Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-03-31
CONTEST PROVES A
DELIGHTFUL AFFAIR
LARGE CROWDS ATTEND DIS
TRICT DECLAMATORY CON-
AT SCHOOL BUILDING.

The Southwestern Iowa Declam-
atory Contest was held at the high
school building in this city on Fri
day of last week. Crowds that taxed
the capacity of the assembly room
heard the declaimers from twenty
schools comprising this district
The citizens of Audubon Wed with
each other in providing entertain
ment for the large number of repre-
sentatives who accompanied the con-
testants. Broadway was decorated
as usual and practically all OF the
business houses decorated their win
dows in red and white, the colors of
the declamatory association.
The program was divided into two
parts. The afternoon program con-
sisted of the Oratorical division, in
which six persons competed, four
boys and two girls. This part of the
program was exceptionally strong.
Every Grafton was we'll chosen and
delivered in effective manner. Con-
siderable difference of opinion pre-
vailed as to who should win. How
ever, the judges gave first place to
Roy McClain, of Emerson, who gave
"Toussaint L'Overture," and second
place to Floyd McNutt, of Atlantic,
who gave "a Call to Arms" The
music of the afternoon was given by
a high school octette of mixed voices.
This new organization of the high
school pleased the audience very
much.
The evenings program was COM
posed OF the dramatic and humor-
Gus numbers, seven in each class. The
program was long for one evening,
but was so uniformly strong that
people almost forgot that 1t was so
long. In the dramatic class there
was again a difference of opinion as
to who ought to win, every number
being so very fine. 1t took the
judges some little time to come to a
decision on this class, and then they
did not agree well. First was given
to Ruth Wilcox, of Perry, who we'll
deserved to win with her strong dra-
matte rendition OF Madam X" Sec
ond place was given to Ruth Walden
OF Graceland Academy, of Lamont.
1t seemed to the writer that her in
depreciation of Bobby Shaftoe" was
nearly perfect.
Each of the dramatic numbers
were long and the audience had be-
gun to act tired, but they at once be-
came alert and ready for the fun
when the humorous class began to
speak. The numbers given by this
class were also very good but there
was little difference of opinion as to
who should have the honors. The
judges were unanimous in their de-
cisions in this class. First place
was given to Abe Friedman, of Fon-
tanelle, who gave "Dad says so, any
how" He had the audience in an
uproar of laughter from start to fin
ish. There will need be some one at
the State contest who is very unus-
ually strong il that person is going
to be able to keep Abe from getting
first there. Second was given to
Homer Barr, of Manning, who gave
the reading, "a Boys Story" HON.
or is a real boy, and in very natur-
al way portrayed the characters of
his production. The judges were
unanimous in giving to him second
place.
The representatives to the State
contest at Perry from this district
will be Roy McClain, Ruth Wilcox
and Abe Friedman. We shall be
much interested to see how these
three worthy young people compare
with those from the other three dis
tricts.
The musical numbers of the even
ing program deserve special men
ton. 1t is seldom that the people of
Audubon and visitors have the OPP
portunity to hear any musical num-
Der equal to the selection played by
a
very difficult one, yet was played
from memory. We predict that Emil
IL he chooses to do so, will make a
real place for himself in the musical
world. The orchestra numbers, male
quartet and girls glee club received
very favorable comment from the
patrons and visitors.
The judges of the contest were
Prof. R. L. Lansley, of Ames; Prof.
v. II. Shultz, of Drake University,
and Miss Mary Pabst, Instructor in
Public Speaking, at Knoxville. IL
was fortunate that we were able to
secure three so competent persons
for this work. The business-like
way in which they handled the work
and the general satisfaction with the
results of their decisions attest to
their efficiency.
The visitors were very generous
with their praise OF the able, manner
in which the details of the contest
we're handled. They spoke in glow
ing terms of the generous and hos
pitable treatment they received
while in Audubon. All of the plans
of the different committees were so
we'll carried out that the visitors felt
that nothing that would add to their
comfort and pleasure was left out.
However. the thing that received the
unqualified praise OF all the visitors
was the dinner served in the domes-
tic science rooms by Miss Graham
and the Freshman girls. Almost
every person present commented on
how fine it was to have them all to-
gether for meal, how we'll the meal
! was planed and prepared, ana how
nicely they were served.
Altogether it seems that we have
right to.say that this was one OF the
most successful school events that
has ever come to the Audubon high
school II is to be hoped that we
may soon have the pleasure OF enter
tanning so fine a group OF school
folks and school Representatives.