The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-03-11
IS SPELLING A LOST ART.
words That Puzzle tho Great Majority
OF People.


words That Puzzle tho Great Majority
OF People.
Eighty-fve teachers entered q
spelling contest at Teachers institute
in Lockport, recently. Their particle
patton in the contest was compulsory,
although prize, a dictionary, was
given to the winner. OF the entire
eighty-five only five spelled "Rensse-
laer" correctly. Acknowledgment"
was misspelled by sixty-three, or
about seventy-four per cent of the en-
tire number OF contestants. "Super-
sede''was misspelled by ilfty-eight con
testants; "resuscitate' by fifty-four;
excellence" by fifty-six; benefited"
by fifty-eight; business" by fifty;
"medal" and maintenance" by forty
five each; "milliner" by forty-eight;
''pretentious" and gaseous" each by
forty-three, and "concede" by forty
nine. That is, each of these words
was missed by over one-half the con-
testants. In the local columns we
enter more fully into detail as to the
other words misspelled by a large
percentage, but the instances noted
above will be sufficient for our pur-
pose and show the general character
OF the words propounded and mis-
spelled, says the Lockport Sun.
Now, when SO large proportion of
teachers misspell so heavy percent
ages as these, and it be borne in mind
that no obsolete, unusual or "catch"
word, properly so called, appears in
the entire list,it justifies, we think, the
inquiry with which we introduce this
comment. 1t must not, however, be hast
lily concluded by any ambitious neigh
Dor that Niagara is alone in the poor
| spelling of her teachers. Far from it.;
on the contrary, Instructor Sanford
informs us that she averages well
with other counties in which he has
instituted similar spelling contests.
In Rensselaer, county, for instance,
the seat Of literature, laundrying,
breweries, enlightenment and the
Troy Press, seven contestants could
not spell the name of their own coun-
ty. 1t appears, in fact, to be puz-
zler everywhere Prof. Sanford gives
It out.
] "Genesee" never fails to bag a
| goodly number OF victims; and "Nica-
ragua" can always be relied on for a
few. Shall we confess to Prof. San
ford that we are not so sure ''Ni-
agara' II propounded might not have
been Iaisspelled by a half dozen or
SOP One-ffth of our letters from
| points within the county come di-
rected "Niagra." Nor do we doubt
that similar number OF Chautau-
quans would fail on the name Of their
county, and we imagine it would be a
safe wager that seven teachers, at an
institute held in that place. provided
no previous hint was given, would
misspell '.Skaneateles."
Yet 1t can not be denied that these
are common geographical names
mostly Of localities in our own state
Surely, no great proportion Of teach.
ers should misspell them. Again
} alleged" ''changeable," "eligible,
.'chrysanthemum," parallel" '.pa
} ralysis," catarrhal" 'shemorrhage. ,
separate" and symmetry" are word,
so persistently misspelled that the
very fact should attract notice in oul
, schools, and the teachers should no,
only spell them correctly and withou,
7 hesitation themselves, but teach their
scholars to do likewise,
Restore the spelling bcei
A Philadelph.a dentist gives every