The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1904-01-29
MADISON WINS CONTEST.
Miss Lena Denninger of That
City is Successful.
THE FINISH WAS VERY EXCITING
Both Contesting With Their Wonted
Ardor, Madison and Humphrey
Made a Brisk Ending to the Voting
and the Prettiest Of All is After.

Made a Brisk Ending to the Voting
and the Prettiest Of All is After.
Madison wins the contest. Miss
Lena Denninger of that city, together
with her theater party of five others,
will occupy box "B" at the Audito-
rum when Tim Murphy a nd Miss
Dorothy Sherrod present "The Man
From Missouri" The contest closed
at IL o'clock sharp. The vote stood
Miss Lena Denninger, Madison. 7,400
Miss Celia Peterson, Humphrey 4,400
1t was a great contest. Never has
one been spiced with better spirit.
1t brought out the stuff that two of
the most substantial little cities in
Nebraska are made of. They were
both game" until the end And the
prettiest feature of it all came when
the balloting had been finished.
Rare indeed is there strife of any
sort which ends as admirably. Madi-
son, having won, was satisfied with
her victory. There was nothing of
the boast about it. Her citizens had
made the fight with wonted ardor and
they had been successful. And in vic
tory they were whole-souled and hear
ty, withal. Mayor Clint Smith, of
Madison, arrived in Norfolk on the
freight from the south, shortly after
l o'clock. He found that the game
was done. His city, with his energy
and enterprise as pusher, had turned
out winner in the ballots battle. Hum
phrey, with as plucky hand as ever
guided the reins of contest of any
type, had made telling vote and an
effective one. And so, when the
smoke had cleared away, Mayor Smith
called up Humphrey over the long dis
tance telephone and said:
"Is this Mr. Anselme?"
Eyes"
"Mr Anselme, | should like to have
Miss Celia Peterson, who was so for
midable a candidate against us in this
contest, accept an invitation from the
city of Madison to come to Norfolk
with theater party for Tim Murphy,
and to occupy box as our guests.
We want to tell you that you gave us
a hard rub and we want you to know
that we hope our feelings of friend
ship may be even stronger than they
have ever been before. We want Hum
and hope that we may all enjoy meet
ing in the theater as we have in the
theater contest"
And with accustomed spirit in re-
ply, displaying that rare ability to take
defeat with the same smile which vic
tory might bring, the Humphrey man.
whose efforts in the contest were so
availing, answered the mayor of Mad
ison:
Thanks, Mr.. Smith," he said. "On
behalf of Miss Peterson and of the
people of Humphrey who were inter-
ested, l take pleasure in accepting
your invitation. We will all see Tim
Murphy together. 1 congratulate you
upon your winning"
And so it will be an audience thor
oughly representative of that great
section on the Union Pacific railroad
between Norfolk and Columbus, which
will greet Mr. Murphy in his initial
Norfolk appearance
Miss Denninger, whose popularity
is attested by the victory to which
her friends have brought her, will oc-
cupy the prize box, "B," together with
five friends whom she may select,
And in the box just opposite, with five
of her friends, Miss Celia Peterson,
to whom the loyalty of her many
friends must ever be source of SUI
preme satisfaction, will sit. 1t will
be night which the Auditorium may
feel proud of, resounding as it will,
with a cordiality that shall cement
Madison, Humphrey and Norfolk all
three together forever.
The Finish.
The finish was exciting. Morning
mails brought votes from both Hum
phrey and Madison. The two candi-
dates had stood about even before
that. The telephone bell was kept
constantly ringing during the fore
noon. Late in the morning, 1900 votes
came in from Madison. At ten min
utes of IL Madison man called up.
Cast $500 votes for Miss Denning-
err" he said.
At five minutes before 70, Mr.. An
seine called up from Humphrey.
Cast 5000 votes for Miss Peder-
son." he said.
The noon whistles blew and the con-
test was ended. Then the counting
commenced and the result was known
shortly after /.
Because of the lateness with which
many trains are running this week,
it is considered that % be on the safe
side both thealer parties, that from
Madison, will do well to come to Nor
folk on the morning freight rather
than to risk the passenger in the even
ing. The passenger is due at 8 but