Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1917-02-23
COTTON GIRL WINS
SPELLING CONTEST
Miss Amelia Babinski, Aged IL, VIII
Represent Whitman County In
State Spelling Match

Il took several hours of steady
"pronouncing" before Miss Amelia
Babinski, an eighth grade student in
the Cotton schools, encountered a
word that she could not correctly
spell at the elimination spelling con-
test held at the Colfax high school
Friday night The purpose of the
match was TO select representative
for Whitman county at the statewide
spelling contest to be held at Olym-
pia on the afternoon of March 5, at
which time the seventh and eighth
grades of each county in the state
will be represented.
There were about IT'S persons in
attendance at the contest, and the
sum of $3.50 was realized in admis-
sions, which will be used to defray
the expenses of a chaperone to ac-
company the winner to Olympia. The
contest Friday night consisted Of
both written and oral tests, and each
feature was thoroughly enjoyed by
those present.
For the written test each specta-
tor was invited by Miss Busbey to
take part. they being provided with
paper and pencils for that purpose.
While the papers of the contestants
were being graded, Miss Busbey
called out the correct spelling for the
words and each spectator marked his
or her paper accordingly. The result
was an even dozen who had a perfect
grade. and many who had missed but
one or two words.
Seven of the 20 contestants Sc
cured grades of 100 in the written
test, and there were but three who
feel below 80 or above, while several
secured a grade of 80 per cent. The
words used were taken from the
Merrill speller and are ones common
ly used, though many times mis-
spelled, and there were practically
no catch words included in the list.
Among those which proved to be
stumbling blocks for a majority of
the contestants were such words as
recommend, maneuver. Judgment
sirloin and accommodate. " 1t was
found on Monday that one or two
contestants were given a miss" on
tho uord tiudup,an4, u,I,ov lI,o,-
spelled it "judgem emit" Upon con-
sulting the dictionary it was found
that the latter was not incorrect, al
though the preference is given as
without the use of the vowel sc"
In no case, however. did this affect
the final result of the contest.
In the oral test the pronouncing
was begun by Walter Doolittle, in
structor in mathematics at the high
school. 1t soon developed that no
one person was equal in endurance
to the spelling proves of the con-
testants, and Mr.. Doolittle was final
ly relieved by Mr.. Cooper, principal
of the departmental school. When
the latter was apparently beginning
to succumb Miss Busbey, county SUI
perntendent was called upon and
she officiated until about II o'clock,
when it became apparent that there
was no hope of the contest coming to
close as long as the Merrill speller
was used. v
Accordingly Miss Busbey called for
"Eldridge's Business Speller" the
text which will be used at the state
contest at Olympia. This move soon
showed its effect, when speller after
speller went down" until only three
were standing, they being Ada An
derson, of Diamond; Virgil Smith.
OF Penawawa; and Amelia Babinski.
OF Cotton. Ada met her fate when
she was confronted with a "prodi-
gy'; Virgil became enmeshed in the
tentacles of an octopus" and the
stigma of a "calumny" was RESPONSE
BILE for the downfall of Amelia. after
she had successfully Spelled down"
all the other contestants.
Amelia Babinski winner of the
contest. is IA years of age and a pu-
pill of the eighth grade in the Cotton
schools. Her teacher is Miss Mary
Clarity. Miss Babinski will make
the trip to Olympia at the expense OF
the office of state superintendent OF
schools, and she has requested that
Miss Busbey accompany her as chap.
erone. In the event that Miss Busbey
is unable to make the trip she will
appoint a substitute. 1t is under
stood that the winner and chaperone
will be entertained while at the cap
tai by the Whitman delegation.
Argus Carpenter, the Colfax repre
sentative, made a perfect grade II
the written test. but fell down in tn,
oral test, his standing being eighth
-Palouser.