The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-24
ORATORICAL CONTEST AT A. & NJ.
The Leazar Society Medal Awarded to
Mr.. J. E. Porter.

The annual OratoTical contest or Tic
| Leazar Literary Society Of the Agricul
tural and Mechanical College was hello
| last night.
The hall was crowded with people
anxious to hear the young speakers
| They went out expecting something good
| and they were not disappointed.
They heard four addresses, carefully
prepared and eloquently delivered
Viewed from any standpoint, they were
all productions of a high order, and II
was no matter of wonder when 1t TOOK
the judges sometime to decide 10 whom
the medal should be given.
Finally it was awarded to Mr.. j.. H.
Porter. of Emerson \. c.. thu last
speaker on the program
The officers for the occasion were D.
Wade Shore. Boonyille, president; W. T.
Smith, Goodwin, secretary; Oscar Green
Raleigh, representative of the Leazal
Charter Glass Memorial Association, by
which the medal is given.
The program for the evening was be-
gun with an appropriate speech by Mr.
Green, presenting the medal for the con
test
The first Grafton for this medal was
~ W. l. 4lJHLplI, VI NfINtihSboAc'
Our New Labor was his subject and
he discussed the changed condition OF
the South since the war the difference
in the character of the labor employed
on the farms and the benefits that had
come therefrom.
Following Mr. Hinton was Mr.. s. A
Vest, of Tobacconvilie, who pointed out
What Agriculture owes to Chemistry.
He said that among the valuable discov-
cries that had been made by the chem
the fertilizerS-the sOil-enriching value
of the legunle and the compromising OF
commercial fertilizers.
prevention Of Poverty in our grow
ing Cities" was the subject of the ora
ton of Mr. Il. NJ. Wagstaff. of Olive
Hill. He thought begging ought
to be prohibited by law and the
ndiscriminate giving of aims stopped
sweat shops ought to be broken up, fac
tories be inspected and none allowed
that are not in good sanitary condition
The last Grafton and the one that won
the medal was by Mr.. ]. E. Porter. His
subject was Our Friend, the Machine
He recounted the wonderful things thai
had been and are being accomplished
by machinery as compared with th'
primitive handwork and horsepower.
At the conclusion of this speech the
judges retired to decide upon the win
ner Fifteen minutes later they re
turned and reported in favor Of Mr.
Porter.
Their decision was announced by Rev
DIR. Pittenger in a pleasant speech OF
two minutes length He referred to the
practical nature of the college speeches
now-things of present value and inter
est. he said were discussed rather than
the more abstruse and learned questions
that in other days made up the college
mans speech. He thought the change
good one The committee, he sand
in reaching its conclusion, had consid
cred the following points and graded
each speaker on them: ID Matter pre-
scented: % language employed; (3 dis
tinctness of ennunciation; ca manner 81
speaking. On these Mr. Porter had at.
tanned the highest average, as graded
by three judges.
The other two judges ware DIR. James
Dinwiddie and DR.. j. C. Blasingame.
Music was furnished by the college
band. an excellent musical organization
The marshals for the evening were;
Chief J. A. Ramsey, Salisbury; +. g.
Cruchfield, Winston; c. l.. Creech
Greensboro: *. L. Deter, Lincolntoni
W. NJ. Atwater, Rialto; +. w. Nc
CandlesS, Salisbury, and w. =. Farthing
Durham