The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-03-30
REYNOLDSVILLE VICTORIOUS
IN THE LITERARY CONTEST.
Judges Award her Representatives Three the Five Divisions Of the
Contest-Very Large Audience Attended the Contest
and Witnessed Magnificent Entertainment

classes OF the high schools OF Reynolds
Vile, Punxsutawney and Brookville
met In Punxsutawney Friday night OF
last week and contested for literary
honors. The sight of such a contest,
representing the best product of the
public schools of the three leading
towns Of jefferson county, was well
worth going many miles to see, and the
audience which filed every seat In the
large Mahoning street opera house was
gathered not only from Punxsutawney
but from Dubois, Reynoldsville, Brook.
vile and many other points in the sec
tion.
Reynoldsville may pride herself on
the high standard of her schools. As
In last years contest her representa-
tives led to victory, 80 In this they
again captured three of :he five divi-
slons OF the program. And in all the
divisions her contestants displayed such
skill In argument aud tact in delivery
as to place their title to superiority as
n WnOic DcNOnu NuCooioh'
Throughout the contest the large
audience was very orderly, excepting
little rowdyism in the gallery, and en-
tered heartily into the spirit OF the &C.
casion. Reynoldsville was represented
by over two hundred people, so deep
was the interest in the event. Brook
Vile also had a number In the audience,
though small compared with Reynolds
Vile. But the efforts OF the contestants
from the different towns did not suffer
from lack of special friends in the aud
ience, for it was worthy of note that all
the efforts OF the contestants were met
with generous share of applause.
The Punxsutawney schools were rep
resented In the audience by large
gallery in the rear lGf the house which
was filled with young people, and they.
full OF confidence, spent vast lot OF
lung power before the contest giving
their school "yells" and assuring the
people that "they were all right" 1t
was very fortunate for them that they
done all their yelling before the con-
test, for it was noted that after the de-
cison they hadn't much to say. This
gallery also made itself very conspic-
uous by hooting and jeering every time
Brook Vile and Reynoldsville friends In
the audience attempted to give a class
cheer.
When the curtain rolled up, the stage
presented brilliant appearance. All
the contestants were seated upon it and
also those who gave musical selections.
In the rear sat County Superintendent
r. B. Teitrick, who opened the contest
with short address. After q few COM
plimentary remarks on the interest
shown, and to the schools for the high
| standard attained. he took occasion to
| remind those who were inclined to do
too much yelling" that it was to be a
| literary contest, with emphasis on the
"literary." 1t had the good effect OF
forestalling the Objectionable class
"yells" thereafter and limiting the en-
| thusiasm to the more refined applause.
THE ESSAYS.
The first section of the program was
unlike anything in last years contest.
The three essays were devoted to the
same subject, II review of the popular
| American romance, "Ramona, written
by Helen Hunt jackson.
"Ramona" is tale OF the heartless
] treatment OF the Indians by the whites.
The heroine is reared by wealthy
white family in Southern California
and during the stay OF sheep-shearing
band upon the estate meets and passion
ately loves a young Indian. Her pro-
tectress, naughty Sonora, strongly OPP
poses the. union and tells Ramona that
she is the child OF an Indian mother,
but Notwithstanding this the girl and
her Indian lover, meeting after a short
separation, flee to San Diego and are
married. They follow the Indian life
and are happy together, but ever suffer
by the oppression of the whites. Their
child falls i'll, white physician refuses
to attend it, and while Ramona is at
tempting to take her first born to the
doctor, little "Blue Eyes" dies. In an
insane mood her Indian husband takes
a white mans horse, and the American
promptly pursues and shoots him with
out mercy. Ramona, with a second
child, is left alone and under the weight
Of grief and illness almost dies. In the
end she returns to the home OF her
childhood, but her heart lies buried in
the grave OF her Indian lover.
The three contestants, Susan Van
vliet, Of Brookville, Anna Lowry, OF
punxsut tawnev and Mildred RidCewav.