Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-03
TEACHERS DAY AT CRETE.
Nebraska's Educators Hold an In
teresting Meeting.
DR.. DURYEA'S BIBLE CLASS
To-Day Set Down On the Program m o
as For Lawyers and Editors
Proceedings OF the Be
atrice Assembly.
Educators Hold For tn.

cial to THE BEE. To-day being Teachers
Day" the thought Of the morning prayer
meeting naturally turned 10 "rhe Teachers
Preparation" The subject was made to in
clude both Sunday school and secular
school teachers, ministers and all whose
office Is to teach. Tho meeting was animated
and interesting and closed promptly at 8
O'clock that the pavilion might be vacated
for Prof. Palmer, whose rehearsal came at
that hour, and who is anxious his large
chorus shall save every minute belonging to
it. His class, by actual count, numbered
this morning 172. All wear orange colored
ribbon badges, containing the words "Ne-
braska Assembly Choir" printed in black
letters The singers already show
the effect of the excellent training
they are receiving, and are sure
of large though unlimited audience at
every rehearsal. The voice of their singing
can be heard all over the camp. Especially
is this true when Madame Darlington sings.
This lady has wonderful voice. high, sweet
and clear. 1t rings out in powerful notes
that soar and float in wondrous waves of
melody, or sink into low wavering echoes
which people hold their breath to hear.
Those VIII o have once heard her strong, true
voice, always full of richest music and al
ways uuutT pGTlcCJ COulTOl, Will UOU WUuu6E
that she is called one of the finest sopranos
in America. The musical department of the
assembly Is very superior this year.
The various classes of the forenoon met as
usual. Prof. Jacoby's advanced normal
class had another lesson on the geography
of the bible, and spent the hour in
drawing the map and locating the
important places in the Holy Land.
At o'clock Mrs. Kennedy's Palestine
class took journey from Crete to Jerusalem
and examined the streets and buildings of
that ancient city DIR. Duryea's bible class
met in the hall in the grove and studied the
historical order of the books of the Old
Testament None of these books, they were
told, are pure history, but the history they
teach Is sufficiently correct for its object,
viz, the setting, as in a brooch, all the gems
of truth necessary for us to know of the
history of thoss times. These books have
stood the tests OF time, have been studied by
generation after generation, and have been
handed down to us through the ages in this
trustworthy form. Revelation is God max
ing Himself known in nature, in the consti-
tuition of man, in the course of history, and
in Jesus Christ living and acting.
1t is interesting to watch this bible
class, as it sits in the hall in the grove. The
long rows of benches under the trees, the
hundred of listening faces uplifted to the
scholarly teacher on the platform, who ana
lyzes and comments and explains, and de-
votes all his eloquence and scholarship to the
work of showing them how to understand
the bible better and how to take more COM
fort in it. And while his scholars listen,
with their open bible before them, ready for
his numerous references, the wild birds sing
in the trees above them, little children play
in the grove and on the river bank close by,
quiet groups of people wander to and fro,
and the gentle splash of oars comes from the
river.
At IL O'Clock occurred the event of the
conducted by Professor Cumnock.
The large pavilion was packed with
people eager to witness the contest. There
was much subdued excitement, and consid-
cradle scheming for good positions The
contestants, between fifty and sixty in num-
ber, occupied the front seats and stood up
when called upon to pronounce Those max
ing mistakes Immediately took places in the
audience.
In the beginning the professor explained
that he would only give out words in COM
mon use-words on which the authorities are
agreed. The prizes for the two successful
contestants were complete set of Shake
| speares works, bound in calf, Hudson's edi-
| tion for first prize, and complete set of
George Eliot's works, elegantly bound, for
second prize.
Seventy-three words We're pronounced in
all. The first fifty.three words
! were pronounced with but comparatively
| few mistakes, the words being passed from
one to another consecutivefy Then began
| the pronunciation by benches. The word
'.construe" cleared half bench, and the
| word 'antepenult' cleared the other half.
| Then followed in quick succession the words,
| aye, bombast, blatant, booth and caldron.
| Only sixteen of the contestants were now
| left, and the word ''tirade'' foored just half
| of these. The excitement now became in
| tense; the eight contestants who were left
| stood in row and regarded the professor
| with half amused half anxious faces. 1t was
| evident that each was very desrous to win
| the prizes, but half ashamed and half afraid
| TO try. Then came the word ''clangor" and
| only five contestants were left. The
words ''youths," etiquette" morphine"
| and ''alias" fioored three and only two con-
| testants, Prof. G. d. Swezey, of Doane COL
| lege, and Mrs. ID. j. Jones, also of Crete,
| We're left. People now became interested in
| stood up and craned their necks TO get
view of the interesting scenes in front. The
five words, "trlculent" 'condemning,"
placed on the board and the two contestants
| were told to rise and pronounce them. The
| result proved a tie, for both contestants
two out Of staU, the five words
letters" and "coaiuetry," We're now
given. Prof Swezey pronounced two
Of the three words correctly, while
| Mrs. Jones gave the correct pronunciation
of but one of them. Therefore Prof. Swezey
was awarded the first and Mrs. Jones the
| second prize. The result was loudly APP
plauded by the audience. But now new
| sound broke ouJ-a sound never before heard
at the Nebraska assembly. IL began IN the
center of the pavilion and was caught up by
| young mems voices all over the audience:
"Do, do, do, ra, me, ia, fa sol, la, Sc, Do-a-ne,
Doane!" 1t was evidently the war cry Of
Doane college students who We're in the
| audience, and adopted this way of express
| ing their delight because favorlte professor
| in their alma mater had carried off the
| honors of the day.
| DIR. Dunning now presented the prizes and
| expressed surprise that with more than half
| q hunured contestants from all over the
| state, both prizes should be won by Cretans.
| Here a diminutive specimen OF young Amer
| lea sung out, WHATS the matter with
| Crete." causing the audience TO laugh and
| applaud, while the students repeated their
| war cry.
This being teachers day, an unusual num-
| ber OF teachers are present The principal
| event of the afternoon was the conference of
| the teachers of Nebraska at 2 p. m. A large
audience, including many teachers from all
| parts OF the state and from other states as
| sembled in the pavilion at this hour. Before
| the address Madame CarrIngton sang fine
| solo, "When the Flowing Tide Comes In"
! and responded TO a hearty encore. The pre-
siding officer Principal Edward Healey, then
| introduced Prof. j. Il. Mcfarland, OF the
| Wesleyan university, Mount Pleasant, Ia,
who delivered the annual address 10 the