The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-19


From the experiences of the Scran-
ton, Wilkes-Barre and Taylor singers
who attended the Lehigh valley els
teddfod at Allentown on Monday, 1t Is
safe to predict that there will never be
another delegation from Northeastern
Pennsylvania in attendance at such an
event.
No fault is to be found with the re-
ception accorded the visitors by the
people of Allentown. nor the treatment
received from the gentlemen from
Slatington in charge of the eisteddfod
but the inconvenience of travel suf-
fered in going to and from there was
enough to discourage the most enthusl-
astic.
The special train of ten cars, carry
ing nearly six hundred excursionists
left North Scranton at 6 o'clock in the
morning, expecting to cover the 1C2
miles to Allentown inside of four hours.
Owing to the recent floods the railroad
was rendered unsafe at many points,
and special precautions were necessary.
The result was that the excursion
lists did not arrive in Allentown until
morning session of the esteddfod.
Along the Lehigh river many bridges
were seen which had been swept away
by the floods and evidences OF devas-
tation We're apparent on all sides.
CROSSED RIVER IN BOATS.
The regular train, which leaves Scran-
ton at 7.3O o'clock, overlook and passed
the special train long before the latter
reached Allentown The passengers on
the regular train for Allentown We're
compelled to leave the train at East
Allentown and cross the Lehigh river
in rowboats to reach the city proper,
the bridge at that point having been
washed away.
The special train was run into Allen
town proper, but about two hours late,
and none of the Scranton singers were
in time to enter the morning competi-
tions.
Had it not been for the Northeastern
Pennsylvania delegation the eisteddfod
would have been decided failure, but
fortunately (for the promoters) it
proved to be q musical and financial
success. The competitions were among
the best ever heard in an eisteddfod,
and with one or two exceptions, the adj
publications were satisfactory.
Scranton talent carried off the honors
in the individual and two-part COM
petitions, and were successful in every
thing except the male chorus competl-
tion and the tenor solo. The novel
event of the day was the slate-splitting
contest, which is the first of it's kind
ever introduced in an eisteddfod in the
United States
EXCELLENT SINGING.
According to the most competent
critics. the male party singing and solo
work was the best ever heard in an
American musical festival, and the vic
tory won by the DR.. Mason Glee club,
of Wilkes-B places that organiza-
tion at the head of the Welsh-Ameri-
can glee clubs. Their rendition of the
'Pilgrim's Chorus" was elevating, in
spring and in keeping with the au-
thor's conception.
The solo rendition of the r.ayer by
Gwlym Miles, OF New York, was the
best ever heard in competition by the
Scranton people. The work of Hari
Jones' John w. Jones and John T. Wat
kins was also of very high order.
The adjudicator did not announce the
relative positions of the other three
parties in competition until requested
to, and then he simply put it: Dr.
Masons, first; OXfords, second: North
Scranton, third, and Taylor, fourth.
When it is considered that the
WilkesBarre party has been in exist
ence several years, and have competed
and won on the same selection several
times, it is not to be wondered at that
they carried off the honors, assisted as
they We're by the best solost obtain
able.
LESS THAN 4 YEAR OLD
The Oxford Glee club was organized
less than year ago, for competition
at Lake Lodore last Labor day, and
forty per cent of the party never sang
before Monday in competition. In that
event they We're second, and at North
Scranton last Thanksgiving day they
We're also second to the Taylor Glee
club.
The North Scranton party is also a
comparatively young organization, but
composed of more seasoned material
with much more experience. They We're
victorious at Lake Lodore, but lost mt
North Scranton and Allentown.
The Taylor party was augmented at
Allentown by many Slatington singers,
but lacked sufficient rehearsal. With
the pick of the best singers from the
three local societies, under the direc-
tion of a trained leader. they would
doubtless give the Wilkes Barre party
ID closer competition, and perchance de-
feat them
Tpihnna
two mistakes, due to the telegraph and
not to the correspondent. The first was
in giving credit to Hayden Morris in
stead of John 4. Watkins in leading
the combined choirs in the singing of
"Huddersfield," and the other was in
the report of the competition on the
recitation Keeping His Word"
PRIZE DIVIDED.
This prize was divided between Mrs.
d. Il. Thomas, of West Scranton, and
her niece, Miss Lillian Price, of Taylor.
The other competitor, a little 1O-year-
old girl named Mary Smith, of Ians-
ford, was given a special prize of $3.75
for the excellent manner in which she
recited.
Particular mention should be made of
the singing of Miss Via Jones, and Mrs.
Frank Brundage, and the recital of
Mrs. Thomas, all of whom were par
ticularly criticized and eomplimented
by the adjudicators.
The mixed chorus competition was
not up TO the usual standard, the
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