Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-03-13


Although years have passed since wizards
wove their magic spells. since Michael scott
10y waving his wondrous wand could make
the bells ring In Notre Dame. there have bes.n
no end of spells since 10 excite vulgar super
stition and intelligent curiosity But we
KNOW OF nothing like the literal spell which
con now cast Oyer people IN all parts OF the
matches. only great as SpartacuS or
some other hero Of school-day determinations
say, 'in that strange spell. a name - and the
expression H. vividly recalled by the Strange
speillng OF names which has been brought
out by these curious contests. We believe
this kind of warfare began out west where
the greatest intellects have long been baffief
by The dihculty OF spelling the names which
The Indians LEFT as their bone of contention Co
their cOnquerors. AT last, after lesser lights
lawyers, ministers and doctors had taSked
their Intellectual brains i'm these verbal hat
Ties. journalists have, i'm some places taken
up inc cuogeis, and in Cleveland, Ohio, they
have been lighting bravely for an unabridged
dictionary. IL a journalist does not spell cor
rectly II Is not for want OF knowledge of other
peoples Ignorance in this respect, for he
probably il the recipient of more bad spelling
from amateur contributors than was ever
seen outside OF a printing Office. And N eff-
tors are deficient in the spelling faculty, 10 is
accounted for not by lack OF knowledge, but
by very natural confusion OF ideas at seeing
all kinds OF spelling but the right one i'm the
communications which they receive from an
intelligent public.
This spelling mania is now raging with ne
culiar force in Providence. Rhode Island,
where, as refuge from the distraction of in
reference of the federal authorities with state
rights, the excited intellectS of young men
and young women find vent i'm these blood
less contests. Indeed, TO judge from the
amusement column I'm the Providence papers.
there is no other entertainment so popular
There are two OF these affairs coming of this
week one takes place tonight, at the Music
Hall, the commissioner of public schools Dra-
siding. This match II open TO all competi-
tors; but the battle of the dictionaries prom
Uses to be revived from the fact that two refe-
rees are 10 decide on the spelling of the words.
which are TO be selected from Leach's Spell
Ter, Patterson's Speller and the play of Ham
lei. Three prizes are offered, the first being
full calf edition OF Webster's Dictionary,
and the second a group OF Rogers statuary,
and the third Macauly History OF England.
The proceeds are TO be given 10 the poor of
the city. But the most exciting contest is TO
take place next Thursday evening, the COM
batants being sixty students of Brown Uni
verslty and an equal number of young ladies
nom the State Normal School. There are 20
De Two elegant prizes, which, of course, will
he borne OF by the young ladies. who will
easily confuse their adVerSarieS BY their dis
tracing glances, even If the collegians should
be ungallant enough TO attempt 10 out-speII
them.
These contests. ofcourse. are harmless. and
may be somewhat improving. thong satir-
Isl might md In them confession OF the de-
nclencies OF our higher education, when
words, not ideas, become the subject of a
controversy which seems better fitted for a
primary school. The dear, unmarried aunt,
In Holmes poem. who, Through a double
convex lels, but just makes out TO SPELL"
seems hardly less a subject foT playful hui
NOR than these knights ard danes of the
spelling book, who mi s.ht be thought 20 have
left that dog-eared volume with the tunics
and pantalets OF childhood. The wit who
saw weather spelled wether truly said IL
was Ise worst spell of weather that he ever
knew. but we tr,.tt there will be no occasion
for such sportlve pleasantly q, This combat
OF the great schools. Good spelling, OF COURSE.
is desirable, out IL il not at all Important
and no less lawyer than jeremiah Mason
was deficient in the knowledge for the want
OF which children are sometimes spanked.
We apprehend that proficiency i'm Spelling
must come early il at all; IL is elementary,
and the college is further from IL than the
cradle. Artemus Ward humorOusly said
that ChauSer was the worst speler he ever
knew, but we trust the result of these
patches viii show that however pleasant
they may be as diversion. there is no real
necessity for instituting them.