Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-02-22
HISTORY OF C0NY's
CHIzzLE-W|zzlE

Chiszle Wizzle Fair. the s1st an
nual which opens tonight at City
han. hss 4 most interesting history.
zach teas ~ the unbroken series
Of performances Increases In num-
Der. more interest IL manifested in
the early days Of the festival and
the circumstances which led to its
origin. These facts are set forth
clearly ana combrehensively In q
splendid article which was written
f0f "The CoKy Cue" In 1920 by Miss
Alice B: Reyno1ds, who was d teacher
ct Cony High school for d period Of
u years retiring in 1915. with the
exception IT the year 1900. Miss Rev
h0ids attended the fair every year
sihce its origin ana has always taken
. great interest in II.
Memories of Chizzie Wizzlc," Il
the title Of the article written by Miss
reynolds which was published in
The Cony Cue" OF February ~,
1890. 1t was III part as follows:
ITO obtain money for athletics
was the object of the first Chizzle-
While fair. Back in the eighties
the only sport in which Cony stu
dents were interested was baseball
and to meet the necessary expenses,
the boys every spring would 10 up
and down Water street with a SUBJ
scription paper. When in the early
ntneties they formed a football team
and consequently needed more funds.
a group Of boys from the class of '92
decided to earn some money by CIV
Ing an entertainment. They were
busy With their plans when suddenly,
one morning. word came from the
Board Of Education that. as a school,
Cony High was not to give a public
entertainment for money. In spite
OF this opposition. however. these
resolute young men determined to
carry out their undertaking. Conse-
quently they formed themselves into
an association. resolved to earn the
needed money. which they would
later present to the school. OF course
the association must have a name,
ana. 40 that OF the school was for
hidden, they decided to take from
the school yell the word Chizzle-
While Fair association and this the
origin of its name.
According to the Cony Student,
the school paper of those days, the
first fair was given in old Meonian
halt on jan. Sth and 9th. 1892. The
boys in charge of it were John Ar
mold, Everett Glidden, Ralph Leigh
ton, Clair Minot. Harry Pierce, Fred
Small and Bartlett Webster The
entertainment Of the first night con-
sisted Of two plays. "A Regular Fix"
ana 1.-THE Hypochendriac." The Sec
ond evening there was no regular
program but the time was devoted to
the awarding of prizes and finishing
were articles presented by merchants
on Water street and were drawn by
those persons who held tickets with
the lucky numbers. Among others
John Arnold drew Dorchester lamp
and Carl Milliken a pair of slippers.
As this form of lottery was really
illegal. 1t was never tried again.
Tine voting contest aroused much
interest. Miss Bertha Holmes. now
Mrs. w. M. williams, having re-
ceived the highest number of votes.
was given the sewing machine and
Charlie Valentine won the Rogers
football group. This little group still
adorns the mantel in the main room
of the Commercial department. Miss
Ella Reid. now Mrs. E. H. Thomp-
son. having estimated very nearly
the correct weight of the 13-pound
guess cake, was presented with it.
''Then all the articles left unsold
on the tables were disposed of by q
most efficient auctioneer, Mr.. George
Michaeiis, ut that time reporter On
the Kennebec Journal. The fair
ended with a dance in Union hall,
which closed promptly at II o'clock.
1.-THE fair was a success in every
way and Melted the boys the sum of
S324. According to the records of
the school assembly OF that year, this
amount the Chizzle- While Fair as