The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-03-21
HIGH SCHOOL CONTEST
Guy MCMorris and Edgar RoweIl ST.
IeCted to Represent Leon In the
County Declamat0ry Contest.

IcCtcd to represent Leon III INC
County DeClamatory Contest.
The opera house was crowded
last Friday evening at the prelimin-
ary contest held to select two rep
resentatives to the county declama-
tory contest which will be held at
Decatur City on Friday evening,
March 29th, and the big audience
heard most enjoyable program.
On account of the trains all being
blockaded, the judges from Osceola
and Corydon were unable to reach
Leon, so it was necessary to select
Judges who were here. The inten-
tion was to have judges who did not
know any of the contestants, but the
change. was unavoidable. The
judges selected were county super
intendent J. w. Long, J. A. Mcintosh
and Rev. Fancher, the new M. E.
pastor. Their markings we're pretty
close on several of the contestants,
but the final markings gave. the first
place to Guy McMorris, his Grafton
being "The Union Soldier" and sec
ond place to Edgar Rowell, his
dramatic selection being christmas
Eve on Lonesome and these two
will represent the Leon school in the
county contest. Third place was
awarded to Miss Ethyl Hatch with
the humorous selection, "Aunt El-
nora's Hero" but as each school is
allowed but two contestants she can
not enter the county contest.
The program opened with slum-
Der song by little girls from the
south primary room and the little
tots did fine, being heartily encored.
The first contestant was Victor
Shultz with an Grafton, "The Return
of Regulus," and he acquitted him
self in a splendid manner, and re-
ceived a high marking. He was fol-
lowed by Edgar Rowell with his
dramatic selection, Christmas Eve
on Lonesome. Edgar was perfectly
at ease and that he had worked faith
fully in preparing himself for the
contest is shown from the fact that
he will be one of the contestants
from Leon in the county contest. He
has good voice and the judges de-
cision in awarding him place met
with the unanimous approval of the
big audience. Miss Hattie Lion
berger followed with dramatic
selection "Sombre,' and she did
splendid until the latter part when
her memory failed her and this elm
mated her from the contest. Ralph
.Rumley had for his >oration Builders
of; Empires and he is splendid
speaker, but like others a slight
lapse of memory cut his marking
and put HIM out of the contest. MISS
Vergie Cox had a dramatic selection,
Michael Strogoff," and well did she
tell the story Of the Iero. She was
we'll UP in the markings of the
judges. Ralph Stewart had humor-
Gus selection, "Biff Perkins Tobog-
gan Slide," and he was great. He
portrayed the character of the mis-
cheivous boy to perfection, and it
would have been hard to improve on
it. He kept the audience convulsed
with >merrimenI throughout his ap-
pearance on the platform, and many
in the audience thought he was en-
titled to 4 place.
Ten little boys dressed as china
men, from the north primary grades
gave an amusing drill and song and
they sure were good imitators.
The first number of the second
part of the program was the oration
of Reese Gittinger, "Heroism of the
Unknown and he acquitted himself
in a most creditable manner, and It
looked as if he would be one of the
winners. He has fine voice and
good expression, and handled his
subject admirably. Miss Nellie Pull
lin had a dramatic selection, "Ju-
dith's Ride" and she was good
throughout, her effort showing care
full work and study. Then came Guy
Union Soldier" and lie proved one
of the winners. He had good sub
ject and showed himself to be an
orator, having a strong voice and he
was perfectly at ease on the plat
form. Miss Gretchen Hurst had a
dramatic selection, "How Old Folks
Won the Oaks, !" and she did excep-
tonally good with the exception of
hesitating and repeating a couple of
times and this cut her marking so
she could not win. The final number
was the humorous selection, "Aunt
Elnora's Hero" by Miss Ethyl Hatch,
and she showed considerable talent
as an imitator, and had admirable
command Of herself, so that the
judges gave her the third place of
honor. I'LL -' ST..
The program closed with song
by the High School chorus, and then
while the judges were summing up
their markings, the Seniors, Juniors,
SOphmores and Freshmen, who were
seated in sections in different parts
of the house, gave vent to their class
yells with great enthusiasm, accom-
panied by the waving of their colors
and banners. Miss Ruth Farquhar
was yell leader of the Seniors, De-
los Ackerley of the Juniors, Fay
Hatch of the Sophmores and Carl
Mckinley of the Freshmen. And they
fairly raised the roof, every one of
them. ~ %a.s
The classes which were winners
we're the Seniors with Ethyl Hatch,
the Juniors with Guy McMorris and
the Freshmen with Edgar Rowell.