The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-30
HUNDREDS OF
TEACHERSGATHER
MANY TOWNS REPRESENTED AT
NATCHEZ.
The Old Time "Speling Bee" Is the
Feature This Afternoon-Hon. John
r. Ellis, of Meridian, Speaks In
Place of President T. p. Scott.

NATCHEZ, Miss, April 30.-Fully l.
200 teachers are in attendance at the
State Association, which is in session
here, since yesterday. Up until last
night every train was loaded, and to-
day is the high water mark OF at
tendance.
Large delegations are here from Hat
tiesburg, Jackson, Meridian and other
towns in the state.
B. c. Geisenberger, president of the
board of education of NatcheZ, last
night welcomed the convention in be-
half of the educational interests of
Natchez. w. G. Benbrook, mayor of
Natchez, welcomed the visitors in be-
half of the city. T. X. Boggan, of BIZ
loxi responded.
T. p. Scott, Brookhaven, Miss, pres
ident of the ississippi Teachers AS
sociation, was to have delivered the
annual presidents address. He is i'll,
however, and Jno. R. Ellis if Meridian
vice president, took his place The ap-
pointment of committees, and an infor-
NAL reception followed.
For the opening ceremonies a great
stage has been erected in Memorial
! Park, with an appropriate curtain and
scenery. The auditorium is surround
ed by trees, and is in a cool location
on the top of one of the hills of the
city.
The curtain rose on this stage at
SIS o'clock, disclosing thirty young
ladies as Japanese teagirls, who exc
cuted a clever drill, under the direc-
tion Of Mrs. A. V. Davis. They were: ::
Misses Carlotta French, Rowan Flem-
ing, Lallie Laurence, Francis Smith,
Liela Davis, Lallie Reber, Jessie Por-
ter, Aemilie Wheeler, Mary Lee
Schwartz, Laura Davis, Roberta Graf
ton, Sophie Dix, jamie Handy, Katie
Eidt, Enoma Moses, Marguerite Sam
uels, Rose Beer, Mary Mounger,
Eloise Bowman, Mabel Porter, Dolly
Eisele, Edith Foster, Mamie May
Blythe, Flora Moses, Kate Lewis, Lii
lian Seiferth, Lucy Chamberlain,
Flora Shlenker and Rosalie Scharff.
St. Andrews Cadets, a company OF
. youngsters ranging in age from about
| seven to sixteen years, then marched
in. They boys are members of St An
| drew's Brotherhood of Trinity Episco
pal Church. They began a thirty-siy
hour camp at Memorial Park Wednes.
= day afternoon at o'clock. They &c
, through the manual of arms with
clocklike precision, and made a good
. appearance in their khaki uniforms.
Rev. Stirling Gum, rector of Trim
ity church, delivered the invication
and the addresses then followed
The Spelling Match.
Champion spoilers OF the mans
counties and towns of Mississippi will
meet in battle royal this afternoon. Il
will not be an oldfashioned spell
down." but spelling tournament, con
Quoted under the most modern anC
scientific principles. The winner viii
receive a gold medal the winning
team an engrossed, certificate and thu
best speller also will come toand g
from the convention with railroad far
paid.
The spelling contest is new in tn
annals of Mississippi Teachers Al
sociation, but it is intended that thi
shall be the first of an annual series.
Most of the larger cities of Missii
sippi, many of the smaller towns ar
several counties have sent teams
compete. Teams are composed {
five members each. To them will b
rs propounded 100 words of average di
~ ficulty, these to be written. The p
r. pers will be graded at once, and
any team drops out on this it will