Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-03-21
The Spelling Contest.

Mr.. Editor:-1notice In yourissue OF
14th inst, cowardly and scurrilous
attack made upon me by Mr.. Bryant
would gladly let it pass In silent
contempt but for fear that some who
do not know me and such as one of
his stamp might construe silence in
to an acknowledgement of the charg-
es he brings against me.
wish to place few facts before
a reasoning public and let them
Judge of the fallacy of his statements.
He claims that that purposely mis-
pronounced the words given his
pupils in order that they might miss
then and Atlantic gain the victory.
He even cites few of the words that
l purposely miscalled. He says that
pronounced ingenious, "ingen-
ious," yet his pupils, or at least a
large majority of them spelt the
word right, as their papers will show
and which he owns In his letter In
the "Enterprise." If called an ems
tirely different word how was it pos
sible for any of them to spell the
right one, owing to tie fact that both
are recognized words? He also states
that called "Soire" Il suppose he
means Loire" as ''Soire" was not on
the list Hawaii" and yet the papers
show that only one spelt it Hawaii"
The words certainly sound nothing
alike and if l called Hawaii" | don't
see how they got Loire" out of it,
unless they had some outside infor-
nation. He also says that l pro-
nounced Bourgeois" "Bursar" and
vet they all spelt it right. "Bour-
geois" was pronounced by Mr.
Bryan as were several other words
on the list, that l pronounced differ
emily from the way he had taught.
Before calling out the words 20 either
school l went over them with Prof.
Jones, OF Temperanceville, whose
pronunciation correspondent with
mine. The word Bourgeois" has two
meanings according to Worcester, one
meaning a type and pronounced
"burgois" and another meaning a
person belonging to the middle
classes and pronounced "borzhiva. :"
l gave it the latter pronunciation.
Mr.. Bryan at once told his pupils
that meant "burgois" and they &C.
cordingly spelt the word not one mis-
taking it. The gentleman says that
his pupils "by magic" understood
Hawaii" to be Loire" "Bursar" to
be Bourgeois" ingenious" to be
ingenious" This statement might
have been believed 300 years ago
when people were burned at the
stake for witchcraft, but it will hard
ly bear the investig alton of an en-
lightened public Of the Goth century.
We are led to believe that he has es>
tablished in his school department
of magic and black art.
When the gentleman says that l
gave Atlantic the benefit OF the doubt
in the spe ling of the word ecstasy"
he ma kes a statement as false as his
previous ones,as the paper of the At
lantic pupil will show. The reason OF
my telling him at first that Atlantic
won by 81 per cent. and later by z per
cent. was due TO the fact, that there
were several mistakes in the papers
of both schools that l had over
looked in hasty examination.
l do not feel that this vindication OF
myself was needed for those who
know me as my reputation aud
character will defend my name from
the slurs cast upon it by Mr.. Bryan,
but those, to whom am unknown,
may construe silence into confession.
l hereby brand the insinuations
cast upon me by Mr.. Bryan as the
malicious fabrications of slanderer
and will pay no attention to any
further attack made upon me by
him.
A. G. Smith.
wish here to correct mistake
made to Mr.. Mock. The Atlantic
school would not be ahead if the dis
puted words we're stricken out.
~ q