The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-03-23
Spelling Matchcs-A Suggestion.

Editors Of the Intelllsenocri
BY misunderstanding and mismanuge.
ment the spelling match which came off
at Washington Hall on Friday evening
was mere farce. The affair was badly
conducted throughout. Whoever under.
took to arrange for match between
Bridgeport and "all Wheeling Is respon-
sible for having done a very silly thing,
as the result most plainly shows. There
are probably Us many good spoilers in the
Seventh ward as in Bridgeport, and per-
haps quite NJ many bad ones; and had the
Seventh ward alone been arrayed against
bridgeport, the opposing parties would
have stood upon something like an equal
footing.
|. Notwithstanding the general feeling Of
disgust with the proceedings, the SPELL
Ing fever does not seem 10 have materially
abated. This Is perhaps we'll; and II
some reasonable plan can be suggested
whereby the interest can 10 maintained
for considerable time, much good may
result. With a view to this, the follow
ing Is offered for the consideration Of those
who may be willing to lead in the matter :
Let the city be divided into districts.
The regular election districts, Washing.
ton, Madison, Clay, Union. Center, Web.
slcr and Richie, would do very well. In
yile Bellairc, bridgeport, and Martins
vile to come in, each az d distinct district.
There whould then be ten (l0) regular
spelling districts. Let II be so arranged
that the first contest shall take place lie.
tween two Of these districts, say Bridge.
port and Madison, madison embraces
the entire 9TH and q part OF the I'd ward
Of the city.) The second contest to take
place between the victorious district In
The first battle, and Washington or some
other district; then between tho victors
and another district, shy MarLinsville.
And in this way let the thing pass around
until all shall have participated. Then,
II thought best, let there be general bat
tic to take place between say ilfty Of the
best spoilers from all these districts,
twenty-five against twenty-five.
But by all means let the matter he so
planned at the outset that no such farce
rs that which was enacted at Washing.
ton Hall, on Friday night, shall be re-.
peated. In order 10 this few sligges.
tiohs may not be aniiss:
Let the Judges and the annOunCers In
every instance be disinterested persons,
not Belonging to either Of the districts
engaged at the time. II Webster Is made
the atbilet to settle differences which
may arise "a TO the orthOgfaphy or pro-
nunCiatiOn Of words, let II he understood
that II any difference Is found 10 exist
between Webster and his retiters land such
differences are numerous) either shall
be accepted as correct. Let the words to
be spelled be only those used by
good English authors and writer's
Of the present period, rejecting sci.
enti1c and technical words not
In common use; but do not rontihe
the spelling to the words found In Me-
GuiEey's OF any other little spelling book
which can be mastered with twenty-fout
hours study by any person Of ordinary
scholarship and fair memory. Let the
actual time to be devoted to spelling be
limited to one hour and thirty minutes,
say from 8 to % o'clock, and At the OK.
pifalion Of the time let the side having the
largest number standing lie declared vic.
tor, Let the last halihoufbe given to Rriiten
instead Of oral spelling, allowing not to
exceed Ohe.lOurth Of d minute for the
writing Of any word; the writing to be
done upon a blackboard in plain view Of
the audience. No person under sixteen
years Of age 10 be allowed to spell. II an
admission fee il charged lot II be small,
say ten cents, and II, after expenses are
paid, a surplus remain, let II be given 10
some charitable object.
Now there would SCENT 10 be no serious
obstacles In the way Of catfyihg through
a project Of this kind, and II properly
managed much good may result.
To arrange the pfeliniharies and ma.
tufc a plan, a convention, to be composed
Of say one or two delegates from each
district, might b held az the Hall Of the
Board Of Education at some time not
distant, qay Thursday or Friday night Of
this week.
Who will move IN Ibis matter2 Mets..
Cochran, Black, Hildtoth,, Boyd DalSelI,
AlexAudet and others what s6y you
p9tlAWi