National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-03
TIE sPELLING.MATCH LAST NIGHT.
THIRD AUDITOR vs.. SNTHAUDITOR
THE PosT-OFFIGE CLERKS VICTORIOUS.
TROUBLES OF TITUS AND nLLEY.
The One as q Martyr and the Other a
Critie-UnEOrtunafeM Mistake of the
Critic - General Observations
on the subject-FuI Re-
port OF the Contest
Last, Night.

Notwithstanding the Indictment weather, there
was Q large attendance at the Congregational
church to witness the photographic battle be-
tween employees in the otaces Of the Third and
Sixth Auditors. The Treasury and Post once
Departments were both we'll represented. The
audience were obliged to wait 50 long before the
ssi-mishIng commenced that they became quite
impatient. The contestants were slowed away
in the waiting room before they made their sp-
Of damp foreheads, lifeless faces and trembling
knees.
into the choir-loit, and their appearance called
forth desfenipg applause; but as they laid down
their umbrellas and overcoats and stretched
themselves out on the bench, the audience be-
came satisfied that they were not civil service
HOrshipers, and the plaudits became less fire.
Quent, till nothing was heard but an occasional
clap Of the hands from near-sighted old gentle
man by the door, who had not yet learned what
was the matter.
When finally the contestants did file out of the
waiting room and upon the stage, the stamping
spoilers could do nothing but work their fingers
and stare around at the galleries and the organ.
Mr.. Charles Lyman, who had been
CHOSEN TO PRESIDE,
made few preliminary remarks during which
he read the challenge sent from the Third Audi.
tors Once TO that Of the Sixth Auditor and the
rules that would govern the spelling, which did
not differ materially from those which have gov
erncd all the matches heretofore, except that two
misses were necessary to put one down, and that
they provided for three referees, to be chosen
BY each office and the other to be chosen BY
Mr.. william ]. Rhees represented the Third
Auditors office in this capacity; tho Sixth Au-
ditor's office chose Prof H q. Spencer, and these
two selected Prof A. L. Barbour, who acted as
schoolmaster.
THE CONTESTANTS.
W. @. Pennyweight was the chief wrestler on
the Third Auditors SIDE with the following COM
n
ford, Louis G. Harbsugh, W. S. Sliney, A. Jack
son, James 7. Allen, Charles ID. Sloane, Joshua
Huntington, W. T. Van Doren, Isaac NJ. Arnold,
William Miller. Mr.. Edward Howard led the
Sixth Auditors phslanx, which was composed of
the following ladies and gentlemen: Messrs. S.
A. Virgins, James Trainor. ]. s. Sharke, ]. H.
Beverley, H. H. Bliss, G. NJ. B. Harris, Boone
Chambers, l. T. Paxton, John Ridcut, J. N.
CoughiD, J. N: McGrew, J. W. Cromwell, A.W.
Newman, and Misses Fuller and Jones.
The opposing forces were arranged on either
side Of the platform, half fronting each other and
the audience. The pedagogue and referees sat
ants who, for this reason, were continually look
ing over their shoulders and twisting their bodies
into fantastic positions which gave them the ap-
pearanee Of troupe Of Chinese acrobats.
The Sixth Auditor, Hon. q. O. Sheats, occupied
a prominent position in 'front.' and smiled NJ at
his clerks in a manner that made each one think
dreams Of promotion,
THE FIRST WORD
was given to Mr.. Pennyweight, "inauguIate,"
which he spelled correctly, and then cOndescend-
ingly spelled his own name for the benefit OF the
reporters. The Pedagogue then gave the word
pennyweight to Mr.. Howard, who mastered 1t.
The first miss was that Of Mr.. J. N. COughlin on
comptroller Mr.. Sliney mufed on "mante-
nance" Mr.. Howard went sick over 'erisipelas."
Mr.. Trainor tripped on "fusia." Mr.. Sloane said
Rendezvous" and disagreed with the pedagogue.
"PeDetentiary," "disparaties, "reprieVe, Hpros-
olyte, "bouy ant, :" "testacous" "resoyolr, ida
aNHwAn ETarn NEwNaH La
ment," "hppochondria, ;" "calcarlous, ""exchang-
able 4" "sessura, "dabouche, " "deiquesce," de
suitude," 'etagere," 'neur-de-luce," "ylaour,"
for "naiad, ~ "ophecleide," "ooEle' for "ousie,"
'parroquet" and 'phillippic" reduced both sides.
MIR. Sloane was the first that went out, having
prieve." Mr.. Sliney, Mr.. Sanford, Miss Jones'
Messrs. Miller, Gangler, Huntington, Howard,
Har6sugh; Traipor, Virgins, Brown and Rowell
words like "pleblan,' ''pirOuetting,T ''rescen.
for ..raBSst," "sssrIsttan," "scrUtolr," sSbil.
lant," "seen-night" for ''seven-night," "sylf,"
'sOttevoce, "tete tete" for 'tete-atete, "toch-
sicology," missed by Miss Fuller, brought down
the sides TO i've each. At this point
THE PEDAGoGUE YAwNEp,
and asked the audience If 1t would not be good
idea to stop, but the audience didn't seem In
elined to lose their fifteen cents worth, and
noisily protested against IL. Finally IL was de-
cided to leave it 70 the vote Of the audience, as
they had paid their money and might wish to
have something to say about it. When Prof.
match to raise their hands fists of every descrip-
tion were stuck up into the air, some Of them
swinging hats and others being content with
swapping their fingers and yelling, go on"
The opposing vote was very small. A few stray
hands were seen oscillating in the air, here and
there, but they appeared to be ashamed of their
side, and went down as suddenly as they came
up, without the slightest attempt at hat-sWing-
ing or any other demonstration.
With such an overwhelming majority against
adjournment, the contestants had TO sit it out,
and the pedagOgue, who had used up his spelling
book, suggested that such of
THE AUDIENCE
as knew any word that nobody else knew should
send i up TO him On on slip Of paper The result
pressed into service to carry words up to the
chOirloft.
After some very sharp spelling there were LETT
three on each side. Among the errors which
seated their colleagues were the words "turquos"
"tic dolOreux." "tule" for tulle, "ameTsedh and
"cyIigies." On the Third Auditors side were
MessTs. Pennyweight, Arnold and jackson, and
on the other Messrs. Cromwell and Harris aud
Miss Fuller Then in quick succession the Third
gulac," Pennyweight on caterpillar" and Mr..
Arnold, who then stood alone on mis- side, spelled
bis word capitalization leaving the Sixth
Auditors office, as represented by MeSsrs. CrOm-
we'll and Harris and Miss Fuller, victorious.
Miss Fuller has became quite we'll known by
her ine spelling on other occasions OF this kind.
eOlogy," which she evidently misunderstood.
Mr.. J. W. Cromwell is a fne-loOkfng colored
man. employed in the Office OF the Sixth Auditor
Fortune gave him some very hard words, but he
maintained perfect command over himself and
got through brsvely, having missed but one
word during the evening, and that was "Sotto
Vocs."
Mr. @. NJ. B. Harris was the victor among the
victors, as he alone waded through the polysylIa-
usual murmurings and congratulations aud hys-
terical shriekings after missing umbrellas and
diving under the peWs for hats, the audience dis.
persed.
Dissatisfied Gentlemen.
Space is cheerfuIly given to the following con-
on the subject OF the late spelling
match, from two Of the discounted contestants,
the one appearing in the role OF . martyr, and
the other critic For the benefit Of the critic
and others Of his class mention is simply made
of the fact that the match did not conclude until
q late hour and that in the haste necessary TO
get the two columns into shape for the printers
mistakes were unavoidable. "Pedagogue," how
which he speaks Of his photographic reputI-
tiOn," should be q little more careful He Is
probably the only authority in the world who
the original OF his letter as reproduced below.
MARK now how plain tale shalt put you down."
Mr. TILLEY's eRowL
To the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIR: VIII you allow me space for a word or two
in relation to the word 1oesophagus' on which
was tripped up at the spelling match at Lincoln
hall on Wednesday evening. Ny error consisted
In substituting the diphthong digraph &c for oe.
On this point l would say that Webster, while
giving tesophAgus, las he does economy does
not define either word In that form, but refers the
reader to esophagus and economy, SO that the ex-
ira oficious medical gentleman on my side OF
the house, (and not, rs your reporter has it. Prof
Able, tie leader Of our opponents, in whom the
action would have been perfectly legitimats,l
who, after the error had escaped the attention OF
Dominic French, and all on the other side and
another word had been given out with more per-
sopal vanity than esprit dU corps, felt called
upon to display his superior acumen BY question
ing the spelling was not exactly Websterian any
more than myself. He went down himself by
the.Way shortly afterward on . much simpler
word, which didn't happen to lie 50 much in the
line of his profession. So.
With regard TO the correctness Of the decision
of the honorable referees, which was not that my
objection TO the character OF the word came too
late but that it was not valid one, and that the
word was entirely admissible under rule 6, which
read: "The words selected for the contests shall
exclude as far as posgIble all words Of q techui-