Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-04-12
IN OUR OWN STATE.
WHAT VERMONT PEOPLE ARE DOING
AT'HoMg AND ABROAD.
A War of Words.


The great spelling match between 20
high school pupils and rs ladies and ger
tlemen of Brattleboro was held last week
and the citizens are winners. A vast au-
dience crowded the Town hall auditorium
an hour before the time set for the entei-
tainment to begin. Society for some
weeks has been preparing for the, great
contest, impromptu spelling matches
having taken the place of whist parties
and dancing assemblies. Even the Hon.
II, III. Wheeler, Judge of the United
States Circuit Court, austere, gray
haired and athletic, has thrown, for the
time, his judicial robes aside and taken
up the spelling book. Thus it was with
them all. This idea of a spelling match
between the prominent people of the
town and IS young men and women was
inaugurated by Principal j. ID. Horne
the proceeds to be added to the high
school decoration fund, which amounts
already toiabout $500. There was not
a sign of any i'll feeling on either side and
mistakes of a few caused oceans of
laughter to swell about through the au-
dience. There was preliminary con-
cert by the high school glee and banjo
club, after which Principal Horne intro
duced Col. G.. A. Miles as ''Teacher."
The. Colonel was 10 immaculate full
dress. The teams lined up as follows:
High School-Florence Allen, Bessie
Butterfield, Ethel Dugan, Helen Fenton,
Florence Foster, Lucia Foster, Florence
Keyes, Florence Hemenway, Amy Jones,
Marion Noyes, Ida Partridge, Hattie
Smith, Lucy Simons, Florence Thurber,
Ethel Waterman, Louise Williams, Fred
Williams, Gilbert Batchelder, George
Gould, John Heappy. Walter Eddy, Belt
Hopkinson, Harry Smith, John Tasker,
Ernest Waterman.
Citizens-Mrs. George F. Barber, Miss
Minnie f. Brown, Mrs. E. C. Crosby,
Mrs.James Dalton, Miss Elizabeth Frost,
Miss Agnes Gale, Mrs. Louis D. Green,
Mrs. Kittredge Haskins, Mrs. DR.. Charles
S Pratt. Miss Nellie NJ. Manning, Mrs.
George III. Ryder, Mrs. ID. Z. Webster,
Cashier w. H. Bracket, Postmaster F.
w. Childe, DR.. James Conland, A. G.
Davenport, Rev. G. o. Day, Kenneth B.
Emerson, Treasurer Charles A. Harris,
Hooker, Rev. E. B. Leavitt, S. IL. Sher-
man, George E. Selleck, Linn d. Taylor,
Hon. E. w. Stoddard.
spelling was used as text book. Maj.
Frederick w. Childs, postmaster, was
the first to be relegated to the seats in
the rear provided for unfortunate spell
lers. 1t was thought that he intention
ally flunked, but as for phonetics the ma
jor cannot be beat, as his "intreague"
gave evidence. Mrs. Charles A. Harris
took back seat on "lease," much to the
amusement of her Fl lends in the audience.
Col. George w. Hooker, happy, debon-
naire and in full dress, showed himself
familiar with such words as celestial"
but finally fell over on the word "diago-
nal" Miss Nellie Manning, pink and
pretty, spelled austere ''ostere," while
ex-senator E.. w. Stcddard put too many
sis" and too few ssa's" in pyramid.
What particularly appealed to the
few newspaper men present, however,
was when George e. Selleck, printer
of 40 years standing, forgot for the mo-
ment how to spell "paralyz using an
iinstead of ay. Bert Hopkinson had an
original photography on ''subterranean,"
making the final syllable ''un." Judge
Wheeler showed that he was at home on
ordinary photography, but it was evident
that Col. Miles was cunning for the judi
cial ermine, for, at his first opportunity,
buc COlOuel. VIII Sulllts Ill OStI Ills ulS-
nified face, asked the Judge to try bis
hand at ''caout-ehouc.o The judge was
astonished and fell back with dull,
sickening thud, nobody but the judge
himself knowing how he spelled it.
AS the number of contestants grew
smaller, 80 the words became more diff
cult. 1t did not take very long for Col.
Miles to thin the ranks to one on each
side. Miss Agnes Gale, a lady of nearly
so years, re presenting the citizens, while
Miss Marion Noyes, a bright little blonde,
championed for the school, Metemsy
Ghosts was let loose at Miss Gale, but she
came out of il unharmed. Then Miss
Noyes funked on paan, which was
correctly spelled by Miss Gale. who
thereby won first prize, a dictionary,
the BOBBY going to Postmaster Childs.
Col. Hooker then thanked Principal
Horne on behalf of the citizens for his
forts in behalf of their education, and
the end had come. The school decorat-
ing fund was swelled ever 5000.