Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-01
OrtAOEraphieal Contest 1t Lincoln
Hall

Hall.
Lincoln h all was last night the scene of a
pleasant and instructive entertainment. in
the shape of a grand national spelling
match, given under the auspices of the
Young Mems Christian Association. The
hall was about twO-t thirds filled with a refined
audience of ladies' and gentlemen, including
Senators Sherman anil Senator Morrill,. Of
Vermont; Judge Macarthur. OF the District
Supreme Court; Mr. j. q. Wilson, SuperIn-
tendent of Public instruction of the District
Of Columbia; DIR. BrOdhead, Second Con-
troller; Prof. III. &. Spencer, of the W ashing-
ton Business College; Col. r. G. Stevens.
and other gentlemen of prominence. Con
trary TO announcement, Speaker Blaine did
not appear. In his absence, Hon. Columbus
Hefano, Secretary of the Department OF the
Interior. presided. with Senator Window and
Mr. A. r. SpOfford, Librarian of Congress. as
referees. After preliminary remark by Mr.
+. III. Smith, President of the Y. VI. c. A
and Secretary DeIano, who read the rules
the latter introduced Second Auditor T.. b.
French as pedagOgue.
The rules provided that the standard au-
thOrities for spelling should be Webster AID
Worcester; that the speller should have the
right TO ask for the definition of a word. that
all questions should be decided by the refe-
rees; that the words selected for the contests
should exclude, so far as possible. all wOr s
Of technical, medical, or purely scientific
character; also geographical and proper
LANES. and should be confined Ia words in
Use in general reading, writing and spelli lg.
THE FIRST MATCH,
Prof. r. VI. Gallaudet. president of the Co
lumbar Institute for the Deaf AMI Dumb.
and Prof Cleveland Able of the u. S Signal
office, who selected the following sides
BY Prof. GalIaudet-Clinton Lloyd: chief
clerk House of Representatives; III. H. Tilley,
Prof. Edward A. Fay. National Deaf Nate
clerk Treasury Department; F. s. Williams
John l.. French. chief clerk Contract Office,
Posi- Once department; Gen; III. Titus. Or.
u. NJ. Davis. w. l.. Marcy, Miss Fuller. Pa
tent office: Miss Robertson, Miss Kate Tile
and Mrs. Boswell.
BY Prof Abbe.-ProE l.. III. Hayden. Prof
ChickeriBg. National Deaf Mute college;
Cordial StOrrs, F. W. Dana. III. L. Prince III
l. Thomas. translator at the state depart
meEt; Mrs: HazeltOn, Miss C.. TOmpkins
Miss Matte Hooper, Miss Clara Bali. Miss
Woodward, Mr.. W. j. Candy and Mr.. r risby.
THE FIRST MISS.
Peiagogue French gave out the first word
:. allegeable, to Prof Gallaudet. VINO spelled
IL "alegible." Not correct" said Mr.
French. and amid loud laughter and APP
plause the professor stepped down and out
having fallen at the first fire i'm the fore front
OF battle. Prof Able next spelled subpoena"
correctly. Prof. ChickeTing was retired be-
cause he spelled " analyze" with AN s. He
appealed. but neither Webster nor WOrces-
ter sustained his method. and he quietly
folded his tent and was seen no more. Cor
dial StOrrS was evidently never troubled
with 'catalepSy, or he would not have come
20 grief in trying 10 spell the second syllable
with an e, as he did Capt. e. C.. Adams. ap-
polHtment clerk OF the Treasury, will prob
ably hereafter he more lcnient i'm examining
The qualifications of candidates for appoint
ment, since he sheathed his Damascus blade
after essaying the word - cartilage" "Ptar-
migan.' a bird, was missed by John l..
French. who probably knows more about mail
contracts than he does about Ornithology.
Mrs. HaZletOD couldn't compass '.Surcngle."
She put "a in II, and appealed To
The referees. who decided against her
.,Iridescent" eliminated Miss Hooper from
Prot. Abbe's side, and ''oXidiZe; caused an
other falling of Of one in the same class
General Titus was utterly cOnfOunded and
put TO flight by ''OXiOdic," and Miss Robert
son furled her banner on ''desuetude"
Alchemy" was spelled in one OF the allow
able ways by Mrs. Boswell, who was permit
ted 10 remain "Cyst" was spelled correctly
by Mr.. Thomas. but the pedagOgue decided il
was wrong. Mr.. French said that he was
guided 10y Webster In spelling it "syst." The
referees decided the pedagOgue wrong and he
made handsome apology. Almost imme-
dlately after he gave the word Britannia"
which was correctly spelled by "a lady. He
pronounced II incorrect. and she appealed.
the question being decided in her favor by
The referees. - Buddhism" " quahaug"
''eviscerate. '''laburnum, - .'empiricaI" &c.
were missed. Mr.. Tilley misspelleI ..nnso-
phagus." using the dipthong .'6e" Instead of
&c. His spelling was prOnounced correct,
but Prof. Able Appealed, and il was decided
against II. Theslearned Prof. Able took the
probabilities on the disgusting word
"ophlcliede, but 1.-The area of the lowest pres
sure being in his vicinity just then he re-
tired. Mr.. Marcy "tOOk water on "adue-
duct" and Miss Fuller was cOnfOundei on
the word ''papilOtte," which Mr.. French de-
up for curling. Miss f. objected To the word 3
one rot i'm common use when Mr. French
said II the word was not, the thing itself was
in use, especially by the ladies. The referees
decided against the word, il being in W eb-
steT but not in Worcester.
THE BATTLE OF TIE WORDS
row RACED with varying success for some
time. Mr.. Candy left the gay ami festive
scene on "apOstaSy." A did the
business for him. Miss Fuller. an excellent
speller. finally failed on the unusual word
''seneschal," after Directing 70 the paia-
gOgue pronunciation, and after cOnsidera-
bic hesitancy. There Were now but two Ia
dies left. Miss Ball on the one side and Miss
Tilley on the other. Prof. Hayden was not
subtle enough To spell "subtly," and ..portu-
laca' was the rock on which the fra1l baruue
oi Mr.. Prince was wrecked. Miss Tilley lost
IesSly with q. Prof Abbe's side was now
reduced TO two, Mr.. Thomas and Miss Ball
and Prof. Gallaudet's to one, Mr.. George NJ
Davis. The latter went down under the in
hlctlon of '.antinOmiam," and now but two
remained, Mr.. Thomas and Miss Ball The
latter soon lost her equilibrium Oh .'salable
through putting i'm an extra 2, and Mr..
Thomas was the victor. the audience loud
~ applauded. and at the close of the demon
>tTatIOn Secretary Delano presented him
with the prize WebsteT's Unabridged
THE SECOND HATCH
was between prOOf-readers, reporters and
printers ON the one side. and pupils of the
pnbilc grammar schools Oh the other, for the
gold medal offered by the Republican, of this
city. The Typos were: {. N. Robinson. A
~. Brown, j. y. Scott, J. w Sterner. w F.
Randolph, j. X. Bradley. r. L. Wilkins j.
r. Kay. e. r. ONeiii. r. A. McGiu
Buckley" Taylor, g. W. Childs and H. T.
Goodwin. OF these, EeSSrS. Robinson.
Brown, Scott. Steiner. Randolph Brad
ley. Mckins. Chids and Kay are from
The government office. 2 nd MessrS. O'Neill
McGlll. Taylor and Goodwin are typos in the
Republican office. The schools were repre-
seEted by Mary Jones and Nellie Mclean
female grammar school ri district, Minnie
BryeTtOn. :d district grammar school. MOllie
Bond. I'd district grammar school, NanWert
Johnson, 4th district grammar. Annie
BlackerSton, Fannie Reeves. Meyer Herman
ith district grammar, Thaddeus Acker,
Miles Fuller. George Webber. saba White
and Mamie Wilson. Attn district grammar.
Prof.. Chickering now assumed command and
gave out some words which We're readily
spelled on both sides. The first to
miss was young miss, and the
second. Charles o'Neill on the printers
side. who ventured one too many
in "cantalOupe.' Another printer was
pronounced incorrect on counsellor" but
remained when u was stated that there was
authority Tor two ways OF spelling il.
"Ferule" and ''germane'' Were missed
Frank Mctill was told To retire on "hiccup"
but was allowed 10 remain when il was asctr-
tanned that the word il srelled in three ways
young miss, although no ''numsk uil,"
L.