Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-05-06

school picnic. Not that the words
are unusual; on the contrary, they
are all good, everyday English
words, but they are not what the
boys would class as Fa-pudding.'
There is not trick word in the list,
nor is there one that is too dead easy.
Perhaps the steady grind of hard
spoilers made the contest more
difficult, for no person would attempt
to spell one of those words without
thinking, and thinking seriously.
There is not a thing wrong with
the list of words-and with that
editorial comment we shall dismiss
the subject of spelling.
ARITHMETIC.
There were 55 problems for the
test in arithmetic, and as time was a
feature in this trial the sheets con-
tanning the problems were placed on
the desks in front of the writer's face
down. Then on a word from Mr..
Brockert this sheet was Topped pretty
lively and the writer's lit into their
tasks without much preliminary.
This was the only feature in the
contest that in any degree excited
the youngsters, and on this there was
lively work. For few minutes the
nerve strain was intense and then a
girl (no, it was not boy) sprang to
her feet with finished sheet in her
hand. She had been just three
minutes and 25 seconds in performing
the 55 problems. But she made
several mistakes. The Herald man
tried the 55 problems on himself, and
while he is perhaps above the average
in figures, he could not add the Is
sets Of columns in three minutes, to
say nothing of the 40 other problems
that involved subtractions, multi
plications and divisions.
But this girl stood alone, not
another was in her class for speed.
Too bad she lacked accuracy, for a
horrid boy beat her. 1t was nearly a
minute more before another sheet was
ready for delivery. Be that as it
may, the work in this department of
the contest was very sprightly, and
generally accurate.
Following is the list of the winners
in the arithmetic contest:
First, 81 and Pennant, Willie Vie
land, Is, Dist No. 5, So. Lancaster,
Elgie Houghton, teacher. Second,
So, Rosa Wieland, 13, Dist. No. 5,
So. Lancaster, Elgie Houghton,
teacher. Third, 81, Ethel Wood,
Is, Dist No. 5, Glen Haven, Mrs.
Lillian Barnum. Fourth, So, Elsie
Barr, 13, Dist. No. 6, Glen Haven,
Mrs. Ella Winner, teacher. Fifth,
So, Orpha Gunderman, IA, Dist. No.
3, Jamestown, Jennie Spear, teacher.
Sixth, So, Ruby Thomas, IL, Dist.
No. l., Smelser, Emily Corlett,
teacher. Seventh, So, Esther Vie
land, Is, Dist. No. 5, So. Lancaster,
Elgie Houghton, teacher. Eighth,
So, Gladys Hickin, IA, Dist. No. 10,
No. Lancaster, Mabel Rowdon,
teacher. Ninth, So, Bertha Wieland,
II, Dist. No. 5, So. Lancaster, Elgie
Houghton, teacher. Tenth, So, Mil
ton Sphinx, ID, Dist. No. 1, Smelser,
Emily Corlett, teacher. Eleventh,
81, Manda Nelson, II, Dist. No. IL,
Wingville, Clara Bjerke, teacher.
Twelfth, 81, Elmer Osterndorf, 13,
Dist. No. z, Wingville, Eva Gund-
ZACH, teacher. Thirteenth, 81 Otto
Knutson, IL, it. 1, Clifton, Sue Liv-
ingston. Fourteenth, ST., Lillian
Walz, 13, Dist. No. 9, Glen Haven,
Isabel Gockel, teacher. Fifteenth,
81, Marguerite Mason, IA, it. 1,
Glen Haven, Florence Mcnamara,
teacher.
WRITING.
There was nothing exciting about
the writing contest. Time was not
much of a figure and the young pupils
worked with all the deliberation that
was necessary. The exercises that
comprised the test were those used in
the practice of the free arm move
ment, the only sure method in teach
ing and the safest system to learn for
use in the battle of life. The
temporary editor of this paper learned
it almost 40 years ago, when a
youngster in country school in
Michigan.
Nearly 100 boys and girls parti-
cipated in this contest, and strange
as it NAV be only two bows qualified