Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-04-02
Crth E graphical Tourna ments.
From the New York Tribune

WI, '''ietuNi, h-d Hi, Ndi'tu'tlba, IL IL,
valetudinari, An an,-Valetudinari
:n." Does the reader remember how
all the rest of the columnar puzzles
the Giants Causeway- Of the spelling
book achieved, his small mouth tri
umphantly wrestled with this scpta-
syllable monster? Does he remem.
Der the well-thumbed, dog's-eared and
somewhat soiled little manual, its
dryness, alas! sometimes moistened
by his tears, with the wooden front.
ispiece in which Minerva, in a cap OF
a French cuirassier, was represented
leading Il nice little boy over the
rocks and up to the Temple which
had "Fane' on one siGnboard and
acknowledge" 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 spelling
matches, in which the old and young
of either sex are engaged with equal
vigor. Having early east their bread
upon the waters, are they not gather.
ing it after many days, in the shape OF
prizes-Bibles, Webstcr's Unabrilg-
ed, and other mementoeS of scholastic
fray? Our exchanges are full of the
details of these vocifcrouS engage
ments, with the names Of tile victor
ious and obituary notices Of the dc
feated. There has not been such an
excitement on the subject since years
ago Isaac Pitman invented pEonogra-
ply, which promised to work revo-
luton in general, and has only given
us an excellent system of shorthand.
The spelling system which has ragged
through the winter, began in Ohio
1t thence extended to Illinois, Indi-
ana 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, Iowa, where
Il slight personal misunderstanding
occurred among the contestants, end
ing 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 instant we notice mys-
terious provision that "no geograph-
ical or proper name shall be given
out until after 9 o'clock" in some
neighborhoods the base ball players
seem hurt by the shade into which
their favorite game has been east,
and in others, "the Crusaders" com
plain that they have been quite SUI
perceded in the popular mind
At Bellairc CIV. w. the meeting
was of so important a character that
it was called to order by Judge,
and it was upon this occasion that IA
doctor of medicine come to grief by
emitting one "g" in "aggrieve," while
"Miss Belle Gorby" unhappy maid
enD put an unnecessary 81 into
'ventilate," and retired in tears from
the field. At Springfield, o., tire
public interest, Oh 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 Wor-
cester being regarded rs Of equal
authority. Three hundred and fifty
thee words were given out on this
momentous occasion, and such knotty
specimens as "yuess," ''souchong
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 underes-
innate the Importance, in spite of the
murder above recorded, of the sylla-
bic shindies, we mention that at Rich
mond, Indiana, on Feb. 18th, the
prize to. the victori lis speller was
actually forty acres of land i'll Mis-
souri,. At Charlottesville, Indiana,
Feb. 10th, there was monomachy
or duelo between Prof. Critz and
Miss Micrs, 4 school teacher. Long
Minerva held the equal balance sus-
pended! Words of five, six, seven,
eight sylables flowed $50 to speak }
like water. Silent letters were strug-
gled with on either side, and over
come by both man and maid. Sym
pathy was with the heroine, and a
great disgust was expressed when she
succumbed to SO simple u word rs
"fus;leer," and went down amidst the
walls of the audience. In Humboldt
county, Iowa, the Queen of the Spell
ing Arena is Miss Ella Gazette, that
ingenius maiden having spelled
down" the entire population. AT
Pittsburg, Penn, on the 18th ult., the
sacred walls of the Third Presby-
terian Church witnessed the wordy
battle, the Rev. DR.. Noble, the pastor,
smiling blandly on the useful games.
Here gentleman ignobly distin-
guished himself by spelling "salad''
sala-e-d, while loud laughter shook
the vaulted roof, and an Irish gentle
man, who spelled "beast'' "baste," +"
added to the intensity Of the excite
ment. An old lady failed lamcntably
with "rheumatism," and a highly re-
spectacle and sober gentleman made
dreadful mess Of "debauchee-as
why shouldn't he?
In our own State, we are proud to
say photography is not neglected. At
Teachers Institutes in eighteen coun-
ties, battles havctaken place. Schen-
cctady county carries off the palm,
her school-mastcrs and ma'ams spell
ing sixty per cent Of the words given
out correctly, while poor Erle lags at
the rear with only thirty-seven per
cent. \ good many of us, perhaps,
may thank our stars that we are not
exposed to these ordeals. Charlie.
Lamb once said that he had found
out why a friend wrote tohim in such
4 blind hand-it was to conceal his
bad spelling! We believe that every
body makes mistakes IN photography
and that very great writers are fire
qucntly under obligations to the
proot.readers. There is good deal
of idiosyncrasy about it. When
everybody, including The great and