The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-07-23
GREAT SPELLING BEE


er, as he stretched his legs along the
counter and rested his back comforta
bly, against pile of calicoes, tibet they
amt no sech thing as roarinborin allus.
know some sails they is electric lights,
but when l seen tibet big un last night
said to my missus, an l hoP I'm right,
tibet ct was nothin' but tn iron furnaces
over tn mountain. Fer, s'pose, ez tn
Teacher sails, they Is lights up ct tn
north pole, does you uns believe we
could see 'em all tibet distance? Well,
noww
He gazed impressively about the store
at the close Of this discourse. The Mil
Ter, the Shoemaker and the G. A. Il.
Man were disposed to agree with him,
but the School Teacher was sarcastic.
"If you had ever studied physical ge
ography," he said, you would know
that the aurora borealis is not light
made upon terra firma, but peculiar
magnetic condition of the atmosphere
for which there is no apparent account
ing" He looked toward the Chronic
y
pronounce it is exceedingly ludicrous.
1t is not roarinborin always. 1t Is
spelled aurora b-o-r-e-a-l-i-s."
The Tinsmith, who was seated upon
a nail keg, rubbing his, hands in the
warm rays of the stove, chuckled softly.
The Chronic Loafer noticed him and
felt convinced that the correction of his
own grammar had caused the others
mirth.
"What's you uns so tickled about
now?" he asked gruflly.
II was jest thinkin'," the Tinsmith
replied, his countenance assuming its
natural expression, "of the time my ole
frien Quincy Muthersbaugh spelled
down John Unison, who tot up to Hap
by Grove school. He done ct on tibet
very word. My, but tibet there was Il
bee.'
''Now, fore you git grindin' way
sence you've got on spellin'-I want ter
tell good Tin on"
LET him tell us about Quincy Muth-
ersbaugh." the School Teacher inter
posed, declsively. Your good I'm can
keep"
Compelled to silence, the Chronic
Loafer rolled over on his back and gaz-
ed dejectedly into the dim recesses of
the ceiling while the Tinsmith began:
"SOme folks is nat'ral spellers jest
as others is nat'ral musicians. Ag'in,
cts jest as hard ter make a good speller
by edicatiOn as ct is ter make good
bass horn blower. Fer q Teller tibet
hain't tibet Unborn idee of how many
letters is needed ter make a word III
never spell no better than tn man tibet
hain't a nat'ral sense of how much
winds needed fer a note III play a bass
horn"
~ cannot wholly agree with you"
interrupted the School Teacher. "Give
a child first words of one syllable, then
two; then drill them in words ending in
ton until"
1--WE won't discuss tibet, Teacher, fer
ct don't effect our case. John Unison
was nat'ral speller. You never seen
tn like. Give him word of six or
seven syllables an he'd spell ct out like
ct was on blackboard right before
him. When he was 20 he he'd spelled
down all the scholars in Happy Grove,
an ID won bout six bees. Then he
went to tn Pikestown Normal school,
out in the western part Of Pennsylvany.
When he come back you never knOwed
tn beat. He he'd stedied Lating an
algebray, but guess he must spent
considerable time a-brushin' up his
spellin', fer there was only one Teller
bout these parts who could keep him
fer any time at all. He was my frien'
Quincy Muthersbaugh. You uns knows
Quincy. He tot two winters up ct Kis-
hikouuillas school, an went west after
he mawried. He was powerful good
feller-still-an fine teacher an spell
er-but John Unison he'd tn advantage
of a normal school edication, an
knOw'd it, fer you uns never seen III
like of tn way he kerried on when he
was teachin' ter Happy Grove.
"Thet was tn winter we he'd so much
snow. 1t he'd drifted in tn roads, so
we drove through tn tiel's, If you uns
remember. What with church soshbles
an singin' school an spellin' bees they
was heap sight goin' on.
mot week passed but me an Quin-
cy Muthersbaugh went some'eres, an
fore / know'd ct both him an John
Unison was keepin' cOmp'ny with Han
nah Siders. She was jest as pretty as
a peach, plump an rosy, with tn slick
est nat'ral hair an teeth you ever seen.
She was powerful fond Of edication, so
when them two teachers was after her
she jest couldn't make up her min. She
favored both- But ct seemed ter me