The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-06
STAMFORD
Sentenced-Debate on Spelling - Mrs.
 Field-Stiles Judson - The Passion
 PIay-A Large Audience-Personals

FEdy-A Large AudlenCe-reTSOndls
 The case of George Wisham, former ly depot master at Larchmont, and well known in this town, has excited considerable interest. It will be rec ollected that he was charged with de- faulting. He had become addicted to the habit of poker playing, and took money with the intent of replacing il when he won, which of course he never did. Friends of his, including Frank E. Conine and Rev. MT. Bullock, did what they could to defend him, but the judge finally decided he was guilty and imposed a sentence of one year at Blackwells Island penitentiary.
 Miss Marguerite Garry Is spending a week in Brooklyn.
 The Hudson mansion has been open ed up to the sunshine and fresh air, which indicates an early arrival of Mrs. Hudson from the South.
 l. The quarterly meeting of the Neigh borhood church will be held next Thursday: The lecture on Uncle for last Friday. has been postponed, as the date falls on Good Friday.
 Friday last, at the center school. there was a very interesting debate whether there should be a reform in the spelling of English. The affirma- tive won the debate, the judges being Mrs. DeLacour, Rex DeLacour and MISS MdTSdrot COSSWeu or VESSEL The negative debaters at one time thought they had made a. good point against the reformers when they charged that not one of the essays used in the debate had been written with the reformed spelling. An exht- bition of the essays showed that all the pupils on the side of the affirma- tive had used the reformed spelling.
 The funeral of Mrs. William Field, aged 57. who died on Saturday at her A Park, took place this afternoon. She is survived by a husband, who is en- ployed at the Holmes & Edwards sil- yer works, where he does fine chasing on the products of the factory, and by a son who is employed as an artist on silver by G! w. Fairchild & Son of Bridgeport. The Fields are an Eng fish family, and much thought of by sympathy of a wide class of friends and acQuaintances.
 MT. and Mrs Frederick wiIdman left town early Monday morning to make their future home in Bristol. MT. WiIdman has purchased an old and we'll established barber shop in that flourishing city, on the Main street, and will soon be engaged in his old business. He leaves town with the best wishes of all for success in his new field.
 The Misses Gertrude and Ruby Avery and Miss Evelyn Ferry, popular teachers in our public schools, will soon leave for an extended visit to Washington.
 A telegram yesterday from Hon. Stiles Judson announced that he had arrived safely at Jacksonville. Florida. where he is eating strawberries and trees, and taking sails on the water. He slipped away very quietly, and many will be surprised to learn that he has gone.
 
 house and land known as the Benja- min property in Main street has been purchased by Mrs. Cranston. This real estate has been in the McEuen family for many generations, and there is a suspicion they bought it of the In dians in the 17th century.
 L. B. Peck, who has been confined to the house for a week or more, but who was able to keep the yellow mea- sles warning off his door post, was able to be out yesterday for the first time. He has done a vast amount of reading while in the sick room.
 MT. and Mrs. C.. D. Mills of Paradise Green are entertaining MT. and Mrs. Charles B. Hoff of New Haven. MT. Mills has a fine display of Easter lilies and azalias in his hothouses.
 Rev. Vim. Guggenheim preached at the Methodist church last Sunday.
 Miss Alice Curtis of Paradise Green, is entertaining Miss Julia Freeborn of New York
 Judge Nichols sometimes comes down to town from Trumbull.
 Frederick Smith is. driving a. horse hitched to a new wagon.
 There is to be. a wedding in Main street above Longbrook avenue, on the 18th inst, about which more will be published in good time.
 The Lovell-HineS wedding will be one of the delightful events of the season.
 Stephen Bowles has been stopping at the Devine residence in Judson Place. He has been superintending the work on Washington bridge.
 The lecture last evening by Dr. Char les s. Mcfarland of South Norwalk, on the Passion Play of Oberammergau, which takes its name from a little vil- lage in Switzerland, drew a large audi ence, and proved to be of deep interest to those not familiar with it. It was illustrated by numerous pictures thrown upon a screen which was sus- pended in front of the organ loft. Dr.. Mcfarland read his lecture from man. uscript, and sprinkled it with consider able German, which sounded very odd when the words were put into the mouth of Christ, or His disciples. Some of the pictures were quite in teresting; some were conventional, as that of the last Supper; some were rather too realistic as the dead Christ at the foot of the cross and the Christ standing as a statue but slightly draped, while others were suggestive as the Ascension. There were a. num- Der of pretty tableaux from the old testament, supposed to prefigure the various circumstances in the life of Christ. Many views of the quaint and pretty village of Oberammergau were shown. As most people know, the play represents the life of Christ, from the time he left his mother to go about his Fathers work, until the resurrec- ton and ascension While it is a very appropriate theme flor Holy Week, it may well be doubted if it does justice to the story, or if it appeals very strongly to the mind of an educated American. Seen in the village where the play originated, and has been per- formed for so many generations, the effect may be different, but in this day of moving pictures, and flood of prints and photographs. the story as presented by lantern slides and photo graphs lacks solemnity. and seems to cheapen the theme. Notwithstanding it doubtless gave much satisfaction to those who witnessed the entertainment. Between the acts, so to speak, there was very good music by the choir and