The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-02-23

st. Joseph County
Jennings Gordon, Nappanee.
Orson Marble. New Carlisle.
Starke
Willie Sweazey,
Helen Knachel,
Esther Carlson.
Fully hundred and fifty visitors
from over the Thirteenth district
were in Plymouth today attending
the District Spelling contest which
began at the Webster school BUILDING
at one O'Clock. About fifty of these
took dinner at the Ross house. They
were contestants, county superinten-
dents, judges and others. The Plvm-
outh business men kindly made the
contestants their guests at the hotel.
which was appreciated by the visitors
The matter of choosing judges was
hard one, but the following were
finally decided upon because everv
one believed they would give all a
fair deal:
Supt. Randall of Plymouth, Supt.
l. 5. Hahn of Culver, and Supt.
Whitmer of Rochester. All being in
the district, it was felt to be a deli
cate matter to select the proper ones.
All seven of the county superinten-
dents were here and these gentlemen
took turns in pronouncing the words.
Their names are: Elmer E. Rodgers
Of Starke, Homer Rogers of Pulaski,
R. Fl. Longfeld of st. Joseph, John
{. Werner of Fulton. Edison B. Sar-
Der of Kosciusko, E. Weaver of Elk
hart, L. E. Steinebach of Marshall.
The auditorium was well filled and
fully half those present were. grown
men-so great is the interest in this
school work. Among them were
many teachers and trustees. 1t is
noticeable that among the contestants
most of the names are foreign, which
shows that students of foreign par
entage are taking more interest In
the language than our own "home
grown" students.
The-contest opened with twenty
contestants, Orson Marble and
Mitchell Charnley being absent.
Lucille Freyberger substituted FOR
Charnley. No one went down until
ninety words had been pronounced,
when Victor Crowel of Walnut town.
ship failed on the word "idle,"
spelling it i-d-e-l.
The winners in Saturday contest
will represent the district at the State
contest at Indianapolis on March 80.
This was as much a contest Of
endurance and of nerve as of SPELL
ing. There seemed to be no excit-
able children in the contest. If there
were, they soon dropped out. 1t took
a cool head to remember to say
"hyphen" or "capital" when they
were needed. It took strength to
spell constantly for almost four
hours, in public and where there was
so much at stake.
While the three prize winners were
probably the best spoilers yet there
is great element Of chance in it too.
IF some of them had not happened to
have just the word they did they
might have stood much longer and
even perhaps have been winners.
Marshall County is the only county
to have two among the Winners and
Alternates. Marie Denman of n
wood will be an alternate. Miss
Marie was so far as known, the
youngest contestant present, being
but eleven years old. While she did
not seem the least bit furried, but
entered into the contest as blythly as
if it were some pleasant game, yet
she is a small and rather delicate
looking child. Marshall County is
proud of her and the glory she has
helped to bring upon us.
Robert O'Connell, of near Pierce
ton, Koscuisko county, is regular
Abe Lincoln type of boy, tall, just
at the awkward age, being but four
teen, but distinguished looking. To-
ward the last many people began to
pick him out as the winner. He was
very deliberate and brought a smile
to the audience by his calm and even
slow manner. BE was entirly inde-
pendent however and showed he had
that in his head which dictated to
him rather than did the expectations
Of others. Unless We are greatly
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