The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-08
WAS NOT A STAMPEDE
Of Topeka People to Hear Col
Iege OratOry.
Managers of Interstate Contest
Feel Disappointed.
Iowa Wins the First Place, Illinois
Second and Kansas Third.

There was a college oratorical con-
test III Topeka last night. bur it was 50
unlike the ones Topeka has been used
TO that people hardly knew it was here
Occasionally there were outbreaks OF
enthusiastic applause, but compare
lively it was quiet
lit was an interstate OratoricaA &c m
test. the first one Kansas has had LOT
ten years and the first Topeka mas
ever had.
The opera house was hardly more
than one-fOurth fun all told and on
the first floor not $50 seats were taken
There was a-to TOpeka-mOst sur
prfsfuer absence of cOlors and college
yeus last night. and it was not until the
close Of the contest that yen was
given. though applause was unstinted
where it was deserved.
The visitors were very lew N OF more
than sixty-fiFe persons came TO Top -Eza
To attend the contest This spoiled the
rebate on railroad fare and the fellows
that came from Ohio and had to pay
fun fare because of it were correspond
ingly mad
@Just think" said one of them. "of
our coming to Kansas and speaking to
such q beggarly audience as we have
here DO you know what the receipts
were tOnight2 just $3.50. And SlUl of
that we had to pay for the use Of the
opera house.
out about 5000 behind on this affair
IT'S shame. 7 say. that Kansas people
old not take greater interest in III.
Last year we were at eales5urg. Ill,
q town half the size of Topeka. and we
could have flied two opera houses as
big as this Grand. We came out $500
ahead last year.
-'Wen We don't have to come here
again for ten years-but there's small
consolation in that for us.
do you know" said a Topeka man
who stood near. that yours is the sixth
gathering of strangers that has been
in Topeka this week and that we have
meetings of state and national import
anca almost every week in the year2
CAalesburg hash t.'
Iowa won the contest
a. W. Cloud OF LenOX college. Hop
kiugton. was the orator and his sub
jeCt was the The Policy of Meter
Mich" He was the last speaker of the
The GRAFTON of Fred Elliott Of Mon
mouth college. Illinois. took second
place. His subject was 'Mobs and the
Though Ferry L. Platt Of Washburn
college was given the modest place of
third i'm the list. his friends had no
reason to be ashamed of his Grafton
or its delivery 1T was the The Grim
Chieftain." that won him first place
in the Kansas contest. and 1T was der
hvered with an elOQuence that COM
manded quiet. respectful attention and
admiration from the audience
President Angel of the University
Of Michigan gave Plat second place on
Thought and composition and William
Warner gave him 100 in delivery. and
an his friends thought he deserved
them both. When Plat finished the
balcony, which was filled with Wash
bum people, went wild
~ N Ewing OF DepauW university,
Greencastle. Ind. got fourth place avilh
his grafton, Evolution of the Fraternal
Spirit
THE Twentieth Century Political
Idea Pr Eugene NJ Antrim of Den
yer university was one of the best
orati0ns of the evening. The Lawless-
ness Of hlaterialism. by Homer c.
House of Doane college. Crete. Neb.-
The Philosophy of Progress. by
Charles C.. Selecman of Central college.
Fayette Mo. The American Ideal %
O. A. Wright Of the Ohio Wesleyan uni
versity Of Delaware O.. and HAS In
dustrial Society Attained Its Ultimate
Form by AdDlph D. Elias0n of the
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,
were all Wen received.
Wisconsin was not represented She
was tangled up in an unfortunate con-
test. Two people claimed the honor
Of representing her. Edith NJ Evans
Of Ripon college and Archy y. Ball Of
Lawrence university
Three hours We're spent ia a discus
sion or the situation ait the Copeland
in the afternoon. with the result that
both were ruled out. 1T viii he a les
son TO them not to bother as with their
quarrels. said Secretary McCOOn. a
bright and busy young man from Ohio.
The musical part of the programme
last night was particularly a success.
The Washburn Glee club never sang
better and was compelled to respond
to several encores-
The Orange quartette of Baker uni
versity of Baldwin. kan, was loudly
applauded. and the cOrnet solo of G
a. Williams Of the College of Emporia
received an encore.
Mary Belle Daily who is not only one
Of the very best amateur sopranos To-
peka has ever heard, but is also sensi-
Die enough to spell her first name right