The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-08-02
OLD,FASHIONED SPELLING BEE
AN ENTERTAINMENT THAT PROVED
HIGHLY INTERESTING.
Gathering of Expert photographers
at the Farnum House Friday
Night Afforded Much
Enjoyment.

Old times were revived IN Dawson
last Friday night by spelling bee''
Of the Farnum House. 1t was benefit
entertainment, and was given by the
Ladies' Parsonage Aid Society. The
crowd assembled early, and the hall
and parlor Of this elegant hostelry
were soon filled with gay throng
eager for the contest TO begin.
Mrs. j. q. Dean and Mr.. w. j..
Lewis, two experts in the science of
orthOgraphy, were selected to choose
sides, and soon there were arrayed
against each other two rows OF Drag
spoilers, each confident of victory.
Professor j. W. F. LoWrey was on
hand TO give out tue words from
that old>time favorite, 1.-THE blue back
speller."
MIR. ,,owrey, who was once a peda-
gogue, spoke very felicltously of this
old book, and paid high tribute to It's
virtues and its thorOughness. He said
"the blue back speller' and Smiths
Grammar were two dear old friends of
his. and it was with a feeling Of sOr-
row that he noted that they had been
discarded from most of our schools,
which. to him, was like the passing
of an old friend. His remarks seemed
to strike responsive chord In the
hearts of all present, and the senti-
ment was literally applauded.
After this the spelling began IN
earnest and was proceeding success
fully for the contestants until about
half way down the line, when two
Quaking spoilers went down on ''lltur-
gy." both unfOrtunates beng members
of a denomination that does not IN
dulge IN this form Of ritual, hence their
Ignorance of the word. This seemed
TO start the fun, and the lines began
to thin rapidly. "Liniment'' proved
to be a foreigner to two, and several
who had not been looking forward
with great hopes to the millennium
gave up the ghost on its derlVatlye
adjective, "millennIal."
What proved Jonah" to the hopes
of most of the best spoilers, though,
was a Greek contribution to our Ian.
guage. and when "Greek met Dawson"
the latter did not show up well. "Myr-
midon" was just little too much Tor
the experts, and they went down be-
fore 1t in quick succession. After
about eight unsuccessful attempts to
guess at it, il was finally stopped in its
career of destruction by Miss Claude
LoWrey, much to the relief of the
three others still left standing.
After several more rounds the con-
test narrowed down to DR.. Guy Cha :
pell and Messrs. r. l.. Savilie and W.
B. BrannOn. They fought nobly for
the prize for some time, when rofes>
sor L0wrey decided to put a little more
ginger inUo the game and gayeOut
the word cinnamon" This was too
strong for Bob and the doctor, but the
gallant Will BrannOn, recognizing an
old acquaintance, rolled it correctly
from his tongue like sweet morsel,
and was declared winner of the prize.
AS a reward for his victory an i'm
mense bouquet of roses was presented
TO him by Colonel NJ. c. Edwards. No
restrictions as to It's disposition were
imposed upon the victor, and it is SAID
he applied 1t wisely and well.
After the spelling bee" delightful
refreshments were served in the dining
hall of the hotel The entertainment
was pronounced one of the most de
lght1ul ever given in Dawson, and
Melted its promoters quite nice sum
OF money.