The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-01
Photographed Tournaments.

"V-a-l val, e, vale, t-u tn, valetu, d-i di,
valetudi, ma ma, valetudina, ri ri, valetu-
dinari, an an-ValetudiBarian ~ Does
the reader remember how all the rest of
the cOlumnar puZZles-the Giants Cause
way-of the spelling-beok achieved. his
small mouth triumphantly wrestled with
this septa-syllabic monster? Does he re-
member the well-thumbed, dog Scared and
somewhat sOiled little manual, its dryness,
alas sometimes mOistened by his tears
with the wooden frontispiece in which
Minerva, in the cap of a French cuirassier,
was represented leading a nice little boy
over the rocks and up to the Temple which
had Fame" on one signboard and
" knowledge" on the other? Very proud
now, in certain parts of the land, are those
who minded their DIR. Webster in the days
of their youth. There is an epidemic of
spelling-matches, in which the old and
young of either sex are engaged with
equal vigor. Having early cast their bread
upon the waters, are they not gathering it
after many days, in the shape of prizes
Bibles, Webster's Unabridged, and other
mementOes of the scholastic fray? Our eX-
changes are full of the details of these vo-
ciferOus engagements, with the names of
the victorious and obituary notices of the
I
citement upon the subject since years ago
Isaac Pitman invented photography, which
promised to work a revolution in general,
and has only given us an excellent system
of shorthand. The spelling mania which
has ragged through the winter began in
Ohio. 1t thence extended to Illinois,
Indiana and Pennsylvania, while symp-
toms of it are still observable in the rural
regions of New York. In some places the
excitement has led to fatal results, as at
Burlington, Ia, 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 regula
ton of the combat; sides" are usually
chosen; and in one instance we notice q
mysterious provision that ''nO geOgraph-
ical or proper names shall be given out
until after o'clock" In some neighbor-
hoods the base ball players seem hurt by
the shade into which their favorite game
has been cast, and in others "the Cra,
saders" complain that they have been
quite superseded in the popular mind. Al
Bellaire (W. v the meeting was of so i'm
portant a character that it was called TO
order by Judge, and it was upon this oc,
caSion that a Doctor of Medicine came to
griefby emitting one g,' in "aggrieve,' -
while "Miss Belle GOrby" unhappy
maiden y put an unnecessary al" into
"ventilate," and retired in tears from the
field. At Springfield, o., the public in-
terest, on the 2lst ult., was so great that
the Opera-house was engaged for the
match, which was conducted upon the
most catholic principles, Webster and
Worcester being regarded as of equal au.
thority. Three hundred and fifty-three
words were given out on this mOmentouS
occasion, and such knOtty specimens as
''gniess,' /" souchong," psychology
and "patronymic" laid many a brave
speller low, until only one champion kept
the field, and she a woman, with none tC
dispute her title 10 the great Prize Diction.
ary. Then with fearful irony each mem.
Der of the losing side was presented with
a 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 recorded, of these syllable shindies
we mention that at Richmond. Indiana
on the 18th ult., the prize to the victoriou;
Speller was actually forty acres of land il
Missouri. At Charlottesville, Indiana
February 16, there was q monOmachy OF
a ool-teacher. Long Minerva held the
equal balance suspended! Words of five
six, seven, eight, syllables flowed $50 tC
speak like water. Silent letters were
struggled with on either side, and over
come by both man and maid. Sympathy
was with the heroine, and a great DISCUS
was expressed when she succumbed to sc
simple a word as "fusileer,' and wen
down amidst the walls of the audience. In
Humboldt County, Iowa, the Queen o
the Spelling Arena is Miss Ella Cadette
that ingenious maiden having 'spellet
down" the entire population. At Pitts
burg, Penn on the 9TH inst. the sacred
walls of the Third Presbyterian Churcl
witnessed the wordy battle. the Rev. DR.
Noble, the pastor, smiling blandly on thC
useful game. Here a gentleman ignobly
distinguished himself by spelling salad
sala-e-d, while loud laughter shook tn,
vaulted roof, and an Irish gentleman whC
spelled ''beast' "baste" added to the in
tensity of the excitement. An old lady
failed lamentably with ''rheumatism, an(
highly respectable and sober gentleman
made dreadful mess of "debauchee"-a
why shouldn't he? ---..a,
f. In our own State, we are proud to say
photography is not neglected. At Teach
ers' Institutes in eighteen counties, bat
ties have taken place. Schenectady Coun
ty carries off the palm, her schoolmaster
and ma'arms spelling 60 per cent. of tn,
words given out correctly, while poor Fri
| lags at the rear with only 81 per cent
good many of us, perhaps, may thank on
! stars that we are not exposed to these or
| deals.-Ne1u York Tribune.