Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-04-02
Orthographlcal tournaments.

Photographed tournaments.
Val val, {, vale, tn tn. vaietl, ii ii,
yaletudi, ma na yaletudna, ri ri, yaletu
dinari, an an-NMrTUDINARIAN ,' Does
the reader remember how, all the rest of
the columnar puzzlcs-the Giants Cluse-
way-of the Spelling Book achieved, his
small mouth triumphantly wrestled with
this septa-syllabic monster? Does he re
member the well-thumbed, dog's-eared, and
somewhat soilel little manual, its drynes-
alas sometimes moistenei 10y his tears,
with the wooden frontispiece in which Nj
nerya, in the cap Of French cuirassier, was
represented leading a nice little bog over
the rocks and up 10 the Temple which had
Pane" on one signboari, and know
ledge on the other? 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 Spell
ling Matches, in which the old and young
Of either sex are engaging with equal Nigor.
Having early cast their bread upon the
waters, are they not gathering it after many
days, in the shape of prlzes-Bibles, Web
sters Unabridged, and other mementoes of
the scholastic frav2 Our exchanges are
full Of the details of these voci.er1us en-
gagements, with the names of the victorious
and obituary notices Of the defeated There
hasn't been such an excitement upon the
subject since years ago Isaac Ptman invent
ell Photography, which promised u work a
revolution in general, and has only gwen Us
an excellent system OF shorthand. The
spelling mania which has ragged through the
late winter began in Ohio. 1t thence ex-
tended 70 Illinois, Indiana and PennSylya-
MA. while symptoms of II are still oh-ery
able 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 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 a mysterious
provision that mo geographical or proper
names shall be given out until after nine
o'clock" In some neighblrhoods, the base
ball PLAYERS seem hurt hv the shade into
WHICH LntlI AhhDlAtc Edlii' Ai7 '''ti Nt'7t 't't'
in others "the Crusaders complain that
they nave been quite superseded IN The
popular mind. At Bellaire (W. W the
meeting was Of 80 important character
that it was called to order by = Judge, and
it was upon this occasion that Doctor OF
Medicine came to grief by omiting one -
in "aggrieye. " while Miss Belle Glrby
unhappy maiden y put an unnecessary
''l'' into "ventilate. and retired m tears
from the field At Springfield, o., the pub
lie interest on the 2lst ult., was so great
that the Opera House was engaged Tor the
match, which was conducted upon the most
catholic principles, Webster and orceSier
being regarded a. Of equal authority.
Three hundred and titty-three word, We're
given out on this momentous OCCASION and
such knotty specimens O. "gnei'S' "~lu-
chong, psychology and 'patronymic
laid many a brave speller low, until only
one champion kept the field, and she W.
man, with none to dispute her title To the
great Prize Dictionary. Thea with fearful
IRONY each member Of the losing side was
presented with Primer, and it was voted
to send half the net proceeds 20 the hanSa-
sufferers.
Lest any reauer Shoulu underestimate ei'
Importance, in spite Of the murder above re
corded. of these syllable shindies, we may
mention that at Richmond, Ind, on the l7th
ult., the prize to the victorious -peller was
actually forty acres Of land OF Missouri. At
| Charlottesville, Ind, Feb. 10, there Wa a
menomachy or duello between Prof. Crit
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 struggled with on either side
and overcome by both man and maid sym
pathy was with the heroine, and great dis
gust was expressed when she Snecumbed to
80 simple word as 'lusileer' 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 9Th 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 lgnohly distinguished