Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-04-30
SECOND EDITION.
The Spelling Match.

tennial Spelling Bee, which was, also, the third
trial between Coatesville and Wilmington. The
programme announced was carried out fully,
with the exception OF the solo by Miss Ormond
at tho close, omitted account Of the late hour.
The curtain drew up shortly after O'Clock,
disclosing very charming scene. Fifteen
Coatesvile spoilers and fifteen Wilmington spell
lers occupied respectively the right and left OF
the stage, seated 30 that their whole number
formed semi-circle. Where the two classes
would have met in the middle, the presiding
officer Chas d. Lore, ESQ, and the Vice Presl-
dent, DR.. Chas. Huston, we're seated. Back Of
them on high seat Of judgment were the Um-
pres, President Wilson, Mr.. Beae, and Prof ].
X. Taylor. The spoilers. semi-crcle had ts ex-
by the boxes, and at each Of these the
attorney of the class-Mr. Miller for Coates
vile, aud Mr.. Wiley. for Wilmington-were
seated. platform for Prof. Reynolds, the
'Pedagogue," had been placed across the or
chestra space, in front. upon which he took his
seat, the arrangement bringing him near the au-
dience, 30 that their hearing would be better
assured.
Mr.. lore having made brief and pleasant in
troductory address, the first in order was the
music, vocal and instrumental-a piano duett
by Misses Ormsby and Cartwright +; a vocal 30
10, BIRD OF the Spring Time" by Miss Collins.
who was recalled, and sang with even increased
success, ~ Cannot Sing the old Songs" vocal
and Collins /; and vocal solo, "When the Tide
Comes In" by Miss Ormond, to which, upon
warm encore, she added another Scottish ballad
OF more lively tone and measure.
The spelling WAS now begun. Prof. Reynolds,
who had sat on his elevated platform like the
statue of Abraham Lincoln, in Philadelphia, took
up the business of the evening, and beginning
with the first Wilmington speller, MIR. Grubb,
gave out first word to Wilmington and then
one to Coatesvle alternating from one side to
the other, continuously, 80 that each side should
spell an equal number OF words, this being the
rule agreed OH by the Umpires. The first thirty
words, going just twice around, were quite easy,
and no one missed, Then Prof. Reynolds
what everybody presumed were the jaw
breakers and tongue-twisters, and amid
the suppressed emotion Of audience and
spoilers, proceeded. The list began with ''atro-
cious." and ran for awhile on the varieties Of
ceous, cious, tious, &C., &c. This brought down
the first victim, a Wilmington gentleman who
spelled arenaceous, with an for the second e.
and in a moment more a second Wllmingtonian,
lady who received prizes both here and at
Coatesvlle failed on bbacious, (addcted to
drinkng,) spelling it with an e. These two
failures for Wilmington locked unfortunate to
the majority of the audience, but in spelling, as
in other trials Of skill the game ls not out until
it is played out. The pedagogue now ran awhile
on words terminating with ible, and able, but be-
fore proceeding far, Mr.. Wiley, representing the
Wilmington class, raised the point that there
were now thirteen spoilers on his side and fif-
teen on the other, to give the words alternately
to the classes put more trials on each member
of the Wilmington class than on each member
of the Coatesviile class. This was true, and it
is an interesting point quite capable of discus
sion. The Umpires, however, ruled that each
side must spell the same number OF words as the
other, without regard to how much its individual
members were required to do
The first Coatesville failure was now made on
littoral, belonging to the sea-shore,) lady
emitting onet Wilmington lady failed next
and in a moment, the words now running on
the varying terminations OF ize, ise, and ice.
a Coatesville gentleman spelled criticise
with z. He first retired, but the Umpires on
appeal, found his spelling justified by the usage
Of some authors, as quoted by Webster, and he
was replaced. Tho rule, after question by
one of the Attorneys, was stated by the Umpires
that the "authorzed" spelling of the author-
ties would be permitted to include not only the
methods set forth il the large type, in the die
tionaries, but also such as they quoted, in the
small type, after their definitions, as being " al
10 used, $50 spelled by good writer's" &C., &c.
The propriety of this ruling on the present oc-
casion was justified by circumstances, and it was
equally fair for both sides but the Unpires
themselves do hot regard it as sound on general
principles 1t certainly is not.
The termination ze, for merchandise, could
not be sustained, as criticize WAS, and Will
mington lady retired, followed quickly by
Coatesville lady, who took g prize at the previ-
GUS Bee in this city,. Other failures followed,
the attorneys generally appealing for their res
pective losing companions, and often calling for
Judgment" as against their opponents. The
word torqued, Qwisted,) puzzled a Coatesyille
gentleman, and he tickled the surface Of his
brain-pan in vain, failing on the word. Upon
tho question Of admitting such words as
peloponnesian, (referring to Peloponnes-
sus, in. Greece,) debate occurred between
the attorneys, but the umpres allowed them
to go in, and this word proved fatal to Coates
fot fo1 aI in,
few minutes, Wilmington's rank which had
severely suffered under storm of hard words
such as insicoation, Sisyphean, phlogistian, was
reduced to five spoilers, 80 that Coatesyille now
became sure of at least one prize. A lady on
that side. who took the first prize at the Bee
here, two weeks ago, now returned on knaggy
without k, and she was quickly followed by
another Coatesville lady, who also took prizes
both in that borough and here, on dutious for
duteous.
After two more failures on the same side, the
classes now standing seven to five, President
Lore asked them to draw their chairs forward on
the STAGE which they did. One gentleman and
six ladies remained OF the visitors, and three
gentlemen and two ladies' of the Wilmington
class Tho contest now became extremely in
teresting and the audience, sweltering in the
heated atmosphere OF the Opera Houae, pers-
pired, with eyes enkindled, conntenances ami
mated, and hearts pit-a-patting, in behalf of the
contestants. Two Coatesville gladiators, how
ever, quickly failed, leaving the numbers now
standing to 5, and making it certain that Will
mington would get at least one OF the Blk prizes
The next failure was by a Wilmington gentlo-
man who spoiled the plural of motto by the ad-
dition only of an g. for which the Umpires ruled
there is no authority. remaining gentleman
on the same side indulged in some pleasantries
in his manner OF spelling, which seemed trihe
like dancing on the edge of danger, though his
'g--double lizard ard for gizzard was funny
too, and brought down the house. He present.
ly experienced SHOCK by being put out on hing
ing, without the e but the Umpires found au-
thority, and put him back again. In a moment
more, however, the head Of the Wilmington class
Mr.. Grubb, our first prize man at Coatesville and
second prize at the previous Wilmington Bee,
spelled tho word prestidgtator, with the eur,
as it is almost universally printed on the show
bills, in the newspapers, and elsewhere. I'm
fortunately, this ending, though so commonly
used is the French. and the dictionaries do not
permit it. Mr.. Grubb, after appeal, was put
cut a proceeding very regretful to all who knew
his abilities al speler.
1t was now half past ten, extremely warm,
and the Pedagogue struck vein of easy words,
on which it seemed likely the classes might con-
tend all.night Occasionally, however, the smooth
water had an ugly snag in it, and at length-the
classes now standing (C.) to 8, (W)-one of
the four ladies' fell on Enead for Eneid. leav-
ing the casses 3 to g. and making it certain that
each side would get half the prizes. One of the
Wilmington ladies spelled ochra for okra but
there il authority for it, and another set her
chair back, by the Pedagogue's order, on
fagot, which tho Umpires found correct, in
aaar rch tba cla9aea atiI ramaininp