Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-21
MAIN STREET
! PRIZE AWARDS
Duane squires Wins First
Place; Mrs. Langley, Rock
Lake, Second. !.

First. place in the HeraId'a
main Street" criticism contest is
awarded 70 Duane Squires Of
Grand Forks, this award emitting |
Y him tOSthe prize Of $1,000.
Second place, with Its accom-
to Mrs. e. j. Langley OF Rock
Lake. N. D.
The seven other prizes of
@1.O0 each have been awarded to
the following:
Mamie Lewis. 41S Walnut
street, Grand Forks. :.$ss -lst
Esther Carlow, Finley North d
CARA N: Boone. Grafton North
Helen Crawford, Sentinel
Butte, North Dakota.
Mrs. John Halcrow, Bowcs-
mont. North Dakota.
Clarence Weigel, Reynolds,
North Dakota.
Mrs. Eina Aaker, Hatton,
The Herald's invitation to its read.
ers to offer thetr criticisms of the much
discussed novel. "Main Street" which
ran through several weeks In the aft.
ernoon Herald. brought forthMere-.
ppnses by the dozen. and "a wide
rietY of opinion was shown In the re-.
plies. This variety. was shown chiefly
in the estimates of the writer's treat
ment Of details. In only q few in
stances was unqualified approval Of
the book expressed. Several critics
gave it general approval. but objected
features. nv,
In his very well written and well
ordered criticism of the book. Mr..
Squires holds first. that the story falls
short of being the whole truth be-
cause 1t exaEgerates; second. that
there is not merely exaggeration of
the gloomy aspects of life. but re-.
third. that ever If the story were q.
reasonably faithful picture sof a par
ttcular town, it is not, al it purportA
to be. a fair portrayal of the aver
age small American town. The fol-
lowing sentences relating to his Sec
N criticism illustrates Mr.. SQuires'
very forceful presentation.
us it humanity possible to have
every one OF several thousand
people uniformly and absolutely
dead to beauth. cleanliness, and
pride? Was there none in that
city who had a vision of higher
things. who tried in his own Way
to bring happiness n joy into
the lives of others? Surely. If
the author had but looked, he
could have found one spark in
the general darkness. one flower
in the prevailing sterility, one
! oasis in the barren desert. It is;a
misfortune when an author is- a
pessimist; it is a tragedy, when
! he is. q cyntc: but in Main
Street" Sinclair Lewis Is BOTH"
Mrs. Langley holds:
Carol could neither recognize
nor comprehend life when she
saw it. She desired to express
herself but could get no further
than various attempts to live for
her W pleasure. following the
theory that self-expression means
having ones OWN way and follow
ing idle incl;nations. She sought
beauty but missed that at hand.
True beauty is in the common
place things Of daily living. in the
h~elpfulness. the lasting syinpa.
thies and true friendship OF small
town life. She wished to be . law
r~+o herself. to ignore the con-
ventionaltties. After all. the code
adopted by the sane majority is
the outcome of centuries of living
with ones neighbors and Is fun
damentally based upon the gold
en- rule"
Miss Lewis. after reviewing with
approval the general features of the
book: says:
town but counts among his sac-
Quaintances people of poise. re-
inement, and real culture. whose
lives are a lbenedtction to h
community. people who accom-
plish things. keep abreast of the
times. and make the town a
wholesome agreeable place in
1ryhi1H 70 l{xo 'Hr' r..... -
Miss Carlow views Carols struggles
sympathetically. and thinks that the
story gives q true picture of small
has Just arrived finds herself the OBJ
ject of everyone's attention and
e~veryone's criticism. She. on her
side. is unable to fit herself into the
life of the small town and the activ-
ties with which h is unfamiliar.
Miss Boone also believes that the
principal features of the book nre
she thinks that his characterization
would apply better to a place OF much
less than 5000 inhabitants. 2 -L
Miss Crawford thinks that the
crudeness of the small. town is over
emphasized through contrast with the
Mrs. Halcrow holds that the au-
thor Of main Street" has entirely
failed t. portray the kindly Interest
in neighbors existing in small towns:
the friendships; and the good will. the
love Of fair play which characterizes
the average American citizen"
Mr.. Weigel holds that the picture is
true because it presents Gopher
Prairie as a commonplace town" but
l1here were among the Inhabitants
Those who rose above the common.
place and performed useful work"
tut they accepted the town. the
routine of their lives. and the rules
and beliefs Of their forefathers with
cut question"
Mrs. Aaker. believes that It would
he impossible to find n town "pov-
erty-strtcken as Gopher Prairie seems
to be in people who are always true.
sympathetic and loyal. even to a be
wildered little stranger like Carol"
FORENSIC EVENTS
ARE SCHEDULED
The ten events. listedstbelow are on
the forensic calendar Of the state uni
EN~{lnSy u at~tnk n Sr