The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-20
CONTEST.
Prize Speaking Of
Junior Glass of the
Academy.
POPULAR DECISION MADE.
John Daniels of Providence
Winner of the First
Prize.

Rarely have judges announced more
popular decision tEat last night when
John Daniels of Providence, r. L, Ever
EFT s. Hartwel of Providence, R. l., and
Clinton Wall Dean of Grafton, Vt,
were awarder frse, second and third
prizes respectively in the speaking for
the Dexter prizes at the First Baptist
church.
The contest was the 26tA annual
speaking fer the prizes the income
from the fund of $1,000 deposited with
the trustees of Worcester Academy by
William H. Dexter.
The speaking throughout was of an
unusually high standard and reflected
abundant credit on Prof Harry S. Ross
who has trained the candidates chosen
from the class for the contest. The
program was varied in the nature of
the subjects selected and the broad field
from which selection was made included
the pathetic dramatic and descriptive
while patriotism and politics We're hurl-
ed at the audience in abundant guam
titles There was not one Of the aWk-
ward lapses of memory that in many
amateur forensic attempts wiring the
hearts of the audience and make it
Writhe in sympathy with the emhar-
raised speaker. Following was the
program:
"England's duty to the union" Oh, w.
Beecher), William Howard Baker.
Edinburgh after Flodden CIV. H.
Aytoun), Clayton Andrew Booth.
"Claudius and Cynthia (Maurice
thompson, John Daniels.
THE strenuous life Theodore Roose-
ali
"Connor" (Anon), Everett Smith Hart
well.
Shall America betray herseIf?" Joseph
Story James Manning Lent.
1.-The destruction of POmpeiI' (BulWer-
Lytton), Richard Montague.
Tom Browns first race" (Thomas
Hughes), Floyd Seey.
"A declaration of principles" civilian
Jennings Bryan, Clifton Henry Wheeler
Music was by the Weber quartet, and
while the judges were out making their
decision, the quartet responded to an
encore. The judges were Rev. DR., AL
eXander Lewis. Joseph A. Shaw, prin-
cipal of Highland military academy,
and Stephen S. Colvin, Phi. D, profess
or of English in the English high
school. After retiring, the judges were
found to be unanimous in the selection
of the three candidates for the awards.
The difficulty lay in the matter of pre-
cedence. This was finally reported
unanimously by a system previously
agreed upon whereby each contestant
was given 100 points at the outset, and
for each false move detected by the
judges, one or more points were de-
Quoted.
Rev. Dr. Lewis reported for the
Judges, and kept the audience on this
narrow edge of excitement. and the
nine candidates for hOnors in heart
breaking suspense during a witty ad-
dress that ELECTED round after round of
laughter. He said in part:
1T becomes my duty, in behalf Of the
judges, 70 announce the result of the
most excellent contest The citizens
of Worcester are justly proud Of Wor-
cester academy, of her teachers and Of
the work as manifested tonight, which
bespeakS the most faithful of work in
the class room. We are proud of the
principal of the institution, and of the
noble work he has done.
ION general principles, we are vio-
lently opposed to the methods of boy
cotting, but if the newspapers of this
city do not cease advertising DR.. Aber-
crombie, thus inducing other and higher
institutions to make an effort toward
taking him away, we shall be
obliged to quit patronizing the news
papers. The contestants have done
better than could have been reasonably
expected They have all done well.
1t was my privilege, not long ago, to
hold similar position at one of our
leading New England colleges, and |
say without hesitancy that these nine
men tonight have done work that com
pares favorably with that of the higher
institution.
I'VE would be glad to give a prize to
each contestant. The decision was not
an easy task. AS a basis on which to
work, the judges divided each speaker.
so to speak, into three parts: Delivery.
expression and general effect. All were
given perfection at 100 points, and at
each noticeable error. one or more
points were deducted. We award tbe
pr,zes-as we trust will meet your an
probation. Gaughter) We award
the prizes to these contestants-w
have shown marked superiority of
method or lnanner. We award first
prize tO-One whose voice we believawil
be heard in debate in after years. -
Then. when the audience could hear
the restraint, the prizes were an
nounced The awards were made in
bright crisp treasury notes. $25 to first
SIS to second and $40 to third. The
award was greeted with rounds Of an
plause that demonstrated that the an
dience agreed heartily with the Judges