The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-09-28
AWARDED THE PRIZE.
Miss Katheryn Yost, of Staunton
Wins an Essay Prize Over l 900
Competitors.


/ The New York Press early in the sum-
mer offered a prize for the best descrip-
tive letter written by Miss not over
/. fifteen years of age, the letter tsbe lin
| tied to 500 words. The Press of Sunday
announced that the prize had been
awarded to Miss Katheryn Yost, of 601
| West Frederick street, Staunton, Va.
Miss Yost is daughtere of that talented
writer, Major s. NJ. Yost, and has evident
ly inherited his talent. This was her
first venture in the literary field and
was made without the knowledge of
her father or family. Since Miss Yost
had a thousand competitors from among
the brightest girls in the United States
the honor she has won is no slight one,
and gives promise of greater achieves
ments when she shall have attained the
full maturity of mind. The prize was
handsome solid silver Tatfany watch,
and was offered for the best description
of the Worlds Fair by Miss under six
teen. The letter is as follows:
THE PRIZE LETTER.
Monday morning, after a good, long
nights rest at our hotel, we went forth
on our pilgrimage-th Worlds Fair
grounds. What did l like best of all?
Well, that is a hard question to answer
but after thinking and thinking think
| enjoyed the Art Building and the Lib
eral Arts Building best of all; and then
oh! there are SO many other things that
| like just as well | shall not begin to
name everything. Perhaps one of the
most attractive features was the Col.
umbian fount ain designed by Frederic
MacMonnies, an American sculptor by
birth. 1t is represented by barge, and
in the centre are some figures; they rep.
resent Columbia, guided by Time,
heralded by Fame. Then there are eight
other figures which seem to be rowing
the barge; they represent on one side
the Arts, ON the other side Science, Agri-
culture. Commerce and Industry. On
either side of this fountain play the cleo
trio fountains. They are truly beauti-
full We stood for one hour watching
the spray shooting up in the air, every
color imaginable sparkling Ike a thous-
and diamonds. Of course it is much
more gorgeous at night. One of the
most attractive features of the Manu-
features and Liberal Arts is the set of
furniture of solid gold owned by King
Ludwig of Bavaria. The cost of this
furniture is s., 900, 000-think of it!-and
| dared to sit on one of these chairs. Of
course it is not allowed, but | said |
must sit in one of those gold chairs, and
l did | shall brag on that until | die.
One thing we did was to go upin the
Ferris Wheel Although | never suf-
fered such terrible fright in all my life I
don't regret it. The view is superb All
Chicago is to be seen, and for miles
around. Ugh! but it makes me shiver
to think of the horrible, hopeless sort.of
a sensation you feel when you get at the
top and look over a vast space between
you and (as an old lady said who was ia
our carr TERRA Gotta | haven't men,
toned the Arts Building, nor shall [.
Everything was beautiful to me. l
think, too, that l, a girl of fifteen, have
x
a subject as art. haven't mentioned
but the slightest little bit of the Fair,
but l think l shall stop, or else l shall
overrun my 500 words
We are not surprised that the above
production carried off the prize, corsid-
ering the youthfulness of the fair writer.
.,%x u
credit upon those who have spent years
in becoming proficient ia writing,
and it is very evident that Miss Yost has
decided talent in this direction. There
is an originality about her mode of ex
preston that is most pleasing and cap
tivating.-ED. VIRGINIAN.