Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-05-07
The Spelling Match, Tuesday Evening,

attracted to City Hall ore of the largest
and best audiences of the season-the fool
and galleries being almost completely
hlled, while many remained standing
throughout the eyening-and proved an in
teresting and enjoyable occasion. The au-
dience followed the spelling with great at
tention, and were very liberal in expires.
sions of pleasure, bad spell being invaria-
bly, greeted with enthusiastic applause,
which was redoubled as the bashgul recp-
lent OF the ovation stepped down and out
Some sixty or seventy persons competed
Tor the prizes, among them about score of
ladies Mayor Blodgett, Hon. G. e. Bene-
dict and Rev. E. r. Atwlll acted as referees,
while the words were given cut by Robert
Roberts, Esq. At the outset the words
were taken from the New York Tines The
first word, "cltizens, was spelled correct
ly, but the second, "Herculaneum, >" took
down a gentleman, who Immediately start
ed for the ante-room amid thunders Of ap-
plause. Senior in the L. V. NJ. passed
out on - dis pondency, and the following
bad spells succeeded; Notice .parti-eoloured.
medallion, apartment. mediocur, decade,
dirverting ard armament. i. V. Spauld-
ing Eslr., retired to the sequestered shades
Of the ante-room on controller" The
Times was then laid aside and spelling
book brought into requisition. the first re-
suit Of which was that the ranks of the
ladies were decimated by the word ''phthis-
icSy," which was spelled in almost every
conceivable way. \ number OF victims then
suceulnbed on such spelling as " catarr,"
intermittent, -" "exstacios. - "hemerrage,
'mystefying," d" igniteable." ard eur
tesy," while queue was spelled cue
que and "cueu." The enunciator then
gave out some polysyllabic words, under
whose magic spell the ranks Of the con
testants were rapidly thinned out i lad
named Wheeler, who had held hi, uwn
admirably, suecumbed on "adulatory'', Mr..
Enos W. Taft perpetratod "trissillabic. -
Hon. George Il. Bieelow " oxhiirate.' -
and others ''indeleble, -" symo;rical, ''"un-
comfortable, " 'agreyanec, 80 etc etc, until
at last only eight competitors remained,
Miss Belle Crooker, Mis- Lizzie Lowry,
Prof. c. ). Haley, Sergeant ". 4. Chap
man, of the signal service, and Messrs.
WHY'S Benedict and G. /. Cutler, tboth Of
the Junior class. L. Y. NJ Walkera and .
Patten. Miss Crooker retired on "cameleo /
pard,' Miss Lowry on ''sJ bellant'' (for /
"sibilant') Sir. Chapman on rofrange-
bic, Mr. Walker on "inaiiennble." Ny. I
Pauen on 'refrangabie' aad Mr.. Cutler
on 'shiboleth. Only two Contestants were
now left, Mr.. Benedict and Prof Hal,ey.
Each attacked the elusive words with the
greatest intrepidity, and the interest Of the
audience grew intense. Finally the word
10 hypoehondriac" was given 10 Professor
ilalsey and he rendered it Incorrectly, Thy
1ocontriac," thus leaving Mr.. Benedict
master Of the situation. For the last half
lour the spelling was excellent, and reflect
ID a great deal Of credit upon the coLte--
ants.
In regard to such an affair Guit-anding
IS ungenerous, but We may be permitted to
suggest itwould have been eminently proper,
Il the conclusion of the match, to announce
% the audience the names Of tie successful
pelloTs. On the whole, however, bat lit
le fault can DO found with the management
u the match, and the general verdict is a
cry favorable one.