e.p-r.a-b-l.c" paired with each
other, one Staying soldier Of Eadio's,
and tho other knocking down and out
n very disgusted man who Ind been
spelling with more confidence than
correctness.
trllen came word over which the de-
bato oran highandwarm. "A.p.o.s.t-a.c,y"
was the wayan Eadio man spelled i, and
when the pioneer announced TINT it was
wrong, there was rebellion everywhere
in the air. There were many speakers
to uphold the unfortunate speller, and
the poor pedHgogue who ohad ruled other
wise was in hopeless minority until n
Wcbster's Unabridged proved that hO
was right. Then Mr.. Brown, Of Wall
street, rallied around him with m 81
told you so."
Oscillate was the next word that
brought death in tho camps, and it killed
the nian dead who tried hard TO spell 1t
with one /, and indirectly deprived Mr..
Eadio OF ono Of lis ladies, who took it
for a model iorthe word ossify," which
she argumentatiycly dissected into
"o.s-c.i.f-y."
When the truth was forced upon the
house TINT her logic was bad, and that
her effort would not satisfy the demands
Of ortliogmplly, there wns q look OF
stunned dismay on tho facGs Of moro
than half of tho audience, and II waa
easy to read in their eyes, "What is our
language coming to, II sticll gigantic
reasoning won't master it"
In the moment Of confusion Mr.. Sex
ton missed M easy word, and rs he step
ped down and out, resigned tho leader
ship Of his band to n pale-faced man,
who tried to pNlm OF "id-i.o.s-y-n-
c.r.a.c.y " asa all right, and who was com.
pelled in consequence to yield his place
to young lady who wore n pink rose ut
her neck. "C.i.s-m-G-t-i-c" and "a-g-
ca s-s.i.n.a.t-e" were the nets which
entangled two phonetic spoilers, and one
too many 10 carried OIL another OF Mr..
Sexton's party.
"A.l.l.e.d.g.c," called out one gentle
man in response to the pioneer scall, and
he was asked to stop down, He dc.
murred, and friends rallied around him,
but still the pioneer would not succumb
until a reference to tho dictionary showed
an old but satisfactory authority for tho
gentleman's method. Then some miscra-
blo boys in the gallery, falling to sympa-
tllizo with their discom6tel teacher,
started shrill, exAsperating hiss, which
made the pedagogilo's face for the mo-
ment brighter than his hair.
at hGyo personal statement" said
he, sayagely, "to mako to those boys
WHO lisset," and lic looked very much
=, though he would settle the account
with tho ferilc at tho very earliest school
session. ",That way Of spelling allego,"
he continued, "is more than fifty years
old, but is admissible.
At this stage the losses Oh both stiles
were equal, but there werc only ton left
Of the original twOnty-six. Coon
d.e.n.s.c-e.n.si.o.n" and "p.c.r-s.p.i.c'a-
c.o.u.s" made tho opposing parties four
to four, and "p.l.e.b.i.a-n "and "s.i-bi.l
left them three to three, besides depriv-
ing each of its leadur.
nI-c-th.y.o-l-o.g-y," slowly spelled
Mr.. Brown, aud when lie was warned
that he should have used another h, he
cried out: (" / meant to put It in, indeed
1 did" But his plea availed HIN moth
ing, and lie looked sadlyat his diminish.
ed colleagues IA he moved away, md
then glanced at his opponents across the
room, who Just then lost q man on
"mi.g.a-o-n.e.t-t.e."
Mr.. Gary and Mrs. Ford then were
left to contest the victory with Messrs.
Simonton and Bend. Tho lady had
spelled promptly and we'll, but "m-i.l-
l.e-n.i.a.l" il WIS that beat her, and
"h.o.m-o.r.a.g.e" carried OF Mr.. Bend.
Mr.. Sinonton spelled diphthGria
g d.i.p.t-ll.e.r-i.a," and was upheld by
the pioneer, but confessedly failed on
innuendo," from which he omitted MI
n, leaving Mr.. Gary, a lawyer Of 90 Wall
street, sole survivor md, therefore, win
ner Of the prize offered, which consisted
OF set Of AIacaulay's History Of Eng
land or webster's Unabridged, Mt the
option Of tho victor