The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-06-11
REPORT OF STATE |
SPELLING CONTEST

Claude C. Gossett of Hillsboro,
Highland county, is the champion
speller Of Ohio schools. He is 20,
years of age and has taught two
years, but is now in the Hillsboro
high school finishing his course.
He won the title after struggle
with rs other aspirants lasting from
eleven o'clock in the morning till
eleven o'clock at night, with hour inter
missions at noon and at six o'clock.
Louise Kern of Hooking county and
Homer Jacobs of Jackson county were
tied for second and third place; Mar
ion L. Cross of Brown county was
fourth; Lois Snedeker of Delaware
and Sadie Buchanan of Morgan tied
for fifth and sixth places; Howard
Thomas, Shelby county's 11-year-old
representative, was seventh; Florence
Stockert of Stark, eighth; Harold
Cochran of Madison, ninth and Leetha
Switzer Of Hardin, tenth.
Thus it will be seen that Medina
county's representative was not inside
the money, but he was in the contest
up to the very close, being one of the
33 contestants that could not be spell
ed down from the list of 500 words
sent out by A. p. Sandles, who had
charge of the contest. These 33 were
given special list of 100 words
chosen at random from Webster's
International Dictionary and the win
ming contestants were as given above.
The meeting opened with address by
State Supt. Miller and Gov. Willis,
after which the latter pronounced a
list of 100 words for the elimination
contest. Mr.. Sandles announced that
any contestant falling below "a per
cent would be eliminated. After writ
ing these words the spoilers and vis-
itors to the number of 200 adjourned
to the Japanese garden at the South
ern hotel, where a fine lunch was
served. During lunch the Young peo-
pie were entertained with fine vocal
and instrumental music.
At two o'clock, all adjourned to the
Memorial hall, where it was announced
that the contestants had passed the
preliminary contest, Floyd Gift Of Me-
dina being one Of the contestants who
had spelled every word correctly. Here
Governor Willis again took charge and
pronounced words till he had gone
around the group twice and had sue
ceeded in eliminating one girl on the
word "desultory." The Governor
then turned matters over to Prof. A.
O. Irish, who wrestled long and faith
fully, but had to give up finally owing
to loss of his voice. After Prof.
Irish had been laid in the shade,
State Librarian Golbreath took up the
burden, but he in turn threw up the
sponge after an hours hard work. Mr.
Mckee Of the Cleveland Plain Dealer
managed to stay in the ring till the
referee called an adjournment fol
supper. AT this time there were still
45 spoilers in the ring.
At seven o'clock, Mr.. McCurdy Of
the State Dept. Of Education began
the hostile work, finished the list Of
5000 words and succeeded in spelling
down IL more, leaving 49, still on the
floor for the final 100 words to be
written.
Medina's representative was still In
the ring and confident; in fact, he
hadn't even hesitated on q single word
Of the long grind, showing that he
was as well prepared for The contest
as it was possible to be. But the final
100 words, many cf which were absc-
lutely new to not only the contestants
but to even the newspaper men pres
ert. proved too much for most of the
boys and girls, Gossett's percentage q
81 being remarkable. Here il the list
OIentangy, tlonpareil, prophecy, cap
ias, Mesa, laatadOr, sepulchral, vitre.
ops, fihaIey attache, c0inEnandant; sar.
cCphagus ,collete. Kaiser. cCnaCnInne
erysipelas, resume sucrCse, leGible