The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-11-17
Demorest Diamond Medal Contest

THE CosMoPoLITAN GATHERING IN Den
YER. A DELEGATE FROM INDIAN TER .
KToRN. CLOSING SCENES OF THE W.
c. I. L. CONVENTION.
Correspondence OF The Journal.
DENVER. Colo. Nov !. 1892. | ven
tured to send to youa short account of the
National Convention of the W. c. L. L. |
now in session in this city. promising that
if there were other occurrences of interest
: to my friends at home, who read your pa /
per | would note them and send them to /
You. Last evening the contest for the |
Demorest Diamond Medal was held Each |
of the contestants had already won the 9th |
er prizes. and they came before the audi
ence with their honors thick upon them.
The silver, the gold and the grand gold
medals shonc upon their breasts. There
were nine-sx Girls and three boys. One
boy from California, one from Iowa, one
from Nebraska. One young lady from Mas
sachUsetts. one from Michigan, two from
Kansas. one from New York city and one
Of this city were chosen as judges, and the
prize was won 10y the little fourteen year
old eirl from Atlanta Ga.-Miss Marga-
ret Badger.
There was a diff renee Of opinion in the
minds of people composing the audience.
The chairman of the meeting gave the
name of each contestant and the State
from which each came, after the decision
was given and each arose when named and
was greeted by cheers and waving of
handkerchefs. The young lad from Iowa
was cheered and cheered again and again,
until we began to feel sorry for the others,
who had done nearly. if not quite, as well
as he. Naturally enough. we were anxious
ly eNpectant for our New England repre-
sentative Miss Smith, of Northampton,
Mass. Some said she should have taken
the prize, but if our private opinion had
been consulted, we could not have given it
to her nor to the young lady from Georgia,
but would have bestowed it upon the lad
from Iowa. However. our opinion was
not sought and the little girl from Atlanta,
who was the only representative from that
state in the convention, carried off the
prize-the Diamond Medal, representing
the old oalen bucket, the water being the
sparkling diamonds.
Lady Henry Somerset made the presen-
taton speech, very neatly, very clearly
", la1
by the LITTLE girl, who thanked the Judges
and Lady Somerset in few well chosen
words
/ have before alluded to the cosmo}toli-
tan nature OF this gathering. | will add
few items in proof. Last evening as
stood upon the stairs waiting in the crowd
fol the doors of the audience room to be
thrown open, Willing away the time by
chatting with my neighbors. land right
here let me say that the western people
are more social and free than we of the
east are inclined to be) a young lady with
her father from Pueblo stood close beside
me, lady from Oregon just above. while
Just below lady from Ohio was telling
what a crowd there was ut the convention
in fremont Temple in Boston last year.
A lady al my back caught her glasses in
the fIinges of my garment. and foN awhile
it was a question whether my cloak should
90 home with her to New York or he1
glasses stay with me. But we all laughed
and concluded We We're having a good
chance to visit whether the doors opened ,
or not.
soon, however. we We're admitted and
very soon after no space was left unoccr-
pied i'll tile church. We secured excel |
lent seats and presently a lady at my right !
hand spoke to me, and rs a matter OF
course we got to chatting very freely | /
found that she was the president of the |
W. {. T, l. in the Indian Territory: that |
She had entertained Frances Willard in |
hen house. and that she was OF the Chero-
kee tribe of Indians who We're removed |
from the state of Georgia several years
ago. asked her how long she had lived in |
the Indian Territory, and she said she
went tntIt Nlltl size was Three Years oIu !
with her nation. who We're sent there by |
the government. | was surprised at her
words. for she had very little of the look of
the red men Her hair was quite white, |
but her eyes wore a peculiarly sad look, |
and We're very black, and she had rather
high check bones. She told me of her
country and her people, of their prosper
itv. but spoke of the curse of alcoholic
LIQUORS. and told me what the W. c. 7. L. |
was doing for them. She also told me
that the young people in her place had
won six silver medals. and said | would
be surprised to see what bright young
people there were among the half breeds. |
They have a seminary and between two |
and three hundred scholars are attending it |
at the present time. | was very much in |
terested in what she told me, and was al |
most sorry when the hour arrived for the
contest to begin.