, 1875-03-14
HPELLING11ATCHES.

Tho latest mania which has seized upon
Young America is that Of spelling matches.
They have spread as rapidly as the epizoodc
did. It is m old custom which had fallen in
to disuse, but has been revived with rnpid-
ity which is truly astonishing. Commencing
in New England, only a few weeks ago, they
have quickly spread to the West, the last
place to be attacked being Nebraska. The
object Of these matches is o very excellent
one, the proceeds and rewards being given
to the poor. They are innocent in charac-
ter, not liable to lead people into
temptation, and are cheap and tranquilizing.
They do not excite the passions, keep people
out very late at nights, or distract their at
tentioo from business. In these respects
they are much to be preferred to church lot
teries, religious ratfles, Jar3ey wax-works, and
other similar modes Of spreading the Gospel
into hcathen lands. Some Of the facts coll
nected with these matches are very peculiar.
Although nearly all women are accustomed
to have bad spells at times, they almost in
yariably come Of victorious in these matches,
and put down the tyrant nm without
any difficulty. Men Of Gterary pretensions
hcye been doored with 't 'taaccid, "f1ageo-
let," tsbellast," "balance," "privlege,"
.scapillary," Colossal" .'correlate," ap-
pall," and even little monosyllabic words,
hurled at them by the gentler SEX. At q
spel1ing-match in Indianapolis, the other day,
Prof. ". o. BELL, editor Of tie School
Journal, and formerly Superintendent Of the
Educational Department Of the city, spelled
"allege with I'd" and, upon his retire
ment, was made the recipient Of a huge
cabbage bouquet. Other persons in literary
walks of life wers spelled down with very
simple words.
As a cheap form Of popular education, tho
spalling-match is to be commended. The
condition Of the public spell is simply fear
full. We receive daily scores Of cnmmunics-
tons written foz TIE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
whose spelling ia bad enough to make ones
hair stand on end. The fault does not seem
to pertain to any particular class The poets,
Of whom TIE TRIBUNE has nbout 1900 in
training, perhaps spell the worst but, as
they are laborirg under s'fne frenzy"
they take any Ingua1 liberty they p1eass
with impunity. The ministers and par
sons are frequently frighHul spoilers.
We obtain every week manuscript sermons
for publication which require the whole force
Of the Office to unspell Politicians, story
writer's, lawyers, merchants, clsrks, and coz
respondents Of both sexes, send their favors
to us without blush at the enormities they
perpetrete in orthographJ- For this reason,
We are tlsd to see that the spelling-match is
abroad in the land; but what il Chicago
doing? Why do not our churches institute
these matches instead Of axhaustin1
people with parlor concerts, dramatic
embellishments, wu works, ha1f-and-half
operatic entertainments, sociables, etc.
Spring is rapidly coming up this way and
strawberries will soon be here, which will
deluge us with strawberry festivals. Why
not give us some spelling matches instead OF
these everlasting stale, fiat, and Improbable
strawberry occasions Each Church might
institute spaMug match between H1s Den.