The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-22

! We have been singularly short this year
lin new amusements. ADJUSTMENTS are as
changeabe as fashions and seldom an
swer two seasons in succession. The last
really successful form of public entertain
ment was the spelling match. That was
instructive and popular, and was fashionable
for two entire years. Since spelling matches
have gone out Of fashion we have had nothing
to supply their place. An attempt was made
at the beginning Of the season to intro
duce the baby show, but it was found
in q very short time that the fact of the
babies o possessing omothers would render
these exhibitions both dangerous and dis
astrOus to the managers. The baby show
thus proved failure leaving us without any
popular amusement whatever. No wonder
| that under these circumstances the times
seemed SO hard, the future SO gloomy.
It is with Joy, therefore, that we welcome
new species of entertainment. just invented
in the West one that must surely become
popular, because it is few, instructive and
amusing.
The town of Creston, Iowa, is the happy
possessor Of a poet, who bears the name of
Ballard. to which he adds the title of 'tpoet of
the prairies." In the neighboring town Of Os-
ceola lives Terpenning who calls himself in
addition liking of poets" Both of these gen.
tlenEsn are improvisators, and can grind out
their rhymes at any moment on the slightest
provocation, and to an unlimited extent.
The citizens of these two Iowa towns were
naturally proud of their respective poets,
and when they met were accustomed to in
dulge in heated debates over their relative
abilities as rhymesters. AS these discussions
produced some ill-feeling, it was proposed, in
order to test the poetic talents OF Ballard and
Terpenning, that the two should meet in
poetic tournament or contest at Osceola. The
suggestion met with approval and match was
soon arranged.
The arrangements for this match were very
similar to those that regulated the contests Of
the troubadours in the Middle Ages. The
two poets were to meet on a platform before
the people and spout verses at each other
until one of them gave way. II this never
happened, the entertainment was to termi-
nate at a certain hour, when the question
which was the victor was to be left to select
committee. There were various minor rules
to regulate this battle of the bards. The
poetry was to be appropriate, and each poet
was to reply to his antagonist; it was to be
improvised and immediate, NO time being
allowed for thought.
No provision was made as to grammar, and
perfect liberty was allowed in the matter of
metre or the number of feet in any verse, but
the lines were to rhyme-that was particularly
specified, blank verse being barred from the
contest. Some days ago the tvp poets met
at OsceoIa. The visiting poet was received by
the whole populace of Osceola, the stores of
that interesting town being closed on the
occasion. SO that all might attend the
festivities Gen. Beckett addressed
speech OF welcome at the depot, to whicho
the poet replied in appropriate Verse, and
then the procession marched to the public
hall and the fight began in earnest. We are
unfortunately unable to procure the poetry
furnished on this occasion, or we would gladly
lay it before our readers. After three hours
spouting, the COMMITTEES called time took the
matter under consideration, and unanimously
decided in favor of Terpenning, who was there
upon crowned King of Poets and led to a ban
qnet prepared especially in his honor and to
renew his wasted energies.
Such was the entertainment that took place
at Osceola January 80. and which is now
famous throughout Iowa. 1t is not, however,
the last match Ballard has challenged Ter
penning to another poetic battle at 500 side,
and third rival, who styles himself Prof
Mason, 1.-The Eagle orator. is anxious to try
his hand also. and match his poetical strength
in the fight.
The poetic furore has far from subsidized in