River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-05-16
Beth Allen Brings
District HOn0rS Home

UIStTlCt 1lUuUES 11Ull6
There was a contest in town last
Friday evening, a district declam-
atory contest, a contest in which
eight young ladies, winners in
leagues of high schools in the Riv-
er Falls district, met to contest for
the district honors. 1t was a
splendid contest, and splendidly
close. About three hundred and
fifty people heard it, most of whom
have listened to district contests
before, and almost without dissent
ing vote they declared it the best
contest ever held in River Falls.
There was not poor number pre-
sented. Some were better than
others, and three stood out above
the rest in contest by them
selves, but that does not detract
from the excellence of the others.
1t was an honor to be in such a
contest, and of course an especial
honor to win. Marietta Walsh of
Mondovi, Kathryn Knudtson of
Rice Lake, Sadie Kirkwood of
Barron, Florence Disney of Hud-
son, and Florence Savage of Ham
mond were every one excellent.
To commend one is to commend
all, and there was little to criticise
in any. Necessarily, when the
judges reports were in, these each
had separate rank, yet the differ
ence between the higest of them
and the lowest was SO slight that
rank did not mean much. Surely
all these had been we'll prepared
for the contest, and every one of
them was a credit to her school and
trainer. 1t is no discredit to these
five that the other three on the con-
test, Beth Allen of River Falls,
Ragna Tanjerd of Eau Claire, and
Celia Butcher of Chippewa Falls,
stood out as if in a contest by
themselves. We believe that it
will seldom happen chat three
speakers of such high and even
merit are found in the same con-
test, it being a contest of this
kind Certainly it does not often
happen that two speakers from out
of town are given such a cordial
reception as was rendered to Miss
Butcher and Miss Tanjerd by the
audience last Friday evening.
Miss Butcher in THE Lie" was
clear, forceful, dramatic, yet SIM
pie and natural at all times. Miss
Tanjerd gave His Fathers Son"
with wonderful dramatic power and
clearnesS of Interpretation.
And when the contest was ended
there were numbers of people in the
audience who picked one or the
other of these two to carry off the
coveted honors. We must admit
that had either of the crrried off
the honors. the honors would
have been worthily won. But the
judges did not pick either of them
for first place. Instead, first place
was awarded to our own represent
alive, Beth Allen, and we believe
we'll awarded, too, even granting
the excellence of the other speak
ers. Miss Allen was all that the
others were, simple, natural, di-
rect, unaffected, dramatic, max
ing Patsy" to live again in all his
quaint boyish humor in the kinder
garden before the eyes of the audi
ence. While neither had anything
superior to Miss Allen, it is evident
that her selection in it's rendition
appealed to the judges of the most
finished speaking of the three, and
the final rankings gave her first
place, Miss Tanjerd second and
Miss Butcher third.
River Falls has just reason to be
proud of the winning. Miss Allen
now goes to the state contest to be
held at Delevan Friday, May "a, and
while no predictions can be made
of the outcome, it is certain that
this district will have nothing to be
ashamed of when she appears before
the judges in that contest.
SUMMARY OF JUDGES REPORT
Judges, Supt. Sloniger, Hast
ings; Prof. Gislayson, Dept. ORA
matte Art, Univ. Mimi; Prof.
Crawford, North High, Minneapo-
lis; Miss Burton, Saltwater High;
Mrs. Ryan, Humboldt High, ST.
paul