The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-04-07
TIle Spelling MATCH.

The Spelling Match between twenty
of our citizens and an equal number from
Reagan High School came. off last Fri
day night at the Court Honse. Notwith-
standing thcanclemency of the weather,
large and appreciative audience came
out to hear the children spell.
The referees were Rev. Messrs. Pope,
G. D. French and Prof Dillworth, the
latter supplying the place of Rev. T. P.
Summers, who was absent. At 7:30
o'clock, Rev. Mr.. Pope, as teacher, call
ed thespellers to the front and announc-
ed the rules and regulations governing
| the contest. Webster's and Worcester's
dictionaries were taken as authority, and
Webster's Speller and Defner as the
htext book. The forty spoilers then form
ed into one grand and imposing line of
living photography, and for ten minutes
showed what they knew about s'ba, -
''ca, "nu," ''hu," &C., &C., in order
as the teacher said, ITO knecksthe wiry
edge off" Round and round these little
words flew, and loud and continuous
laughter filled the room, as ever and
anon some little spe1ler missed. A Pro-
fessor had the wiry edge knocked off by
putting 'say'' for "sa;" lawyer by say
ing new for "nu," &C., &c. Two ms
were put in "dun," a color; but the
teacher thought it ought not to be done
that way, and cried, ''next, thus COM
pletely taking the starch oVtasofTsa
Clerk and Master.
So frequently had the audience been
convulsed with laughter, that, when the
ten minutes were out, the referees
thought it advisable to give short re
cess, to let the people rest. f.fs.-
THE CHALLENGED CONTEST.
The contestants now wheeled into line
with faces toward the foe, and ortho-
graphical fire flashing from every eye.
Once, twice, three times, the words went
round, and 1ota nice young citizen fail
ed to achieve victory because he left
an .'e" out of achievement" The Cit
| liens helmet was broken by an IS" in
''acid" An ex-County Superintendent
of Public Instruction "stuck in the mud"
on s'baik, was pried out by a student
and left perfectly disorganized. An up
town merchant was disfranchised on zen
| franchise" and fine, fat student was
no longer an actor on the stage when he
hesitated and finally said meter. p"
Four students, one dentist, a clerk, a
professional miller and a lawyer wrestled
with ''baluster," and all event glimmer-
| ing into private life. A student from
| Sweetwater and one of our lawyers
vamosed the rancho" on 'banian.
In the midst of plenty a promising stu
dent fell fat of his back when he spelled
''afiuent" with an "a" A certain Coun-
ty Clerk seesawed on ''baptIze" until he
got it ''tise," and-then he quit. A stu
dent from Mississippi pointed derter-ous
ly at ''barrister," but it was a clear miss,
and out he stepped, murmuring, ooh!
were you meier a schoolboy," &c. A Pro
fessor went sky-high in puff of tremen-
dous applause, on "basilisk" From al
most the same spot, and soon after, an
other Professor went directly up on
battalion" and, as he went in command
of his battalion" the audience, suppos
ed he had gone off to join his comrade
who had so recently gone off astride of
his ''basilisk A prospective farmer
was roasted whole on barbecue.
sBaseboru" was too low for celebrated
hen-fruit man, and so he retired. ilti
FIVE TO SEVEN.
The spellists now stood five citizens
against seven students, and for a few
minutes it was up and down, round and
round interesting even to excitement
Finally, lawyer of no little celebrity,
became dazzled and added on 'sbedaz-
zled, and quietly stepped down and cut
Next followed a student who thought he
had '''s" enough to put two in bel
dam" eI1
FOUR TO SIX.
Now it was four to SIX. and the con-
flict deepened in interest : A lawyer
went through on ''carrion, and almost
wished he never had been horn. Right
here came the Clerk and Master again,
but not to worry over dun" it was
cartilage that "spat him in the eye"
and sent him off winding. "CartOuch"
was too heavy for the assistant postmas-
ter to carry, and out he put, leaving L.
p. Speck alone in his glory, bravely con-
tending against fearful odds, six of Rea-
gan's best. The teacher gave a "cat'
and some combs to one of the six and
desired him to make ''catacembs," but
the connecting link was an sc" and he
''got up and got" The next was stu
dent so imaginary and fanciful that he
put 'cle" for 'caIn in "chimerical "
1'Chinck" for "chink" caused one more
to slip away; and there they stood, two
against a lonely Speck! He tussled with
them for some time, but finally became
choked with "choler," and reluctantly
yielded the palm to Messrs. James Nc
Farland and Ben Nelson, the champion
spoilers of the evening.
Thus closed, amid vOciferous cheering
and tossing. of hats by the Joyous vic
tors, the most laughable and mirth- pro-
voking entertainment ever witnessed in
Morristown. Those who enjoyed it.
doubtless felt grateful to the prime NOV
er of the treat so replete with innocent
amusement.
A number of ladies, we understand,
intend challenging the vanquished class;
and if so, our people may look for am
other photographed tilt more interest
ing even than the first Let US have
another match; for little fun is health
full both to the mind and body.
Rewards for His Friends.
Since the adjournment of Congress
the President has anD0infn6 aiUI1t IF