The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-04-07
RAH.! RAH! RAH !.
The Great Literary and
Musical Entertainment.
HAPPY SURVIVORS OF THE FITTEST
Most Creditable Entertainment
-HOnesdale's Champions for
the Scranton Literary Bat
tie Named-HOnOrs for
the Competitors.

on Thursday evening of last week, April
1st, attracted very large, appreciative
and enthusiastic audience. The stage,
boxes and galleries were profusely decor
ated with the High School colors and
potted plants and cut flowers. The Lyric
orchestra, considerably strengthened for
the occasion, rendered most excellent
music throughout, and Misses Helen
Beck and Grace Hanlan gave valuable
assistance at the piano, the latter play
ing the entire instrumental score of the
cantata with marked ability,
After fine opening overture, the cur
tain rose on the group of contestants for
the honor of representing Honesdale in
the coming annual competition between
the school recitationists, essayists and
orators of Dunmore, Carbondale and
this place. Seated with them was Prin-
cipal Oday, who made brief introduce
tory speech, in which he requested that
any applause which might be thought
due should be reserved until the close of
each effort on the stage, and then strictly
confined to the use of the hands.
The contestants represented the "sur-
vival of the fittest." All of the boys
in the High School were required to
learn the defamation, and were then
divided into three groups and from each
of these five were selected. After a time
the fifteen were cut to eight, then four,
and afterward to three.
Twelve of the girls were selected, be-
cause of their ability, as shown by regu-
lar work in English classes, to write es-
says on pennsylvania in Art" From
these twelve, six were chosen, and about
two weeks ago the final three were Sc
lected.
All of the girls who were not in the
Essay contest were required to learn the
Recitation, and were divided into three
groups from each of which five were Sc
lected. At short intervals other contests
we're held at which time the fifteen were
reduced to nine, four and three. In
each case the last contest was in the
presence of the High School. Thus the
entire student body had part in the
contest, and each one received portion
of the drill, and was thus directly bene-
fitted. This competition from year to
wear, is not part of the regular school
work but is great aid to the English
department.
The subject selected for the Recita-
ton was "The Baron's Last Banquet" !"
and the contestants were Misses Lillian
Barbieri, Matilda Kreiter and Beatrice
Rehbein, who spoke in the order named.
Each of the young ladies rendered the
difficult lipes most creditably, and each
received hearty outburst of applause
as she closed with vivid depletion OF
the death of the stern old Baron Rudiger.
An extract from "Webster's Reply to
Hayne'' was chosen for the Declama-
ton, the "godlike Daniel' being imper-
sonated by Joseph Jacob, Fred. Osborne
and Albert Krantz. The young gentle
men acquitted themselves nobly, and ii
is hard to imagine how the patriotic and
historical appeal for Liberty and Union;
one and inseparable; now and forever p
could have fallen much more impressive
ly from the lips of our matchless national
orator himself Pennsylvania in Art
was the theme for the essays, assigned
to Misses Grace Hanlan, Abigail Baird
and Faith Clark. These papers were re-
stricted to one thousand words each il
length, but beyond this the young ladies
were privileged to treat the subject en-
trely as their own taste dictated anC
ability permitted. How well they ac
quilted themselves may be determined
from perusal of the two printed il
this issue-the publication of the third
for obvious reasons, being postponed
until after the final contest in Scranton.
All of the numbers were of such higl
order of merit, and judging from the ap
$ proval accorded each, so nearly equal il
that respect, there was of course mucl
= speculation as to where the honors woulC
e fall. Principal Oday announced TIN
S Judges selected as Hon. Charles A. Nc
l Carty, Charles p. Searle and Mrs. b. II
1 Dittrich, and stated that during their re
e tirement for consultation, the children
n humorous operetta, "The Magician,
: would be rendered by the younger schoo
a children, numbering about fifty, unde
: the direction of Miss Amy E. Clark, whit
s has charge of the musical instruction o
y the institution. The little folks did re
markably well, especially in the con
: certed singing, and in their, spoken part
a appeared to be word-perfect. Miss Clarl
e deserves much credit for bringing them Il
t the state of proficiency shown, and Mis-
5 Hanlan, who presided at the piano il
e entitled to great praise for her contribu
8 ton to the success of the performance
g The entertainment closed with the re
, port of the judges, which was read from
e the stage by Mr.. McCarty, who stated
T that the committee had been unanimou
' in their decisions. The successful compel
I4ora uara naclama atiol, IoSauh Ianoh