The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-06-07
JUDGlAG I'OEnN,
bsrnum's Novel offer Tor u Poem ON the
y lH' { NHfl WhIiN E1enhnnt H.lFll t1gI

hsrnnm's Novel Oner Tor u Poem ON tho
4, .n white Elephant. ,Hf t9L
Chlel Justice Charles p. DAILY, Justice
JohnT Brady, and the Rev. Robert Collysr
met yesterday afternoon In the residence
Of tho Chief Jas!lce,7 No. 81 Clinton Placs,
70 decide upon the winner Of tho five hun.
dred dollar prlzs olIsred by the great and
only Birnuln for tho boot poem on his
sacred white elephant Ths Applelons, In
whose care the poems ware directed, had
received over !, 900 inspirations, and those
had been sii:cd down 10 200 by q gentle.
man selected by Mr., BArnuin and tho three
judges. 81. 1.aJ 2zA..1 Is. ~
Tho 200 poems from which tho selection
was 70 be male arrived Ia a liz box
securely strapped and boiled, at 1 O'CLOCK,
and Of these the better specimens had been
printed iur the judges, in order that they
might BIO motu ta,ily read. The three
gentlemen got to work q. once. Judge
Daily produced huge waste paper basket,
which he termed the crypt, and 1t was
placed Ia convenient position 10 receive
the rtjscted poems. Sir. Collyer was
elected Chairman, and 1t was decided thai
each poem should be read by one OF The
Judges, aud TINT The others should indicate
u detrimental opinion by turning their
thumbs down. 'r6en Judge DAILY opened
an envelope and began: l.,-ri /,
"Hall Tonng Talouugi Froud monarch Of The land,
Melc0me wethine AdssnI on ihl,Atsaud. @,
Ar thou come" ..sr. .Er1syl[rH-l 81
Judge Daily here glanced over the paper
and saw that the clergyman and the other
Judge each had both thumbs turned down,
aud he promptly threw thu con,ri.
button into his crypt and took up another.
1t began: .'s,. '',IlrFIg'
"l!!il Toung Talouugi Hero grect we thee.
Mish!y monarch, from the tt land Of tho ifec.
"pus thatin the churn," interrupted Mr.,
Callyer. a@o,l7Hs"I ~ m
"rhrow It way down In the bottom OIL
that mRusoleum," cried Judge Brady.
"That's the first time ever heard thu,
Burnah was the land Of the free. by the
way, do all those poems begin with Hair
"O!er nine ten.hs Of them DO" replied
Mr.. Collyer. ~ 7Jj.'} Is.
Then Judge DAILY read several more tina,
wera promptly rej:cled, aud he remarked
sdmirlngiy: iFtHsi
II can't express my admiration for the
critical acumen you gentlemen display" ,
Finally poem was read that was con.
Hidered worthy Of second consideration
and In the course Of an hour three were OBJ
tanned, and several were marked No,
Tor favorable msntion. One that was laid
aside alter communication by the commit.
tee, the author wrote, bad been commended
by the poe. Stedman. ..5l. 90. (. {
"He's good naturod fellow" remarked
Mr.. Collyer. "He'd recommend auybody's
poetry. S, would l." he added softly.
The committee Mbored steadily until
o'clock, and then they had limited the
number Of poems to three to be selected
from; but each judge declared that not one
IVES, IN his opinion, worth $500. Mr.. Coll
yer and Judge Brady agreed 10 award the
pr'z, to ons OF the three, but Judge DAILY
said. EFzr r. $50. + H.
II can't lot my name go out to the worlt
as a guarantee that that poem Ia worth $500
think too much OF my reputation"
TWAS 10 o'clock betors q decision was
arrived at, and then the following wal
drawn up and sisue3; ltl
"The committee 10 whom was submitted
AAo ooieStAoA VI tue uebt pJcLu mEltttu upU1
the subject named by Mr.. Barnum respect
Tally report that three poems Of the auln
Der submitted to them have mar
1t, but that none OF them Is il
their judgment worthy oil the priz, oGeree
They, therefore, DO not designate wha. ma,
be considered the best, CONCLUSION which
they deem consistent with the task under
taken, and in accordance with Mr.. Bar
NUNS ol',r." y,
i've have brought forth mouse" sale
Judge Brady. at seems doubtful to me
anybody could write poem worth $500 OF
this subject" ~ rs go
III We should take samples Of No.
corn to Chicago" said MIR. UolIyer, "An.
ask them to BIZ judged nobody would tax,
into consideration the poverty Of tn,
land they were raised upon"
The authors Of the three best poems ar
not yet known, as the names are In sealet
envelopes, which were not opened. Mr.
Birnum will write 10 the authors, and vii
probably divide the $500 among them.