The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-03-22
ABEL THE WINNER.
Theodore Abel and Miss Grace Ellis
Will Represent KenOsha at the
DecIamatory Contest.
KENosHA's CONTEST A SUCCESS

GreaC CroWo GaCners at Inc High ScnooI-
Auditorium to Cheer the Competitors on
to Victory Splendid Work Done by All
the Contestants and Much Praise is Due
the winners and the Losers-Lost Art
Revived in the High School.
Theodore Abel and Miss Grace Ellis
will represent the Kenosha High
school at the dec1amatory contest to be
held in Raciue next week for they won
the high honor at the first annual de-
c1amatory contest at the High School
Auditorium Friday evening. The con-
test was great success and those of
the old time members of the school
who were present at the contest hale
with delight the return of the lost art
of e1ocution to the High School of
Kenosha.
1t was jolly gathering of three
hundred of the pupils and their friends
that met at the contest Friday even
| ing, and seldom has a more enjoyable
entertainment been given in Kenosha.
| There was just enough of rivalry
among the contestants, classes and So
cietics to cali a stirring time of college
oratorical contests, and the old boys
and girls entered into the spirit with
as much vim as any of the contestants.
| Each speaker was roundly cheered and
that all did not win was no fault of
lack of encouragement.
The hall had been pretti1y decorated
with the co1ors of the school and
American flags. The contestants were
seated on the platform. Miss Marion
| Newell acted as mistress of ceremonies.
The first number on the program
was a piano solo by Miss Avis Quinn.
Miss Quinn played in her inimitab1e
manner an arrangement of the
''Miserere chorus from I'Trovatore,'
which was so generously app1auded
that she was forced to respond with an
encore.
The first speaker of the evening was
Louis Limper, who delivered an ora
ton from the pen of Wendell Phillips,
''Touch Not The young man was
slightly embarrassed at first, but as he
proceeded with the grafton he warmed
up and was quite favorite with the
audience. He had a good voice and
delivered the grafton in a splendid
manner.
The second speaker was Miss Mo11ie
Derbyslire, and while the Judges did
not award her one of the prizes, her
Interpretation of the pretty little story
of 'Patsy," by Kate Douglas Wiggin,
was certainly one of the finest num-
bers on the program. Miss Derbyshire
cr1a
more, she had an expression which
gave her auditors the idea that she
was telling the story of ''Patsy." 1t
may have been that the practiCed ges-
lures of the e1OcutiOnist were absent,
but Miss Derby shire seemed to reach
the hearts of her auditors, and as she
told the simple little tale tears trick1ed
down the faces and all understood bet
ter the little heart story of ''Patsy."
At the conclusion of her defamation
Miss Derbyshire was greeted by round
after round of applause.
Miss Grace Ellis, winner of the
silver medal, followed with splendid
Interpretation of the famous story of
/ Benedict Arnold, as the Rider of the
Black Horse, at the Battle of Saratoga.
It was a story of war and martial
triumph, and Miss Ellis told Il in a
dramatic manner which was we'll de-
serving of consideration by the judges.
The young lady is exceedingly grace
full, and great things may be expected
of her at the coming contest III Racine.
''The Address at Gettysburg was
the subject of an grafton delivered by
August Keuck, and he delivered the
famous speech of Lincoln in a way
that gives great promise for the ora
torica1 development of the young man
in the future.
Miss Mamie Denton was the next
speaker, she taking for her piece 'The
Exile of the Acadians" by Longfe11ow.
Miss Denton had a pleasing delivery
which won the hearts of the audience,
and made her one of the prime favor
ties of the evening.
Arthur Bo1derness followed with the
tribute to Abraham Lincoln delivered
by Henry Ward Beecher. Mr.. Holder
ness had clear and forcib1e delivery,
and his Grafton was one of the best
things on the program for the evening.
| At the close of his effort he was shown
| to be a ruling favorite among the
/ students, and was given hearty APP
p1ause.
Miss Nellie Wu1ff recited the old
favorite "Curfew Shall not Ring To-
night and showed that she had quite
little power as an e1ocutionist.
The program closed with Theodore
Abel, the winner of the gold medal,
presenting a tribute to Toussaint, the
1iberator of San Domingo, from the
pen of Wendell Phillips. From the
time Mr.. Abel began speaking to the
| time he closed with a burst of e1o-
quence, he held the entire attention of
the audience. His delivery was excel