Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-02-11

Best Local Contest Ever Held in
This City.
The high school contest last evening
at high school hsll was splendid
event. The hall was well filed. and
every nook and corner of the high
school bullding was warm and coy
and comfortable. The yelling was
tremendous, among the classes, aud the
coIors of the classes were prominently
displayed. The sophomores had lit
tie colored boy named Sales, dressed IN
the class colors and directing their y lis
with the aid of baton hung with
the white and purple. Class rivalry
was apparent, and the Juniors and
freshmen had lined up TO yell and Jeer
| against the combined forces of the
sophonores AMI the seniors. The
| usual big paper tunnels We're used with
| telling effect.
The high school cadets acted as ush
ers, and did the work satistacto My.
everyone who desired finding a com
| Portable seat.
The first program number, lio by
Mr., Earhart, was omitted, owing to
the compulsory ahsence OF that gentle
man, and Prof. E. P. Truebiood an
nounced the first speech. Taoilie Dfn-
lev, a junior, spoke of The Heart of
Nation" The leading and predomi-
mating thought was an extended CON-
parison of the nation with the indi
vidual, the motives and intents of the
former being judged to be the work
incs of the national heart. The ora
ton had plenty of good English, was
strong in patriotism and high, Iure
moral tone. The speaker has ciear,
deep voice and good enunciation. He
is an orator of promise.
Arthur w. Ellis, son of the Rev.
Elwood o. Ellis, of south eighth street
Frier DIS church. spoke of The Cars
Peace Propo SAL" and made strong
plea for universal peace and the utter
adjustment of war. He took high re-
ligious ground as we'll as pointing out
the purely practical and the ethical
sides of the question. The cars
proposition was an ideal to strive after
and il marked an epoch in the coming
of the time of universal peace.
Mr.. Ellis is a sophomore. His voice
is forcible, his manner deeply earne ST,
and much may be and is expected OF
him bv his associates in the high
school. His English is good
Miss May Burk, of the freshman
class, then spoke on the subject,
While She Lived, She Shone,n giy
ing a brief and well worded tribute to
each of the leading heroines of history,
including Jeanne dare, Florence
Night gale, Jenny Lind. Frances
Willard, Rosa Bonheur and others. |
Miss Burk's enunciation is good, and |
had it not been for her light voice,
that has plenty of time to improve, beg
G excellent oratien and otherwise cdn-
mendabie delivery would have given
her higher ranking.
Joseph Kenney, a junior, followed
Miss Burk. Mr.. Kenney spoke of
'Anglo-Saxon Supremacy, This
speaker has been in a number of con-
tests, and was always given a lower |
rank than rhe audience thought he de-
served, on account of faulty delivery. |
Last night he had an Grafton that, by |
two Judges on manuscript, had been |
ranked ahead OF the winning ora |
ton. while in rankings on that |
score it tied with the winner. 1t
was a collection of we'll worded and
forcibly arranged arguments to show |
how and why the Anglo Saxon sh puld |
and must eventually become the pre-
dominating race of earth, on acc uut
of its innate superior qualities. The
Grafton was a splendid one, and the
delivery should be similarly character
lied. The manner and appearance of
the speaker bespoke intense earnest |
ness, and his voice and enunciatlon were
above criticism. His perorati1n wss
fine, and the audience at once decided
that the winner had kenney to
beat
V. Elston Huff then sang a solo
Try, Try Again" accompanied on
the piano by Miss Nellie La Mar. Both |
singing and playing were worthy an
encore hai not everyone been so intt mt
on the oratorical competition.
Miss Grace knollenberg. sophomore,
followed with an excellent alton on
Gladstone. Miss knolenberg's |
Grafton was splendidly gotten up, and
had good thought and language. As
she is good elocutionist her delivery |
was excellent, and it was seen that
she was to have a high ranking
with the judges if the decis-
ion was TO be popular one.
l. ruis F. Ross, a senior, followed
with an excellent. carefully prepared
Grafton on The Stranger Wtnin Our
Gates The oration was a string
logical plea for unrestricted foreign
immigration. The English of Mr..
Ross Grafton, as we'll as the sequence
of the thought was admirable. in spite
of the fact that it champion, lost
cause. Mr.. Ross delivery was liet
and convincing.
The last speaker of the evening was
Griffith 2. Ellis,th seniors first choice
IN the class contest. Mr. Ellis spoke
of - Prince B smsrck :" His oration va S
W, IL prepared and arranged as to
eiimaxes. II was the sort of Grafton
in which good delivery is particularly
required, and vita Mr.. Ellis nothing
is wanting. He was graceful, easy and
his fine voice was at its best.
He was regarded as al
most = certain winrsr, and when he
finished there was great applause, as
there had been after each of the other
speakers. Then q pandemonium of yells
of the different classes broke forth,
alter apout fifteen minutes of which
the decision of the judges was an
nolnced. Mr.. Ellis winning first, her
ney second and Miss knollenberg
third.
Then the noise broke loose again