Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-04-07
Literary Contest,

schools producing the best essay or
composition, and to carry out this
idea he secured the consent or will
ingness of ten scholars to enter the
contest and compete for the prize.
Ten subjects were selected and the
distribution of these subjects was
made by lot, as follows:
Modern Novels ."........,. Miss Jennie Blair
civilization of the Ancien P~eruvians."....
........... 49,. .......... Walter Hoffman.
"Dakota-A Jewel Among Many"
......T................M Miss Minnie Crum.
National Refinement and Literature"
,...--.- Miss Deula S~tecknan.
"Unexplored Paths ........ Frank Blair.
The Crusades. X. Stickney.
oliver ............M Miss Ida Smith.
"Memory's Pictures.' ...... Miss Minnie Comfy.
; Elizabeth and Her Era" ... Miss Hattie Smith.
Shelley and His Poetry. Miss Agnes Boyee.
The time and place arranged for
the contest was Wednesday evening,
March 31st, at the U. b. Church,
and at the solicitation of Prof. Man
nix, Messrs. Il. c. Ericsson, M. B.
Kent and G. +. Mallahan consented
to act as judges. The points upon
which the judges were to make their
decision were "originality oil
thought" "syntax," arrangement
and construction and delivery"
A few days before the time set for
the contest the manuscripts were
handed to the judges for examina-
ton upon the three first mentioned
points. The judges were entirely
ignorant of the authors of the sew
eral papers at this time. They gave
them a careful examination and
marked them as in their judgment
they thought they merited.
The large audience that assembled
at the church on Wednesday night,
which literally packed that spacious
building, to hear this contest, was
completely overwhelmed with sur
prise at the fine entertainment Civ
Ell them. Prof. Mannix had ar
ranged and had printed a neat pro
gram of the exercises, interspersing
the readings with excellent music,
and these programs were distributed
through the audience.
Our time nor space will not per-
NIT of our going into any elaborate
details of the entertainment, but we
do not hesitate to say, briefly, that
it was the finest and most enjoyable
ever given in nj city. We think
the entire audience will agree with
us in this opinion. Every paper
read was of superior excellence. and
a majority of them worthy of a grad
class in our best colleges.
Among the finest productions
were shelley and His Poetry" by
Miss Agnes Bovec, "Memory's, Pic
lures by Miss Minnie Comfy, "Oli-
yer Cromwell" by Miss Ida Smith,
"Unexplored Paths" by Frank
National Refinement and
Literature" by Miss Dena Steck-
man, and Modern Novels by Miss
Jennie Blair, II young lady only 13
years old. This latter mentioned
production, we think, for true orig
and literary ability in the
line she chose to pursue her subject.
was the best of the entire number.
and is creditable in the highest de-
gree to a young lady of her years.
give it space in another column
in this paper, and all can read it
and judge of its merit.
Prof. Mannix originally only in
tended giving one prize, which was
Il fine set of "Irving's Works" in
volumes, but other parties on
tributed a second and third prizes,
consisting of a fine volume of prose
and Poetry" for a second and a vol
ume of Bryant's poems for the third.
The prizes We're awarded as fol-
First to Miss Agnes Bevee,
second to Frank Blair, and third to
Miss Minnie Comfy.
In behalf of the judges we desire
10 say that they performed their
luties in the premises with the
strictest impartiality and as best
hey knew, and if they erred in
making the awards it is nothing
more than three more intelligent
and competent men might do in Sc
the three best out of these
ten excellent papers, so nearly equa!
as to merit.
Our citizens may well feel a thrill
Of pleasure at the thought that we
have so many bright, intelligent
people in our city, and also
an additional pleasure in knowing
that the able and efficient manage
ment of our public schools is fitly
developing these master minds, and
Mannix cannot be given too
much credit for his part in this no
BILE work.
+. c. Ericsson, Esq, was selected
to make the presentation speeches,
and he performed that duty in a
most happy and satisfactory man.