Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-04-14
Spelling in Milwaukee.

lots of fun for the boys. Following is
the main points of his speech:
Ladies and Gentlemen NV re
membrance of spelling commences way
back to the little red school house at
the forks of New England road,
where we had young lady. school
teacher who used to board-round after
the manner of those old times. [ can
remember the big boys as they stood
up in row chewing gum aud trying
to spell incompatibility. And | can
look back and see the little scraps of
girl who used to spell all the words
and go above those big boys. I can
remember how the fact used to make
them disguised with themselves. Why,
some of them even wished that they
were dead (Great Applause.) |
even remember being victim myself.
I was asked to spell erysipelas. Now,
how could [ be expected to spell cry
sipelas? | never had it! applause
Webster's spelling book with its blue
covers used to be the authority in
those days; and [ we'll remember those
stories in the back part of the book.
They were solid wisdom. You all re
member them the old man throwing
dirt at the boys in the cherry tree,
and Washington and his little Ratchet.
If we had all beeded the advice Of
those little stories we should not now
be reading the Beecher trial. Spell
ing, ladies and gentlemen, is some
thing that comes by nature. We are
natural spoilers the same as we are
natural musicians, or the reverse.
One must be natural speller to spell
well; the same as man must be a
natural pilot to succeed at the wheel
Of Mississippi steamer. The pilot
must know, almost by intuition, the
"wind-reef' from the sand bars. and
pass on without fear or hesitation.
Study and labor will do good deal
but there must be natural adaptation
back of that.
Ia olden times the disuse of the ''h'
In spelling shibboleth was the cause of
murder. Under this plan what del
uge would result from the misuse of
the word alphabet. My advice to
spoilers is to be bold. Tackle the
word on the first impulse. Hesitate
and you are lost Now if you have
got to cross swollen river on the
trunk of a fallen tree, and it is old and
the bark is peeling, you must cross it
boldly as if you were walking on the
ground. If you raise your arm and
cry out, you will have to finish your
journey in the river, So, when you
are spelling word don't stop to think
if it is "y" or 81" but go at it boldly
and spell it. There is a motto on an
ancient temple: BE Bold! Be
Bold. Be Bold!!! But don't be
too bold. In this matter of spelling,
fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
(Mr. Reed had declined to spell and
the audience saw the joke and applaud
ed again and again. l have a little
advice to give to poor spoilers and [
feel able to give it. Protect your
selves
When You write a word and you
don't know exactly whether it wants
an Il" or an sc" don't dot you,. 81
So with "s" or ''z,' don't be too par
ticular about giving all the beauties OF
lines aud angles. Leave yourselves the
benefit OF doubt. That's the way
do and that's the way [ protect myself.
There's another thing [ want to call
your attention to, in case of dispute
about word, always choose an author
ity that is not easily got at. One
Bolles made a dictionary once, and
there's only one copy of it now in ex.
istence; and that belongs to my moth
er-in-law down In Illinois. That die
tionary is my authority. (Great
Applause [ believe every man has
the right of self Interpretation. Good
spelling is something that amuses, but
what is more amusing than poor spell
ing? The man or woman who misses
first and gets that bottle Of tomato cat.
sup will get more applause than the
p on who gets the Babcock fire eztin.
guisher or whatever the great prize is
This spelling mania is all prevailing
now. 1t affords instruction and amuse.
ment. It is carried on in parlors, in
private Offices, it even lightens up the
office of the Board of public works.
meet the fever everywhere. If
should go to a funeral [ should almost
expect the undertaken to ask me t.
spell obsequies. a
/ Mr.. Reed closed his piece with +;
laughable and appropriate story, anc
took his seat in perfect storm OF ap
plause.
A FARMER AssAss1NATED.- FAR.
IBAULT, Mimi, April g. William
Churchill, living in the town of Aver,
Goodhue county, was shot by some
unknown fnarSon On the nuanInr al