Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-06-09
Fingered to a Finish.
MISS JESSIE WELLS THE LUCKY
WINNER OF THE GRAND
AND COSTLY PIANO.
Sixteen Lovely Young Lady Contest
ants Struggle For the. Prize,
Which is Captured by One
of Mexic0's Fairest and
Finest Musicians.

Fart Conservatory of Music at Mex
leo in Hardin College for 1892 is end
ed and the prineely prize piano is
awarded to one whose soul is full of
music and whose life has been spent
within the classic walls of this, the
most thorough and extensive must
cal school of the west or south.
We are determined not to say that
each one of the sixteen fair contest
ants should have a thousand dollar
piano awarded them; but each one
does deserve distinction and the good
will and wishes of all for her heroic
effort to secure this beautiful and
costly prize. But fifteen of these were
doomed to disappointment. The con-
test was fair and impartial. No names
were known to the awarding commit
tee nor were the committee known
by the contestants. Numbers from
one to sixteen were all they knew,
and the young ladies' drew these at
10 O'Clock the morning of the event.
full trial. The judges were eminent
musicians and all of them strangers
in Mexico. They were Prof. Huff
man and Prof. Koeppel, of st. Louis,
and Prof. Leibbrand, of st. Joseph.
AT s o'clock president Yancey or
dered the doors closed upon as cuiti-
waited a musical audience as evermet
in the west, and called No. L. A
sound rang through the corridors
like that awful first cannon shot up
on the eve of battle. No one knew
who would come to first break the
awful sadness and set the oyerstrain-
ed nerves at rest. Miss Langham-
mer, of Texas, appeared upon the
stage like a herald of beauty from
the upper world and played sweetly
fla Stramer Fantastic by Thalberg.
No. 2 followed in quick success
sion, and as we wondered who she
was, Miss Simmons, Of Macon, Mo-,
came with elastic step and seated
herself gracefully at the piano and
played" RapsodieH ongrois'byLiszt
We did not catch our breath be-
fore No. 3 was called and Miss Hill,
of Texas, made her graceful bow and
in a vigorous manner dashed off
'sRigoletto' by List.
Then followed No. 4, Miss Bran
don, from Edinburgh. She showed
great merit and ardent study.
No. 5 from the clone Star State"
was next in the person of Miss
King. She moved like a queen to her
position and played like one inspir-
ed, then left the contested honor for
a trial of the skill of No. 6, who near
ed the footlights in all the blushing
beauty of her young girlhood, and
yet, with calm and dignifed demean-
or, touched those ivory keyed notes
like one upon whose being the ami
mated spirit of Mendelssohn had
descended. When she left the stage
the guesses were all coupled with
No. 8.
No. Z let no time be lost in the
well earned applause of No. 6, but
came quickly to the rescue and per-
formed with zeal and effect, "Mur-
murs Eohens'' by Gottschalk. We
recognized at a glance the charming
singer of "0nce Again." Miss Smith,
of Kansas, and our heart beat a
double quick for we knew her fingers
were in sympathy with her voice.
No. s was waiting at the portals
to enter and We were glad to greet
Miss sproul, of Missouri, who clear
ly demonstrated that she had reeeiv-
ed grand training and had the abili-
ty to comprehend it as she played
.sRegoletti' by List, nicely.
Miss Barker, of Mexico, came next
and the reputation of Mexico's must
cal talent did not suffer in her rendi-
ton of "Lurline.n
Then Miss Talley, of Wellsyille,
proved to be No. 10 and she made a
fine impression al she gracefully
played ''Titania'' by Welgsondand.
Prolonged applause greeted Miss
Threlkeld from her scores of friends
as her symmetrical figure came in
view upon the now holly contested
field. She executed "Scherzo, No.
2, by Chopin, in a most artistic
manner.
Then followed No. IL, a favorite
with all of Mexico's musical talent,
Miss Hord, who also played "Seher-
ul," No. 2, by Chopin. We make
no comment. We have known them
both since babyhood, and only wish
that Missouri had more just such.
No. 13 followed quickly in "Ron-
do by Chopin. From floor to cell
ing she filed that vast auditorium
with notes that whispered of the di-
vine impulse that had supreme eon-
.rol of her fragile form, as her fairy
ike fingers flew like lightning over