New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-13
ORTHOGRAPHICAL TOURNAMENTS.


oval val, c, vale, t-u tn, valetu, d. OIL
valetudi, ma ma, valctudlna, FL II,
yaetudinari, an an - NALETUDlNARiAN !
Does the reader remember how, all the rest OF
the c0lumnar puzzles-tho CHANTS Causeway-OI
the Smelling Book achieved, his small mouth
triumphantly wrestled with this septa-syllabic
monster? Does lac remember the well-thunDed,
dog's-oarcd, and somewhat soiled little manual,
its dryness, alas sometimes m0istened by hlS
tears, with the wooden frOntispiece IN when
Minerva, in the cap of French cuirassier,
was represented leading nice little boy over
the rocks and up to the Temple which had
Fame on one signbOard, and " Knowledge"
on the other7 Very proud now, in certain
parts of the land, are those who minded their
Dr. Webster in the days of their youth.
There is an epidemic of Spelling Matches, IN
which the old and young of either sex are en-
gaging with equal vigOr. Having early cast
their bread upon the waters, are they not gath
ering it after many days, in the shape OF
prizes Bibles, Webster's Unabridged, and
other mementoes of the scholastic fray
Our exchanges are full of the details
of these vociferous engagements, with the
names of the victorious and obituary notices
of tho defeated. There hasn't been such an
excitement upon the subject since years ago
Isaac Pitman invented Photography, which
promised to work n revolution in general, and
has only given us an excellent system OF
short hand. The spelling mania which has
ragged through the late Winter began i'll Ohio.
1t thence extended to Illinois, Indiana and
Pennsylvania, while symptoms of vt are still
observable in the rural regions Of New-YOrk.
In some places, the excitement has led to
fatal results, as at Burlington, Iowa. where
slight personal misunderstanding occurred
among the contestants, ending In the death
of a young man "only nineteen years old"
Various rules are adopted for the regulation
of the combat "sides" are usually chosen;
and in one instance we notice mysterious
provision that "no geographical or proper
names shall be given out until after nine
o'clock" In some HeighborhoOds, the base
ball players seem hurt by the shade into
which their fayorlte game has been cast, anu
in others "thc Crusaders complain that they
have been quite superseded in the popular
mind. At Bellaire wv. W, the meeting was of
so important q character that it was called to
order by Judge, and it was upOn this occa-
IL
by emitting one "g' in "aggrieve,' while
Miss Belle Gorby" unhappy maidcnD put
an unnecessary "lr into ventilate," and re-
tired in tears from the field. At Springfield,
O., the public interest on the 2lst ult. was
80 great that the Opera House was engaged
for the match, which was conducted upon the
most catholic principles, Webster and Wor-
cester being regarded ns of equal authority.
Three hundred and ffty-three words were
given out on this mOmentous OCCASION. and
such knOtty specimens rs "gneiss," "sou-
"chong," psychology" and "patronymic" laid
many a brave speller low, until only one
champion kept the field, and she woman,
with none to dispute her title to the great
Prize Dictionary. Then with fearful irony
each member of the losing side was presented
with Primer, and it was voted to send half
the net proceeds to the Kansas sufferers.
Lest any reader should underestimate the
Importance, in spite of the murder above re-
corded, of these syllable shindles, we may
mention lat q. Richmond, Ind, on the 17th
ult the prize to the victorious speller was
actually forty acres of land in Missouri. At
Charlottesville, Ind, Feb. 1G, there was
monomlchy or duello between Prof Crtz and
Miss Mires, school teacher. Long Minerva
held the equal balance suspended! Words of
five, six, seven, eight syllables flowed $50 to
speak) like water Silent letters were strug-
slcd with on either side, and overcome by
both man and maid. Sympathy was with
the heroine, and great disgust was expressed
when she succumbed to SO simple word as
"fusileer," and went down amidst the walls
of the audience. In Humboldt County Iowa,
the Queen of the Spelling Arena is Miss Ella
Cadette, that ingenious maiden having" spelled
"dOwn" the entire population. At Pittsburgh,
Penn, on the 5th inst. the sacred walls Of the
Third Presbyterian Church witnessed the
wordy battle, the Rev. Dr. Noble, the pastor,
smiling blandly on the useful games. Here
gentleman ignobly distinguished him
self by spelling salad' sal-a-c-d, while loud
laughter shook the vaulted roof, and an Irish
gentleman who spelled "beast" "basten added
to the intensity of tho excitement. An old
lady failed lamentably with rheumatism"
and highly respectable and sober gentleman
made dreadful mess OF "debauchee"-as why
should MT hef
in our own State we are proud to say,
Orthography is not neglected. At Teachers
Institutes in lS countess battles have taken
place Schenectady County carries off the
palm, her school masters and maams spelling
20 per cent OF the words given out correctly,
while poor Erie lags at the rear with only 81
per cent. good many of us, perhaps. may
thank our stars that we are not EXPOSED to