The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-11

Tonight at the Auditorium the an
nual state oratorical contest will take
place, the winner of which will rep
resent Kansas in the interstate ora
torical contest, and get $50 to boot 1t
is the greatest oratorica1 prize offered
to students of Kansas. This is the
twenty first year the contest has been
held.
Washburn college is the host of the
occasion. 1t is giving a big reception
to the visiting delegations this after
noon at the Washburn chapel
Delegations from out of town have
been coming in on almost every train
today. At 3 o'clock this afternoon a
tions from Baker university and Otta-
wa university. Secretary E. B. COllett
says that seats have been reserved for
about 1,500 students in the Auditorium
come in. will make the big building
comfortably full.
So far there have been no fights be-
tween the rival schools. Something
along this line is likely to be doing be-
fore the day is over, though. 1t would
not be an oratorica1 contest without a
fight. Last year they fought much
that they almost forgot to have any
contest. Chief of Police McCollum, who
believes in OratOry, says that the con-
test must be allowed to take place this
year. He will have twenty policemen
on duty at the Auditorium, a battery
of riot guns on the stage, and a call
for the state. militia in his pocket. He
insists u9on peace if he has to fight
for it himself.
The various colleges have reserved
seats for their delegations as follows:
Washburn. south half of first floor.
Midland college and Ottawa univer-
sity, north central part of first floor. >
Fairmount and Winfield colleges,
back of Midland and Ottawa, first
floor.
Baker university. north part of bal
cony.
Salina Wesleyan university and Col
lege of Emporia, south part of balcony.
The colors of the schools are as toll
lows: Baker, cadmian orange; Emporia,
red and white; Kansas Wesleyan, par-
pie and old gold; Midland, orange and
black; Ottawa. sunfiower yellow;
Washburn, blue; Southwest Kansas
college. purple; Fairmount college, vel
low and black.
p People who are given to guessing pick
Ottawa university as the winner this
year. Ottawa university has a man rep
resenting it: the rest of the represe1-
tativeS are boys w. D. GOble is the
mans name. He is six feet tall, and
looks a little like Rev. f. W. Emerson.
If anybody should guess his age at 80
they wouldn't miss 1t far, perhaps. IIe
was music teacher for three years,
and a Baptist preacher for five years.
He has also attended the public schools,
ty, from which he viii graduate next
June. He was given six firsts by six
Judges in the Ottawa contest to select
a representative. His Grafton is ;enti-
tied, THE Awakening of China and its
Significance 1t is n very good ora
tion, and all the other speakers frank
| lv confess that they are afraid of Co.
BILE. If he is not assassinated before
the contest, as was his Kentucky
narnesake, he will give them all "hoss
race"
The baby of the contest is Otis Put
| nam Hudson, of Midland college, who
was born November 9, 1885, and is
| therefore 10 years of age. He is just
as far along in his studies as the Ven
erable Mr. Goble, however. They both
expect to graduate this spring. Mr.
| Hudson is a dark horse. He may sur
prise people with his Grafton On
American Diplomacy. II
Arthur L. QUAINT, the Washburn rep
resentative, is a farmer boy, and 1t is
appropriate that he should have an ora
tion roasting the corruption of the great
cities. His subject is THE Problem OF
the Cities" QUAINT was born and raised
on a farm six miles from Topeka. For
three years he used to ride horseback
to and from college every day When
he became a freshman. he came to To-
peka. and has been earning his way
| through school since by doing chores,
weak point is his delivery His oration
is said to one of the best. o. B. Towne,
nrofessor of elocution at Washburn,
says that QUAINT will probably get f1rst,
second or third. Quant has a poor place
on the programme he speaks last, when
everybody is tired
| All the orations have been published